Cost of quality coffee!

Is it worth it?

Published on November 23, 2004 By coffeegrinder In Misc

Last week as I had some spare cash I decided I should treat myself. While buying my supply of coffee beans I noticed the shop
had some of the famous Blue Mountain beans, and as it is quite some time since I have tasted it I decided to buy some. Coffee
beans in Scotland cost more than in the US, the Blue Mountain costing about £40 a pound, approximately $75. I have been
drinking it over the last few days and yes it is as good as I remember. But on reflection taking into account the amount of coffee
I drink and the price which is roughly 4 times what I pay for a good quality bean, I just can't justify the cost to myself.
So it's back to the trusty old Java for me!
Is it worth it?

Comments

TasT

on Nov 23, 2004

I have tried many different Coffee Beans and even though I love Lavazza, I always go back to Foldgers it's almost as good and about 1/4 the price per pound of unground beans.......

Lengirl

on Nov 23, 2004

Coffee in Scotland just doesn't do it for me...they just haven't been able to pick up the nack...

Or I haven't found an area where they have...??
Some of the best coffee I have ever had the pleasure of consuming was from Egypt. The beans were delightfuland relatively cheap ( about 10 pound for 500grams)!! If you don't mind the occassional (dare I say it) instant coffee...ASDA do a pretty nice Italian blend...

dharmagrl

on Nov 23, 2004

I tweak my Folgers a little bit......I grind the grounds just a little bit more. I find that brings out the flavor just enough to make me think that I'm drinking a more expensive brand.

Folgers Colombian is really very good if you grind it just a little more.....

TasT

on Nov 23, 2004

Folgers Colombian is really very good if you grind it just a little more.....

I buy it in whole bean and grind it myself......

Foldgers Colombian is also very versital I use it for expresso and the regular Coffee maker.

kingbee

on Nov 23, 2004

i realize the article is specifically about the price of coffee grown in jamaica and this is only relevant to colombia; there was an item on last nites abc evening news--a sidebar to the president's visit there--that pointed out coffee prices have fallen so drastically that growers now typically sell beans for 1 cent per pound (down from a recent $.70.)

coffeegrinder

on Nov 23, 2004

Unfortunately Folgers is not a brand I've ever found available in Scotland.

coffeegrinder

on Nov 23, 2004

Next stop Colombia!

kingbee

on Nov 23, 2004

Next stop Colombia

better hurry...sounded like juan valdez was gonna be growin coca instead of coffee next season.

KarmaGirl

on Nov 23, 2004

mmm...coffee...

I have different coffees for different moods. I guess choosing coffee becomes like choosing wine. You have to learn the differences to appreciate them.

JBM I use as a "special treat" coffee because of its costs. JBM is the gold standard of coffee. It has a slight sweetness and a mellow note that is hard to find in other coffee.

Starbucks has some nice coffee, but I don't like the way they brew it. It always tastes stale and burnt. However, they have a nice, mellow Breakfast blend that is nice as a "first cup" and a "Verona" blend that is a robust after dinner evening coffee.

I like the French roast Folgers for the "typical" pot of coffee because it is moderately strong flavored, but still mellow. And...well...it's cheap. And, I drink a lot of coffee, so cheap is good.

If I really need a pick-me-up I pull out the espresso maker....but that is a whole different form of coffee

InfoGeek

on Nov 23, 2004

75 bucks a pound !!???!!!!! Wow!!! What. Picked by virgins or something? Juan Valdez carrries them to your house? I would try to buy that but I enjoy being married. I can hear her now: "You spend HOW MUCH for coffee?"

I love coffee, but generally stay to super market brands. For special occasions I buy from one of the local coffee houses. Starbucks is nice for an intense coffee and I love Dunkin Doughnuts. A coffee shop opened up 1 1/2 miles from my house (yes, I measured). It has a nice atmosphere and good coffee and espresso.

IG

InfoGeek

on Nov 23, 2004

coffeegrinder

on Nov 28, 2004

I'm just in the process of grinding the last of my Blue Mountain beans, time to savour and look
for some inspiration on how to save some extra cash for my next treat. Maybe my son or daughter
will take pity on me at christmas!

iamheather

on Nov 28, 2004

I would try Gevalia. You can order it online, and I don't think it would cost anything like $75 a lb. They offer a variety of both ground and bean coffee. It is outstanding. We have it delivered every two weeks. Go here

Sleeping Dragon

on Nov 28, 2004

Ah, coffee!!! Having given up drugs when I was in High School (burnt out early), given up smoking when I was 27, given up alcohol 97% this year (I'm 40), COFFEE is the one stimulant, I am not letting go. Come to find out that a cup a day is very healthy!! I push that into the not so healthy with 2 mugs(at least) a day. Sometimes I find myself looking forward to going to bed, because I know that when I wake up, I will be able to sip, then swig, that heavenly brew.

I buy my own beans and grind them about every 3 days. Once you grind, they start to lose freshness immediately, so I never buy already ground and never instant. I agree that Starbucks tastes stale and burnt. I like Caribou Rainforest blend (you can get it online), but that is too expensive for me at about $12 a lb. Sorry to hear what you folks in my ancestor's land pay (my last name is Brecheen. Know any of 'em? LOL). That would put my intentional addiction to the test. Blue Mountain is great but at $27 a lb, it is not practical to consume it the way I want.

coffeegrinder, it is a fine line to find where your desire for quality meets your budget. Not many of us have Paris Hilton's money to fly to Jamaica when we are in the mood for a piping hot mug-o-mud.

Eight O' Clock beans are very good and in my budget at around $8 a lb for beans. It allows me the luxury of drinking as much as I want without feeling like a junky that just spent my rent money on a hedonistic pleasure.
Sorry to fill your page up, but this is my cup of tea ...well, you know. Coffee.

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