Where do you buy coffee beans?

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RyeWhiskey
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by RyeWhiskey »

Costco SF Bay Organic. 3 lbs for under $20. Flavor is good and consistent and the price for organic can't be beat.
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jdb
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by jdb »

Love these coffee topics. OP has been drinking Coke Zero in mornings. Suspect doesn't need gourmet coffee, needs good coffee easy to make. I went from grinding coffee beans to a simpler lifestyle, Costco Columbian Supremo Bean Dark Roast Fine Grind, make in French Press. Got recommendation from another coffee thread on this site. Beats Coke Zero.
Wellfleet
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Wellfleet »

I like Costco Columbian Roast. I've tried a lot out there; the local roaster, Whole Foods, etc. I love the local roaster but its not worth 3x the cost of Costco per pound for me. I do buy a bag here and there.
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bertilak
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by bertilak »

Juat to add one more possibility to the listL
They have a subscription plan.
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TN_Boy
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by TN_Boy »

Green Nut wrote:Am I wrong with the fact there is a big espresso misconception? Espresso doesn't have to be with a dark roast, love mine with a medium roast. Espresso is the process, not the bean.
I'm not aware of any misconception, sure espresso can be any roast you like. It's individual preference :happy Personally I don't like medium roasts in espresso, but that's just me.

I think there is a tendency toward darker roasts in espresso drinks (like lattes and such) because there is a lot of milk in those drinks and sometimes a "stronger" tasting roast comes through better.
btenny
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by btenny »

I buy Peets brand coffee whole beans in various roast varieties and bean flavors at my local supermarket. I shop at Raleys in northern California and at Frys in Arizona. Both stores carry lots of different types of coffee in whole beans and ground. I only buy a one pound of coffee at a time as they don't stay fresh for very long after opening the bag. When I open a fresh bag I make sure the beans are "oily" so that tells me they are fresh and recently roasted. If they are dry looking I return the coffee back to the store. I grind fresh coffee beans every day of two to use to make coffee. I keep the coffee beans in a sealed jar in the freezer until I use it all up.

I pay about $7.99 a pound for this brand of coffee and that last us about a month. I like Major Dickenson's dark roast. My wife likes House Blend medium roast. Other brands have different flavors and roast profiles but this is what we like. I also thing Starbucks coffee tastes burned.

Good Luck.
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House Blend
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by House Blend »

davidsorensen32 wrote:+1 The peets holiday blend (red carton) from Costco
badger42 wrote:Peets beans from the Costco. About half the price of buying the same beans from Peets, and they work well for hot and iced coffee.
FWIW, the Peet's coffee in grocery stores (including costco) is often stale. Check the roast date on the bag.

Last week my grocer had a big display of Peet's Holiday Blend. The beans were roasted in September. :oops:
Beck49
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Beck49 »

If you are serious about your coffee, and live in a town with any reasonable population, I would encourage you to follow the advice to find a local roaster. In my case they actually deliver the beans to my door, but I would happily drive to get them otherwise. Once you've tried coffee from freshly roasted beans, you can try the cheaper options that some have suggested. If at that point the small difference in price is just too much to pass up, at least you will know what you are missing. Good luck.
davidsorensen32
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by davidsorensen32 »

Really ? Look again. There is no roast date on the red keurig packages.
House Blend wrote:
davidsorensen32 wrote:+1 The peets holiday blend (red carton) from Costco
badger42 wrote:Peets beans from the Costco. About half the price of buying the same beans from Peets, and they work well for hot and iced coffee.
FWIW, the Peet's coffee in grocery stores (including costco) is often stale. Check the roast date on the bag.

Last week my grocer had a big display of Peet's Holiday Blend. The beans were roasted in September. :oops:
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Morik
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Morik »

I found a couple local roasters to check out--will do that.
mike127
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by mike127 »

I love how many people here are using small roasters! Like many people here I generally try to be frugal, but I'm finding a huge difference in quality when I spend a little more for decent coffee. And I like supporting smaller businesses.

