Where do you buy your beans? (coffee)

I make regular trips to Coffee Tree and Tea Leaves on Broadway. Sam has a great selection(many international) and 2 or 3 sale items. For espresso at home I buy his Italian Roast. And I can't resist the Mocha Java. It's a simple place with a small selection of gourmet items including sauces, dips, chips, and and interesting candy/snacks selection(with a new one to try always!).

Coffee Tree & Tea Leaves Co.
3752 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
773-871-7818

I typically buy Intelligentsia beans, either at the Broadway location or at Whole Foods. Here is my discussion of the Summer Solstice blend: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=908.

Intelligentsia is also available at Treasure Island. Peet's Coffee is fabulous too.

I've been buying the fair trade/ equal exchange beans at Stanley's, mostly out of concern for the effects of World Bank decisions. World Bank promotes (in effect dictates through conditional financing) for developing countries to grow coffee beans as a way to restructure their economy and grow out of poverty. Unfortunately the effect of many countries doing this is to depress the wholesale market for coffee beans. Equal Exchange is supposed to ensure that farmers are compensated a living wage for their products. And since I like my beans charred, or French Roast, I don't think I'm tasting much of a difference in taste between this and my former supplier.

If I'm wrong about this, please tell me.

It's worth noting that on Tuesdays Intelligentsia offers $2 off per pound of coffee, at least at their Jackson Ave. store. (And one can combine coffee buying with a stop at the Tuesday farmers market in Federal Plaza.)

Has anyone tried any of the real expensive coffees readily available in Chicago (at least at times as compared to say, a small true Kona). I am thinking specifically of some of the things at Peets and at Starbucks. About 2 months ago, Starbucks had a Kona for about $20 a pound, it could have been even more. Peet's has had some estate coffees even more expensive.

I'd rather we skip the debate on the worth of paying that much money for coffee period. What I would like to know is, have people tried, and if so, what do they think. Not quite on point, but on point, the family we visited in Indiana the other day had just drank a bottle of Dom Perignon, given to them as a present, and they found it fantastic.

Rob

I used to buy Trader Joe's Bay Blend coffee religiously. However, I got tired of the frequent price increases when the coffee market was in a glut. Currently, I am buying various dark roasts from the San Francisco Bay http://www.sfbaycoffee.com/site/index.php, a company that I discovered when working out in Scotts Valley. They also sell their coffee at BJ's Wholesale Club.

I have always liked Dave's Blend and Vienna Roast from the Coffee and Tea Exchange. I know there are some issues with how long the beans are out there in the none-to-well-sealed bins. But, I haven't had a real problem with staleness. (I do a sniff test before purchasing.)

I was also quite impressed with the newish Metropolis on Granville and posted on it here. The coffee of the month was Nicaraguan, and very good I thought. I also took home a very dark, but not specifically espresso blend (African) called Good Soldier Schweik blend, and made it in a stove-top espresson maker for an after-dinner demi-tasse and enjoyed it a lot. Very rich and bitter. Topped of the meal well.

Othe than that, I concur on Intelligentsia as very good, though pricey.

I also find Costco beans, roasted on premises, an excellent value for every day. Unbeatable in fact. Sumatra, or Costa Rica or Columbian.

Haven't tried Peet's more than once or twice many years back.

To VI: I heard once that the reason for the staggering price differential on genuine Kona beans had nothing to do with the coffee itself, but was the result of the fact that coffee pickers are unionized there, and no where else in the coffee growing universe. Does anyone know if there's anything to that?

I stock up on Trader Joe's Columbian blend. I love that it comes in a canister and not a bag, and its only around $7.25 or so for 28oz, which is far better than Peet's, Caribou, and all other boutiques.

I've been buying whole bean restaurant blend from Papa Nicholas of late. It is an excellent full falvored roast with lots of depth and flavor.I believe that Papa Nicholas is located in Geneva. Their coffee is available in many supermarkets in Chicago.

Interested to hear any updates LTH'ers might have. Harvestime, my local grocery, has finally started selling decent beans (Metropolis), but at $12+ for 12oz, the price isn't amazing. I occasionally shop at Coffee and Tea Exchange, who sells good beans for about $12/pound. There's also Whole Foods.

Any other tips for where to buy good fresh beans at a good price? Or is Harvestime's price for Metropolis beans about the going rate?

Edgewater Produce on Clark, north of Catalpa has Metropolis beans for $10/12 oz if you're ever in the vicinity. Metropolis roasts their beans nearby so maybe they get a deal for being close? If you happen to be in Edgewater on Thursdays, the Metropolis store on Granville has $2 off beans (and a free small coffee) with their full array of beans available (Edgewater Produce has a more limited set of roasts). Metropolis seems like a decent value compared to Intelligentsia or La Colombe which often go over $15/12 oz. If you're in Ravenswood, the new Mariano's on Lawrence has a lot of local beans, but I'm not as confident about their freshness unless they have a roast date on them.

Hopped Up wrote:Edgewater Produce on Clark, north of Catalpa has Metropolis beans for $10/12 oz if you're ever in the vicinity. Metropolis roasts their beans nearby so maybe they get a deal for being close? If you happen to be in Edgewater on Thursdays, the Metropolis store on Granville has $2 off beans (and a free small coffee) with their full array of beans available (Edgewater Produce has a more limited set of roasts).

