coffee museum

The museum is small and cozy, full of artifacts, rich in history when coffee was an important export for the island. The coffee is roasted, grinded before your eyes by the owners themselves! A fresh aroma of coffee that is “FRESH” indeed!

Visited today and will definitely visit again. We were graciously greeted, given an very informative tour by one of the owners (in English) and learned lots of little tidbits of information about Puerto Rican coffee. The coffee is fabulous.

We found out about this small museum by means of a TV program. Here you have the opportunity to see pieces of machinery and instruments used in the process of coffee collection, toasting process and preparation for consumption. It is family operated, so the owners can answer all your questions about coffee. You learn about different grains and favors, and learn how to make the most of your coffee. You can enjoy coffee on the small coffee shop and garden which has a beautiful view of the mountains. They offer tours on weekends, but if you want a quieter experience go during the week. At the end you can buy different kinds is coffee either in grain or ground coffee.

I went there after I ate at Asao smoke House. It is a old coffee processing plant that was converted into a Museum. I learned a lot of the history of the coffee trade and how it is process. They have tours for any one interested, lectures and classes (to groups of 5 or more and by appointment). And after the tour you get to taste an excellent cup of premium coffee and you can also buy some home made snacks. If you are in Ciales, you must visit. Don't forget to buy fresh tosted coffee to take home.

I went to this area of Puerto Rico last Saturday and entered in the Coffee Museum in the town called Ciales. The owner of this place is Mr. Pedro Maldonado, who I think is the III (third). His family and himself have been not only involved but really living what coffee is and what the industry has been for the island. The place has an area of relaxing atmosphere that invites to drink the elixir of the gods and you could have a conversation around the topic or about whatever. The relics that the museum shows are a living enciclopedia of what not so many knows about what is "coffee". Is extraordinary and extremely interesting to hear Mr. Maldonado expressing his knowledge about the mistics of the coffee. His wife is Mercedita, and is in charge to show the visitors the area of the history found in this town which is traditionally related to the industry. You can even take home a coffee tree.For me was a remarkable experience and I would like to invite everyone to make a trip to the center of the island and visit Ciales and its Museum of the Coffee. You will enjoy it and will learn a lot. Bring your children they need to know this part of our history.

I love coffee and have tried from many countries and wide range of price tags.This is the best coffee by far, specially when used within first couple of weeks after processed.Pichi, the owner knows his stuff well, and produces a unique coffee by selecting thr best beans from the island. Although he imports coffee from several countries. The coffee from Puerto Rico is one of a kind, best coffee I have ever tried.Don't miss it !!!!!!

Own by his founder and guide tour by him. Stop and enjoy a free cup of coffee from his own been. Process's in the Museum. Buy different brand of coffee. Sit outside day or nigh. Learn more about coffee in one visit that you was expected to learn in a lifetime. Easy access from all the island. Place to remember for ever.

Great Place to go!! Best coffee in Puerto Rico!! I use every day their coffee in my home. The owners are great people.

I wanted to show cousins visiting from Mallorca the essence of the coffee producing of Puerto Rico. Excellent locale! There are exibits of very old machinery from actual coffee roasting facilities. The place is evolving and contnuing to improve and adding coffe tasting área, coffee bar. I brought a bag of Don Pello Arabiga Coffee. The freshly roasted coffe smell surrounds you.Defintely reccomend this place to understand the origins of coffee production in Puerto Rico. Even the Popes in Rome used to receive bags of select Puerto Rican Coffee. Come and try the coffee and buy a bag to take home, Enjoy !

Ciales is a well known coffee harvesting town in the mountains of central Puerto Rico. We were looking for an extra activity in the town after enjoying Asao, and ran into this museum and coffee boutique. It is rustic, but everyone is welcomed by a fresh cup of free Ciales coffee. We met the owner of the plantation, Mr. Pedro Pichy Maldonado, who took his time to give us a rundown on their coffee production operation. Following that, we were ushered to the museum and downstairs real life laboratory. Puerto Rico boasts some of the world's best coffee brands, but being so close to its production and processing, was pretty interesting. Great experience! The coffee beans or grounds purchased there are very inexpensive but of the highest quality.

