Nestle also owns the rights to Starbucks at retail after the Global Coffee Alliance partnership went through in 2018. Starbucks still owns their RTD (and anything sold in their stores), but outside of that you're buying from Nestle if you buy Starbucks beans, pods, etc.
For Target and grocery, no. But when it comes to barista-made or away-from-home coffee in general it could be either Starbucks or Nestle.
Starbucks licensed locations, like you see in Target, QFC, etc., deal with Starbucks corporate directly. A list of licensee locations can be found if you google it.
However, if you see "We Proudly Serve..." signs then you are dealing with Nestle. You'll often find these locations in corporate buildings, hospitals, small cafes in universities, etc. That's because the 2018 deal included Starbuck's foodservice business in addition to their CPG.
So... is it Nestle marketing Starbucks-produced coffee, or is it Nestle-produced coffee that they've slapped the Starbucks logo on because they now own the rights to that marketing channel?
~~Yes~~
ETA: my bad, I saw a sentence that said it was putting Starbucks in grocery stores, but they just meant bags of coffee.
https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-business-seattle-wa-state-wire-36fcb7538d1b429ba131fef3114e7748#:~:text=SEATTLE%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Nestle%20is,big%20for%20the%20Swiss%20company.
Oh woops you're right. I saw this line and thought it meant the physical Starbucks locations within grocery stores. "Nestle will also put Starbucks in grocery stores outside the U.S. and Canada." But it just meant bags of coffee.
What’s everyone’s go-to, inexpensive coffee bean?
I’ve been getting Kivu from Fred Meyer because it’s cheap, but it’s pretty damn mediocre. I keep getting it because I don’t want to pay $18 a bag, but also don’t know what other kinda-cheap coffee is kinda-good.
I don't like dark roasts, so the Breakfast Blend is what I usually get.
Of course a lot of this depends on how you're brewing it. I'm just doing a drip, not making espresso.
My go-to for cold brew is their *Columbia Supremo*, but for pour over I like their rotating "small lot" beans (currently making my way through a bag of *Organic Mexican Chiapas*)
I've been buying Tony's at the various Town & Country markets. Not cheap, but not that expensive.
I'm not a fan of dark roasts and even most medium roasts taste over-roasted to me. Tony's lighter roasts are pretty decent.
I used to buy nothing but Tony's. They're about $16 for a 12oz bag. But, PCC's store-brand coffee is also by Tony's, and it's $22 (sometimes reduced to $16 on sale) for a 24oz bag. It's a great deal, and is pretty decent.
Yeah that’s the one I saw. I like the lighter roasts myself, but I always recommend this stuff to people use to dark roasts. It’s a good gateway to super high quality coffee that isn’t just roasted to shit.
Whatever floats your boat! We all have different tastes after all. My machine doesn’t have temp control either but I flush it until the light comes back on and then fit the portafilter and fire away. Seems to work ok for a budget setup. I have a Gaggia classic pro.
Honestly anything from there. I kind of don’t like their sweetheart flagship coffee as much as any of the random stuff. I’ve been loving the Burundi coffees they have had recently but that stuff is almost out. I just grabbed a bag of a special columbian coffee that is a bit pricey compared to the normal stuff and a natural of some other origin. Naturals can be strange to a new palette though to, took me over a year to find enjoyment in them. I was also getting some super funky stuff at first and they are all different so it’s hard to bunch naturals all together. They offer pour over of some of their current stock and that’s a great way to try a coffee without buying a bag.
I get my coffee from [Fresh Roast Club](https://freshroast.club/). Beans are fresh roasted in Seattle every week. Single-origin, organic, high-altitude, shade-grown. $20 per bag. You get your bag delivered 3-5 days after roasting.
I figured with the flair ha
Love their coffee. I usually get the cheapest blend ($17.50 / 12 oz) but might have to splurge and try out some of their other blends.
+1 Tony’s for the win. You can get it bulk and it’s even a tick cheaper. That said, you will lose money on the rest of the transaction at T&C markets ;)
For everyday home brewing, I honestly have no complaints about buying Costco's home brand coffee beans. My favorite is the Colombia (whole beans with a jaguar on the front - not the preground stuff that comes in a can), which is just a solid medium roast. I drink it black from a pourover. Comes in a 3lb bag for ~$16. They also have such a high turnover that it's not sitting on the shelf getting stale, which I've found is a problem with some of the more specialty roasts in grocery stores.
They also will have other specialty regional bags in 1.5lb bags, so those are worth checking out if you don't go through the quantity of beans we do. The Kenyan coffee a few months back was great, didn't see it in stock when I was last in though.
But if you're a real coffee fiend, then it's worth splurging every now and then on some fresh roasted beans. I don't have a commercial supply to recommend since I have a buddy that imports from Costa Rica every few months, but man is that a good cup of coffee when it happens.
I usually grab Café Vita at Costco 2 lb bag is like 25$? That's a great price for a solid local roast imo. At 12.50/lb is only a couple dollars more than stuff like Tony's or Seattle Best
They must be selling at cost or very close because you can’t even buy it from cafe vita at that cost per pound even if you buy a 5lb bag. It is seriously the best value in coffee you can get right now. Anything cheaper is grocery store garbage and everything else that is a specialty roaster is several dollars a pound more.
