Author Topic: Coffee - where do you get your beans?  (Read 11694 times)

Honest Abe

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 379
  • Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery
Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« on: February 17, 2014, 05:56:12 AM »
Costco's selection for whole bean coffee has been lousy where I live lately. Amazon prices aren't that good. I know Trader Joes is good but they're sort of out of my way and hard to get to.

Anyone have ideas for where I can get reasonably priced whole bean coffee?

Igelfreundin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 103
  • Location: Washington, DC
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2014, 09:06:41 AM »
This might be more work than you want to do, but I love good coffee and decided that the cheapest way to go was roasting my own. I can buy 20 pounds of unroasted green beans online from Sweet Maria's for about $100 (and unroasted beans can last a year). I have to go to the work of roasting every other week or so, but in return I pay $5 a pound for excellent beans.

minimalist

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 140
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Washington, DC
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2014, 09:11:21 AM »
Costco has a better online selection with free shipping.

Honest Abe

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 379
  • Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2014, 10:43:53 AM »
Costco has a better online selection with free shipping.

That's what I just did..2x3lbs for $37.99

markstache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 167
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2014, 10:50:36 AM »
I roast my own as well (using an air popcorn popper). I get my green beans at a local coffee roaster.

Exflyboy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8397
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
  • Expat Brit living in the New World..:)
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2014, 10:52:36 AM »
Our local Winco has 5 lb bags of roasted beans for $20... Taste pretty good... $4 a pound.

Frank

Thegoblinchief

  • Guest
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2014, 01:17:44 PM »
If money was no object, I would get my beans at a local roaster that's phenomenal, but costs $14/lb.

Lately I've been buying beans at the supermarket from a different local roaster that are pretty good, and are only $6/lb.

Sam's is even cheaper but I didn't care for any of their blends when I was a member. Haven't tried any from my local Costco now that I've switched clubs.

ShortInSeattle

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 574
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2014, 01:21:38 PM »
I pay the $12-$14 per pound. (Hangs head in shame)

Cafe Vita, Stumptown, and so on. Seattle coffee has spoiled me.


more4less

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 85
  • Age: 39
  • Location: SF Bay Area
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2014, 01:32:02 PM »
I got a 3 lbs bag of dark roasted beans from Costco for $12. They were not that great.

serhomeslice

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 42
  • Age: 53
  • Location: Buford, GA
  • FI or die...
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2014, 01:35:26 PM »
This topic interests me as well.  I can even drink free coffee if I wait until I get to work, but I love my morning coffee too much.  Also love natural sugar versus refined white.  Almost found myself pocketing a few extra at the Starbucks the other day, but I gotta sleep at night. 

Right now, I've tried at least 5 different blends (Costco included - which I thought stunk), but I'm stuck on Starbucks French Roast or other dark varieties.  May have to look into roasting. 

markstache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 167
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2014, 03:40:32 PM »
I don't pretend it saves me any money, but roasting coffee is fun and leads to the same sort of satisfaction I get from making other things at home. This page is what got me started:

http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpopmethod.php

As a mustachian bonus, you can find the popper at a yard sale or thrift shop (if you don't have one already) for almost nothing.

Woodshark

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 95
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2014, 03:58:37 PM »
I get mine from coffeebeandirect.com.  If you get the 5 pound bags it's around $7 per pound.  The french roast is wonderful.  You can also purchase them via Amazon.com

SnackDog

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1260
  • Location: Latin America
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2014, 04:02:09 PM »
I just drink the free coffee at work.

i_am_the_slime

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 48
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2014, 02:33:25 AM »
My favorite is San Francisco Bay French Roast.  I buy from their website - normal price is $24 for a 3 lb bag but I usually wait for a  sale and buy a few bags.

chasesfish

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4376
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Florida
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2014, 04:41:11 AM »
Costco's selection for whole bean coffee has been lousy where I live lately. Amazon prices aren't that good. I know Trader Joes is good but they're sort of out of my way and hard to get to.

Anyone have ideas for where I can get reasonably priced whole bean coffee?

What specifically are you looking for?  Advice depends on what type of beans you like.

