# Question for Coffee Fanatics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [February 18, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945 "2003-02-18T19:40:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/1 "2003-02-18T19:40:09Z")
I want to give my boss, a serious coffee fan, a gift of some coffee. Could someone recommend something that I could order online? I am not looking to impress her with price (She’s not that type of person, and as a poor intern; I can’t afford it anyway ☹ ) However, I would like to give her something unique and memorable - something that she wouldn’t be able to purchase at the local grocery store or coffee shop. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks!!! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/2 "2003-02-18T19:52:29Z")
A nice big mug with some flavored coffee would be nice. You can do up a nice basket yourself with a big mug, the coffee, some biscotti, flavored creamer… (damn, now I have to go pour a cup.) ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/3 "2003-02-18T20:14:11Z")
Well, if you really want something you can buy online, I’d say : > **[Thanksgiving Coffee | Artisan Coffee Roaster | Roaster of the Year 2017](https://www.thanksgivingcoffee.com/)** > > Artisan roasted coffee since 1972, Thanksgiving strives for sustainability through Fair Trade, organic, shade grown farming. Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup. Good stuff. I think if you want to do this cheaply, you’d be better off with a local coffee shop. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/4 "2003-02-18T20:34:14Z")
Seconds on your local **independently owned** coffeehouse – the owner ought to be able to suggest something nice. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/5 "2003-02-18T21:43:28Z")
Try this, it’s the best coffee I drink, at a pretty reasonable price- [http://www.coffeeofkona.com/](http://www.coffeeofkona.com/) It’s our friends’ company, they retired to Hawaii to run a B&B on a Kona coffee and macadamia nut farm. Diane and Bill are the owners. Support a small family farm! ---
**Author:** ![rhinostylee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@rhinostylee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhinostylee)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/6 "2003-02-18T21:53:52Z")
Send her some Jamacan Blue Mountain Coffee . . . best coffee money can buy. It’s expensive for coffee, but if you’re willing to shell out 20 bucks it’s worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/7 "2003-02-18T22:00:22Z")
Does she have a french coffee press? You can buy a small one for personal use, under $20. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/8 "2003-02-18T22:04:55Z")
I’ll second **EJsGirl**. Kona coffee rocks! It’s very flavorful, but not bitter at all. And the site she linked to sells it for $17.50/lb., which IME is very reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/9 "2003-02-18T22:10:10Z")
I’m going to jump in to also support the idea of going to a **locally-owned** coffee shop and either picking out a blend yourself, or asking someone who works there to recommend one. Most will have neat blends that they mix or even roast themselves that are unique to them. But stay away from the flavored coffees-- most people I know that are true coffee fanatics do not like flavored kinds. ---
**Author:** ![InTransit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@InTransit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InTransit)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/10 "2003-02-18T22:19:53Z")
I recommend Peet’s Coffee & Tea. It’s a small coffee roaster out of Berkeley and slowly branching out across the country. IMHO, best coffee hands down, especially if your boss enjoys darker roasts. [www.peets.com](http://www.peets.com) if you’re not near one. You can call them and they can recommend a blend & ship it to your boss. They also have coffee-related gear. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/11 "2003-02-18T22:29:14Z")
Funny – I can also recommend an online coffee site taht has the best coffee I’ve ever drunk. Batdorf and Bronson used to be my small local coffeeshop when I lived in Olympia, Washington. Oh, but their coffee is beautiful and delicious. I’ve not found its match anywhere locally. Their prices are reasonable, too: about $10 a pound. If you can’t find something good locally, you could do worse than checking them out. I’ll second the warning about flavored coffee, unless you’re the kind of sick pervert who would buy Zima for a beer snob. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/12 "2003-02-19T01:27:15Z")