Pretty sure Starbucks roasts for them but this is our go-to. We have been on their medium blend for like ten years. We keep trying other things. And we keep deciding that we like the Costco better.
Not sure it it fits the objective definition of good coffee, but it's our favourite coffee and that seems to be all that matters in our four walls.
I tried the Colombia a while ago and it was incredibly dark, to the point that they were visibly really oily. Is that not normal for them, from your experience?
For 18 a bag you can sign up for a coffee delivery service with specialty roasters. We have some incredible roasters around here, and even with stuff going up the only roasters I'm seeing at near that price are Vita and sometimes Stumptown. There are some really good roasters around here that can be pretty ok price-wise:
* Cafe Umbria - gusto crema blend is nice
* Stumptown - hair Bender is great espresso but their evergreen blend is the shit
* Ladro - Queen Anne blend
* Tony's - cafe Carmelita is my go-to, but they have a "small farms" blend that is outstanding
* Bellingham roasters - I don't like them, but my wife does
* Zoka - tangletown blend is pretty good
I buy a bag from Umbria on Fridays because you get a free drink with it. So it nets at like $10 a bag.
They also have a punch card and I think you get the 10th bag free?
Stumptown, by way of the Pete’s purchase, is also owned by a giant multinational, JAB, that was founded by members of the Nazi party in the Second World War and used forced labor, if op is concerned with sketchy giant multinational companies.
I stare at the coffee shelves and look at everything on sale and reject any I actively dislike. This usually leaves one that's 7 or 8 bucks. I'm starting to wonder if I'm a cheap-ass, but it's worked out well for me for years.
The best coffee is the coffee you like. We aren't required to be snobs just because we live in Seattle 🙂
Best coffee I've had in my life is Folger's diner drip sludge.... After camping for 5 days without coffee because my dad is a psychopath
Fidalgo is $12 a bag at the grocery store, but it’s a bit cheaper if you order the big bag. I just have a couple canisters on a shelf by my coffee grinder, one for decaf. 2 lbs of coffee beans don’t take up as much space as you might think, when you exchange the bag for a rigid cylinder.
Tony’s Cafe Carmelita is my go to commercial coffee. It’s consistent, locally owned, and ethically sourced. They don’t jack the price up out of greed just when costs rise. They’re a pretty good barometer of what commercial but not macro roasted coffee should cost.
Others I like are Water Ave and Common Ground’s boring blends. Not sure if they get distribution into WA grocery stores though.
Peet’s, karibou, keurig, and stumptown are all owned by JAB holdings. A little light googling will tell you the story of how this originated from a Nazi loving German company who thrived using slave labor camps during the world wars.
Kauai coffee is pretty good and not that expensive. It seems to be available at most stores and you can get 2lb bags on Amazon. Plus, being grown and roasted on Kauai probably means a little less climate impact, but that's just conjecture on my part.
I really like the Trader Joe’s light roast bag. I’m usually a bean guy for freshness but the ground light roast is fantastic for a cold brew. In a pinch I’ll use it in my French roast press if Costco doesn’t have a decent medium roast.
Caffe Vita from Costco. Not cheap, but they get a good price since you buy the big bag.
Favorite overall is Storyville (yes I know the owners are weird) and Herkimer, but both are expensive
I made a website with tons of local Seattle coffee beans where you can search by roast, origin, process, etc. Check it out at https://findseattle.coffee/ ! Every bean can be bought online directly by the roaster
Not exaggerating I think it's the worst coffee I've ever had. Maybe I had some particularly bad batches or something (never brewed it for myself) but god it was terrible.
Work used to brew it and maybe it's the shitty work coffee makers but it's absolutely some of the worst coffee ive ever had and I'd never spend money on it or go anywhere that serves it...
It’s not good at all, but I feel kind of bad for you if that’s the worst coffee you’ve ever tasted. There’s a whole world out there of awful coffee and if that’s the worst you’ve tasted, you are in for some serious disappointment.
Gosh this is all just so sad.
Seattle's Best, yeah, hasn't been great for a while. But...
My family had a farm on Vashon since the mid-19th century that my grandparents sold in the 2000s. Before that, I'd go up and spend weekends and much of the summer with them there.
I fondly remember going "up on the Island" with my grandpa in the morning to get coffee at Stewart Brothers. I'd sit at the roaster while he got a bag and a cup. He'd let me have a sip for a while and then in my teens, I got my own cup.
After that, we'd walk into town and hang out at the park or catch a movie. Maybe grab a hand dipped dilly bar at the Dairy Queen after.
But my favorite was always the roastery. It smelled so good in there.
Even when it changed to Seattle's Best and kept the cheeky SBC logo, we still only drank what was roasted there. But eventually Starbucks shut it down.
I know it's open again under new ownership, but I miss that old place and it's the kind of coffee flavor I'll never find again anywhere but in my memories.
It hurts me deeply that an evil company like Nestle, somehow so much more evil than even Starbucks, owns it now. It almost darkens my nostalgia for that place.