Some roasters I've bought from and loved:

Vigilante Coffee
Counter Culture Coffee
Stumptown Coffee
Rare Bird Coffee
La Colombe
Blue Bottle Coffee
M.E. Swings Coffee

All of these sell online.
lazydavid
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by lazydavid »

TN_Boy wrote:
lazydavid wrote:
KlangFool wrote:Costco tends to over-roasted their own coffee beans and produce a burned taste.
That's because--with the exception of the few lucky locations that have an in-store roastery--Costco outsources their coffee roasting to Starbucks. And unfortunately, despite decades of experience, Starbucks still has no clue how to properly roast coffee beans.
No. :happy Starbucks uses a dark roast for most of their beans (they do have at least one medium roast now). As does Peets. Some people dislike Starbuck beans, and think they taste "burned;" others (millions and millions in fact) like them just fine. Some people don't like any dark roast, for that matter. But that's a taste preference, not a "don't know how to roast beans" issue.
Wrong. I roast beans (a little over 600 times at this point), so I know what the various roast profiles taste like. I do in fact prefer a dark roast, so I tend to gravitate towards beans that will tolerate at least a Full City, if not Full City+. You want the sugars to carmelize to a degree that suits your taste, but you don't want them to carbonize, which is what creates the burned taste that you hear people complain about. And they have every right to complain, because they are quite literally drinking ash with some coffee mixed in.

The problem with Starbucks is they will take a bean that will only tolerate a City (medium) roast, and push it to FC+ or even Vienna, so it carbonizes. Millions of people gravitating to a thing doesn't make that thing good. McDonald's is the most popular restaurant in the world, and their food is almost universally terrible. Taco Bell was massively successful even when they used to use beef that was labeled "fit for human consumption" because it was so nasty (they haven't done this for many years).

Starbucks had an opportunity to show people what great coffee can taste like, and they utterly failed at that. But they came up in a time when the general state of commercially-sold coffee was abhorrent, so just about anything would have been a substantial improvement. In the absence of "good", "not so bad" is often the best option, especially when "not so bad" is fresher than the alternatives and prepared competently (both of which are the case). Starbucks built an empire on "not so bad" because there was little to no competition in most places across the country. It also helped that a large proportion of the coffee drinks they sold were sweetened or smoothed out with milk. This hides some of the harshness of the over-roasted beans, and even I can enjoy one from time to time. If they had only served drip coffee, they likely would not have grown as quickly or as much as they have, because more people would have noticed.

And once they achieved a critical mass, it became difficult for craft roasters to make much headway, because people are creatures of habit. They gravitate to what they're used to, and to what people they know do--ever hear the expression "A crowd draws a crowd"? Most people who've grown accustomed to Starbucks won't try something else, even if it may be better, because they've settled for a consistent product, and there's a certain level of comfort that comes with consistency. This is the same reason that many people go to chain restaurants when on vacation, instead of trying out a great local place near where they're staying.

As for the blonde roasts they've introduced in the past few years, these are better, because they're not burned. Still not to my taste, as I like a fuller, more developed flavor profile, but they're at least roasted properly, within the range that is appropriate for the bean. It's better to be roughly right than precisely wrong.
Last edited by lazydavid on Sat Dec 10, 2016 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

KlangFool, I am quite literally toasting you with a cup of fresh Sumatra from http://www.coffeeam.com, which I tried on your recommendation. My local guy does a nice Sumatra, and time will tell, but I think I prefer this and it is, fwiw, less expensive. And, coffeam is almost local :D
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

lazydavid wrote:And once they achieved a critical mass, it became difficult for craft roasters to make much headway, because people are creatures of habit. They gravitate to what they're used to, and to what people they know do--ever hear the expression "A crowd draws a crowd"? Most people who've grown accustomed to Starbucks won't try something else, even if it may be better, because they've settled for a consistent product, and there's a certain level of comfort that comes with consistency.
I share your pessimism about human nature. My local roaster has built his business on people who see his store (2 doors down from a Starbucks) and think, "hmmm, it takes cojones opening up that close to a Starbucks, let me see what he's got."
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
Nicolas
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Nicolas »

