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A Step-by-Step Guide to Coffee at Home

With all that is changing in our world, one thing that doesn’t seem to have changed is our coffee craving!  Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide to brewing your own coffee at home, featuring some must-have items from Portola Coffee Roasters. By following these steps, we promise you’ll be brewing coffee like a pro in no time!

 

1. Start by choosing your beans 

Perhaps the most essential of all steps, selecting which blend of beans will help you to make your perfect cup of coffee. The Kenya Kainamui beans are always an ideal choice because of their delicious flavor and notes of dried plum, pomegranate, grapefruit, and rooibos. 

2. Select your brewing method

While there seem to be an infinite number of ways to brew your daily cup of joe, the Behmor Brew System might be the most convenient. This device has a programmable brew start time, so you can wake up to the smell of fresh coffee without even lifting a finger. Plus, if you opt for the “Connected” model, you can even control the device from your smartphone! 

3. Last but not least, your vessel!

Since coffee is enjoyed both at home and on the go, it is a great idea to have a vessel that you can use for both purposes.  We love Portola’s Gold Tumbler for lots of reasons – it’s cup holder friendly, BPA free, has a curved interior for easy cleaning, and has a lid opening feature to help prevent you from burning your mouth. It’s also 18/8 stainless steel, which means it won’t transfer flavor or leave aftertaste, making it basically the most perfect coffee vessel out there!

All of the products featured in this post are available for online purchase at https://portolacoffee.com/. Plus, for every 2 bags of beans purchased, you’ll receive a complimentary coffee drink for your next visit to one of Portola’s open locations (Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Tustin and Orange). Happy caffeinating! 

SOCO + The OC Mix Kick-Starts the New Year!

 

Introducing SOCO’s Kids Club! 

Calling all creative kiddos of Orange County! SOCO + The OC Mix has an all-new Kids Club launching this month that will bring fun events and interactive programming to the center all year long.  The very first event will be held on Wednesday, January 15 from 10a to 11a, with the fun to continue the third Wednesday of each month.  Every event will offer a live story reading, music + dancing, and a fun craft with January’s event to feature a reading of Tacky the Penguin along with an adorable penguin craft. Families will also enjoy various discounts from participating SOCO + The OC Mix retailers.  For more info and to RSVP for January’s Kids Club, please visit the event page here.


Roomscapes’ Coffee with a Designer 

Beginning this January, Roomscapes with be hosting monthly “Coffee with a Designer” workshops where attendees will learn the many different facets of the home remodeling process over coffee and light bites with a different theme guiding the event each month. The first workshop will be held on Saturday, January 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will focus on countertops – options, considerations, and what’s new!  For further details and to register, please click here.


Winter Sale at Cisco Home 

Give your home a New Year upgrade without breaking the bank! Cisco Home’s Winter Sale is on now and offers up to 70% off floor models and 20% off special order upholstery. From chairs, sofas, dining tables, lighting and more, Cisco Home is sure to have just the piece(s) you’re looking for to elevate & refresh your living space.


New Year Refresh Sale at HAY

Give your home a fresh start this 2020 with HAY!  From now through Tuesday, January 28, shoppers are invited to save up to 40% on all accessories during HAY’s New Year Refresh Sale. Customers can also save $300 when they purchase a HAY lounge chair with an accompanying ottoman during this sales period.


New Year, New Treats!

Start 2020 off on a sweet note! This January, SusieCakes is featuring delicious treats such as Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, decadent Cherry Crumble Pie, and German Chocolate Cake. For those trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions, treat yourself to “The Healthy Side of Susie” with an array of guilt free desserts such as Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies, Vanilla Pudding, and dairy + egg free Fruit Crumble Bars. For information on all of Susie’s January offerings, please click here.

April is Full of Spring Events & Specials at SOCO + The OC Mix!

Get ready for a season packed full of new items & events,

perfect for all ages, interests & styles at
S O C O  +  T H E   O C   M I X
For a full list of upcoming events & announcements, visit our website or follow us @socoandtheocmix!

 

LAST CHANCE FOR
EARLY BIRD PRICING

On Saturday, April 27 from 10am – 4pm,
Day of Design is returning to SOCO + The OC Mix with an impressive lineup of workshops and sessions that will introduce new products & collections, explore spring design trends, and look ahead to the newest styles & concepts in home design.

Buy your ticket  t o d a y  & get 15% off early bird pricing using code EARLYBIRD15
Prices go up to $35 on 4/15;  Sales end 4/19;
Reserve your spot before tickets are gone!


TIKI-THEMED SPECIALS AT PORTOLA

Live on island time with Portola!  From now until
June 30
, your favorite coffee spot is offering tropical + tiki-themed specials that will quench your thirst and satisfy any caffeine craving.  Choose from a variety of drinks including the Tea-Ki Tea, Ginger Shakerato, or Latte, Shaken Not Stirred (and click here for the full menu)!  Head over to Portola inside The OC Mix & prepare to be transported to a tropical paradise.

