I found an interesting blog post on the NY Times site about the shelf life of roasted coffee. Judge for yourself. Brew two cups of the same blend, one from coffee roasted within a few days, one with beans more than one month old, and take note of the distinctions. In my experience the younger coffee has more body and flavor, and it even brews differently, foaming and expanding more while it steeps. While the information isn’t new, I found a few links interesting in the last paragraph. Or there’s mail order. Some roasters offer subscriptions — think Harry and David for coffee — and last year the food blog Chez Pim posted a comprehensive list. One of the interesting picks is Citizen Bean, which chooses coffees from different roasters across the country. It’s a sampling of what artisanal roasters are doing in this coffee-obsessed nation, and brings a new meaning to having a “fresh cup of coffee.”
Michael T So I really can’t complain about the additional carbon emissions from getting mail order coffee, since the beans have to be flown/shipped into the US anyway…but what about the price? Getting a pound of coffee UPSed from Seattle costs almost as much as the pound itself. It arrives at the perfect time for brewing, though. Which begs the question, what kind of coffee are these subscriptions selling when the price, after shipping, is still reasonable? 0 Reply September 23, 2008
Ron Cortez How about buying coffee from a local roaster as an alternative? After all is there a difference between coffee roasted in Seattle versus coffee roasted in Arizona? Are professionals in Seattle better than the ones here? There are coffee clubs right in your back yard. 0 Reply September 23, 2008
Michael T Answers to Ron’s questions: 1. Good idea. 2. Depends on the roaster. 3. Some are. 0 Reply September 26, 2008