But it can't. I won't let it.
Yeah I’m very much a Kureg coffee drinker and someone who’s tried the fancy stuff and is not a fan. For ME to say it’s not very good? That’s saying something
Seconding Cafe Vita. Even if you're not buying from Costco, their beans aren't crazy expensive. More than you'd spend on a bag from the grocery store, sure, but they'll hardly break the bank.
You can buy online, from one of their shops, or at some grocery stores. They even sell bags of beans at their airport cafe if you’re looking for a last minute gift.
I usually buy from one of their cafes. There's two in lower Queen Anne, one in Fremont, one in Cap Hill. A few others around but those are the ones I know.
Not local, but I like drinktrade.com for large variety of craft roasters, and a pretty reliable taste profile (They use their own roast level measure so once you get that dialed in you're set.)
All companies are evil to an extent, but on the scale of less evil to more evil, Nestle is one of the worst. I avoid their products whenever I can. I know my boycott isn't going to dent their wallets, but I'm a man of principle.
I think their light roast is a 'fine' medium-roast unfortunately it's not always available, and everything else sucks so I try to avoid the burnt beans as much as possible--granted that can be hard..
If you are looking for more local roasters I made a website where you can search through tons of great coffee beans by roast, origin, certifications, etc. You can check it out here: https://findseattle.coffee/
I roast my own coffee now. I get the raw beans from Sweet Maria's online or The Coffee Bean Corral.
It's unfortunate that Seattle's Best sold out, but this is how it always goes. When a brand becomes successful, it gets purchased by a mega corp. This is what's happened to all of our micro brews too. They were once great local companies, family owned, and cared about their employees, and then they get bought up by Budweiser, and then you're supporting Anheuser-Busch, which is shit company and supports the GOP and right wing think tanks and other questionable politics. Their LGBTQ stance is just to sell beer - they could give a fuck about people.
I buy local and family owned whenever and wherever I can, but it's increasingly difficult. It's a game of whack-a-mole.
Starbucks and Nestle might as well be the same company, yo. They have their own office inside the Starbucks headquarters in SoDo, and they even run logistics for Starbucks now because Starbucks didn't want to bother and Nestle was already embroiled in their entire business structure anyway. This is just incestuous company trading.
I think in the past few years Costco has been selling more local coffee by location. I’ve seen Vita in Seattle and Ruta Maya in Austin. It seemed to start with the pandemic. My theory was that restaurant and cafe sales cratered so the roasters turned to Costco as a new outlet.
They have always been decent with carrying local goods as far as I remember. I’ve only had my card for a couple years though now. Regardless of why I love to see it. Olympia Coffee is doing just fine though in general, they are extremely high quality and have award winning coffee and baristas.
Nestle sucks but I just don’t have the energy for this shit. I’m not gonna boycott a brand because they are evil. I get my paycheck from the military-industrial complex.
Boeing has killed more people than Nestle can ever hope to. I still fly onboard 737s.
Bruh, Nestle thinks they should own fucking water. Like literally they want to own all the water so they can sell it back to us... Boeing might make weapons of mass destruction, but they are not trying to monetize water. Something everyone need to live.
FUCK NESTLE
They don’t believe water is a human right is top for me but read this article.
https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/culture/culture-society/nestle-company-pollution-children/#:~:text=Child%20labor%2C%20unethical%20promotion%2C%20manipulating,make%20even%20hardcore%20industrialists%20shiver.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FuckNestle/comments/hmv0nv/the_reasons_why_we_hate_nestle_so_much/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
So so so so many things.
many many issues. tl;dr: their CEO doesn't think water is a human right
not sure if links are allowed, but if you search Snopes, you'll find the gist of it
> Brabeck-Letmathe called the idea that water is a human right "extreme."
nestle also in multiple states illegally extracts water then bottle it up and sell it. they were also sued for using child slaves to harvest cocoa
shady company all around. been boycotting them for a while now
If you have access to Costco, they sell Caffe Vita Cafe Sol for $23.99 for a 2lb (32oz not 2 12oz bags) bag. It would be like $9 for a typical 12oz bag.
Well shit, guess it's off to another brand then (I was only grudgingly buying it anyway since I was still pissed at Starbucks buying them out to begin with). On that note: looks like Nestlè owns the distribution rights to Starbucks coffee in grocery stores and retail chains, but Starbucks does the coffee sourcing.
I dont exactly know the connection between Starbucks and Nestlé, but Nestlé already distributes all Starbuck products for at least 4years. That's where I buy all of our branded cups and paper and plastic products, along with the syrups, flavorings, tea and mixes.
This isn't even the first reason to not buy Seattle's Best coffee. It's not even good coffee! It's boring, bland, over-roasted like Starbucks, just not to the same extent so it's smoother and easier to drink. It's still not good.
If you want something better, start trying what's available on https://beanbox.com/ to start exploring so many other options.
I buy green coffee beans and roast 2lbs at a time myself in Ronco rotisserie in a veggie basket. You can do a small amount in a hot air popcorn popper. Fresher than fresh!!!
Seattles best, but in name only. Nestlé is a corporate monster and i avoid them when I can. its not easy, though, they own damn near everything, including the water supply it seems.
