A hand crafted masterpiece created just for you.

Parisi Artisan Coffee located on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City is an extension of the locally owned Paris Brothers, Inc, which is a specialty foods distributor in KC. Coffee in essence is a specialty food and one of the largest items Parisi distributes so it only seemed fitting for them to add this division.

My first experience with Parisi came a few years ago when they were at my local Costco handing out samples. I thought it was quite good and I have been buying it ever since. Now that I am all about spreading the word on great local food finds I think you are missing, it only seemed fitting to add them to this blog.

I had the incredible pleasure of attending a “cupping” at Parisi Coffee. With their master artisan roaster John Welsh and director of marketing, Scott Presnell. Now, if you are like my husband and thinking that sounds a bit kinky. I need to explain that a cupping is like a wine tasting but with coffee.

Though not kinky, the cupping is quite intoxicating. The aroma and flavors along with the French press brewing method makes it a delightful experience. John explained that since no two coffee beans are the same, each one has a different roasting method. I found there were many correlations between roasting coffee and cooking methods. Just as you start a piece of meat into a hot pan to form a crust and then lower the temperature to finish cooking or slow roast a turkey for hours, different types of beans are roasted in a similar manner.

Parisi crafts coffees that deliver an exquisite taste experience. The artisan roasting techniques, along with the type of bean gives each coffee a unique and different flavor. Though hard to tell when just sipping a single cup by itself, tasting them side by side really brought out the different flavors of each coffee. I was amazed at how different each one was.

The first tasting was from Kenya and was a great cup of coffee. I did not realize how strong it was until I tasted the next offering which was from Ethiopia, it was much more mild. Next was Costa Rica, it had a much sweeter taste, then the Sumatra, which was very smooth. It was truly unique to experience all the levels of flavor. Parisi also offers an extensive line of chemical-free decaffeinated coffees using the Royal Select water process.

Parisi coffees come from regions all over the globe including Peru, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia and more. What I like most about Parisi is that their coffees are handcrafted from seed to cup. Some beans are certified Fair Trade, some are organic, and some are certified through Parisi’s own artisan standard Eco World Family Farm. Parisi takes pride in visiting the farms and having relationships with the area farmers and growers.

Parisi Coffee hand selects every raw coffee bean based upon quality and has them shipped directly to Kansas City. Then, they individually roast them in very small batches under the watchful eye of their master roaster. Each batch is then quality “cupped” or sampled.

You would think with all this personal attention that it would be priced out of reach, but it is not. Buying local coffee is not only worth the price because your purchase supports area companies and jobs, but in some cases, it is even more affordable than the national alternatives. Parisi’s 2-pound bag they sell at Costco is priced less per pound than even Dunkin Donuts coffee. Which by the way is not actually roasted by Dunkin Donuts, but by JM Smuckers, which also roasts Folgers coffee in the same plant.

Parisi believes that roasting coffee is truly an art form and is hoping to educate consumers in the near future by hosting coffee paring dinners. Just like fine wine and craft beer, Parisi Artisan Coffee is a handcrafted masterpiece.

Parisi coffee is served at some great area restaurants including: Eggstc, You Say Tomato, Pandolfi’s Deli and even Jasper’s. You can find Parisi at most stores throughout the metro and online. Visit Parisi’s website for more information.

If you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing, email me.

In Good Taste,
Sharm