Carmen Tucker contributed this review: Last week I decided to try skipping my usual whole bean purchase, and instead picked up the buzz for home use at Trader Joe’s. I was pleasantly impressed! I chose the Dark Sumatra whole bean coffee, part of their Ultra Dark Roast Blends. It comes in a 12 oz airtight can for $4.99. The beans are very dark, perfectly oily, and surprisingly delicious! I saved money, but did not have to sacrifice taste. Go Joe! Carmen is an “almost native” to the Grand Canyon State. She has been a coffee fan since childhood (tasting sips of her parents’ coffee), and is now a full-blown addict. She now resides in San Diego, CA.
James Thanks for this review. I hadn’t thought about Trader Joe’s as a source for coffee, and if I can get less expensive but tasty coffee, so much the better. 0 Reply September 17, 2007
Randy Wooooo boys, are you going to the dark side and buying canned coffees now? Ouch! 0 Reply September 17, 2007
Chris Never insult someone’s taste in a less complicated or less expensive (or in this case, both) satisfaction. I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t take the TJ coffee anymore, but Carmen is getting her happiness for less hassle and half the cash as I get from my beans. Keep it up, it’s the champagne tastes that break a beer budget! OTOH, I do have to confess the “New Orleans Market’ brand of canned, ground(!) coffee is my favorite for drip. Mull some milk over a medium flame, and it makes a fairly decent replica of a cafe au lait from ‘Cafe du Monde in N.O. 0 Reply September 17, 2007
Ron Cortez When it comes to rating coffee gets kind of tricky. According to Kenneth Davids as a professional coffee cupper he always discloses it’s rendition as his personal taste. We local roasters will deffend the argument that fresh coffee is better, but you can only taste fresh coffee when you drink coffee without milk, sugar, cinnamon and any other flavor contaminant (if we are judging coffee) if we are rating an espresso based drink, the overall feel and taste of the drink is what is used as a parameter. The other fact is that we will become “tuned” to a particular coffee. Per example if I grew up tasting folgers and believe that the taste of folgers is the best, then guess what? folgers will be the best to me (if you really think that folgers is the best try a side by side of folgers alone and cold against any other coffee). Real fresh coffee is considered fresh for less than 2 weeks as a general rule. 0 Reply September 18, 2007
Michael T I think Trader Joe’s is a great alternative to some other, more mainstream, whole bean coffees. But $4.99 still raises some serious questions. Sometimes you get just what you pay for. 0 Reply September 19, 2007
Randy It’s too bad that a simple side comment to a product alone can be construed as an insult to an individual. That is not how it was intended. This is one of the problems with written communication that is passed back and forth. You miss all the nuances of physical expression as well as tone and inflection of voice, leaving one to assume the manner and intent in which the message was delivered. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously and enjoy each other’s company as much as possible. Technology has destroyed the personal aspect of humanity. No one really “speaks” to each other anymore with out an inanimate object to act a the go between. For those of you who frequently quote someone, I have one now. This goes back quite a bit farther than Einstein, however, they too were delving into physics but didn’t know it. This is from the Upanhishads. Janaka asked a question of Yajnavalkya. “When the sun sets, and the moon sets, and the fire goes out, what is left for man?” Yajnavalkya replied: Then speach is our light, for by that we sit, work, go out and come back.” This is a deep discussion on self and existence that I won’t go into, but the basic premis is we are getting away from the human aspect of communication and hope to bring this back through my efforts in my coffee shop. I want to talk with people, not at them. Sorry for any confussion. 0 Reply September 20, 2007
Randy Sorry, the last post was done before I could finish editing it. Hit a wrong button while in the heat of bantering. 0 Reply September 20, 2007
Chris It was meant as a light hearted response, Randy. I figured that would be evident by the suggestion that I had a deep, dark, secret in the NOFM can. Note to self, more smileys ; > 0 Reply September 20, 2007
Randy No problem, I prefer face to face communication. I come from a slightly older generation, (Not much older) and have a difficult time getting used to this style of communication. It is informative and interesting, but is very impersonal. It would be nice to meet many of you so as to have an understanding of whom I am speaking to. Hope to see as many of you as possible when we open. 0 Reply September 21, 2007
Chris You won’t see many of us if you don’t tell us who ‘we’ is, what you’re opening, and where it is ! ; > (there’s the smiley!) OTOH, being from another generation just means that you need to assume that the words being used are being used in their lightest and nicest possible way, unless the poster specifically says otherwise. Can’t screw up that way! And, if I wanted to be mean or nasty, there would be no way you could misunderstand it. ; > 0 Reply September 29, 2007
Chris Naw, I just know how to be really, really mean. You really have to deserve it, though, and have to have been a real jerk, even after I tried being nice, which is where I try to go first, it usually helps. I have a really long fuse, but it’s attached to a really big reaction. ; > 0 Reply September 30, 2007
Stevarino I just purchased the dark sumatra and have yet to try it. I gave up drinking beer for several reasons, and now am pursuing a excellence in the lesser vice or coffee. I always almost brewed TJ’s french roast, but after doing some research discovered why I thought it tasted funny, in that it has a smoky component. I haven’t had a chance to brew my Sumatra yet, but I CAN’T WAIT!! It smells fantastic! 0 Reply October 9, 2007
Steve H Trader Joe ‘s Dark Sumatra is still $4.99 last month when I purchased it. Smell and taste incredible!!! 0 Reply March 16, 2011
Coffeedude TJs Dark Sumatra is one of my favorites, tastes great, smells great….. 0 Reply April 19, 2011
Samson Loo I absolutely love the dark sumatra. I am so happy my wife decided to give it a try. It’s a staple for our early AZ mornings! 0 Reply June 2, 2013