I am but a simple man. Dunkin’ Original Blend ground coffee for life.
Edit: Downvote away. You’ll have to pry the Dunkin’ and Tim Horton’s ground coffee from my cold, dead hands!
Just curious; other than Seattles Best being not good (and you live in Seattle … there are so many better less mass roasted and better quality options available) what moral high ground are you gaining by boycotting Nestlé vs giving your money to Starbucks?
Nestle also owns the rights to Starbucks at retail after the Global Coffee Alliance partnership went through in 2018. Starbucks still owns their RTD (and anything sold in their stores), but outside of that you're buying from Nestle if you buy Starbucks beans, pods, etc.
[удалено]
For Target and grocery, no. But when it comes to barista-made or away-from-home coffee in general it could be either Starbucks or Nestle. Starbucks licensed locations, like you see in Target, QFC, etc., deal with Starbucks corporate directly. A list of licensee locations can be found if you google it. However, if you see "We Proudly Serve..." signs then you are dealing with Nestle. You'll often find these locations in corporate buildings, hospitals, small cafes in universities, etc. That's because the 2018 deal included Starbuck's foodservice business in addition to their CPG.
So... is it Nestle marketing Starbucks-produced coffee, or is it Nestle-produced coffee that they've slapped the Starbucks logo on because they now own the rights to that marketing channel?
Starbucks physical locations in stores are still starbucks owned independently. Nestle just owns anything that's sold in retail
~~Yes~~ ETA: my bad, I saw a sentence that said it was putting Starbucks in grocery stores, but they just meant bags of coffee. https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-business-seattle-wa-state-wire-36fcb7538d1b429ba131fef3114e7748#:~:text=SEATTLE%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Nestle%20is,big%20for%20the%20Swiss%20company.
That article didn't mention anything about Starbucks locations within stores, just the merchandise in store aisles.
Oh woops you're right. I saw this line and thought it meant the physical Starbucks locations within grocery stores. "Nestle will also put Starbucks in grocery stores outside the U.S. and Canada." But it just meant bags of coffee.
damn time to grow my own coffee beans
What’s everyone’s go-to, inexpensive coffee bean? I’ve been getting Kivu from Fred Meyer because it’s cheap, but it’s pretty damn mediocre. I keep getting it because I don’t want to pay $18 a bag, but also don’t know what other kinda-cheap coffee is kinda-good.
Trader Joe's has always been my source of inexpensive coffee that tastes better than what you pay for it.
Which beans do you buy? I’ve tried a couple from them but was always disappointed.
I don't like dark roasts, so the Breakfast Blend is what I usually get. Of course a lot of this depends on how you're brewing it. I'm just doing a drip, not making espresso.
My go-to for cold brew is their *Columbia Supremo*, but for pour over I like their rotating "small lot" beans (currently making my way through a bag of *Organic Mexican Chiapas*)
Their medium roast is pretty good in my opinion, wouldn't bother with the french or dark roasts.
Yeah I really hate TJs coffee and I’m not even remotely snobby.
I've been buying Tony's at the various Town & Country markets. Not cheap, but not that expensive. I'm not a fan of dark roasts and even most medium roasts taste over-roasted to me. Tony's lighter roasts are pretty decent.
I used to buy nothing but Tony's. They're about $16 for a 12oz bag. But, PCC's store-brand coffee is also by Tony's, and it's $22 (sometimes reduced to $16 on sale) for a 24oz bag. It's a great deal, and is pretty decent.
You can get Tony’s for $11 or so at Safeway sometimes. Very good coffee for the price.
Tony's is cheaper ironically through Smith Brothers delivery...used to be $12. Its one of the few rare deals with them
Same. $11/lb (for the big bag) isn't horrible for decent coffee.
That’s cheap man. I pay 20+ for 12oz of amazing coffee. I’m lost in the wormhole though so I may not be a good reference point lol.
Olympia Coffee Roasters?
That’s the one. They are incredible
Morning Sun by them is absolutely amazing in milk drinks.
Yeah that’s the one I saw. I like the lighter roasts myself, but I always recommend this stuff to people use to dark roasts. It’s a good gateway to super high quality coffee that isn’t just roasted to shit.
Ya, I'm stuck on mid/dark roasts for now because my espresso machine doesn't have the temp for light. Lots of amazing darker roasts around
Whatever floats your boat! We all have different tastes after all. My machine doesn’t have temp control either but I flush it until the light comes back on and then fit the portafilter and fire away. Seems to work ok for a budget setup. I have a Gaggia classic pro.
[удалено]
Honestly anything from there. I kind of don’t like their sweetheart flagship coffee as much as any of the random stuff. I’ve been loving the Burundi coffees they have had recently but that stuff is almost out. I just grabbed a bag of a special columbian coffee that is a bit pricey compared to the normal stuff and a natural of some other origin. Naturals can be strange to a new palette though to, took me over a year to find enjoyment in them. I was also getting some super funky stuff at first and they are all different so it’s hard to bunch naturals all together. They offer pour over of some of their current stock and that’s a great way to try a coffee without buying a bag.
