DiningBuzz! - Coffee Beans -- Where to buy online?

I need a good source of fresh roasted coffee beans. In NYC, I used to go to Whole Foods where they did the roasting on-site all the time. Here in BOS, I can't find any good sources of fresh stuff. The Whole Foods by me had some of the worst coffee I've ever bought last time I went there.

Where can I get stuff that is roasted and shipped the same day, with a good selection of beans and blends?

peets.com is excellent coffee. Roasted daily, very fresh. In the Bay Area, they rule the roast! ^

Edited to add try the house blend for the best value, it's half the price of some of their exotics, and very full bodied.

Peets has great coffee, some of the best. I've also bought from Sweet Maria's, in the past, and enjoyed their blends. www.sweetmarias.com

Where can I get stuff that is roasted and shipped the same day, with a good selection of beans and blends?

I use Boaters (http://www.boaters.co.uk/) from the UK (I'm in Australia) and they normally ship same day. You'd probably be able to get it next day or next other day.

I swear by their Chocolate Marshmallow, Highlander Grogg, and Mysore. Currently, I'm sipping a latte made with their Tiramisu :)

Not the worlds cheapest coffee, but certainly some of the best.

Try www.espresoovivace.com ya I know it says espresso but really espresso is just the grind. Imo it is the best place here in Seattle to grab a nice Americano or mocha. Mmmm mocha mmmm!!!

Try Vermont Coffee Company http://www.vermontcoffeecompany.com

Not to be confused with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. VCC is small batch roasted and shipped (via Dakin Farms) just after roasting. I can buy it locally, and its the best.

Enjoy!

You might consider purchasing a home coffee roaster, and purchasing green beans, and roasting a small amount each week. It isn't much trouble, and the cost of the green beans is less than roasted, plus you will have very freshly roasted beans.

Check out www.sweetmarias.com for some roaster choices.

La Colombe in Philadelphia ships. Don't know if you have had it but it's got a very nice flavor, imo. Coffee's not too cheap, but I see their shipping isn't bad.

http://www.lacolombe.com/

The website is annoying. Click on "business" for the ordering screen.

Go to Central Market if you are near one. or try www.centralmarket.com

We've used coffeeam.com in the past.

We like the espresso pods from:

http://www.illyusa.com/

A guy at my work owns this coffee farm in Kona and brings in batches for us. The coffee is amazing:
http://www.aikanekonacoffee.com/ Shipping doesn't seem bad at all.

http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/

Try them as well; good coffee. I see the head roaster at my local coffee shop all the time. He's a good guy.

FlyerTalker lavarock7 owns a coffee farm and a small coffee roasting/shipping business in Kona.

www.itskona.com

He gives a discount on shipping with "FlyerTalk" in the promo code at checkout.

Strictly Organic Coffee (which, as you can surmise, is organic, but also adheres to "fair trade" principles):

http://www.strictlyorganic.com/

Welcome to BOS.

www.dunkindonuts.com (http://www.dunkindonuts.com) , but of course you know that by now!

Get 20% off your internet order if you sign up for auto-ship.

www.zanzibarscoffee.com I have never found coffee better than this and I seek everywhere I go. I am sure I am a bit biased, since I used to work there and know the roaster personally-she's has a real gift for the perfect roast. I live in PA now but still get my beans from Iowa.

I have been buying from Armeno's (https://www.armeno.com/store/) for quite a while and have been really pleased with the coffee and the service.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Now I've got to start testing them out. I'm going to be highly caffeinated for a while ;)

This place is in MA and roasts some great coffee. I've ordered from them several times:

http://www.barringtoncoffee.com/

A guy at my work owns this coffee farm in Kona and brings in batches for us. The coffee is amazing:
http://www.aikanekonacoffee.com/ Shipping doesn't seem bad at all.
I've had 100% Kona and it is one of my most favorite coffees. Shame one has to take out another mortgage on their home to buy a pound hehe.

Add me to the Peets.com camp (from long before they even left the bay area from my Bezerkeley days).