Beck49 wrote:If you are serious about your coffee, and live in a town with any reasonable population, I would encourage you to follow the advice to find a local roaster. In my case they actually deliver the beans to my door, but I would happily drive to get them otherwise. Once you've tried coffee from freshly roasted beans, you can try the cheaper options that some have suggested. If at that point the small difference in price is just too much to pass up, at least you will know what you are missing. Good luck.
I agree, however if someone is really serious about coffee they should try their hand at home roasting. I did and never looked back.
Beck49
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Beck49 »

Nicolas wrote:
Beck49 wrote:If you are serious about your coffee, and live in a town with any reasonable population, I would encourage you to follow the advice to find a local roaster. In my case they actually deliver the beans to my door, but I would happily drive to get them otherwise. Once you've tried coffee from freshly roasted beans, you can try the cheaper options that some have suggested. If at that point the small difference in price is just too much to pass up, at least you will know what you are missing. Good luck.
I agree, however if someone is really serious about coffee they should try their hand at home roasting. I did and never looked back.
I agree Nicholas. But for me, here's the difference. There are many factors going into a good cup of coffee. The variety of beans, the water, the grinder, the "maker" (I use AeroPress, but I digress), and the freshness and degree of roast. All but the latter can be dramatically improved without any skill on my part. Home roasting? I looked into it and liked the idea, but was very concerned about my ability to consistently get the same reliable and consistent roast I get from a local professional.
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House Blend
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by House Blend »

davidsorensen32 wrote:
House Blend wrote:
davidsorensen32 wrote:
badger42 wrote:Peets beans from the Costco. About half the price of buying the same beans from Peets, and they work well for hot and iced coffee.
+1 The peets holiday blend (red carton) from Costco
FWIW, the Peet's coffee in grocery stores (including costco) is often stale. Check the roast date on the bag.

Last week my grocer had a big display of Peet's Holiday Blend. The beans were roasted in September. :oops:
Really ? Look again. There is no roast date on the red keurig packages.
...and there are no coffee beans inside either.

On the other hand, you can buy bags of Peet's coffee beans at costco (as mentioned by badger42) and elsewhere and those bags do have a roasting date printed on them.
TN_Boy
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by TN_Boy »

lazydavid wrote:
TN_Boy wrote:
lazydavid wrote:
KlangFool wrote:Costco tends to over-roasted their own coffee beans and produce a burned taste.
That's because--with the exception of the few lucky locations that have an in-store roastery--Costco outsources their coffee roasting to Starbucks. And unfortunately, despite decades of experience, Starbucks still has no clue how to properly roast coffee beans.
No. :happy Starbucks uses a dark roast for most of their beans (they do have at least one medium roast now). As does Peets. Some people dislike Starbuck beans, and think they taste "burned;" others (millions and millions in fact) like them just fine. Some people don't like any dark roast, for that matter. But that's a taste preference, not a "don't know how to roast beans" issue.
Wrong. I roast beans (a little over 600 times at this point), so I know what the various roast profiles taste like. I do in fact prefer a dark roast, so I tend to gravitate towards beans that will tolerate at least a Full City, if not Full City+. You want the sugars to carmelize to a degree that suits your taste, but you don't want them to carbonize, which is what creates the burned taste that you hear people complain about. And they have every right to complain, because they are quite literally drinking ash with some coffee mixed in.

The problem with Starbucks is they will take a bean that will only tolerate a City (medium) roast, and push it to FC+ or even Vienna, so it carbonizes. Millions of people gravitating to a thing doesn't make that thing good. McDonald's is the most popular restaurant in the world, and their food is almost universally terrible. Taco Bell was massively successful even when they used to use beef that was labeled "fit for human consumption" because it was so nasty (they haven't done this for many years).

