Notes: Costco Coffee Beans

General Advice

I’m not an expert, but some common opinions:

• Freshness matters a lot.
• Grind your own beans–it takes only a moment.
• When the vendor says “blend” it really means “random, whatever’s cheapest”.
• It’s generally better if they give source details.
• “Dark roast” is over-rated, but vendors like it because consistent.

Provisos

This document is meant to boost my own memory, but might be helpful to somebody else. No guarantee we would agree on taste.

I don’t like dark roast coffee, so not exploring that territory much.

Sorted List

In order of best to worst.

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Coffee Whole Bean

• Easily my favorite so far.
• Available at business costco.
• Works well hot and coldbrew.
  • Preferred to Mt Comfort Peru coffee in blind taste test.
    • Both hot and coldbrew, with and without milk.
• “Arabica blend from Central and South America.”
• Taste: “floral and citrus fruit.”
  • To me, a more pure coffee taste, not tainted or fermented etc.

Organic Mt Comfort Peru Coffee Whole Bean

• Available sporadically from costco.
• Available on Amazon but pricy.
• Works well hot and coldbrew.
• Taste: “chocolatey, nutty.”

Kirkland Signature Organic Mexico Oaxaca Medium Roast

• Flavor is more centered than Caffe Vita.
• It’s a bit expensive.
• Taste: “caramel, chocolate, roasted peanuts.”

Caffe Vita Coffee Caffe Del Sol Blend Whole Bean, Medium Roast

• It has a pretty strong taste, like some kind of root, better hot than coldbrew.
• Caffe Vita is apparently a coffee roaster based in Seattle.
• “mix of Ethiopia, Indonesia, and South American coffees.”
• Taste: “milk chocolate caramel and dark cherry.”

San Francisco Bay French Roast

• Dark roast–very much so.
• It was on sale. Never again.
• If you have to use it, use it for coldbrew.
• Taste: “full bodied with a smokey finish”… actually like ashes.