Favorite/best coffee brands

[MD Puffer]

Someone's trip to Hawaii got me thinking about Spam, and then to other things I enjoy the taste of.  My thoughts wandered to coffee this morning for obvious reasons.  My favorite coffee and what I mainly drink is Jacobs Kronung.  I was an army brat and spend 12 years growing up in Germany.  My parents brewed it daily and I continued the tradition all these years later (even though as retirees they now buy Kirkland brand coffee from Costco).

So- what is your favorite (or if you're so bold, what do you consider the best) brand of coffee?

 

[Derboesekoenig]

Some people call me a coffee snob, but I've spoiled myself over the years. In my opinion, there is only one true way to enjoy coffee. And it doesn't matter about how you brew it, so long as it has been roasted fairly recent (within 1-3 weeks, depending). As I live overseas, it takes some companies awhile to send coffee. One criterion I have is that it must be roasted and shipped the same day. I have tried coffee from every US state, and from all over the world. I have been sticking with anything from Onyx Coffee Lab or Blue Bottle...but have been receiving blue bottle orders a few days later than normal (they keep flip-flopping between USPS parcel and priority); I get my Onyx orders within 6-8 days from Arkansas to Afghanistan, which is excellent. Blue bottle has varied from 7-12 days. No bueno. I normally only order single origin, and receive a different coffee every 10-15 days.

[nKostyan]

Certainly coffee as well as strong alcohol deserves respect for the smoker of cigars. I don't know much about coffee varieties, but I took a special picture of the names of good varieties of coffee (not commercial brands) that I drank in one of the cafes.

 

[prodigy]

I like to support local roasters when possible. Counter culture is great, and I haven't had any desire to branch out since I started using them. I'm slowly thinking about trying their limited releases as well as single origin. I have a mahlkonig k30 vario grinder, so I mainly drink espresso. I'll probably get some sort of drip set up soon.

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[bpm32]

I recently came into some more coffee from Cafe El Escorial in Old Havana and it's still fantastic. I grind it course and brew it in a French press.

[bpm32]

57 minutes ago, MD Puffer said:

Someone's trip to Hawaii got me thinking about Spam, and then to other things I enjoy the taste of.  My thoughts wandered to coffee this morning for obvious reasons.  My favorite coffee and what I mainly drink is Jacobs Kronung.  I was an army brat and spend 12 years growing up in Germany.  My parents brewed it daily and I continued the tradition all these years later (even though as retirees they now buy Kirkland brand coffee from Costco).

So- what is your favorite (or if you're so bold, what do you consider the best) brand of coffee?

 

Jacobs Kronung brings back memories, although I was too young to drink it. Though usually when the coffee came out, the lebkuchen from the commissary did too, so that's probably why I remember it.

[MD Puffer]

2 minutes ago, bpm32 said:

Jacobs Kronung brings back memories, although I was too young to drink it. Though usually when the coffee came out, the lebkuchen from the commissary did too, so that's probably why I remember it.

At the time, the dollar was strong and the exchange rate allow my folks to buy things they ordinarily wouldn't.  They were old school Maxwell House drinkers for the longest time but got hooked on Jacobs in the 80s.  

[Scotch&Stogie]

Onyx, Noble Coyote, and Merit. 

[planetary]

Coffee snob and proud of it. 

@prodigy, I've had a few occasions since the third wave kicked off in the mid-2000s to try Counter Culture, and agree it's very good!  I've tried many others, like Stumptown, Intelligensia, and many of others who have faded from greatness, or folded operations.

Like @Derboesekoenig, I love Blue Bottle coffee.  However, I live in the Bay Area, so their deliveries are super fast, which makes me a very happy customer.

When I have occasion to go into the San Francisco office, I stop into Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building for espresso, or stop at Philz Coffee on Market St. for a pour-over.  Both are great coffee shops.