I've been dissapointed with no whole bean hawaiian this year from Costco, just blends (and that might as well be Folgers).  When I need my really, really good coffee fix, I've been ordering from one of two sources:

http://www.greenwellfarms.com/
http://kauaicoffee.com/

I have not been impressed with trader joe's.  I also find the standard costco columbian is tolerable

Michread

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 212
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2014, 07:51:22 AM »
Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade French Roast.  It's one of the high priced organic products that I'm willing to pay for (that and butter).  I go about one/month and stock up.

minimalist

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 140
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Washington, DC
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2014, 08:14:41 AM »
My favorite is San Francisco Bay French Roast.  I buy from their website - normal price is $24 for a 3 lb bag but I usually wait for a  sale and buy a few bags.

FYI, it's $35 for 6 lbs at Costco online: http://www.costco.com/San-Francisco-Bay-French-Roast-Whole-Bean-Coffee-2-3lbs-Bags.product.100039943.html

ClimbingOut

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2014, 09:07:58 AM »
I don't pretend it saves me any money, but roasting coffee is fun and leads to the same sort of satisfaction I get from making other things at home. This page is what got me started:

http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpopmethod.php

As a mustachian bonus, you can find the popper at a yard sale or thrift shop (if you don't have one already) for almost nothing.

I started roasting my own beans this way too. I couldn't believe how much better the coffee was. I got tired of the small batches and chaff mess from the air popper, so I went anti-mustachian and bought a roaster. It can handle a pound at a time, so I don't have to roast as often.

Fresh roasted coffee makes a great gift for a small cost too.

OldAndInTheWay

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 12
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2014, 06:32:29 PM »
beans-mainly from Coffeefool.com
pre-ground espresso-from Amazon, great prices on coffee from Italy. Plus another 20% off using subscribe and save

greaper007

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1117
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2014, 09:13:57 PM »
I've been buying a $3.98 a lbs bag of coffee at Costco in the Denver area that I'm really digging lately.  It's Pina flavored but it's still whole bean arabica and small batch roasted.    I can't seem to find anything cheaper than that.

MountainFlower

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 282
  • Location: Colorado Mountains
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #20 on: February 19, 2014, 03:12:12 PM »
Costco has a better online selection with free shipping.

That's what I just did..2x3lbs for $37.99

That's what we started doing too when Costco stopped carrying what we wanted in the store. 

MrsStubble

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 169
  • Location: West Chester, PA
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #21 on: March 02, 2014, 04:41:52 PM »
I buy my coffee at TJ Maxx/Homegoods/Marshall's.   You can usually get good coffee choices for $4-5 a pound.   I can usually find Kona there for that price which I love! 

ender

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7402
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #22 on: March 02, 2014, 06:17:29 PM »
I don't pretend it saves me any money, but roasting coffee is fun and leads to the same sort of satisfaction I get from making other things at home. This page is what got me started:

http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpopmethod.php

As a mustachian bonus, you can find the popper at a yard sale or thrift shop (if you don't have one already) for almost nothing.

same. All my coffee comes from sweetmarias :)

tmac

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 470
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #23 on: March 03, 2014, 07:20:58 AM »
We get the Costco brand House Blend, which is packaged by Starbucks. $12 for 2 lbs. But I'm intrigued by this idea of roasting our own. My husband is a coffee freak, so maybe getting him some unroasted beans to experiment with would make a good gift.

Silverwood

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 164
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #24 on: March 03, 2014, 07:26:06 AM »
There is a draught in Brazil and they are predicting a shortage of coffee beans. Fun fact : brazil grows 49%  of the worlds coffee. Stock up now before prices get higher.

Elaine

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 465
  • Age: 36
  • Location: NYC
    • Small Things Good
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2014, 07:27:42 AM »
My fella's job is actually working in a coffee roasting warehouse, so we get beans for free. In the future (i.e. when he's no longer working there) we will probably roast our own. I can drink even the worst bodega coffee, but I think my SO's eyes would fall out of his head if I made him a cup of costco java.

Thegoblinchief

  • Guest
Re: Coffee - where do you get your beans?
« Reply #26 on: March 03, 2014, 02:25:59 PM »
Local grocery had Eight O'Clock on sale for $2.50 a pound. Not the greatest coffee in the world, but at that price I bought 10 pounds.