Starbucks had an opportunity to show people what great coffee can taste like, and they utterly failed at that. But they came up in a time when the general state of commercially-sold coffee was abhorrent, so just about anything would have been a substantial improvement. In the absence of "good", "not so bad" is often the best option, especially when "not so bad" is fresher than the alternatives and prepared competently (both of which are the case). Starbucks built an empire on "not so bad" because there was little to no competition in most places across the country. It also helped that a large proportion of the coffee drinks they sold were sweetened or smoothed out with milk. This hides some of the harshness of the over-roasted beans, and even I can enjoy one from time to time. If they had only served drip coffee, they likely would not have grown as quickly or as much as they have, because more people would have noticed.

And once they achieved a critical mass, it became difficult for craft roasters to make much headway, because people are creatures of habit. They gravitate to what they're used to, and to what people they know do--ever hear the expression "A crowd draws a crowd"? Most people who've grown accustomed to Starbucks won't try something else, even if it may be better, because they've settled for a consistent product, and there's a certain level of comfort that comes with consistency. This is the same reason that many people go to chain restaurants when on vacation, instead of trying out a great local place near where they're staying.

As for the blonde roasts they've introduced in the past few years, these are better, because they're not burned. Still not to my taste, as I like a fuller, more developed flavor profile, but they're at least roasted properly, within the range that is appropriate for the bean. It's better to be roughly right than precisely wrong.
Starbucks sells a variety of beans and blends, so I gather your position is that all of them (except the blond roasts) are over-roasted? I just don't agree, but I only know what I like.

I agree with parts of your response. For example, I do think the large variety of milk-laden drinks Starbucks sells is one reason they have so many dark roasts. And that those lattes and such are much of their success, not "just coffee."

I have somewhat less love for local coffee shops than many people do. As I mentioned in another post, although Starbucks espresso and beans are not my favorite, I find them good and very consistent (I think you agreed with the consistent part). I've had many an espresso in "local" coffee shops that was, well, terrible. The barista literally didn't know how to make espresso. Or they use medium roasts, which is fine, just not my preference. Or they (a logistical issue) they run a shot for you, then you have to go and ask for sugar and/or cream, i.e. it is hard to make the coffee the way you like. Just annoying.

I believe Starbucks prospered because they actually do have decent coffee and espresso drinks (you clearly disagree) and because they had the rest of their act together with respect to consistent quality and amenities. And I believe there are people who like Starbucks coffee who are not naive fools that have never tasted good coffee :happy

I'm not sure about the craft roasters not prospering; small roasters seem to be all over the place. Local coffee shops, yeah, they have struggled to compete. Though for the reasons I list, I think that is sometimes their fault.
Iorek
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Iorek »

Mail order -- Peets or Deans beans.
KlangFool
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by KlangFool »

TomatoTomahto wrote:KlangFool, I am quite literally toasting you with a cup of fresh Sumatra from http://www.coffeeam.com, which I tried on your recommendation. My local guy does a nice Sumatra, and time will tell, but I think I prefer this and it is, fwiw, less expensive. And, coffeam is almost local :D
TomatoTomahto,

Glad that you like it. If you ever go to Richmond, VA, I would suggest that you try the following coffee roaster, Rostov's Coffee at Richmond, VA. They did dark roasted coffee very well too.

http://rostovs.com/

KlangFool
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linenfort
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by linenfort »

Local beans aside, I love Island Joe's from Key West.

The owner is from Memphis, and settled in FL after his wife passed. I think they have since moved operations to mainland FL, but it's the same great coffee. I highly recommend Black Flag Espresso Roast.

https://www.islandjoescoffee.com/

Website's a bit clunky, but you get discounts every so often.
Great beans.
Nicolas
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Nicolas »

