Willoughby's Coffee & Tea is represented here with an Ethiopia Gelgelu Natural (93). Owner Barry Levine regards organic certification as important because many consumers prefer it. But, as a company, he says Willoughby's is "quality-centric." He goes on to say that, "We would have purchased this coffee had it been conventional, but have a preference, when the quality is really there, to have an organic offering, too. We have, in fact, had other excellent Ethiopia Naturals this season that were not organic, but were just too good to pass up. This coffee offered it all." Because of logistical considerations, some Willoughby bags include the USDA organic seal and others do not. For this particular coffee, Willoughby's prints the organic certifier on their bags in lieu of the USDA stamp.
As more and more coffee companies cave to the temptation to adulterate with soy beans sprayed with chemical flavors and questionable trade practices, Equal Exchange may be the last coffee company standing to offer organic whole beans sourced from small producer coops, and roasted at a worker owned facility stateside. The company maintains its commitment to fair trade and supports many worthy causes. I recently had cause to engage in a lengthy discussion with reps at Equal Exchange and consider their inteigrity (and really great tasting coffee!) unsurpassed.
Organically farmed and sustainably produced, this blend comes from the southern part of Costa Rica. This region boasts abundant vegetation and rich volcanic soils that makes ideals conditions for coffee plantation. Coffee beans are only purchased from 100 percent USDA organic certified farms in Brunca region. It produces coffee blend which has a medium roast that has flavor hints of laurel and apple and an aroma of freshly coffee. The coffee is dense and has got a pleasant lingering aftertaste.
You want 100% arabica for that perfect body, the strongest caffeine to keep you awake (after all, isn't that the point?) You're not about flashy labels, you don't want gimmicks—you want straight-up excellent coffee, and you want to grind it like your life depends on it. Welcome to the Koffee Kult, the last coffee you'll ever buy. If you're a dark roast fan, you've stumbled upon the holy grail. From the first sip, you'll have your mind blown higher than an 80's psychedelic movie. Don't down the whole cup at once, though. Savor it. Sip it. Indulge yourself in the exact definition of dark roast coffee. This is roasted in-house, and when you grind it up at home, you can have it any way you'd like. French press sort of a coffee drinker? Press it up. Brew it like espresso? Check. No matter what your preference, you'll be able to indulge in your favorite dark roast for years to come. You could say that this coffee has a cult following (I get my zingers in while I can.) Just like the bag says, Be One Of Us isn't just a slogan, it's a message. Get ready to fall in love with dark roast coffee all over again.
At Equal Exchange, we only use the finest Fair Trade and organic coffee beans available, but we want our Fair Trade coffees to do more than please the palate. It's our mission to provide Fair Trade coffees that empower small-scale farmers and their communities. Our certified Fair Trade coffees go beyond the cup, supporting women's leadership at producer co-ops, environmental preservation through crop diversity, improved yields through soil analysis, and much more. When you purchase Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee, you're supporting an equitable trade system for small-scale farmers. Learn more about the farmers who provide our Fair Trade coffee, and let us know what you think of the results.
We used our favorite drip coffee maker, the Bonavita 8-Cup Brewer, to brew all of the beans. We used coffee and water measurements recommended by the Bonavita brewing instructions: 70 grams of ground coffee for the 8-cup machine. We drank each coffee hot, at first black, then with milk added if that's how the taster preferred their coffee. When possible, I bought whole beans and ground them (we wouldn't recommend buying pre-ground coffee), but a few of these coffees only come—or are much more commonly found—ground. It's worth noting, however, that all of our winners were whole bean coffees in this second round of tasting.
This organic breakfast blend coffee is quite good, but it has a slight bitterness. I am having difficulty finding my usual brand, so decided to give Equal Exchange a try. I am not unhappy with this product, but the bitterness which happens at the trailing end of a sip, is noticeable. Having said this, I will not hesitate (when the need arises) to order it again.
This is my favorite coffee! It's better than coffee I get at local coffee shops that sells for 20 dollars a pound. It's not too strong or too weak. I like to add milk, but this coffee is good black as well. I've tried a couple other Equal Exchange flavors, and I've enjoyed all of them, but Love Buzz is the one I keep returning to. I had originally tried it at a food co-op, and I just got a small amount to try, but as soon as I finished it I had to buy a whole bag of it. It's great that it's also fair traded, meaning people are paid fairly for the work that went into making this coffee.
The first time I conducted my coffee taste test, I left Peet's out, and commenters were outraged. It turns out, they were right: this is a solid supermarket coffee contender, especially for people who might tend toward a darker roast. Social Media Manager Andrew Spena and I particularly liked this coffee. "I know it's not true, but I feel like this has a neutral pH balance," said Andrew. "A little nuttiness comes through once it's cooled a bit. I could see myself drinking too much of this on accident." If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is. The nuttiness and round body of this coffee set it apart. It had a chocolatey richness and some nice toasty notes. While the Thrive coffee is well-suited to those who like a lighter, fruitier roast, Peet's is perfect for people who like a rounder, nuttier, creamier, toastier flavor profile in their coffee.
Our search began at the local grocery stores to see what was widely available to shoppers. We noted the ubiquitous blends and recorded their price per ounce. We then went to the reviewers on Amazon.com where coffee was available in all varieties. We considered options on Amazon, Prime Pantry and Amazon Fresh to find the best-rated cheap coffee options.
Folgers brand topped the Harris Poll Coffee of the Year list. The classic brand has an array of highly ranked flavors which cost about 32 cents an ounce. But if you like your coffee dark, this might be the brand for you. Their French Roast blend ranked #1 on the Huffington Post's list of best store-bought French roast coffee, mainly because of it's "pleasant flavors." The Black Silk blend is also a deal, at $7.64 for 27.8 ounces, which has been praised for it's great flavor without the burnt aftertaste that plagues so many other dark roasts.
A consistent best-seller on Amazon with thousands of positive reviews, many consider this particular blend their go-to mild roast to start their busy work day or low-key weekend morning. Clean and bright with just enough sweetness and a rich, nutty flavor, Green Mountain's Breakfast Blend gets points for its consistent and balanced flavor. These pods are compatible with Keurig single-serve coffee machines.
Update: I figured I'd best 'figure' it out for myself. Purchased a) (Nicaragua) Granges Cosechas, 100% Arabica, Med.Roast b) (Hawaiian) Peaberry, 100% Arabica, Med Roast c) (Ethiopian) Yirgacheffee , Mild Roast. I make coffee 16 oz at 7-8 a.m. and, again, Cookie-time 2:30 pm. So far, the Yirgacheffe is my preferred, but , honestly, they are all beginning to taste the same. I make all exactly the same way in grind & brewing time. All are very pleasant. The only thing missing from the bag information is the estimated strength of caffeine within. Perhaps that is not measurable, but I can definitely feel the rush after consumption. Had to stop the leftover, very pleasant, iced coffee sipping between 6-8 p.m. because my sleeping hours dropped from 6-7 to 5-6. Not enough sleep. Just thought I'd share this information.
Over the course of the year, we reviewed fewer than a dozen darker roasts. Most were medium-dark at best; some barely that. The majority of darker roasts we reviewed were sent by roasters in Taiwan and most were espressos, reflecting both the time-honored espresso practice of emphasizing chocolate and sweetness through moderate dark roasting, as well as, perhaps, a preference in Taiwan for more traditional styles of espresso as opposed to the lighter-roasted, brighter style of espresso now popular with the leading edge of North American roasters.
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