While we had a hard time finding it the experience was a real treat. The easiest way to find it is to google Museo Biblioteca del Cafe, Calle Palmer Cabalines, Ciales, Puerto Rico. As you drive into the town of Ciales the roads narrow considerably and it gets quite congested with cars. Also the Google maps directions take you up what seems to be sketchy side streets. Finally the museum is just one storefront that blends in with the rest of the block. Once you are close find the first available parking space and then ask for directions. As mentioned in the other reviews the museum hosts were extremely helpful and knowledgeable on explaining how coffee beans were graded and chosen for coffee. Of course the best part was drinking the exquisite coffee, which was complementary. Again while it wasn't obvious the second best part was the opportunity to purchase premium Puerto Rican coffee beans ($25/lb). We combined this visit to the Coffee Museum with a trip to the caves at el coayuco la cueva del Indio near Arecibo. A great day trip from San Juan.

The Museo del Café in Ciales, Puerto Rico, was a highlight of my recent trip. This eclectic and charming establishment served a great cup and collected the history of coffee of the island. I had an incredible learning experience discussing various coffee taste profiles and roasting techniques with owner Pedro Maldonado, a legendary, warm and engaging host. The establishment has a lot of things going for it at different levels, like roasting and expressing up top, historical exhibits in the middle and finally, a wonderful coffee lab below, where attributes of coffee are explained and explored. Every single person I met was passionate about their relationship with coffee, whether barista, roaster or drinker. We intended to stop in for about 30 minutes and had to drag ourselves away 1 and a half hours later because I was going to miss my plane. If you are ever close to Ciales, Puerto Rico, you should not miss it.

We visited this place last weekend. We were welcomed with a complimentary coffee, as first visitors. The coffee was excellent, so we couldn't resist to buy another cup, as flavourful as the first one. No doubt, Puerto Rico still produces among the best coffees in the world. There is a very interesting exhibition of machines, artifacts, documents, dinnerware and coffee information, including an impressive lab for testing taste, aroma, color and all coffee matters. I'm sharing some photos. Of course you can buy there coffee from a selection of regional coffee growers, in whole beans or grind. This place is a must visit for any coffee lover with a great spice of history of what used to be this industry for Puerto Rico. We are planning our next visit along with the rest of the family, very soon. It was Sunday and we arrived there minutes after ten in the morning, so it was easy to park along the narrow street near the Museum. Thanks to Mr. Pedro Maldonado for the coffee and for such an interesting place to visit.

After so many years of absence, last week I visited this attraction so familiar to me. Growing up, so many years ago, I used to play there with the owners kids. I was amazed of the excellent work performed by Mr. Pedro (Pichi) Maldonado in conservation of the coffe industry machinery of the earlier part of last century as well as older pieces. The lay out of the facilities preserve what I recall was the "torrefacción de café" (coffe manufacturing plant) and Mr. Maldonado has kept up with all modern trends and knowledge relating coffe, products to brew, tastings of different varieties, classes and selling of fresh coffe to be enjoyed at home. Worth a visit, a cup of fresh brewed and surely I will return and look forward to plans for expansion to be concluded. Friendly tip: buy two or three pounds of different coffees to experiment at home.

A good time for the whole family. The museum it self is small and cozy (not very pretentious), but its full of interesting artifacts and documents from the time when coffee was an important export for the island. You must try the coffee, each visitor may have a free cup, compliments of the house. I recommend taking some home with you, the prices are good for the quality of the product. If you are lucky and the owner, Pichi, is there when you visit ask him anything and everything you ever wanted to know about coffee. The guy is a walking encyclopedia in all things coffee related.