Beck49 wrote:
Nicolas wrote:
Beck49 wrote:If you are serious about your coffee, and live in a town with any reasonable population, I would encourage you to follow the advice to find a local roaster. In my case they actually deliver the beans to my door, but I would happily drive to get them otherwise. Once you've tried coffee from freshly roasted beans, you can try the cheaper options that some have suggested. If at that point the small difference in price is just too much to pass up, at least you will know what you are missing. Good luck.
I agree, however if someone is really serious about coffee they should try their hand at home roasting. I did and never looked back.
I agree Nicholas. But for me, here's the difference. There are many factors going into a good cup of coffee. The variety of beans, the water, the grinder, the "maker" (I use AeroPress, but I digress), and the freshness and degree of roast. All but the latter can be dramatically improved without any skill on my part. Home roasting? I looked into it and liked the idea, but was very concerned about my ability to consistently get the same reliable and consistent roast I get from a local professional.
You should give it a try anyway and see what you can do. If you love coffee as I do you should not deny yourself this fun. You'll be pleasantly surprised. There's nothing like fresh-roasted. It took me awhile but I've been consistently and reliably achieving the same roasts for over thirteen years. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Like anything worthwhile you must put a little work into it but It's not that hard. There's almost no upfront cost to get started. I started roasting with a $2.99 popcorn popper from Goodwill. When that one gave out I tossed it, went back to Goodwill and got another one. Now I'm using a modified Stir Crazy with which I can roast a pound at a time. Of course you can pay $300 for a home-roaster but I've not seen a need for that, though some of my friends have.

I used to buy gourmet roasted beans from a local roaster for $14 for 3/4 pound. Now the same weight and same (or better) quality costs me $4, and is actually fresher. Check out Sweetmarias.com. They have a ton of info on home-roasting and their green beans are good. I used to buy from them but I have a cheaper source now which is just as good but at less cost. But if you just want to buy a pound or two to get started you can't go wrong.
JimDawg
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by JimDawg »

I live an hour south of Boston and buy from http://speedwellcoffee.com in Plymouth. Really nice people and they have a website with a subscription option.

-Jim
SpaceCowboy
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by SpaceCowboy »

I frequently buy beans from the local Sprouts. They get fresh roasted beans delivered weekly.
Also buy Peet's from Costco. Recently bought Jamaican Blue Mountain at Costco. First time I'd seen it there.
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mclvngr
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by mclvngr »

Midnight Oil from Sweetwater Coffee out of Florida. $12.95/lb.

I've never tasted anything better from a French press!

http://www.sweetwaterorganiccoffee.com/ ... ic-coffee/
lazydavid
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by lazydavid »

TN_Boy wrote:Starbucks sells a variety of beans and blends, so I gather your position is that all of them (except the blond roasts) are over-roasted? I just don't agree, but I only know what I like.
Actually Pike Place is a good blend that is roasted properly. Still a dark roast, but not burnt.
TN_Boy wrote:I have somewhat less love for local coffee shops than many people do. As I mentioned in another post, although Starbucks espresso and beans are not my favorite, I find them good and very consistent (I think you agreed with the consistent part). I've had many an espresso in "local" coffee shops that was, well, terrible. The barista literally didn't know how to make espresso. Or they use medium roasts, which is fine, just not my preference. Or they (a logistical issue) they run a shot for you, then you have to go and ask for sugar and/or cream, i.e. it is hard to make the coffee the way you like. Just annoying.
This is definitely a strength of Starbucks as an organization (which I acknowledged in my previous post). The beans are relatively fresh, they use clean, good quality equipment and quality water, and they train their people well. That's what gives the consistent experience. And I feel you on the espresso. I've never tried one at Starbucks because of my dislike of their beans (perhaps I should anyway), but I've come to the conclusion over the years that good espresso is HARD. I know I can't pull a quality shot, my superautomatic is just ok, and I unfortunately haven't found many places that can do it well either. Oddly enough, one of the best espressos I've ever had--and I've had it 5 times to confirm it wasn't a fluke--was at a steakhouse in Las Vegas.
TN_Boy wrote:I believe Starbucks prospered because they actually do have decent coffee and espresso drinks (you clearly disagree) and because they had the rest of their act together with respect to consistent quality and amenities. And I believe there are people who like Starbucks coffee who are not naive fools that have never tasted good coffee :happy
Actually I don't know that I disagree. As I said, the coffee is "not bad". "Decent" would be a passable synonym. Even if it's not as good as it could be, it's still better than what passed for coffee in the early 90s when they really started making their mark. And I do agree that the espresso drinks are tasty--and acknowledged this in my prior post. I don't get them often, but do enjoy a flavored latte from time to time, usually when travelling. The milk, sugar, and flavoring cover up most of the objectionable burnt flavors.

