Author Topic: SF Bay Area: Cheapest bulk legume sources?  (Read 3667 times)

cats

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SF Bay Area: Cheapest bulk legume sources?
« on: February 23, 2014, 04:31:34 PM »
My partner and I are potentially going to be buying a LOT of legumes in the next couple of months and I'm trying to figure out where the cheapest places to get them are.  We are totally willing to purchase in somewhat larger (10-25 lb) increments if necessary.  My initial perusal of online options is generally showing that the shipping charges can cancel out any savings, so I'm hoping there are some other MMMers in the same area as me (SF Bay, ideally Peninsula) who may be able to give some suggestions on specific local sources.

So far I have found Costco to be the cheapest source by FAR for black beans and pinto beans.  Unfortunately our Costco doesn't seem to sell any other varieties of legumes.  We would like to round out our options with lentils, chickpeas, and white beans in particular.  All of these I usually buy at either Whole Foods or the Milk Pail, but it always makes me wince because they are seriously 2-3x the price there that black/pintos are at Costco.  It doesn't seem like they should be that much more expensive to produce, so...are they available at a Costco-like rate anywhere?  I have been perusing ethnic food stores as I have time but none have turned up a jackpot yet.

Or, if you are not in the Bay Area and know of a good online option where shipping is not an arm and a leg, I'm open to that too!

Unionville

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Re: SF Bay Area: Cheapest bulk legume sources?
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2014, 06:11:18 PM »
I find that beans/legumes are generally low cost at all the Indian grocery stores in west Berkeley.