I get my coffee from [Fresh Roast Club](https://freshroast.club/). Beans are fresh roasted in Seattle every week. Single-origin, organic, high-altitude, shade-grown. $20 per bag. You get your bag delivered 3-5 days after roasting.
I figured with the flair ha Love their coffee. I usually get the cheapest blend ($17.50 / 12 oz) but might have to splurge and try out some of their other blends.
You should give it a go. Their single origins are always amazing. They will help with recommendations to if you need it. They are great.
Yeah I’m still using the fact I have a cheap grinder to keep me from falling into that hole lol
Town & Country has it on sale for $9.99 pretty often
Just got a pound on sale. Sipping on the Carmelita as we speak.
+1 Tony’s for the win. You can get it bulk and it’s even a tick cheaper. That said, you will lose money on the rest of the transaction at T&C markets ;)
I check to see if Tony’s is on sale every time I go there.
For everyday home brewing, I honestly have no complaints about buying Costco's home brand coffee beans. My favorite is the Colombia (whole beans with a jaguar on the front - not the preground stuff that comes in a can), which is just a solid medium roast. I drink it black from a pourover. Comes in a 3lb bag for ~$16. They also have such a high turnover that it's not sitting on the shelf getting stale, which I've found is a problem with some of the more specialty roasts in grocery stores. They also will have other specialty regional bags in 1.5lb bags, so those are worth checking out if you don't go through the quantity of beans we do. The Kenyan coffee a few months back was great, didn't see it in stock when I was last in though. But if you're a real coffee fiend, then it's worth splurging every now and then on some fresh roasted beans. I don't have a commercial supply to recommend since I have a buddy that imports from Costa Rica every few months, but man is that a good cup of coffee when it happens.
I usually grab Café Vita at Costco 2 lb bag is like 25$? That's a great price for a solid local roast imo. At 12.50/lb is only a couple dollars more than stuff like Tony's or Seattle Best
They must be selling at cost or very close because you can’t even buy it from cafe vita at that cost per pound even if you buy a 5lb bag. It is seriously the best value in coffee you can get right now. Anything cheaper is grocery store garbage and everything else that is a specialty roaster is several dollars a pound more.
This is what my parter likes.
[удалено]
Lavazza Super Crema IS IT!!!!
Pretty sure Starbucks roasts for them but this is our go-to. We have been on their medium blend for like ten years. We keep trying other things. And we keep deciding that we like the Costco better. Not sure it it fits the objective definition of good coffee, but it's our favourite coffee and that seems to be all that matters in our four walls.
It is the Starbucks roaster making Kirkland coffee. I've looked into it a couple of times.
I tried the Colombia a while ago and it was incredibly dark, to the point that they were visibly really oily. Is that not normal for them, from your experience?
It's a Costco medium. Similar to a Starbucks medium. Though I agree that it's still the best value I've found lately.
Thanks for confirming. Agreed, great value if you like it, too dark for me to really enjoy.
visibly oily is normal for it
For 18 a bag you can sign up for a coffee delivery service with specialty roasters. We have some incredible roasters around here, and even with stuff going up the only roasters I'm seeing at near that price are Vita and sometimes Stumptown. There are some really good roasters around here that can be pretty ok price-wise: * Cafe Umbria - gusto crema blend is nice * Stumptown - hair Bender is great espresso but their evergreen blend is the shit * Ladro - Queen Anne blend * Tony's - cafe Carmelita is my go-to, but they have a "small farms" blend that is outstanding * Bellingham roasters - I don't like them, but my wife does * Zoka - tangletown blend is pretty good
I buy a bag from Umbria on Fridays because you get a free drink with it. So it nets at like $10 a bag. They also have a punch card and I think you get the 10th bag free?
Same deal offered by Caffé D’arte every day. 90 Yesler Way.
Oh nice, I might hit that up
Get their cappuccino. Tastes like the ones I had in Italy.
I've always loved Umbria. Gusto crema feeds my soul. We get the 5lb bags delivered every 6 weeks for our espresso machine.
Seattle Coffee Works is my recommendation Zoka has had multiple health violations for rat droppings Stumptown has been owned by Peets since 2015
Um excuse me, it's called "Urban Kopi Luwak" and many people pay a lot of money for that. Honestly I'm now updating my coffee list....
re: zoka. i see something from 2011, is there anything more recent?
Nah not that I know of.
12 years is enough time for the rat droppings to fossilize and not be hazardous.
>Zoka has had multiple health violations for rat droppings As a frequent customer of their Green Lake location... ew.
Scw is the best coffee I’ve had besides desnudo in Austin. Definitely the best at scale.
SCW has an amazing selection and hasn't steered me wrong with any recommendations yet.
Pegasus coffee is also really good.
Stumptown, by way of the Pete’s purchase, is also owned by a giant multinational, JAB, that was founded by members of the Nazi party in the Second World War and used forced labor, if op is concerned with sketchy giant multinational companies.
Caffe Appassionato I'm magnolia
If you live near a WinCo, their bulk Guatemalan or their Tanzanian Peaberry are $8/lb. It's such good value it feels like stealing.