[prodigy]

Coffee snob and proud of it. 
[mention=30918]prodigy[/mention], I've had a few occasions since the third wave kicked off in the mid-2000s to try Counter Culture, and agree it's very good!  I've tried many others, like Stumptown, Intelligensia, and many of others who have faded from greatness, or folded operations.
Like [mention=32327]Derboesekoenig[/mention], I love Blue Bottle coffee.  However, I live in the Bay Area, so their deliveries are super fast, which makes me a very happy customer.
When I have occasion to go into the San Francisco office, I stop into Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building for espresso, or stop at Philz Coffee on Market St. for a pour-over.  Both are great coffee shops.

I've looked into blue bottle, but just cant commit. I know I like counter culture, and their headquarters is 5 min from where I work, 30 min from my house. I get coffee delivered that was roasted the day before. Does blue bottle have an espresso blend?

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[Derboesekoenig]

7 minutes ago, prodigy said:

I've looked into blue bottle, but just cant commit. I know I like counter culture, and their headquarters is 5 min from where I work, 30 min from my house. I get coffee delivered that was roasted the day before. Does blue bottle have an espresso blend?

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They do, and it's quite good. Their signature blend is Hayes Valley, though they also have Opascope and 17FT ceiling I think it's called? I'm a Hayes Valley fan. I've only been to the Blue Bottle in Miami a few times. Have yet to frequent any of their other locations. I am obsessed with their waffles + coffee = best combo ever. They have the recipe posted somewhere for them as well.

I ordered from Stumptown one time a year or two ago and never again. It was because they didn't ship their coffee out in bags with one-way valves. It was just a plain brown paper bag. Hopefully they have changed this practiced by now

[kalibratecuba]

I thought I knew everything about coffee until two weeks ago. I learned there are two methods of getting to the bean, mechanical separation or naturally. The fruit ripens with the latter. I've had an Ethiopian like this. Any of you snobs have more knowledge on this?

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[Lotusguy]

Verve FTMFW

Blue bottle are overhyped sellouts. I won’t support it.


Why not order from our own@canadianbeaver

Www.rocketfuelcoffee.com

[planetary]

Verve, favorite coffee of those who avoid death on highway 17.   

[helix]

Any Lavazza in the Hario pour over works for me . 

[Wailbait]

I enjoy Ruby.  

[Bram Smoker]

11 hours ago, Derboesekoenig said:

Some people call me a coffee snob, but I've spoiled myself over the years. In my opinion, there is only one true way to enjoy coffee. And it doesn't matter about how you brew it, so long as it has been roasted fairly recent (within 1-3 weeks, depending). As I live overseas, it takes some companies awhile to send coffee. One criterion I have is that it must be roasted and shipped the same day. I have tried coffee from every US state, and from all over the world. I have been sticking with anything from Onyx Coffee Lab or Blue Bottle...but have been receiving blue bottle orders a few days later than normal (they keep flip-flopping between USPS parcel and priority); I get my Onyx orders within 6-8 days from Arkansas to Afghanistan, which is excellent. Blue bottle has varied from 7-12 days. No bueno. I normally only order single origin, and receive a different coffee every 10-15 days.

Onyx is amazing. Glad to hear people outside Northwest Arkansas like it as much as we do here. The flavor of their various roasts/beans is incredible. Truly top notch coffee.

[bpm32]

5 hours ago, planetary said:

Verve, favorite coffee of those who avoid death on highway 17.   

Just got off of 17 not 20 minutes ago.

I haven’t found anything I like at Verve yet, though I stop by there anytime I’m at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Any recommendations?

 

[bpm32]

5 hours ago, Lotusguy said:

Verve FTMFW

Blue bottle are overhyped sellouts. I won’t support it.


Why not order from our own@canadianbeaver

Www.rocketfuelcoffee.com
 

Blue Bottle is Nestle I think. I remember I saw Stumptown coffee all the way over in Alexandria, VA, and realized they must have gotten bought out. They’re owned by the same people who own Peet’s now. 

I grew up a suburban Northwesterner, so if it isn’t a drive-thru shack in a crappy strip mall parking lot, it’s owned by posers. All the great coffee up there started on carts.

