Need recs for inexpensive but good coffee

konut · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 Dec 2009, 10:24 pm »

turkey, I agree with every word you wrote. One is going to have to pay a premium for the kind of attention and quality that you expect. While I can appreciate your finely honed gourmet palette, others may not be as discriminating, or willing to pay the premium for such exclusive tastes. Indeed, this is the general tenor of the OPs question.Sometimes good enough is good enough, hence my general recommendation of Kivu coffee where there is enough traffic to reasonably insure the turnover of beans which should indicate an expectation of freshness. I find Millstone to be crap, as well as most grocery store brands of whole bean.

satfrat · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Dec 2009, 11:44 pm »

Quote from: lcrim on 22 Dec 2009, 06:31 pm

I bought an Aero-Press and have been going through coffee like mad. I love the deep flavorful taste and the reduced acid but I can't keep coffee in the house. Any recommendations for widely available and cheap but good coffee?

Coffee's like an audio system, you get what you pay for. I don't mind paying $11-$20/pound for freshly roasted daily beans from http://www.mochajoes.com/roasters/coffees . Their Rwandan "Buf Coffeee Mills" coffee @$13/lb is supurb feast of flavors including creamy chocolate, pecan, and notes of sweet red cherry,,, all with a smooth aftertaste & low acidity. I've been drinkng this coffee since they first got it in last march and it never gets old using my AeroPress. Highly recommended Larry when you want that topshelf taste.

Cheers,
Robin

WG · « **Reply #22 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 12:02 am »

Each crop shipment is different as well as how you roast and to what roast level. This crop would be different from what Robin has been getting, but is from the same growing source. The info on this page is interesting and informative as well.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.africa.rwanda.php?coffee=RwandaGkongoroNyarusiza2010#RwandaGkongoroNyarusiza2010

randytsuch · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 12:22 am »

Some of the Costco's roast their own coffee, the one by me does, so they do have freshly roasted beans. I actually bought a bag that was warm. It does not compare with the best roasters, but it is fresh, which makes it better then most of the stuff you can buy out there.

Jon
In your neck of the woods, I would try to make it to this place
http://klatchroasting.com/content/view/15/30/
They are considered to be one of the best roasters around, period.
A lot of people at the coffee forums love the Belle espresso from Klatch.
They aren't cheap, but it should be some of the best coffee you have had.

Lcrim,
right now my aeropress is sitting around. It does make good coffee, but at home, I prefer to make espresso, and it's too much effort to use it at work, so mostly it sits in a corner. The reason I don't use it at work is it takes a lot of coffee, and at work I have a hand grinder.
If you want good coffee, here's a thread about small, very high quality roasters who will ship to you.
http://www.home-barista.com/coffees/list-of-our-favorite-roasters-t12125.html
They aren't really cheap, but if there is one by you, at least you can save on shipping.
I know people (including me) who will buy several pounds of coffee, to save on shipping, then freeze the coffee in portions. When you are running low, you just pull out the next batch out of the freezer. There is a technique to it, see this thread if interested
http://www.home-barista.com/tips/better-espresso-thru-freezing-t11757.html?hilit=freezing%20storing

BTW, I home roast too, but I'm not really sure that it's cheaper. The greens are cheaper, but you need to buy something to roast with, and there is your time.

Randy

lcrim · « **Reply #24 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 12:49 am »

Actually, I don't agree that in audio you only get what you pay for. Quality generally has only a tenuous connection to price.

I figured there must be better values in coffee and some were suggested, thanks for that.

Jon L · « **Reply #25 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 01:40 am »

Quote from: randytsuch on 23 Dec 2009, 12:22 am

Jon
In your neck of the woods, I would try to make it to this place
http://klatchroasting.com/content/view/15/30/
They are considered to be one of the best roasters around, period.
A lot of people at the coffee forums love the Belle espresso from Klatch.
They aren't cheap, but it should be some of the best coffee you have had.

Hey, thanks. I'll check it out. Should I even try the Belle espresso in my French Press, or is there a more appropriate bean for me that's well-loved..

ctviggen · « **Reply #26 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 01:49 am »

Quote from: randytsuch on 23 Dec 2009, 12:22 am

Lcrim,
right now my aeropress is sitting around. It does make good coffee, but at home, I prefer to make espresso, and it's too much effort to use it at work, so mostly it sits in a corner. The reason I don't use it at work is it takes a lot of coffee, and at work I have a hand grinder.

The Aeropress takes a lot of coffee? To me, this is a minuscule amount.

santacore · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:01 am »

Costco with an in-house roaster is the best deal going. Check it out if you have a close one.

SwedeSound · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:12 am »

Dunkin' Donuts Dark Roast.

I am not kidding.

(Tho I don't know if they sell it whole bean. Still, dayum. It's silly good.)

satfrat · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:45 am »

Quote from: SwedeSound on 23 Dec 2009, 02:12 am

Dunkin' Donuts Dark Roast.

I am not kidding.

(Tho I don't know if they sell it whole bean. Still, dayum. It's silly good.)

Yep, they sell whole bean and it's the coffee bean I got started with. I've always liked Dunkin Donuts coffee and will still drink it when I'm on the road. When I'm home, I'd rather have a cup of something special.

Larry, guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the audio/coffee comparison. Sorry I couldn't be of any assistance to ya.

