Coffee preferences

[bouche]

I'm ruined. We came back from Costa Rica with a gigantic bag of coffee beans, and got a good grinder. Every weekend since, we've been making the most delicious Espresso. My coffee standards have gone way up. I don't even think that bridgehead or starbucks can match this shit. Ideal Coffee in Ottawa may be the only place that will keep me satisfied.

What do you guys do for coffee? Tim Horton's answers will not be accepted.

[Tooly]

timmies for work, nothing tastes as good at 4:45 in the am. ill never give starbucks a dime.

at home though, we have taken to getting the organic beans from bulk barn and grinding our own, it is deeeelicious. rainforest blend i think its called, medium roast, just right for us anyways. and the beans are only 8 bucks for a pound, compare that to kicking horse or something, 16 bucks a pound.

[MoMack]

kickinghorse

[Jaimoe]

I like organic and/or fair trade coffee, generally medium roast. If I don't make my own, I usually get coffee from an indie shop (there are several in my neighbourhood). If I have to go chain, I try to go to Timothy's or the Second Cup. Starbuck's is the Walmart of coffee and should be removed from this planet.

[StoneMtn]

Kicking Horse. Pretty much any of their varieties; but I particularly like "Three Sisters" and "Mexican". "Kick Ass" is good if you're into dark coffees.

Also, Muskoka Roast is really good.

[ollie]

We get our coffee from International Kafia on Boyd Ave, just off Carling near Churchill. They roast everything in house and are insanely cheap, but not at the expense of quality. You can get a pound of beans for $8 or $9 depending on the flavour. Lots of variety including organic.

There are several roasters in the Hull/Gatineau area you can try, e.g.

http://www.labrulerie.ca/

http://www.coffee.ca/index.html (Aladdin)

I've also heard good things about this one in Almonte:

http://www.equator.ca/

In terms of the more commercial retailers, I still think Starbucks reigns supreme. If you're going to compare anything to Walmart it's got to be Tim Hortons.

Oh, and... Foodeeze Forum please.

[Tungsten Gruvsten]

just had some french press kicking horse kick ass last weekend at Lorda's - awesome. In guelph it's organic free trade blah blah from Planet Bean - no more Moonbeam coffee from TO... 8(

[bouche]

Best in ottawa, and also available in toronto...

http://www.idealcoffees.com/

[c-towns]

Coffee stinks, take it to the food forum.

[YearsAlongTheSea]

Ideal coffee is awesome. Kicking Horse is great. Muskoka Roasters make good beans. I actually re-did the owners roof once upon a time; best coffee on a job site. Also, Whole Foods carry some really tasty beans...

[bouche]

Coffee stinks, take it to the food forum.

go back to rich stadium and stay there.

[SolarGarlic]

We go for the Salt Spring Island coffee.

Pretty much always been happy with their beans. I find the flavour to be much more developed, smoother and balanced when compared to the Kicking Horse brand but that's just my taste speaking..

You can buy from them online and they have "mirco" lots for sale...specialty beans in limited quantities.

Another AWESOME place for beans from out west is Oso Negro Coffee out of Nelson, BC. The Prince of Darkness blend is killer. You can also order online direct. I would really recommend ordering a pound or two from these guys.

[phishtaper]

sorry, all very bad suggestions. just book monthly trips to costa rica.

[YearsAlongTheSea]

The Prince of Darkness blend is killer.

Could be a coincidence, but Ideal Coffee carries a blend by that name...

[DevO]

I concur that Oso Negro is damn good coffee! I haven't had any in years. Ideal Coffee is really good, I didn't realize they were in Ottawa as well. I love the Bolivian roast though from Bridgeheads - still one of my favourites - the smell of the beans after you grind them is insanely good. Can't go wrong with Kicking Horse's Three Sisters as well. Anyways, whatever I have, I do make a point of making sure I'm drinking fair trade coffee. I picked up a pound of coffee from a new roaster from BC (who retails in Toronto) called Resiprocate (the Sumatra blend) and am not liking it at all FWIW.

[jayr]

Due to the massive volume I require on a daily basis my standards are fairly low. I'm currently drinking my third Maxwell House of the afternoon.

[bradm]

Due to the massive volume I require on a daily basis my standards are fairly low. I'm currently drinking my third Maxwell House of the afternoon.

I go through about three mugs a day of whatever brand of ground coffee was on sale at the grocery store; this block of three or four days, it's Nabob Sumatra.

As for the coffee I always try to get on my way to a show, it's mostly determined by whatever chain has a shop near or on the way to the venue; the Second Cup at Dalhousie & Rideau in Ottawa gets a lot of my business because it's directly on my walk to Mavericks/Dekcuf.

Aloha,

Brad

[Esau.]