I don't know that I'd go as far as to say naive fools, but if that's the term you want to use, I was one until about 15 years ago when I stumbled upon Intelligentsia, which is a local chain (think they had 4 locations at the time) in Chicago. I had loved coffee for years (yes, even Starbucks), but that's when I learned what good coffee could taste like, and I became a coffee geek. I won't call them fools, but I do think there are an awful lot of people who've never experienced a great cuppa.
TN_Boy wrote:I'm not sure about the craft roasters not prospering; small roasters seem to be all over the place. Local coffee shops, yeah, they have struggled to compete. Though for the reasons I list, I think that is sometimes their fault.
The situation has definitely improved the last 2-3 years. And you caught me out here. I said craft roasters when I was really referring to local joints, some of which roast their own. I agree that some of their failure is their own fault. You have to execute, especially when you're the underdog.
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fishandgolf
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by fishandgolf »

Wife and I decided to try the COFFEE AM so we ordered a variety of five different flavors (Hazelnut, Carmel Pecan Roll, Vienna Strudel, etc.) ....we prefer the flavored stuff with hazelnut being the best; also wanted the free shipping.

Well.......we brewed our first batch yesterday morning...of course hazelnut. Long story short, it was not to our liking....not at all. :( I contacted the company and they said I could send it back....so I did......shipped it back yesterday....all of it.

Our favorite, for years has always been Gloria Jeans. Tried many, many other brands over the years but nothing comes close to this stuff :D ...nothing!

https://gloriajeans.com/

If you register on the site, they often times offer "free shipping".....when they do, I usually stock up with 8-10 lbs (always whole bean). Their coffee is a bit pricey......but it's best-in-class....of course IMHO. :wink:
SitraAchra
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by SitraAchra »

My wife and I subscribe to a monthly coffee subscription service called Misto Box. The bags are woefully small at 12 ounces, but our "curator" knows our preference for light roast and we haven't been disappointed yet. It's fun to get a different coffee roasted just a day or two prior and if we really like it we can order as much of that particular brand we like.

Other than that, our day to day is Trader Joe's Smooth and Mellow.
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Uncle Pennybags
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Uncle Pennybags »

I get mine right from Juan.
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brad.clarkston
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by brad.clarkston »

I have a subscription service from https://crema.co/ they only ship when I add something to my brew list.

I also buy from https://counterculturecoffee.com/ & http://www.kumacoffee.com/.

I like to buy smaller bags of whole bean (roasted 1-lb) so they do not go stale quickly. I can drink a non-stale cup black with just a touch of sugar depending on roast but if it's stale -- cream and a full spoon of sugar to get rid of the bitter.

People looks at me funny about the bitter issue, a fresh bean is only bitter if they want it to be. That's why I call Starbucks is a fancy priced milk company with a dab of coffee.
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rgs92
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by rgs92 »

Coke Zero in the morning. LOL.
I hope I don't get banned for this comment.
(No accounting for tastes of course and all the best to you.)
I like Dunkin Donuts beans for the record.
NorCalDad
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by NorCalDad »

House Blend wrote:
davidsorensen32 wrote:+1 The peets holiday blend (red carton) from Costco
badger42 wrote:Peets beans from the Costco. About half the price of buying the same beans from Peets, and they work well for hot and iced coffee.
FWIW, the Peet's coffee in grocery stores (including costco) is often stale. Check the roast date on the bag.

