# Good Coffee: where to find, good brands **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [April 19, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371 "2006-04-19T22:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/1 "2006-04-19T22:04:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/2 "2006-04-19T22:05:35Z")
: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. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/3 "2006-04-19T22:58:40Z")
We used to buy from [Gevalia](http://www.joingevalia.com/Promo/Gev0512/promo_002_12cadc_2gm_sscs.htm?keycode=110578), and we’re currently ordering from [Green Mountain](http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/) now. I’ve heard good things about [Shuil Coffee](http://www.schuilcoffee.com/) too. I would recommend a gift certificate to one of those places, rather than buying the actual coffee. That way he can get the flavor and roast he wants. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/4 "2006-04-19T23:26:45Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/5 "2006-04-19T23:40:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/6 "2006-04-19T23:49:30Z")
Get great coffee and support a family farm! Check out [Lions Gate](http://www.coffeeofkona.com) 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. Who needs those big conglomerates? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/7 "2006-04-19T23:53:40Z")
Word to the wise…according to Alton Brown, coffeehouses are like fish markets. The busier the store, the fresher the product. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/8 "2006-04-19T23:57:26Z")
Hey, computer’s back up. [Here’s](http://www.caffedeldoge.com/) 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](http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/). You can buy online and have it mailed. Remember to ask them to grind it for an espresso machine. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/9 "2006-04-19T23:59:13Z")
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. > **[Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee](https://www.bluemountaincoffee.com/)** > > 100% certified by the Jamaica Coffee Board, single cup coffee, medium and dark roasts, Peaberry, single estate coffee, micro-farms, roasted daily. Free continental US shipping. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/10 "2006-04-20T00:25:04Z")
Thanks everyone for the recommendations. 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. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/11 "2006-04-20T00:35:07Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/12 "2006-04-20T03:42:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/13 "2006-04-20T06:26:53Z")
I like [Greenwell Farms](http://www.greenwellfarms.com/) myself. Good people, great coffee. 100% kona. Their [private reserve](http://www.greenwellfarms.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=greenwell&Category_Code=greenwellcoffee) is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/14 "2006-04-20T11:14:48Z")
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](http://www.javaberry.com/main/?PHPSESSID=761f0014acf46dd453008d5e27249de6) site looks quite good, if expensive, and [this](http://www.freshcoffeenow.com/) site has the crunchy feelgood fairtrade vibe. ---
**Author:** ![Lambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lambo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/15 "2006-04-20T13:24:26Z")
I’ve really been enjoying [Peace Coffee](https://www.peacecoffee.com/home.htm), roasted in the Twin Cities (Our local [food co-op](http://www.pdtfoods.org/) carries it). I can recommend the french roast, the Birchwood breakfast blend, and the Minnesota Public Radio Blend. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/16 "2006-04-20T13:39:31Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Get great coffee and support a family farm! Check out [Lions Gate](http://www.coffeeofkona.com) for the best 100% estate Kona coffee in the world. Believe it or not, I’ve been there. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/17 "2006-04-20T20:38:42Z")
How cool! Suzanne was born one month before me and we were best friends from then until after HS! I don’t get to see her as much lately, obviously. Did you meet Diane & Bill, her parents? They run the B&B and are really great people. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/18 "2006-04-20T21:21:29Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > …I know he likes Peet’s 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](http://www.terroircoffee.com/). He used to own and run The Coffee Connection in Harvard Square before they were “acquired” by \*$. He _is_ a purist, and hand selects his coffees. ---
**Author:** ![Poonther](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Poonther](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poonther)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/19 "2006-04-20T21:40:45Z")
Interesting, I LOVE Peet’s but hate \*$ 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. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371/20 "2006-04-20T22:15:04Z")
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! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-coffee-where-to-find-good-brands/353371.md?page=2)