 


 

F E S T I V A L    S H O P P I N G

With festival season just around the corner, it’s time to assemble your wardrobe!

Visit our retailers inside The OC Mix for any festival-related needs: from full outfits, to accessories, and more.  Blue Skies has all your hat needs covered while KestanMielEva’s TrunkBono Spera and Bearfruit Jewelry are ready provide the perfect  pieces to complete your look.

 


RECONNECT WITH TIMOTHY OULTON

Join Timothy Oulton on Friday, April 12 from 10:00am to 12:00pm for a morning of reconnection.  Guests are invited to unwind + enjoy an organic breakfast during a beautiful healing meditation led by Jesse Stirling.  Sink into the moment with the delightfully soft Noble Souls sofa and let your worries slip away.  Seating is limited, so RSVP today by emailing Ines at ines.bejot@timothyoulton.com.

 


OPEN HOUSE AT PAUL MITCHELL

Jump-start your beauty career with Paul Mitchell’s National Open House on Tuesday, April 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Attendees will discover how Paul Mitchell The School can help them build a successful future in the industry by learning about the career-focused education, unique culture and classroom experience.  Click here to RSVP!


CRAFTS AT MILK & HONEY BABY

April is in full swing which means it’s time for some Easter decorating!  On Saturday, April 13 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, bring your little ones down to Milk & Honey Baby for fun crafts + Easter egg coloring!  The craft station is free for children to enjoy, so stop by, create something special, and enjoy delicious Easter-themed cookies!  


SOFA SALE AT BOCONCEPT

Get your living rooms ready!  On Wednesday, April 10, BoConcept is offering 15% off select statement sofas.  Choose from the MezzoCarlton orAmsterdam and enjoy an unlimited number of configurations & upholstery options that will make your new addition fit perfectly into your home and life.  From low-rise comfort to timeless retro vibes, your new sofa is waiting for you!

Portola’s Jeff Duggan on Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch List

When his first son was born with a heart defect that required multiple surgeries and constant care, Duggan and his wife, Christa, found their lives turned upside down. Duggan started the coffee business that would eventually free him from his tech job’s long hours, and Christa left her career to care for their son and help the business grow. With a small commercial roaster, Duggan found a bakery that let him set up shop, and in 2009 he opened Portola Coffee Roasters. Two years later, his passion for coffee—paired with his frustration at having anything less than complete control over the final brewed cup—led to the opening of the flagship café, Portola Coffee Lab, in Costa Mesa. “We were aiming for something scientific, modern and energetic,” says Duggan. “We’re very process-based. Everything we do is for a reason, and we’re never fully satisfied because we know there is always more to discover.”

Read the Full Article Here

 

Daily Pilot: Portola Coffee Lab and other shops will be featured at Small Business Saturday

(Christa Duggan and husband Jeff Duggan run Portola Coffee Lab, which will be featured during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 19 at SOCO and the OC Mix in Costa Mesa. (Kevin Chang / Times OC)

Jeff and Christa Duggan are passionate about coffee — almost to the point of obsession.

That deep enthusiasm about the intricacies among coffee beans is what drove the husband and wife to open Portola Coffee Lab, which has taken root as a favorite among Orange County coffee drinkers who prefer an alternative to mass-produced java.

Portola, along with other Orange County businesses, will be featured Nov. 25 at Small Business Saturday at SOCO and the OC Mix.

 

Read the Full Article Here

Fall Events in OC and More!

GREAT OC EVENTS THIS FALL

Fall has arrived, and we have a list of the best fall events – from costume parties to scarier thrills – to enjoy in Orange County this season.

Learn More >

 

“SOMETHING ROTTEN” COMES TO COSTA MESA!

The hit Broadway show comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in November. Watch as two brothers hilariously decide to write their first musical.

Learn More >

 

CHEF SPOTLIGHT: JOHN BEBER

Pueblo’s Executive Chef John Beber, at Costa Mesa’s foodie paradise The OC MIX, shows us how to make his Gambas al Ajillo. (VIDEO)

Learn More >

 

YOUR 5 TOP CRAFT COFFEE SPOTS

Fall really puts you in a coffee state of mind. Whether you like hot or cold, here’s 5 top spots in the city to get your craft brew on.

Learn More >

 

OC Register: Portola Coffee’s next phase: a remodeled flagship store and doughnuts

Six years after changing the way Orange County thinks of coffee, the flagship Portola Coffee Roasters in Costa Mesa has reopened its famed oval coffee bar after a seven-week remodel.

The redesigned coffee shop inside The OC Mix at South Coast Collection reopened late last week with a new ordering system designed to keep lines flowing while having baristas interact more closely with guests.

Read the Full Article Now

(Photo by Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)