[unclepauly25]

I live in Chicago , my favorite coffee places are la colombe, dark matter and intelligentsia coffee. I’m not sure if they all sell online but you can google each one to see their website. If I can’t get to one of those I’ll get a nitro cold brew at Starbucks. Cheers ☕️

[Lotusguy]

Blue Bottle is Nestle I think. I remember I saw Stumptown coffee all the way over in Alexandria, VA, and realized they must have gotten bought out. They’re owned by the same people who own Peet’s now. 
I grew up a suburban Northwesterner, so if it isn’t a drive-thru shack in a crappy strip mall parking lot, it’s owned by posers. All the great coffee up there started on carts.

Yup Stumptown sold out and Blue Bottle is indeed owned by Nestle, which is pretty much the evil empire.

[Lotusguy]

Just got off of 17 not 20 minutes ago.
I haven’t found anything I like at Verve yet, though I stop by there anytime I’m at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Any recommendations?
 

I live off Soquel San Jose road, so quite familiar with the highway of death as well.

What kind of coffee are you going to make? Pour over? Espresso? I am very partial to any of their African single origins for my pour over.

[jackupster]

I mostly drink Kirkland from Costco dark roasts. The Sumatra French roast is $14 for 3lbs is an amazing bargain. We go to Fort Bragg, California often and they have Thanksgiving Coffee Roasters. They have amazing beans. They have some retailers in the Bay Area too. 

[bpm32]

50 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

I live off Soquel San Jose road, so quite familiar with the highway of death as well.

What kind of coffee are you going to make? Pour over? Espresso? I am very partial to any of their African single origins for my pour over.

Thanks—mostly pour-overs, so I’ll definitely check out the African coffees over there.

[joshhooper7]

Definitely a proud coffee snob here, actually just bought a brand new La Spaziale Lucca A53 Mini and a Eureka Atom last night to replace my old espresso setup.

My favorite coffee roaster is here in San Diego, they're called Trident Coffee. They're veteran owned and operated and make truly special coffees. Their thing is that they aren't a coffee shop, they're a coffee bar. You go inside and there isn't a single espresso machine in sight, just a long bar with about 25 taps. They make only cold brews that they serve on tap and have a steam wand if you truly want it hot. Their beans though, they're A++. They experiment a lot with barrel aged varieties and only get fair trade organic beans. Definitely check them out if you want a delicious cup! Their 'Trident' roast is my favorite for espressos. Their rum barrel rested Tanzanian peaberry is my favorite coffee, period. Not good in espresso due to the chemistry of the bean changed in the barrel process, but in a pourover it can't be matched.

The best value coffee? EASILY happymugcoffee. Their coffee is sold in 1 pound bags opposed to the standard 12oz bag, and their prices are outstanding. $11 for their standard coffees which are okay, and $13 for their special mug line, and those coffees are exceptional. They have great East Africas and great south Americas and anyone who knows craft coffee knows how much of a value $13 is for a pound. On top of that, standard shipping is $3 for any sized order.

After HappyMug, I love S&W Craft Roasting. They're just a couple of guys who do a small roasting operation and sell beans out of their tiny store. I love supporting small companies. I used to be all about Verve, Stumptown, Intelligentsia etc. but moved on when they got bought out.

19 hours ago, kalibratecuba said:

I thought I knew everything about coffee until two weeks ago. I learned there are two methods of getting to the bean, mechanical separation or naturally. The fruit ripens with the latter. I've had an Ethiopian like this. Any of you snobs have more knowledge on this?

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As far as this, you're talking about the bean separation process. There is honey process where they let the coffee cherry sit on the bean and naturally dry and fall off, leaving a sweet glaze on the bean that gets roasted into the coffee which increases viscosity and sweetness. Very popular with roasts tailored to espresso beans for its brown sugar sweetness that is naturally added. There is the washed process which is where you use water to naturally soften the coffee cherry and remove the beans. That's for lots of single origin coffee beans where you want to taste the specific regions nuances. There is also the natural process which is where you just peel the cherry off and pop out the beans, mechanically of course. I'm currently burning through a bag of honey processed Ethiopian Amaro Gayo and it's excellent. Juicy hints of strawberry, a medium acidity and a very rich sweetness.

 

Cigars and coffee.... Can this deployment be over already?! My new machine will have to sit at my house for another 99 days before I get to play with it!

Cheers everybody,

Josh