Pullman has spoken: not every cup of coffee is created equal. In the eyes of WSU students, community coffee staples Café Moro and Zoe’s go above and beyond the average latté.

Café Moro tied for the first place with Zoe Coffeehouse and Pub for Best Coffee. Café Moro owner Tyson Feasel said he creates a signature flavor with Doma coffee, an organic and free trade coffee roaster located in Post Falls, Idaho.

“We have set roasts for espresso from Doma,” he said. “Our baristas choose the brewed coffee they make that day. We try to keep up our variety.”

Variety may be the key, but Feasel said he knows how tough it is to cover all his customer’s bases.

“Taste is subjective, so it’s tough to pick things that work for everyone. We look for roasts that are pleasing to the most people. Medium light roasts are great for that,” Feasel said. “I’ve adjusted the roasts I stock for what people want, but it’s important to sell something you like.”

Zoe’s owner Mike Wagoner said he prefers to channel the traditional grandeur of coffee with his choice of roast.

“Our coffee is roasted in the Italian tradition, and it’s actually roasted by real Italians,” he said. “There are different blends that represent the flavor of Italy. Northern Italy, the closer you get to the Alps, the lighter the roast is. The closer you get to the Mediterranean, the darker the roast.”

These geographical differences make the distinction between a corporate espresso drink and one that has been curated for your taste buds.

“We use a medium to dark roast for our flavored drinks like mochas, but we don’t just use one type for everything,” Wagoner said. “We match our espresso roasts to the drinks we make. The same goes for our drip coffee.”

Both Café Moro and Zoe’s understand the potential in what others see as a simple cup of coffee, which is what has and will continue to make them the best cafés to drink at in Pullman.

“Coming into a coffee shop should be about the experience,” Wagoner said, “not just about picking up a cup of joe.”