I just got a Bialetti stove top italian espresso maker and I was wondering about really brands of really nice, high-end coffee and where I go about buying it (I’m a tea girl). Personally I’ll drink Satan’s grounds but the reason I ask for something high-quality is that my boss gave me wine glasses for my birthday and his is coming up in about a week and he’s a coffee fan who has a high-quality machine at home so I decided to return the favour by getting him some nice quality coffee.
I’d really like to purchase something a coffee snob would appreciate and I don’t want to get Starbucks because I know he hates it. Thanks.
:smack: Oh and I apologise for repeating the words really, and high-quality over and over again. Sorry, I’ve been on the floor of my office writing a memo for about a week now.
A Venetian espresso chain opened up a shop locally, and it sells fantastic stuff. I’ve been checking out their website, which is set up in both Italian and American versions, as I’m awaiting their setting up their online coffee market. This thread inspired me to check again, and voila, it’s up. Italian version only, so far, apparently. I love their “Rossa” - it’s ground just right for our machine and raises a nice dense crema. The chain is called “Caffe del Doge”, and I’d post a link, but my computer’s acting funky. If you look it up, click up the Italian version of the website.
Peet’s is nice, and you should be able to find one near you. It’s better if you buy it at their store, though. It loses something in transit to the grocery store. They have a nice selection of teas, as well, if you want to keep up that habit.
Get great coffee and support a family farm! Check out Lions Gate for the best 100% estate Kona coffee in the world.
And tell them Debbie sent you! It’s the farm/B&B owned & operated by some good friends of ours. Be sure to check out their other coffee and macadamia nut products- all grown and processed on their farm.
Hey, computer’s back up. Here’s a Caffe del Doge link. I’m a coffee snob, don’t care for Starbucks, and I adore this stuff. Depending on where you’re from, they may even have a shop in your area. Many Americans haven’t heard of this place yet, so you can impress your boss with your coffee geek-ness.
I remembered another place, a local artisanal coffee roaster here in the bay area, endorsed by rabid San Francisco foodies and me alike. It’s called Barefoot Coffee Roasters. You can buy online and have it mailed. Remember to ask them to grind it for an espresso machine.
The best coffee I’ve ever had was Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Part of the experience was being in Jamaica, mon.
It’s a little pricey, but your boss would appreciate it. Just make sure you get out the bag so he can see what you are serving; do it casually, of course.
We really shy away from gift certificates because my office is circumscribed by several federal rules on gift giving and this is kinda a gray area because even though he’s not my boss boss (thus putting me within certain price limits) I’m the most junior attorney in the office. Which is why we usually try to stick to food that can be distributed to the office at large-gift certificates = quantifiable numbers = causes talk.
teela: looks like their e-link isn’t up yet. Too bad, I was all set to order from them because it looked like it would appeal to his insufferably haute tastes.
Will peruse the remaining links to see if I can find something that looks interesting. I know he likes Peet’s coffee but it was a really sweet gesture of him to get me a present and I was hoping to go for something that was eyes-widen-snootpeal.
Good coffee starts and finishes with lavazza for me. I don’t know where you might find it, if at all, in the US. You’ll be after the pack thats mostly in a gold wrapper (with some back and red) - sorry but the name of the particular type escapes for the moment.
I like Lavazza too, the Qualità Oro or Lavazza Club are the nicest. It’s South and Central American Arabica, so might not be to everyone’s taste, and ethically, it’s probably not ideal.
This site looks quite good, if expensive, and this site has the crunchy feelgood fairtrade vibe.
I met Suzanne. We stayed in a private house (well, a little mac nut farm) probably less than a half-mile from Lion’s Gate, and we just went down to it because we were driving by the sign every day.
Best prices I saw on Kona Coffee, and great coffee.
Interesting that he hates *$ but likes Peet’s. Most folks I know who dislike one also dislike the other because of their tendency to over-roast the beans to a bitter flavor. Not me, I happen to like both for my morning coffee, precisely because they are bitter, but I am hardly a purist.
You may want to check out George Howell’s site, Terroir Coffee. He used to own and run The Coffee Connection in Harvard Square before they were “acquired” by *$. He is a purist, and hand selects his coffees.
Interesting, I LOVE Peet’s but hate *$ coffee. I agree Peet’s is better from their stores but being in FL, I’m just glad they now sell it at the Fresh Market Chain.
Is there any better type of coffee than bitter? Why oh why would anyone ever put sugar, milk or honey in coffee is beyond me.
Using my clever lawyer skillz I managed to draw him into a conversation that revealed more about what he might want by talking about my new coffee maker and then casually asking questions.
He uses a french press and grinds his own beans. Which is good so I don’t have to contemplate what type of grind to get. He mentioned Kona being good and then also talked about Kenya and Ethiopian coffees as being pretty good. Right now he’s apparently drinking a South American organic coffee.
Unfortunately, my wily extraction of information crashed and burned when he started excitedly talking about a Costco in an area that roasts the beans fresh, right in the middle of the store (whatever kind you want) and how he loves to go home with a hot bag of beans and under my breath I muttered, “damn, I don’t have a membership” and he was all “oh, I’ll check it out for you the next time I’m there.” No fool! For you!