I drink a lot of coffee, probably to much to be honest. Most days I drink two 50oz pots and with my mug that equals four cups per pot. (8 in total) because of that I usually have Maxwell House original blend as its on sale pretty regularly so I always grab two or three big cans.

Although I don't always drink that coffee, some days, weekends & evenings after dinner I prefer a dark roasts, African, Indonesian , South American etc. Which brand varies whenever I run out and go to pick up more.

Most recently I had two great roasts I purchased from Midnight Sun Coffee (Whitehorse, YK), (Muleskinner's Blend & Organic Black Raven's Roast) While I was up there, we made that shop part of our daily routine. The people & the coffee were so good I started to order different blends from them twice a year (for my b-day & xmas usually) and make em last. I'm sure I could get pretty much the same blends here in my area, but it's just one of those places I felt good buying from.

[skelter]

None. Coffee is for the weak.

[Irie Guy]

Shoppers Drug Mart believe it or not has a really good 100% Ethiopian Fair Trade Organic coffee in their Organics Line. Price is right as well, regular price is $4.99 for a 400gm bag. It is preground but for the price it can't be beat.

McDonalds coffee trumps Tim Hortons any day.

[bouche]

I'm surprised at how many of you decide to submit to cheap ass Maxwell house branded coffee or even Tim Horton's. I've come to believe that coffee can not only wake you up, but you can also enjoy the fuck out of it.

Maxwell house and Nabob doesn't even SMELL like coffee. yeesh. Bradm, Nabob....really? And you appreciate great beer and wine. I'm surprised. egad. omfg. rofl. jeebuz.

[EddieRamser]

I just moved to NS and discovered Just Us Coffee Roasters.

It's fair trade, local, and they have a roasting facility and also a cafe here in Wolfville.

I on a bag of their Sumatran dark roast beans and let me tell you it's probably one of the most enjoyable coffees i've ever had, and i am a passionate coffee lover. I only use a french press and average sround 2-3 large mugs a day.

Highly suggest if it's available where you are.

[phishtaper]

we go thru phases. tend to get bored with one thing for a long time. right now have a bunch of new presidents choice 250g grinds. on sale so i grabbed one of each ... kenyan, costa rica, and "special occasion" (?). pretty good stuff, great for the price.

weve gone thru our starbucks, kicking horse, planet bean, even second cup years ago (before god created starbucks). i prefer darker, stronger roasts but am usually told not to make it too strong. gave up grinding beans maybe a year ago. went thru all sorts of grinders, burr too, and it just became a hassle, messy and really not worth the effort, i think. i don't miss grinding.

but this is my all time favourite "coffee" ...

mild, early may, evening in new orleans. with a beignet. then catch greyboy on the river boat. yummy.

[hamilton]

I'm surprised at how many of you decide to submit to cheap ass Maxwell house branded coffee or even Tim Horton's. I've come to believe that coffee can not only wake you up, but you can also enjoy the fuck out of it.

Maxwell house and Nabob doesn't even SMELL like coffee. yeesh. Bradm, Nabob....really? And you appreciate great beer and wine. I'm surprised. egad. omfg. rofl. jeebuz.

Could we not say that in regards to just about anything, though? I'm surprised by how many music lovers submit to mp3s, not to mention the Disco Biscuits. I'm surprised by how many beer drinkers submit to Molson Canadian. Some people would never drive anything less than a luxury car, but you're probably fine with your Honda, or whatever. Etc. But everyone has priorities, and clearly for many people, coffee that is just "fine" is, well, fine.

[SaggyBalls]

I'm surprised at how many of you decide to submit to cheap ass Maxwell house branded coffee or even Tim Horton's. I've come to believe that coffee can not only wake you up, but you can also enjoy the fuck out of it.

Maxwell house and Nabob doesn't even SMELL like coffee. yeesh. Bradm, Nabob....really? And you appreciate great beer and wine. I'm surprised. egad. omfg. rofl. jeebuz.

I really hope you're not as much of a yuppie as this post suggests, Bouche.

The most crucial part of the initial question is whether or not one drinks their coffee black or with cream/milk/creamer/sugar

...or only brews coffee, rather than adding some cinnamon or mustard or a pinch of salt into the mix.

I PREFER whole beans, ground, in a french press - and while it's clear to ME that preground coffee is stale and lazy, I still drink preground coffee and enjoy the fuck out of it.

If I can have maple syrup and 10% cream then great, if not maple syrup then Demarara sugar, if not demarara then brown sugar, of not brown sugar then I'll generally drink the coffee black without cream.

The Cinnamon/Mustard pinches are great once in awhile, but only for a creamy sweet drink for me.

I can enjoy the hell out of a craft beer or a PBR...so it stands to reason that if you can't stomach black coffee then you don't really like coffee, you like dessert beverages

...and though I take myself fairly seriously when I say that, I expect to be the only one that does.