Yes, best avoid the flavored coffee, unless you know the boss enjoys a particular type. Most of the true coffee fanatics I know prefer their coffee coffee-flavored. [www.gevalia.com](http://www.gevalia.com) is another place with excellent coffee. I’ve heard it’s difficult to get genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain. The name is famous but they don’t really grow a whole lot of the genuine article (hence the high price). There is a lot of fake stuff out there. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/13 "2003-02-19T04:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > \*\*Yes, best avoid the flavored coffee, unless you know the boss enjoys a particular type. Most of the true coffee fanatics I know prefer their coffee coffee-flavored. > > [www.gevalia.com](http://www.gevalia.com) is another place with excellent coffee. > > I’ve heard it’s difficult to get genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain. The name is famous but they don’t really grow a whole lot of the genuine article (hence the high price). There is a lot of fake stuff out there. \*\* I agree. Unless you _know_ she likes the stuff stick to straight. I was given some ‘hazelnut’ flavored coffee (only a half pound, luckily) one year for Christmas by my nephew. I took it to work and abandoned it, where it found a good home. Same with the ‘creamers’ – my rule of thumb is, “If it ain’t fit to drink black, it ain’t fit to drink” but others like the stuff. Just be sure you won’t be wasting your money on something detested. As to type . . . Jamaica Blue Mountain is nice coffee but is really, really expensive. I think part of the mystique is its expense, sort of like shelling out three bucks for a liter of Evian. For me, I like Kenya AA much better, and its half the price. A Mocha-Java blend is good, too. There’s a reason it was one of the first blends. Place to buy? An independent roaster, if such is to be had; if not, try Trader Joe’s if it’s in your vicinity. DD ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/14 "2003-02-19T06:26:57Z")
I just came back from a vacation on the Big Island and I would say that Kona coffee, if it’s fresh, is out of this world. Make sure you get 100% Kona, don’t get “Kona Blend” which is no more than 10% Kona. It’s almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Kona coffee. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/15 "2003-02-19T06:36:34Z")
If you really want to impress her. Buy her a membership to the [http://www.bestmonthlyclubs.com/bescofofmonc.html](http://www.bestmonthlyclubs.com/bescofofmonc.html) coffee of the month club. Spend as much or little as you’d like, it’s $15/mth and they’ll send a lb. of gourmet coffee each month right to her door. Literature and samples are included or available depending on what you spend. Damn, I think I might try that myself. I know somebody that’d love it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/16 "2003-02-19T09:29:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rhinostylee \* > \*\*Send her some Jamacan Blue Mountain Coffee . . . best coffee money can buy. It’s expensive for coffee, but if you’re willing to shell out 20 bucks it’s worth the money. \*\* JMB coffee runs about $50/lb here in Cali. _Very_ expensive for coffee. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by DesertDog_ > **…my rule of thumb is, “If it ain’t fit to drink black, it ain’t fit to drink”…** Mind if I use that? I’ve had fresh 100% Kona coffee brought back to me and it is fabulous! But make sure it’s 100% Kona. Many “Kona” coffees are blends with as low as 10% Kona beans. The local independently owned coffee shop is a great idea… especially if they roast their own coffee. Fresh roasted coffee has no parallel. Since you want something memorable, I second **hillbilly queen** ’s suggestion of the French press. The French press yields an excellent cup of coffee, and if you can pair it with a pound of your boss’ favorite coffee, it will be a memorable gift indeed. Most importantly, if you are going to buy coffee beans for your boss, try to find out what kind of coffee (that is, region from which it came) and what roast she likes most. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/17 "2003-02-19T17:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The MacDairmuid \* > \*\* > I’ve had fresh 100% Kona coffee brought back to me and it is fabulous! But make sure it’s 100% Kona. Many “Kona” coffees are blends with as low as 10% Kona beans. > > \*\* That’s why I recommend Diane & Bill’s coffee. They grow it themselves, it’s only 100% Kona, and they don’t roast it until you place your order, so you know it’s fresh. Heck, you can even go see for yourself in you’re in the neighborhood! Try their home-grown Mac nuts too, they are fantastic. The web site is also a good education about coffee in general and Kona in particular. Go ahead, indulge yourself- [www.coffeeofkona.com](http://www.coffeeofkona.com) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/18 "2003-02-19T20:14:41Z")
I’m a big fan of Costa Rican Terrazu – if you can find it. Gevalia has a special offer, you have to reserve in advance. I’m guessing its pretty pricey. As a coffee-freak, I’d also support the idea that most real coffee drinkers prefer our coffee to taste like coffee. I can’t stand most flavors because they leave a really nasty aftertaste. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/19 "2003-02-19T20:20:55Z")
The thing about flavored coffee, is that the beans themselves are usually of mediocre quality, because it’s assumed that the flavoring will cover up that fact. So yeah, it’s better to get regular coffee-flavored coffee. If you can get Kona, get it. Just about anyone who loves coffee knows and loves Kona. – Dragonblink, who’s not pimping her employer or her favorite coffees for once. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945/20 "2003-02-19T21:02:37Z")
Dragon, go ahead and pimp! I am in OC and would love to patronize a business that’s worth it! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-coffee-fanatics/155945.md?page=2)