Thanks. Speaking of, what's with the batch "dating" (presumably) of Metropolis beans? It'll say something like "Batch C2" or "Batch A7." I find myself a bit befuddled.

Hopped Up wrote:Edgewater Produce on Clark, north of Catalpa has Metropolis beans for $10/12 oz if you're ever in the vicinity. Metropolis roasts their beans nearby so maybe they get a deal for being close?

Metropolis is my go-to and $15/lb is pretty much the norm. They were supposed to move to 3057 North Rockwell in June, not sure if they have or not.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150514 ... offee-more

rtb178 wrote:Interested to hear any updates LTH'ers might have. Harvestime, my local grocery, has finally started selling decent beans (Metropolis), but at $12+ for 12oz, the price isn't amazing. I occasionally shop at Coffee and Tea Exchange, who sells good beans for about $12/pound. There's also Whole Foods.

Any other tips for where to buy good fresh beans at a good price? Or is Harvestime's price for Metropolis beans about the going rate?

Since my last post on this thread, I have switched to Community Coffee out of Baton Rouge, LA.

http://www.communitycoffee.com/products/coffee

Hi- Do they sell Community Coffee in any of the supermarkets like Jewel or Mariano's.? I have seen cpi[pns for it occasionally so I assume somebody in the Chicago area sells it. I have been to the Community Coffee store on Magazine Street in New Orleans a few times to get myself a cup of coffee, They used to have a good gelato place right down the street from there too, but the last time I was there in April, they had closed that location. Community Coffee is good, and I would much rather go there than Starbuck's, which is right down the street on Magazine.

Used to buy at Costco. Then a friend turned me on to Strictly Organic out in Oregon. Their Quickstep blend is the best coffee I've ever smelled in the bag, and tasted in the cup made in my Jura.

Geo

NFriday wrote:Hi- Do they sell Community Coffee in any of the supermarkets like Jewel or Mariano's.? I have seen cpi[pns for it occasionally so I assume somebody in the Chicago area sells it. I have been to the Community Coffee store on Magazine Street in New Orleans a few times to get myself a cup of coffee, They used to have a good gelato place right down the street from there too, but the last time I was there in April, they had closed that location. Community Coffee is good, and I would much rather go there than Starbuck's, which is right down the street on Magazine.

No, it is all mail order in the Midwest. It is available at grocery store in Louisiana and that area and at the Walmarts in Texas.

I am completely out so I am awaiting my shipment from Amazon.

We stumbled across Keweenaw Coffeworks, a great micro-roastery in Calumet, Michigan, on one of our summer trips there a couple of years ago. I have become a big fan of their Borealis, a dry processed, medium roast using Ethiopian beans. We recently mail-ordered a five-pound bag.

https://www.keweenawcoffeeworks.com/

I spotted Community coffee at Ultra in forest park a while ago.You may want to give them a call

Actually, I have found Community Coffee and their large tea bags for iced tea to be cheaper shipped direct to be less expensive than buying it in the store or at Amazon.

They key is to sign up for their e-mail newsletters and wait until they are offering 20% off on the product that you are looking for AND free shipping. You will get an offer like that about every two weeks or so.

Hey all! Almost started a new thread but found this gem and figured I'd just jump in here.

I'm curious if anybody might have any recommendations for budget(ish!) coffee specifically for the purposes of making coldbrew coffee? I tend to drink a lot of it, and it's a fairly high ratio of coffee:water that I generally use (1:4 or 1:5 by volume). I'll add that I'm new to making coldbrew and don't have any particular fancy methods (I take ~2 cups of coffee ground fairly fine, 9 or so cups of water, put it in a container over night, generally for around 12 hours, then strain it. done.), but I believe some coffees make GREAT iced coffee and some don't. Wondering if anybody could point me in a particular direction?

Time to plug my new love: Orleans Coffee out of Kenner, Louisiana. Forgot where I read about them but I tend to buy from various places around the country, partly to get a broader selection.

In any event, for whatever reason, I happened on Orleans Coffee and haven't looked back. For one thing, they have a broad selection, in all senses: geographic, roasts, blends, etc. Then, too, the vast majority of their coffees cost between $12-$15, a few more expensive, but generally in the lower end of that range. For another, their one pound bags weigh a full 16 ounces! For another, they ship via FedEx for about $8 and the coffee is here in about three days.

I've been buying from them for several months now and expect to be doing so for quite some time to come. I like their descriptions, their service, their selection, and most of all, I think the coffees I've bought--never the same thing twice--are uniformly well done and excellent. When I buy a medium roast, I get a medium roast. Even better, I've learned that I can rely on their descriptions, especially as to body, which is important to me. I've learned a lot about my tastes as well.

You can find them here.

Shameless plug for my daughters coffee company.

Modest Coffee

Most of their beans are roasted lightly to a City+ roast or so. Often with a darker roast, the roasting process will overpower the favor of the beans.

Available as a subscription through their website or available for local purchase at several privately owned grocery stores.

Sugar Beet Food Co-op
812 Madison St, Oak
(708) 948-7656

Riverside Foods
48 E Burlington St, Riverside
(708) 447-0324

... and other fine establishments.

Since opening several years ago and opening a cafe in the Sugar Grove Public Library they are poised to open a stand alone cafe in downtown Aurora.