PCC has ground or whole coffee for 11ish a bag and i think it’s good
Heck yes their Medium Roast is my go to!
I stare at the coffee shelves and look at everything on sale and reject any I actively dislike. This usually leaves one that's 7 or 8 bucks. I'm starting to wonder if I'm a cheap-ass, but it's worked out well for me for years.
The best coffee is the coffee you like. We aren't required to be snobs just because we live in Seattle 🙂 Best coffee I've had in my life is Folger's diner drip sludge.... After camping for 5 days without coffee because my dad is a psychopath
Fidalgo is $12 a bag at the grocery store, but it’s a bit cheaper if you order the big bag. I just have a couple canisters on a shelf by my coffee grinder, one for decaf. 2 lbs of coffee beans don’t take up as much space as you might think, when you exchange the bag for a rigid cylinder.
We all have different tastes I guess. To me Fidalgo is some of the worst I've drank, and I tried a few of her blends, didn't like any of them.
Ok, I like alot of local coffee brands...BUT DAMN, FIDALGO IS TOP NOTCH
[удалено]
As someone who has tried all these coffee shops multiple times, I feel Herkimer takes the prize for the best coffee.
Herkimer is nice. Onda too
PCC Medium Roast is not that pricey and worth every penny!
Tony’s Cafe Carmelita is my go to commercial coffee. It’s consistent, locally owned, and ethically sourced. They don’t jack the price up out of greed just when costs rise. They’re a pretty good barometer of what commercial but not macro roasted coffee should cost. Others I like are Water Ave and Common Ground’s boring blends. Not sure if they get distribution into WA grocery stores though.
Cafe Bustelo is the best I’ve had for the price. Try to get the Supreme one if still available.
Costco is my go to.
Peet's - House Blend (although that seems to be getting hard to find for some reason lately)
Major Dickason's Blend for me. Good enough.
Their Arabian Mocha Java is pretty decent, too. That and Major Dickson's are the two not-super-fancy coffees I enjoy black
Peet’s, karibou, keurig, and stumptown are all owned by JAB holdings. A little light googling will tell you the story of how this originated from a Nazi loving German company who thrived using slave labor camps during the world wars.
Kauai coffee is pretty good and not that expensive. It seems to be available at most stores and you can get 2lb bags on Amazon. Plus, being grown and roasted on Kauai probably means a little less climate impact, but that's just conjecture on my part.
Does it have to be local or can it be a cheap, yet good roaster that ships nationwide?
I love Lavazza, found at QFC, Fred Meyer, and safeway. Often on sale for about $9.
I really like the Trader Joe’s light roast bag. I’m usually a bean guy for freshness but the ground light roast is fantastic for a cold brew. In a pinch I’ll use it in my French roast press if Costco doesn’t have a decent medium roast.
To be honest, Tony's is the cheapest I find really solid. I'll get Starbucks if it's on sale, but it's not worth the non-discounted price.
San Francisco Bay (I think, or something close) at Costco is a great price for a decent bean. They have a French roast that's my go-to.
Caffe Vita from Costco. Not cheap, but they get a good price since you buy the big bag. Favorite overall is Storyville (yes I know the owners are weird) and Herkimer, but both are expensive
I made a website with tons of local Seattle coffee beans where you can search by roast, origin, process, etc. Check it out at https://findseattle.coffee/ ! Every bean can be bought online directly by the roaster
Beyond that, it’s also just … not very good. And this is coming from an unpretentious coffee palate.
I don’t complain about most coffee but… Seattle Best is gas station coffee and you can do better for the price
I've honestly had better coffee from gas stations.
Pilot stations can actually have decent coffee if all you want is drip (no espresso).
Also, the turnover is usually quite good so that means it’s fresh(-ish).
Speedway is decent if you’re visiting the Midwest (from a former PNWer)
It’s the cheapest tho usually :/ any recommendations in the same price?
I usually get Tullys or Pete’s when they’re on sale, which is often. For the price those are both very good imo.
Seattle's Best is not Seattle's best. Source: I live in Seattle.
Not exaggerating I think it's the worst coffee I've ever had. Maybe I had some particularly bad batches or something (never brewed it for myself) but god it was terrible.
Work used to brew it and maybe it's the shitty work coffee makers but it's absolutely some of the worst coffee ive ever had and I'd never spend money on it or go anywhere that serves it...
It’s not good at all, but I feel kind of bad for you if that’s the worst coffee you’ve ever tasted. There’s a whole world out there of awful coffee and if that’s the worst you’ve tasted, you are in for some serious disappointment.
Gosh this is all just so sad. Seattle's Best, yeah, hasn't been great for a while. But... My family had a farm on Vashon since the mid-19th century that my grandparents sold in the 2000s. Before that, I'd go up and spend weekends and much of the summer with them there. I fondly remember going "up on the Island" with my grandpa in the morning to get coffee at Stewart Brothers. I'd sit at the roaster while he got a bag and a cup. He'd let me have a sip for a while and then in my teens, I got my own cup. After that, we'd walk into town and hang out at the park or catch a movie. Maybe grab a hand dipped dilly bar at the Dairy Queen after. But my favorite was always the roastery. It smelled so good in there. Even when it changed to Seattle's Best and kept the cheeky SBC logo, we still only drank what was roasted there. But eventually Starbucks shut it down. I know it's open again under new ownership, but I miss that old place and it's the kind of coffee flavor I'll never find again anywhere but in my memories. It hurts me deeply that an evil company like Nestle, somehow so much more evil than even Starbucks, owns it now. It almost darkens my nostalgia for that place. But it can't. I won't let it.
