Trader Joe's Whole Bean Coffee...

Submitted by crimfan on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 10:38am
Coffee

...is a bargain.

It's really good for the price. I bought 24 oz of Bay Blend (essentially an Italian roast) for about $10. That's a lot of coffee but I go through a lot so it's not likely to get stale in the time I have it, as I make a quad espresso every morning. I don't know how good the lighter roasts are because I don't drink lighter roasted coffee, just French, Italian or, my favorite, Sumatra. (To my palate, origin flavor <<< caramelization. :) Anyway, if you shop there check it out.

I really wish there was one closer to my apartment. For some reason I seem to live in a "hole" and the closest is in Rego Park (five miles away, with ugly parking and crowds) and the next closest is about ten miles away. I find that kind of bizarre because I would have expected TJ's to go over pretty well in my neighborhood, but evidently not.

Comments

Stuart Broz's picture

Submitted by Stuart Broz on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 6:34pm.

As you know, my coffee tastes are nearly-opposite yours. I like mild, smooth coffees that haven't been burnt to hell... and, in general, origin makes a big difference to me (Kenya AA and Sumatran are staples, but I'm not a big fan of most South American coffees).

As far as Trader Joe's coffees, I've had both the Organic Sumatran and the Papau New Guinea Peaberry. I've been pretty happy with them both.

Submitted by crimfan on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 7:07pm.

I plan to get the Sumatra next time---don't know why I didn't get it as I would have. It really truly is my favorite coffee but I didn't have a convenient source. I love the oil slick that appears on top of a good cup from really freshly ground beans.

My main objection to light roasts is the acidity. I really don't like that "winey" taste at all and the only really sure way to get rid of it is to caramelize the hell out of the bean.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 2:06pm.

Medium grind in a french press... Mmmm...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 2:04pm.

The nearest TJ to me is about 15 miles north in Santa Barbara. The next closest is over twice as far in Ventura. Cute little beach towns are great for a lot of things, but shopping isn't one of them.

Submitted by crimfan on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 6:01pm.

Cute little beach towns often have a plethora of crap for tourists to buy but that's about it. I used to live in one (though not in the nice part).

My current community would seem like a no-brainer for TJ's, given that it's full of people commuting to Manhattan who generally have a reasonable amount of disposable income, but, alas.... Thn again, there aren't many TJ's in NYC proper, but several in Nassau County, so maybe that's the issue.