Coffee beans: where and what to buy?

October 21, 2009 7:25 AM

UKCoffeeFilter: I know nothing about coffee. My boyfriend is an aficionado. Help me buy him some beans for Christmas that will make him think I'm awesome.

Neither of us has a lot of money sloshing around, so he tends to stick to what he knows he likes. What I'd like to do is get him a selection of wee packs of beans (he's got all the grinding kit and so on) so he can try some new types. A variety also means that if I get him something he doesn't like it's not so bad.

I know so little about coffee that I suspect I'm using all the wrong words here. He's managed to instil into me 'beans good, pre-ground bad', but that's about as much as I know. So I need to know where to buy and what to buy!

I'll need to buy the beans online, as there's nowhere in my town that sells proper coffee. Budget probably £30 overall. Thanks in advance coffee fiends!

posted by Coobeastie to food & drink (23 comments total)

Rather than an assortment of different pre-roasted coffee, how about getting him some green coffee beans and something to roast them himself? Purpose-built coffee roasters are of your budget but you can repurpose a stovetop popcorn popper, an old air-popper, or even a plain old cast iron skillet.
posted by dersins at 7:37 AM on October 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

Does he have a roaster? Freshly roasting your own beans would probably be something an coffee fan would really enjoy. I was given one as a gift and am a big fan. It's not an everyday activity for me and you'd need to find a source for green beans, but he may appreciate it.
posted by Adam_S at 7:38 AM on October 21

Intelligentsia, Stumptown, and Counter Culture are arguably the finest online roasters. They are all US-based, unfortunately.
posted by slow graffiti at 7:39 AM on October 21 [2 favorites has favorites]

There are a few online suppliers that sell gift/trial packs of coffees. Find out if he likes strong, espresso or medium roast, and then you can choose from there. (Where they say 'choose grind' you would select 'beans'.)

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This is an awesome gift idea - I'm a coffee geek and I absolutely LOVE getting new coffee as a gift.
posted by essexjan at 7:41 AM on October 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

I also roast my own beans and I do like the ideas above of getting him a simple home roasting set-up if he is the kind of guy who will enjoy tinkering to get it just right. Sweet Maria's is great!
posted by slow graffiti at 7:41 AM on October 21

Roasting beans smell BAD. This is only a good idea if you have a garden or outbuildings or a garage not connected to the inside of your house.

Coffee Cavern have a Coffee Club where you can get four fresh 60g coffee bean samples per month for three months for your £30. They come with "tasting notes" and everything.
posted by emilyw at 7:45 AM on October 21 [2 favorites has favorites]

You should order him some beans from Square Mile Coffee Roasters.

They are London UK based. And their coffee is fantastic.
posted by vacapinta at 7:50 AM on October 21 [2 favorites has favorites]

Talk to the kids at Monmouth Coffee. They have a location in Covent Garden, London, (near Seven Dial) and another in Borough Market, London. They are probably the best coffee roasters that I've encountered.

(Full disclosure: I used to work for a sister company to Monmouth's. Still, great coffee, knowledgeable folks.)
posted by gauche at 7:53 AM on October 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

A coffee professional recommended Union Hand Roasted to me and I've never looked back. They are also very friendly if you want to phone them up and ask for suggestions.

http://www.unionroasted.com/quickshop.aspx

...and hit 'Gift Boxes' for some ideas.
posted by einekleine at 7:55 AM on October 21

You could try Whittards.
They have a decent range of coffee beans available. And you can buy small amounts too - 125g for around £3. So you could get a nice selection from around the world. I particularly like their Monsoon Malabar. Just remember to select 'unground' to get the beans.

Alternatively, one of the most exciting coffee companies I've come across is Monmouth Coffee, thought their website is under construction at the moment. You could give them a call and I'm sure they'd be helpful as they are passionate about what they do!
posted by sleepy boy at 7:55 AM on October 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

Oso Negro, (Black Bear) from Nelson, BC. Amazing stuff. Email them; they'll send you a variety.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:56 AM on October 21

Thanks for all the ideas everyone - I don't know who to mark as best as they all look awesome, and I'll be spending some time umm-ing and aahh-ing about which to go for (if I had the money I'd probably say sod it and buy him a stupid amount of coffee!).