Last week my grocer had a big display of Peet's Holiday Blend. The beans were roasted in September. :oops:
No matter how many times I've tried, I've found the Peet's beans that I get at Costco or at the supermarket pale in comparison to the ones I get at the actual Peet's coffee house. I even bought a burr grinder in hopes that it would improve the store beans and save us money, but it couldn't. I presume it has to do with roast date, but perhaps other factors are also involved. Fortunately, we are able to get Peet's gift cards at a 20% discount at Costco and then buy beans directly.
ZeroWealth
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by ZeroWealth »

We currently get big bags of whole beans at Costco. Been drinking decaf for years but slowly working my way towards a more caffeinated lifestyle. :twisted:
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mrtiger
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by mrtiger »

I buy beans from small roaster locally.

http://www.mokkabean.com/

I never had fresher roasted beans and prices are also great for these exotic coffee. They usually roast beans 1-2 days before shipment.
Saving$
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Saving$ »

What specific brand, bean and roast do those of you with a superautomatic use?
I love dark, robust coffee, and have been very happy with the Mayorga Cafe Cubano from Costco for the last several years. However, I understand you cannot use oily beans in a superautomatic, so I'm seeking a suitable replacement. I also read that the oils only come out of the beans when the beans are over-roasted (burned?).

Are any of the Costco blends appropriate for a Superautomatic?
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

ZeroWealth wrote:We currently get big bags of whole beans at Costco. Been drinking decaf for years but slowly working my way towards a more caffeinated lifestyle. :twisted:
I just last week did my quarterly "stock-up trip" to Costco and discovered their Kona coffee. I was hooked just on the smell of the beans. I may just have to switch to that permanently.
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tennisplyr
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by tennisplyr »

I've grown to really like Seattle's Best, it's great tasting and relatively inexpensive.
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retire14
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by retire14 »

Do you have a World Market nearby? You can get a 2-lb bag for $10. But they usually have 30% sale, and I buy several bags until the next sale. They have various blends (Franch/Italian/Colubian/Espresso, etc..)
retire14
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by retire14 »

Saving$ wrote:What specific brand, bean and roast do those of you with a superautomatic use?
I love dark, robust coffee, and have been very happy with the Mayorga Cafe Cubano from Costco for the last several years. However, I understand you cannot use oily beans in a superautomatic, so I'm seeking a suitable replacement. I also read that the oils only come out of the beans when the beans are over-roasted (burned?).

Are any of the Costco blends appropriate for a Superautomatic?
I am in the same boat. Would love to buy from Costco, but all their beans are too oily for superauto machines.
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BrandonBogle
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by BrandonBogle »

rrppve wrote:Recently bought Jamaican Blue Mountain at Costco. First time I'd seen it there.
This is what I buy. A decent medium roast that I like very much. I am not a fan of dark roast to my taste, and neither does anyone else living in this house. We grind it right before brewing in a large French press.

When I travel, I do buy Starbucks coffee and enjoy it. It is nowhere near as good as when I make the coffee at home, but it definitely is consistent and I appreciate that I know exactly what I would be getting from their blonde roast. Back before I made a good cup of joe myself (store-bough ground in a traditional drip coffeemaker), I preferred Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but consistency definitely is NOT something they have.
Nicolas
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Nicolas »

My source for green coffee beans is
http://www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com

You have to register to get into this website but it's free to do so. It's like a coop where you can buy green coffee beans wholesale without markup.

Then navigate over to "Open Active Green Coffee Offerings". If you're lucky, one of the coffee distributors might be located within driving distance, then you can avoid the shipping, insurance and paypal charges too, that's what I do.

Of course you have to roast these beans yourself, but it's fun to do. And the quality and freshness can't be beat.
Freddy
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by Freddy »

Used to buy from coffee bean direct.com many years ago because they had a nice selection of light roast beans. Now, I'm lazy and use a Keurig because one cup at a time is sufficient for us. I don't like the cups you fill with your own ground coffee for the Keurig because they are annoying to clean.

