Looking for Good Coffee Supplier

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Weird Wood Pusher
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I am looking for a good coffee supplier for my own personal use.
I don't know a lot about coffee and don't have any upgraded gear. Just a normal drip coffee maker.
There are a few decent coffees from Oregon Roasters that I have tried, but I was thinking it could be better.
What I have tried and liked were Costa Rican, Mexican and Hawaiian.
I don't much care for the dark roasts and most of the commercially available blends.

Of everything I have tried I liked the Hawaiian that was a light/medium roast the best.
I probably sound like a coffee-tard. But I am sure I do not want to try the Poo-Berry.

Anybody have any suggestions?
Coffee is my main vice. Just want some better stuff.
 
If you're not getting whole bean and grinding just before brewing, start. Since you're using a drip maker, one of those inexpensive spice/coffee grinders will work just fine, since the filter will stop any of the really finely ground coffee from coming through to muddy your cup.

Then you want to get the freshest roast whole beans that you can. That means buying in small amounts, just enough to last you no more than two weeks, one week is better. Before I started roasting my own beans, I bought from The Coffee Fool (http://www.coffeefool.com/). Stick to those that are labeled "American Roast", as they will be the light/medium roast you favor.

I'll warn you now that drinking freshly roasted and just-ground coffee (as compared to the ordinary brew from stale supermarket coffee) is addictive and almost as expensive as the wood habit we have and you feed. I got tired of the shipping charges from The Fool, and that's how I came to start roasting my own. You may well find yourself going down that road, too.

Rick
 
I have found my bean home with Stumptown Roasters.
 
Counter culture coffee, stumptown, portland roasters, blue bottle, four barrel, ritual, pt's, metrapolis to name a few
 
+1 on Counter Culture, although they are on the east coast.

$5 flat rate shipping on orders within the continent. Sadly I have to pay more. I think they have the best pricing especially for the quality. Sometimes you don't need to spend $20+ on a 1/2 pound of coffee to get a good cup.

Mark, you might want to invest in a decent brewer and grinder. decent doesn't need to be expensive. At work I brew out of the bonmac 2 hole 'pour-over' counter culture sells, paired with my hario travel grinder. if you really need an auto-drip brewer the bonavita is a good deal http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YQZT92/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 paired with Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VAWXOU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 or Baratza http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002OQNVO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. those are some good and cheap setups for work or home.
 
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i get mine form pork and beans westminster MD ( not sure if they ship )

i also liek to make mine in an aeropress (cheap and fun way to get a good cup ) its a bit liek a coffee chem lab
 
What's Brewing? Organic Brazilian Blue is my favorite coffee of all time.

I am not biased, I didn't even know they were from texas until long after I loved them. if you can't get any, I'll get you some.
 
Valentine Roasting Co. out of Milwaukee; one guy does it all...says he caramelizes the beans instead of roasting to bring out the natural sweetness. It is the strongest, yet peculiarly least bitter coffee I've ever had....
 
I worked with a few people from Alterra in milwaukee, they have good coffee. Also carmelization is part of the roasting process along with the mailard reaction.
 
Hey Mark,
I dunno if you ever get over to Ashland, but Noble Coffee Roasters are doing a good job there.

Also, Mix Sweet Shop carries a good variety of fresh Stumptown beans and they brew a good cup as well. Their pastries don't suck either (not even a little), neither does the gelato.

Hope that helps.
 
I really enjoy a good coffee, but I lack consistency in my motivation. Years ago I ordered green beans from Sweet Maria's and Vivace and loved both their espresso mixes. But shipping green beans to Hawaii is illegal (supposedly to avoid importing 'pests' that endanger the local coffees) and the shops are now much more compliant. So, for my French press, I use whatever local coffee I can find freshly roasted - and there are good choices between Wholefoods, a few specialty stores and even Costco roasting Kona beans regularly - but I still need to find a way to get my hands on green beans for good espresso blends. May have to have them shipped to mainland friends and then have them forwarded here.

Just looked at the original post again and realized that was not your question. But I know there should be places that ship out Hawaiian roasts to the mainland - Aaron, don't you have 100% Kona roasts you can ship?

Stefan
 
Mark, you have lots of suggestions for coffee, unless your pot can hit and maintain the proper water temps you will never get everything the beans have to offer.

Its a slippery slope to head down!

A pour over filtercone and electric kettle are a good way to see the differences proper water temps can make in the cup.
 
Mark, if you don't have one already, get a burr grinder and buy whole bean. Switching from a whirly blade to the burr got the single best increase in flavor in all my coffee drinking years.

There are lots of good coffee roasters and some were mentioned here, so try the same coffee from each one and see what you like best. I usually get mine from Porto Rico Roasters or Coffee Bean Direct. Neither are boutique roasters but they do it in-house and because they have high volume the coffee has always been fresh.

BTW, when you said poo-berry were you talking about that monkey poop coffee?
 
+1 on ditching the whirly blade bean grinders. I thought Poo-berry was a typo for pea berry but if Mark was talking about Kopi Luwak I can understand the aversion.
I'd also suggest a French Press but if sticking with AD then the Cuisinart burr grinders run around $50 and are a steal for what they do.

Dave
 
If you are noticing an improvement in taste when moving from a whirly blade grinder to a burr type, then you are likely grinding too long. Pulse the whirly type just until you get grounds, not powder.
 
Pour-over and good-old-fashioned vacuum pot coffees give two distinct but very clean profiles. Next best (IMVHO) is French press, which I call quick-and-dirty coffee. I still drink more espresso than anything else, and that is the toughest form of coffee with which to achieve consistency, even with the most expensive equipment available. I have a humble setup for espresso -- Rancilio Silvia v.3 that I'm hoping to PID, and a cheap burr grinder -- that makes really great coffee once in a while. I'd love to step up to a Mazzer Mini grinder and perhaps a Quickmill Andreja Premium, but for now I make pretty good espresso on a fairly regular basis. IC Black Cat most of the time, BTW.
 
BTW, when you said poo-berry were you talking about that monkey poop coffee?

I had read about collecting Lemur poop and washing the undigested beans.

I really got spoiled a while back when a customer who roasts his own was sending me coffee.
Right now I am using one of the rotary grinders. Sounds like I need the burr type grinder.
I will check out the suppliers and you guys have mentioned. Plus a better brewer.

I will need it to be convenient, brew then into an air pot because I like to drink coffee through the day while I am working.

I get over to Ashland once in a while, and yes, I enjoy good pastries.
 
+1 on the burr grinder. Also on the brew method. I really like the French press, although there are many who prefer the direct pour over, like Chemex. A bean that hasn't been mentioned is Hogan Brothers, although they are small and East coast. I love a roast they haved called Strange Brew.
 
Based on what you guys have told me,
I am thinking I should get the Bonavita BV1800 8-Cup Coffee Maker with a thermal caraffe.
That way I don't have to use an air pot.

I think I will try out some of the bean suppliers you mentioned until I find out what I like the best.

For home I will try the electric kettle and cone.
 

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