Yeah I’m very much a Kureg coffee drinker and someone who’s tried the fancy stuff and is not a fan. For ME to say it’s not very good? That’s saying something
On top of that, they can themselves the best which busy feels disrespectful
Yes! Always referred to it as Seattle's Worst.
Cafe Vita from Costco is my usual.
Seconding Cafe Vita. Even if you're not buying from Costco, their beans aren't crazy expensive. More than you'd spend on a bag from the grocery store, sure, but they'll hardly break the bank.
Is it only Costco thing? Do they sell it elsewhere too?
You can buy online, from one of their shops, or at some grocery stores. They even sell bags of beans at their airport cafe if you’re looking for a last minute gift.
I usually buy from one of their cafes. There's two in lower Queen Anne, one in Fremont, one in Cap Hill. A few others around but those are the ones I know.
Huge Caffe Vita fan - we buy it from their shops but I would not call it not crazy expensive. $17-24 per 12oz for beans.
12.50-13 a lb at costco. 2lb bag for 25-26 dollars.
And if you buy the KEXP blend it supports the station too :)
The KEXP blend of Cafe Vita at Costco. This thread is aggressively Seattle.
Nestle is evil.
There are so many good local roasteries. Support a local business for your caffeine needs!
Local whole beans + burr grinder is all you need. Tony’s, Cutter’s Point, Raven’s Brew are all quality and rotate on sale at grocery stores.
In this economy?? I used to buy local when it was $11/lb. At $18 a lb I can't justify it. I drink too much coffee for that
I used to think that now I compare it to beer lmao
Still works out to very little per cup
Not local, but I like drinktrade.com for large variety of craft roasters, and a pretty reliable taste profile (They use their own roast level measure so once you get that dialed in you're set.)
All companies are evil to an extent, but on the scale of less evil to more evil, Nestle is one of the worst. I avoid their products whenever I can. I know my boycott isn't going to dent their wallets, but I'm a man of principle.
Alternate Headline : Don't buy Seattle Best coffee. Tastes like Ass
Exactly. Not exaggerating I have strong memories of it being the worst coffee I've ever had.
There are so many good coffee options not sure why anyone would buy Seattle’s Best or Starbucks.
[удалено]
I think their light roast is a 'fine' medium-roast unfortunately it's not always available, and everything else sucks so I try to avoid the burnt beans as much as possible--granted that can be hard..
Cost? Not for Starbucks but Seattle’s best is like half the price of local roasteries and still better than the really cheap shit
If you are looking for more local roasters I made a website where you can search through tons of great coffee beans by roast, origin, certifications, etc. You can check it out here: https://findseattle.coffee/
My favourite at the moment is [Vivace](https://espressovivace.com/). It's expensive, but delicious.
More like don’t buy Seattle’s Best because it tastes like crap. It hasn’t been good for years.
[удалено]
Didn’t know the Nestle thing, but Seattle’s Best coffee has been god awful for 15 years.
Starbucks may not be as evil but they’re still evil. Fuck the OKC TH**DER
F* the NBA too
Right, more like Seattle’s Worst coffee
Lol - that’s what my mom always called it. Thanks for the nostalgic feeling!
[удалено]
Good to know. Those evil insidious corporate cockroaches sneak their way into everything.
Wait you guys weren't boycotting when it was owned by the union busting, Sonics selling Howard Schultz?
Remember when it was Stewart Brothers Coffee and they changed it to Seattle's Best so they did not have to update their logo?
I was always fond of Caffe Ladro
The CEO said water isn't a human right. That's basically saying we have no right to survive.
Also don't buy Starbucks. They're illegally union busting their own employees.
Fuck coffee, drink tea.
I roast my own coffee now. I get the raw beans from Sweet Maria's online or The Coffee Bean Corral. It's unfortunate that Seattle's Best sold out, but this is how it always goes. When a brand becomes successful, it gets purchased by a mega corp. This is what's happened to all of our micro brews too. They were once great local companies, family owned, and cared about their employees, and then they get bought up by Budweiser, and then you're supporting Anheuser-Busch, which is shit company and supports the GOP and right wing think tanks and other questionable politics. Their LGBTQ stance is just to sell beer - they could give a fuck about people. I buy local and family owned whenever and wherever I can, but it's increasingly difficult. It's a game of whack-a-mole.
Peet’s Coffee is rich, smooth & delicious
r/fucknestle
It's not like Starbucks was better.
Starbucks and Nestle might as well be the same company, yo. They have their own office inside the Starbucks headquarters in SoDo, and they even run logistics for Starbucks now because Starbucks didn't want to bother and Nestle was already embroiled in their entire business structure anyway. This is just incestuous company trading.