Now for the lazy at heart, I've been pleasantly surprised by the performance of my Tassimo. Good cofee selection, and the Latte/Capuccino is great for a late evening cup. Definitely NOT for the pot-a-day drinker. If you want a pot, make it with Peets! :cool:
I work for the company that makes this, but I don't make this :D

Surprised nobody has mentioned Trader Joe's (http://www.traderjoes.com/index.asp). They don't roast coffee on the premises, but there is a great selection of whole bean dark roast coffee, not to mention wine, cheese, imported goodies, mixed nuts (better than what you'd get in First Class, if your airline of choice still gives nuts)

No internet ordering available, but if you have a store in your area, plan to spend a good hour looking around at good stuff.

I was surprised to find they have opened a location in NYC, so folks out there can now enjoy.

I've been drinking good coffee since before Starbucks entered everyone's lexicon. When most people were fighting over Folgers and Maxwell House I started working in real coffee store. I was ruined for life. Looking back it helped me develop my palatte nicely. I'm certifiable snob.

I found the ultimate micro roaster in Chicago: http://intelligentsiacoffee.com/store/coffee. I knew the minute I walked in store this was gunna be *good*. And oh my lord beans were just gorgeous. I took two half-pounds home with me on the plane and I'm sure drive people nuts. They definiately do mail order. And get me some while you're at it.

Oh, I just remembered another one: http://caffetrieste.com/SBBB/SBBBcoffeebuyer.html. They're in San Francisco.

I am also a fan of Peets.

I buy peets online-and get Marriott reward points via the Marriott Mall!
True there is a Peets about a mile from me-but I gotta get those points!

When I was in Boston, my friend served Berkeley & Jensen (BJ's) private label. It was great! I also have bought coffee from o-coffee.com, which is all organic, fair trade, & has great flavor.

Ancora Coffee (http://www.ancora-coffee.com/)

I have not personally tried Ancora coffee yet but I have friends who order and love it. Worth a try!

Porto Rico is a great, old-world NYC institution (been around for a century), and they take mail and web orders. Top notch, and I highly recommend their product.

http://www.portorico.com/

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Now I've got to start testing them out. I'm going to be highly caffeinated for a while ;)

I hope you report back on your findings!

I like Intelligentsia and Peet's, both of which have been mentioned above, and also recommend Gimme Coffee (http://www.gimmecoffee.com/) (love their Leftist Blend).

Intelligentsia is getting the first crack because I liked the volume of information on its Web site, and the information, with pictures, about them actually traveling to the farms to test out the coffee. I also liked that they said their coffee is "roasted to order," because one of my primary requirements in this was that the beans be roasted and shipped the same day. Many of the other companies didn't say whether they do this or not.

Thanks for all the recommendations!

Intelligentsia is getting the first crack because I liked the volume of information on its Web site, and the information, with pictures, about them actually traveling to the farms to test out the coffee. I also liked that they said their coffee is "roasted to order," because one of my primary requirements in this was that the beans be roasted and shipped the same day. Many of the other companies didn't say whether they do this or not.

Thanks for all the recommendations!

Intelligentsia, IMHO, is good, but too bitter and wine-ish for my taste. They have cafes in Chicago, next time you're there (maybe elsewhere?).

Intelligentsia, IMHO, is good, but too bitter and wine-ish for my taste. They have cafes in Chicago, next time you're there (maybe elsewhere?).

Bitter? :confused:

They also have tours: $7 for the tour, a half-pound to take home and all the coffee you can drink in one sitting. :eek:

Bitter? :confused:

They also have tours: $7 for the tour, a half-pound to take home and all the coffee you can drink in one sitting. :eek:

It may have been an off-day or something. ;)

I've been drinking good coffee since before Starbucks entered everyone's lexicon. When most people were fighting over Folgers and Maxwell House I started working in real coffee store. I was ruined for life. Looking back it helped me develop my palatte nicely. I'm certifiable snob.