Cheers,
Robin

JerryM · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:52 am »

Eight O' Clock Coffee has some of the best 100% Colombian I have ever had. It's outstanding.

Have fun,
Jerry

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 05:49 am »

Our local Trader Joe's has reduced acid French roast beans, and sometimes the grocery store has it too. I try to buy local when I can, especially when it comes to food.

That Aero Press looks like it uses an awful lot of coffee just to make one cup. What's wrong with the old fashioned way of making coffee?

randytsuch · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 06:38 am »

Quote from: Jon L on 23 Dec 2009, 01:40 am

Hey, thanks. I'll check it out. Should I even try the Belle espresso in my French Press, or is there a more appropriate bean for me that's well-loved..

Jon
I actually have not tried Klatch yet, it's at the top of my list of internet roasters to try, but most of my coffee is home roasted. I just bought a pound of coffee from Intelligentsia since they are in Venice, I could stop there on my home from work.

I would give them a call, or stop in, and see what they recommend for French press. All of the raves I have seen for Belle was for espresso, so I have no idea how it does for other brewing methods.

Lcrim,
I second the recommendation for Costco, IF they roast in house, for cheap coffee.
IMHO, freshness is key to good coffee, and most of the stuff in stores is not fresh enough. Costco can't compete with the small, specialty roasters, but the good roasters sell coffee at about $1 per ounce, where Costco is about $5 per pound. At least you know the Costco stuff is fresh, if they roasted it that day.

Randy

turkey · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 01:40 pm »

Quote from: konut on 22 Dec 2009, 10:24 pm

turkey, I agree with every word you wrote. One is going to have to pay a premium for the kind of attention and quality that you expect. While I can appreciate your finely honed gourmet palette, others may not be as discriminating, or willing to pay the premium for such exclusive tastes. Indeed, this is the general tenor of the OPs question.Sometimes good enough is good enough, hence my general recommendation of Kivu coffee where there is enough traffic to reasonably insure the turnover of beans which should indicate an expectation of freshness. I find Millstone to be crap, as well as most grocery store brands of whole bean.

When I first started seeing Millstone, it wasn't too bad. They had a Colombian Supremo that was dark, rich, and earthy. It was roasted enough to be considered dark, without being so dark that it stunk to high heaven. (That Colombian Supremo smell that grabs you by the nostrils and bangs your head against the table a few times.)

They also had a "Kona blend" that tasted absolutely nothing like Kona, but made a good afternoon cup of coffee.

I think Millstone became a victim of their own success. They got way too big and their quality slipped to that of a Maxwell House or Folger's.

A long time ago I used to get coffee from Brown & Jenkins. They were very good at the time (15 years ago), but I don't know what they're like now.

http://www.brownjenkins.com/

I do agree that everyone has to find their own price point. (Although even $20/lb coffee is not really that expensive per cup, and probably still less expensive than a cup at a coffee shop or even McDonalds.)

However, I also know that a lot of people have never had a really good cup of coffee, so I think it's best by starting there.

turkey · « **Reply #34 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 01:54 pm »

Quote from: JerryM on 23 Dec 2009, 02:52 am

Eight O' Clock Coffee has some of the best 100% Colombian I have ever had. It's outstanding.

I would say that it is sometimes better than other mass-market coffee, but I don't think I'd say it's outstanding.

jtwrace · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:05 pm »

http://www.coffeeforums.com/

turkey · « **Reply #36 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:16 pm »

Quote from: randytsuch on 23 Dec 2009, 12:22 am

BTW, I home roast too, but I'm not really sure that it's cheaper. The greens are cheaper, but you need to buy something to roast with, and there is your time.

I use a hot air corn popper that I got at Goodwill, and I also have a Nesco roaster that I bought about 6 years ago.

The corn popper requires more time than the Nesco does. The Nesco is actually pretty much set and forget at this point. I just put coffee in, fire it up, and go relax on the couch with a book until it's done.

From the prices I have seen recently, I save at least $6 a lb. versus buying from a local roaster. I go through at least 20 lb of coffee in a year, so that's $120 right there. You can pay for a Hearthware, Freshroast, Nesco, or whatever fairly quickly at that rate.

srb · « **Reply #37 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:28 pm »

Quote from: turkey on 23 Dec 2009, 01:40 pm

They also had a "Kona blend" that tasted absolutely nothing like Kona, but made a good afternoon cup of coffee.

"Kona" coffee has been one of the most misrepresented and scammed coffees for many years. The amount sold worldwide has been estimated to be 2 to 3 times the 2 million pound annual production of Kona.

There have been companies convicted of selling assorted South American coffees in bags labeled "100% Kona".

Those labeled "Kona Blend" can have as little as 2% Kona, with 5% being the most common. Unfortunately the best way to guarantee a real cup of Kona is at a plantation on the Kona coast of Hawaii.

Steve

ken · « **Reply #38 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:30 pm »

If you're in No. Jersey Fairway Marked has a pretty decent selection and do their own roasting as well.

http://www.fairwaymarket.com/shop/product.php?productid=16525&cat=108&page=1

mcullinan · « **Reply #39 on:** 23 Dec 2009, 02:50 pm »

Freshness is definitely a big determination of the quality of coffee. I notice a huge difference between Starbucks and Old Bisbee... So if your beans have been roasted and sitting around for 3 months, you can tell.

Dunkin & Costco have nice coffee. Havent tried the Dunkin Dark Roast yet, but I am eyeing it!