Home roasting is unfortunately out, due to small flats and naggy neighbours. However, it will be borne in mind if he/we move somewhere bigger!
posted by Coobeastie at 8:06 AM on October 21

A small home roasting kit would be fantastic for a Christmas gift, but it might be a bit beyond your ken in terms of putting it together. I would suggest simply finding a local roaster and purchasing freshly roasted coffee a day or so before you intend to give him the gift. Even in my rinkydink town there are at least 3 local roasters within 1/2 an hour of me that I know of, possibly more. The key is to buy freshly roasted, not something that has sat around in a warehouse waiting to be shipped for 2 weeks...or longer.

I would suggest a different tack, however, as buying good beans is somewhat akin to chasing after that elusive Perfect Bottle of Wine. I would suggest you purchase him a coffee maker he perhaps has not tried, such as a Yama vacuum brewer (scroll down--ignore the $200+ Cona Brewer). Since I bought mine I have been incapable of drinking any other method of brew. It's $33 and it is worth every penny. It would be immensely satisfactory to his inner coffee snob to drink *any* coffee brewed in a Yama.
posted by hecho de la basura at 8:08 AM on October 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

Square Miles is a good idea, it's run by James Hoffman, former World Barista Champion.

I haven't seen HasBean mentioned, run by Stephen Leighton, an absolute coffee nut (or bean).

Full disclaimer: I know and love these people. Ask them what to buy, they'll be delighted to help you.
posted by NekulturnY at 8:09 AM on October 21

Small amounts on a regular basis might be better than large amounts at once, as the stuff is supposedly better fresh.
posted by emilyw at 8:10 AM on October 21

My personal favorite is Kicking Horse Coffee's "Kick Ass".
posted by smitt at 8:14 AM on October 21

Philz Coffee! http://www.philzcoffee.com/

We're obsessed with it here in San Francisco. The owner spent like 25 years finding the highest quality beans. It's awesome.
posted by kookaburra at 8:15 AM on October 21

I know that when I use the phrase "flavored coffee" that coffee snobs retch and pretend to die, but I don't know one person who has tried Lion Coffee's Whole Bean Toasted Coconut and not immediately apologized for their assumption. It's fucking awesome.
posted by zoomorphic at 8:19 AM on October 21

Seconding Monmouth coffee. I've been drinking their organic espresso blend for years. It's as smooth as Smoove B.
posted by rhymer at 9:58 AM on October 21

As for varieties, go for Jamaican Blue Mountain or Kona (pure, not blend). These are expensive at about $30-$50 a pound, but so amazing. Blue Mountain is unique in that it doesn't have any of the bitterness associated with coffee.
posted by idiotfactory at 11:41 AM on October 21

Even in my rinkydink town there are at least 3 local roasters within 1/2 an hour of me that I know of, possibly more.

True in the US; not so much in the UK. Square Mile or Monmouth. Or alternatively a £20 Aeropress, which is a really good variation on the whole cafetière thing.
posted by holgate at 12:07 PM on October 21

Another vote for Monmouth's coffee.
I've had good experience ordering green beans from James' Gourmet Coffee .I roast my own so I can't speak directly for the quality of their roasting, but their customer service is top notch. They're not the cheapest though, but the quality of the beans I've had has been very high.
A bit out of your stated price-range (£58), but they do offer a subscription service where they send out a 250g bag each month.
If you are interested in home roasting then I'd recommend 'Home Coffee Roasting' by Ken Davids. Even if you're not going to roast at home (and yes, it does stink!) it's a good insight into the roasting process.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 1:03 PM on October 21

The subscription service is for roasted beans BTW.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 1:07 PM on October 21