That must be great cocktail party fodder in this day and age. I am not well-versed at all in coffee as I've tried to avoid caffeine. I managed to go through college never consuming coffee or colas. Not so much now, but I don't even own a run of the mill coffee pot and am trying to figure out what to buy for making lattees. :o

Any suggestions on something for a super cramped city apartment?

So far Intelligentsia is not doing so well. I'm not home during the day, so I requested that they waive the signature requirement so that UPS could just leave the package. Intelligentsia didn't do it properly (in the UPS shipping system), instead they just put a note near my address which the obstinate UPS drivers ignore. So now I basically have no way of getting the coffee as no one is really ever home during the day and I have no way of getting out to the UPS center to pick up the package. :mad:

peets.com is excellent coffee. Roasted daily, very fresh. In the Bay Area, they rule the roast! ^



I vote for Peet's too; it's excellent!

That must be great cocktail party fodder in this day and age. I am not well-versed at all in coffee as I've tried to avoid caffeine. I managed to go through college never consuming coffee or colas. Not so much now, but I don't even own a run of the mill coffee pot and am trying to figure out what to buy for making lattees. :o

Any suggestions on something for a super cramped city apartment?

A coffee press would be the simplest thing. You can get them in different sizes, 1-cup, 2, 4 - and can be purchased at any coffee shop or Bed, Bath, Beyond type store, maybe $15-20. As they're small, one can fit into a cupboard with the drinking glasses. The coffee does need to be consumed immediately as, obviously, there is no warming element.

A guy at my work owns this coffee farm in Kona and brings in batches for us. The coffee is amazing:
http://www.aikanekonacoffee.com/ Shipping doesn't seem bad at all.

Second the motion. There's a bunch of these sources, and they are amazing. As is a day or two spent doing a coffee tour in the Kona area.

Google on - kona coffee online - and a great many others will come up. Other than hilohattie.com, it's hard to go wrong.

http://www.roastmagazine.com/backissues/novdec2005/roasterofyear06.html

The first five roasters appear in the March issue of F&W (http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/taste-test-coffee-1). The rest are web-exclusive picks.

best boutique roasters

stumptown coffee roasters
Owner Duane Sorenson travels the world to bring amazing beans back to Portland, Oregon. Our favorites: Guatemala Finca el Injerto and Kenya AA Thegeini (503-230-7702 or www.stumptowncoffee.com).

terroir coffee company
Owner George Howell, who was sourcing top beans as early as 1975, is the godfather of specialist coffee. Our favorites: Brazil Daterra Farm Special Reserve and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (866-444-5282 or www.terroircoffee.com).

counter culture
Durham, North Carolina, purveyors of great single-estate coffees. Our favorites: Kenya AA Ngunguru and Honduras Marcala El Puente (919-361-5282 or www.counterculturecoffee.com).

barefoot
A Silicon Valley venue that features lively open-mike music nights. Our favorites: Guatemala Vista Hermosa and Costa Rica Monte Crisol (408-248-4500 or www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com).

intelligentsia
A Chicago favorite for its single-grower "micro-lots." Our favorites: Guatemala El Cuervo and Honduras La Tortuga (773-348-8058 or www.intelligentsiacoffee.com).

ecco caffè
Andrew Barnett founded Ecco in California's Sonoma wine country in 2000 and serves coffee that has won several industry Cup of Excellence awards. Our favorites: Organic Nicaragua from Teofilo Cesar Torrez, Mario Torrez Coop Luis Alberto Vasquez and Organic-Fair Trade Yirgacheffe from Ethiopia (707-525-9309 or www.eccocaffe.com).

iron brew
This South Carolina-based roaster brings its beans in directly from the highland Cerrado region in South America and never blends them with other coffees. Our favorites: House Roast and Carolina Classic Roast (888-448-1441 or www.ironbrewcoffee.com).

paradise roasters
Husband-and-wife team Bob and Deb Meza started Paradise in 2002 with their son R. Miguel as the company's roastmaster and green coffee buyer. They roast to order and ship the same day. Our favorite: Fruity and earthy Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural from Idido Misty Valley (877-229-6336 or www.paradiseroasters.com).