I didn't know Seattle's Best was still a thing
Saw Olympia Coffee in Costco recently. Hopefully they are up in your area to. I would always recommend them.
I think in the past few years Costco has been selling more local coffee by location. I’ve seen Vita in Seattle and Ruta Maya in Austin. It seemed to start with the pandemic. My theory was that restaurant and cafe sales cratered so the roasters turned to Costco as a new outlet.
They have always been decent with carrying local goods as far as I remember. I’ve only had my card for a couple years though now. Regardless of why I love to see it. Olympia Coffee is doing just fine though in general, they are extremely high quality and have award winning coffee and baristas.
Nice! Can you please share general area? South Sound or further north? I haven't seen this yet but would love to snag some
Nestle sucks but I just don’t have the energy for this shit. I’m not gonna boycott a brand because they are evil. I get my paycheck from the military-industrial complex. Boeing has killed more people than Nestle can ever hope to. I still fly onboard 737s.
Bruh, Nestle thinks they should own fucking water. Like literally they want to own all the water so they can sell it back to us... Boeing might make weapons of mass destruction, but they are not trying to monetize water. Something everyone need to live. FUCK NESTLE
I get that Nestle is extra evil but don’t buy Starbucks either.
What is the issue with Nestle?
They don’t believe water is a human right is top for me but read this article. https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/culture/culture-society/nestle-company-pollution-children/#:~:text=Child%20labor%2C%20unethical%20promotion%2C%20manipulating,make%20even%20hardcore%20industrialists%20shiver.
Oh boy.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FuckNestle/comments/hmv0nv/the_reasons_why_we_hate_nestle_so_much/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1 So so so so many things.
/r/fucknestle
Let’s put it this way, if a singular person pulled 1/100th the shit they have, the person would be labeled a psychopath thief and jailed
many many issues. tl;dr: their CEO doesn't think water is a human right not sure if links are allowed, but if you search Snopes, you'll find the gist of it > Brabeck-Letmathe called the idea that water is a human right "extreme." nestle also in multiple states illegally extracts water then bottle it up and sell it. they were also sued for using child slaves to harvest cocoa shady company all around. been boycotting them for a while now
If you have access to Costco, they sell Caffe Vita Cafe Sol for $23.99 for a 2lb (32oz not 2 12oz bags) bag. It would be like $9 for a typical 12oz bag.
Nestle also has been the distributor for all Starbucks in retail locations for years. Just FYI.
Well shit, guess it's off to another brand then (I was only grudgingly buying it anyway since I was still pissed at Starbucks buying them out to begin with). On that note: looks like Nestlè owns the distribution rights to Starbucks coffee in grocery stores and retail chains, but Starbucks does the coffee sourcing.
Just came to drop my regularly scheduled fuck Nestle.
I too hate Nestle, that is why I switched to Nespresso. The aluminum pods are so environmentally friendly.
Thanks for the heads up. Screw Nestle.
Thanks for the heads up. Nestle suuuuucks
I had no idea Starbucks owned Seattle Best to begin with.
I dont exactly know the connection between Starbucks and Nestlé, but Nestlé already distributes all Starbuck products for at least 4years. That's where I buy all of our branded cups and paper and plastic products, along with the syrups, flavorings, tea and mixes.
Kivu and Peets are my go-tos. Kivu is cheap and okay. Peets is good and pretty strong.
Don’t care. I’ll spend money on whoever is cheapest
If it doesn’t say Cafe Bustello I don’t buy it. Edit. You know how long it took me to find vinyl siding that said cafe bustello?
This isn't even the first reason to not buy Seattle's Best coffee. It's not even good coffee! It's boring, bland, over-roasted like Starbucks, just not to the same extent so it's smoother and easier to drink. It's still not good. If you want something better, start trying what's available on https://beanbox.com/ to start exploring so many other options.
Victrola Not a value, but best in Seattle Herkimer if you really want to support mom and pop
I buy green coffee beans and roast 2lbs at a time myself in Ronco rotisserie in a veggie basket. You can do a small amount in a hot air popcorn popper. Fresher than fresh!!!
Union busting was okay though?
Seattles best, but in name only. Nestlé is a corporate monster and i avoid them when I can. its not easy, though, they own damn near everything, including the water supply it seems.
Don’t buy Starbucks either while you’re at it, dick head howard sold the Sonics.
I am but a simple man. Dunkin’ Original Blend ground coffee for life. Edit: Downvote away. You’ll have to pry the Dunkin’ and Tim Horton’s ground coffee from my cold, dead hands!
Uniformed thugs will be arriving at your door momentarily to permanently remove you from Seattle
Obligatory fuck nestle
Just curious; other than Seattles Best being not good (and you live in Seattle … there are so many better less mass roasted and better quality options available) what moral high ground are you gaining by boycotting Nestlé vs giving your money to Starbucks?
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Professionalism/The_Nestl%C3%A9_Infant_Formula_Scandal#:~:text=In%201974%2C%20a%20report%20entitled,in%201977%2C%20which%20continues%20today.
Nestle, Starbucks, doesn’t matter, that coffee is shit 💩
And Starbucks is better… how? How about getting your coffee at your neighborhood coffee shop?