Where do you buy your greens?

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Where do you buy your greens?

Postby alans » Fri Nov 07, 2003 12:28 pm

Hi all,

First let me say a big hello to all as the new guy. :D I've been roasting since 2001 and one thing I've alway found difficult is finding a list of European green coffee reatilers, preferably with recommendations.

So let's see if we can get one going! Here's my contribution:

http://www.ongebrand.nl/
I bought my Alp from Ivo and most of my beans ever since. I have always found him easy to deal with and very professional, good and cheap on the roasters but a limited range of beans available. Ships world wide.

http://www.algcoffee.co.uk/
Never really that impressed with these guys but I do drop in and see what they've got whenever I'm in London, and their web site is virtually useless.

Oliver Preussler, Kaffee-Roesterei Spandau, Berlin
I've lost his web address, has anyone got it? I bought my Zass Turkish mill from Oliver and he had a good range of more unusual beans such as Australian Skyberry and Monsoon Malabar at very reasonable prices.

I'm going to keep this post to people I've actually bought from and so can offer recommendations on, which for me is a fairly short list since I buy mostly from Ivo, who can you add?

Alan
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Postby phil » Fri Nov 07, 2003 1:08 pm

Hokay:

The obvious : Hill and Valley
Great coffees. You can't take that away from him. Funny bloke. I've corresponded with him and found him arrogant and opinionated. A good friend who knows him personally says he's actually quite a nice guy on a personal level. Customer service : poor. You fit around his needs. He's not customer focussed IMO. Green shipments tend to take second place, and I've had to wait weeks and weeks for greens from him.

The other obvious one : Hasbean
Great bloke. (We all know who he is, but for his peace of mind let's not say so online OK?). Coffees are interesting, and now he's buying from Mercanta which is top news. I've just found out how to roast his "La Manuela" Colombian and it's blinding if you get it right. Sadly it's out of stock. Definitely worth a try too. Be aware that he prices with postage included, unlike H&V who add UKP1.10 per 250g bag. Hasbean also does discount for bulk (following pressure from <cough> I wonder who that was!). H&V do too, but not officially and their idea of bulk is much bigger than Hasbean's!

But you musn't forget : Sweet Maria's
We all know Sweet Maria's and their fascinating range of coffees. Well did you know that (providing you restrict yourself to surface shipping rate) it's as cheap to buy from the U.S. as it is from the U.K.? Possibly occasionally cheaper, if you buy bulk? I've got a 36lb package downstairs waiting to be opened right now, and I have to have some of the CR Miel and the new Kenyan. I just have to! Steve, get a top Kenyan in and save me from myself! It's an addiction <froths at mouth>!

I've also bought greens from :
  • Keith's of Cirencester (poor quality and over-priced, no mail order any longer)
  • Ministry of Coffee (nice guy in Coventry, does mail order, average quality)
  • Espresso Vivace in Seattle (love the Dolce espresso blend, but I do prefer to make my own blends really)
  • Good old Danny McNulty (of a.c "in a field" fame). He's selling Malabar Gold. I tried to persuade TMC's favourite greens retailer to carry it but Dr John is a funny old cove and said retailer didn't like his attitude. Can't say I blame him, but it's a shame nonetheless.
  • Monmouth Coffee in London. Great, friendly people, excellent coffee. I bought over the counter but I think they're able to do mail order. Recommended too.


There are a number of other UK sources for greens, none of whom major in it so much as the above. I ran a posting on CoffeeGeek about this topic about 8 months ago. Most of the other guys I wouldn't bother with - life's too short, although they may occasionally have something good in. That said, "Another Coffee" is starting to get some interesting stuff in I hear - but it's hard to tell as their descriptions are so generic (Sorry, CB!)

HTH

Phil
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Postby HughF » Fri Nov 07, 2003 2:36 pm

Caveat : I'm less experienced than most round here. Given that, I use :

Monmouth for speed and helpfulness (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk) in the UK.
http://www.twoloonscoffee.com for their very good value MegaSampler, 1lb. each of 17 coffees, very educational and
http://www.sweetmarias.com which scores over Two Loons greatly due to the excellent descriptions.
Haven't tried HasBean yet, probably will after Sunday but I like Monmouth a lot in the UK and I've dealt with them for 3 years with no glitches.

Hill and Valley frustrated me so much I swore I would never even try to order from them again.

Cheers,

Hugh
Grinders : Macap MXK conical for espresso, Mahlkoenig Vario for Chemex, Macap MC6 (spare when our office was closed) for cafetiere, Zassenhaus Knee Mill for cafetiere when working away from home.
La Spaziale Vivaldi S1 espresso machine. HotTop KN8828P roaster. Chemex manual drip for most brewed coffee plus cafetieres and eSantos.
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Postby Steve » Fri Nov 07, 2003 2:56 pm

Phil

I have about five roasts of the kenyan left. As soon as mercanta pick up the phone I'll hopefully have some wonderful single oragin (not sure what they have in stock at the mo) on the way :)

<also frothing at the mouth>
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Postby phil » Fri Nov 07, 2003 3:40 pm

HughF wrote:Caveat : I'm less experienced than most round here.


I don't think so, at least not in the roasting stakes.
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Postby carolynb » Fri Nov 07, 2003 4:39 pm

OK, I hold my hands up and admit our descriptions are not as good as they should be - I still may well send Phil a selection of our greens to cup! I will make the descriptions less generic and expand the range as soon as I have some spare time.
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Postby phil » Fri Nov 07, 2003 5:04 pm

That would be excellent.

I've had a brainwave - mentioned it to Carolyn today and she thought it a good idea too. See separate posting next.
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Postby alans » Fri Nov 07, 2003 5:20 pm

Oliver got back to me, he runs a little shop in Berlin so you can buy things that aren't on his site if you ask, such as the Zass Mill I got:
http://www.preusslers.de/
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Postby phil » Fri Nov 07, 2003 5:26 pm

I recall Sunnyfield mentioned them once or twice.
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Postby Raf » Fri Nov 07, 2003 6:53 pm

I think I bought my Imex from him, and so did Sunny.
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

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Postby Sunnyfield » Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:06 pm

Did I buy from him? I think I bought from www.espressoladen.de (or was it www.espresso-laden.de) or are they one and the same??? I am going mad.
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