zoka coffee roaster and tea company
This small-batch Seattle-based roaster also has two local cafes and award-winning baristas. Our favorite coffees: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Organic Sumatra (206-217-5519 or www.zokacoffee.com).

volcanica
A year and a half-old speciality roaster based in Coral Springs, Florida, Volcanica sells only single-origin, high-altitude coffee beans grown on volcanic soil around the world. Our favorite: Gran Reserve Kona Coffee from the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii (877-454-7031 or www.volcanicacoffee.com).

victrola coffee roasters
Owners Chris Sharp and Jen Strongin have been roasting heirloom coffee varieties out of their Seattle shop since 2003. Our favorites: Organic and Fair Trade Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with earthy and sweet notes and Organic Sumatra Gayo with smoky and fruity aromas and tart and tangy flavors (206-325-6080 or www.victrolacoffee.com).

doma coffee roasting company
This passionately eco-conscious roaster (they are a certified organic roaster, use biodegradable bags, and compost or recycle their coffee bags) based in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, is known for its lighter Northern Italian-style roasts. Our favorites: Ethiopia Harar Organic and Bella Luna Decaf (208-773-0066 or www.domacoffee.com).

I have to second the Stumptown Coffee Roasters recommendation ^ Essxjay told me about them and I had a chance to try them a few weeks ago. Quality was out of this world and the staff was very helpful to the coffee novice.

Thanks Essxjay!

A friend of mine, Alun Evans, roasts his own coffee (in his boutique roaster) in the outskirts of Jakarta. His site is www.merdekacoffee.com and I personally drink his coffee every morning. I believe he does distribute in the USA through some distributor but you can email him at alun@merdekacoffee.com. He's a good friendly Australian and knows loads about coffee. Just say Oliver sent you.

The best coffee ever comes from hawaii: http://www.koacoffee.com/

A friend of mine, Alun Evans, roasts his own coffee (in his boutique roaster) in the outskirts of Jakarta. His site is www.merdekacoffee.com and I personally drink his coffee every morning. I believe he does distribute in the USA through some distributor but you can email him at alun@merdekacoffee.com. He's a good friendly Australian and knows loads about coffee. Just say Oliver sent you.

Oooh, I'm going to check this out for sure. Thanks for the tip!

Try here (http://shop.zabars.com/on/demandware.store/WFS/Zabar-ZabarStorefront-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewStandardCatalog-Browse;pgid=pNHguEU0fXk000MAk1jQuC4S0000s5wZJ73D?C atalogCategoryID=hdTAqLIWWZAAAAEAJKVyzmB7)

Forgot to update this .. Intelligentsia worked out my delivery situation without too much trouble and the coffee has been great. Excellent suggestion ^

Forgot to update this .. Intelligentsia worked out my delivery situation without too much trouble and the coffee has been great. Excellent suggestion ^

C'mon! Quit teasing and regale us with some cupping notes!! :) Which varietals or blends have you tried? Are you going to try roasting your own?? Details, man, details!!

I asked Alun (of Merdeka) if he subscribed to "Roast Magazine" (specifically this article: http://www.roastmagazine.com/backissues/novdec2005/roasterofyear06.html) and his response was as below:

"Yeah, I am a subscriber. Pretty good magazine. Stumptown and Intelligentsia along with Allegro (which doesn’t feature) and Boca Java (ditto) are by far and away the top roasters stateside. Funny…in a country so big, and with over 2500 roasters…quality is pretty piss poor."

LOL...thought I'd share that with you...

Try here (http://shop.zabars.com/on/demandware.store/WFS/Zabar-ZabarStorefront-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewStandardCatalog-Browse;pgid=pNHguEU0fXk000MAk1jQuC4S0000s5wZJ73D?C atalogCategoryID=hdTAqLIWWZAAAAEAJKVyzmB7)


I've tried Zabars before. Yum! Good!

I say go for it!