FWIW I had a customer who was a coffee bean importer and he told me Starbucks buys cheap beans and does indeed over roast them to boost the flavor. This was about 20 years ago when Starbucks was hitting the east coast. Since then, Dunkin Donuts has five for every one Starbucks. Must be a northeast kinda thinks.

To the person who buys Britt's of Costa Rica coffee, I do like their coffee very much. Tarrazu was my favorite CR bean. Doka
Estates has some good coffee as well.
davidsorensen32
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by davidsorensen32 »

There are no dates on Keurigs cups.
House Blend wrote:
davidsorensen32 wrote:+1 The peets holiday blend (red carton) from Costco
badger42 wrote:Peets beans from the Costco. About half the price of buying the same beans from Peets, and they work well for hot and iced coffee.
FWIW, the Peet's coffee in grocery stores (including costco) is often stale. Check the roast date on the bag.

Last week my grocer had a big display of Peet's Holiday Blend. The beans were roasted in September. :oops:
willygreen
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by willygreen »

My wife is from Costa Rica so we only buy Costa Rican beans. We buy the Tarrazu beans at World Market; regular price is a 2 lb bag for about $10 and we love it. http://www.worldmarket.com/product/24-o ... rom=Search

You can't beat the price and quality is good enough. Last year they had older beans on clearance - $4.50 for 2 lbs. We bought everything they had and took some of it down to family in Costa Rica; they couldn't believe the price and loved the coffee.
vveat
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by vveat »

Starbucks has "blonde" coffees - Veranda and Willow. They do not taste burned at all, I am very sensitive to this and have always gone for medium or light roasts, this is a great choice for us.
https://www.starbucks.com/coffee/blonde

By the way, on my rare visits to Aldi (out of the way for me) I always check out the whole beans coffee - they have sometimes great options at low price. I don't know how fresh they were but haven't had any taste issues.
drg02b
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by drg02b »

I second the home roasting... I used to order coffee with a friend across the street, so we use 5 lbs every 2 weeks.

Another friend convinced me to home roast -- I spend $5-7 per pound buying in bulk (~40 pounds with several types of beans). Green beans keep forever, these are extremely high quality beans with unique flavors (when kept at a City+ roast) and I get to cycle between different flavors every week with a new, fresh batch. Roasting is not expensive (several options include a heat gun or modified kitchen appliances) and not complicated, as long as you pay attention to what you're doing. Started getting compliments from friends on the first couple of batches.
badger42
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by badger42 »

davidsorensen32 wrote:There are no dates on Keurigs cups.
That's because the coffee is stale before it's even put into the cup :)

Seriously though, it's expensive bad coffee. And even the "strong" settings are way too watered down.
bioebud
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by bioebud »

lazydavid wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2016 1:06 pm
KlangFool wrote:Costco tends to over-roasted their own coffee beans and produce a burned taste.
That's because--with the exception of the few lucky locations that have an in-store roastery--Costco outsources their coffee roasting to Starbucks. And unfortunately, despite decades of experience, Starbucks still has no clue how to properly roast coffee beans.
Agree. DW and I tried every single bag of Costco coffee before we eventually gave up. They're all burnt.
KlangFool
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by KlangFool »

https://www.costco.com/mother-earth-org ... 20592.html

Folks,


Please try out Mother Earth Coffee from Costco. It is shipped directly from the coffee roaster to you. The roaster is from Kansas City.


It is very good. I had tasted hundreds of coffee. This is one of the best.

You should try out swing coffee too. Local DC roaster of more than 100 years. They do post roasted blending. They roasted the coffee separately and then blended them together.

The following are the two that you should try.

https://swingscoffee.com/product/high-mountain-blend/


https://swingscoffee.com/product/mesco-blend-2/


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HawkeyePierce
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Re: Where do you buy coffee beans?

Post by HawkeyePierce »

I have a subscription from Brown Coffee Co of San Antonio: https://browncoffeeco.com/shop?category=Subscriptions

Alton Brown called it the best cup of coffee he's ever had. https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/bars- ... 177325.php
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