Sorry if there are threads covering this, I couldn’t get the search function to work.
A friend of mine really has an affinity for coffee, and I’m thinking of getting her some good fancy gourmet stuff as a late christmas present. But I’m not a coffee guy and have no idea what’s good or not.
Anyway, I don’t need ridiculously expensive herded by virgin goats in the mountains of france coffee, but where could I find good coffee? I have no idea what she likes other than she prefers very strong stuff.
Ideally, somewhere off the internet I could use non-buyer address (gift) shipping.
I like coffee that would wake the dead. My personal favorite is French Market (available at Krogers & Albertsons) and online at www.frenchmarketcoffee.com along with lots of other goodies.
Not at all expensive, either.
Oh – French Market with Chickory (available at many supermarkets) is good too. Ah, the taste of New Orleans! It’s also economical, because you use much less of it than normal coffee.
Another good coffee option is Community Coffee. That’s the most-drunk local coffee in New Orleans, in a variety of blends. And I see on their website they sell coffees from around the world, too. But for a good, strong cup of coffee, particularly French roast or chicory in their New Orleans blend (which is what we drink all the time), you can’t beat it. And it’s also quite inexpensive, $4.95 for a 16-ounce bag. (Get their “red bag” coffee for the local blends.)
Your best buy in coffee: go to a Brazilian market, and buy any of the brands there. You will find that Brazilian coffee is 100% arabica bean, and is not bitter or acrid. Plus, you can get it for about $3.00/kilogram.
As for the exotic ocffees…I’ve paid the high price for jamaican “Blue Mountain”-in my opinion, not worth it! Hawaiian KONA is excellent-but beware the practice of mixing it with cheaper coffee (read the fine print-some “Kona” coffess are less than 5% Kona beans!). 100% KONA is expensive-but worth every cent!
I love anything that’s Shade Grown/Organic, and I usually can’t stand coffee. I like Seattle’s Best (I think it’s a branch of Starbuck’s, but I’m not sure).
Diedrichs is very good. They’re located mostly in Orange County, CA, but you can order online.
If you want to get your friend the kind of coffee that even real javaheads don’t ordinarily buy for themselves, because of the cost, you could get her some Jamaican Blue Mountain, or 100% Hawaiian Kona.
This suggestion may seem obvious, but here goes: avoid giving her any flavored coffee, such as French vanilla, creme brulee, Irish cream, or raspberry delite. Many coffee afficianados I’ve met consider those flavors particularly vile.
Do you know what coffee shop she frequents? If you go to my husband’s shop, the manager will tell you exactly what to buy him. (Peaberry, by the way - when its in stock, or Antigua if the Peaberry isn’t available) A good coffee shop is kind of like a good bar - a regular customer can order “the usual”
Another option - rather than risk getting her French Roast to discover she thinks its “burnt” or Starbucks and discovering she is a coffee snob of the “Starbucks is mass produced” variety - is to buy her a coffee accessory. A press pot is something every coffee lover can use at least one of. An airtight jar for beans is another good choice.
