coffee
Oct 8th, 2004, 05:22 AM
#2
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The best place to buy coffee is the grocery store. The bigger the store the better the selection and the prices(usually).
We buy shade grown coffee as it is organic and environmentally friendly to CR and supports family farms.
The only half way decent deal on coffee at the airport is the organic Cafe Britt. The markup is about 400 colones as opposed to almost double cost on everything else.
We buy shade grown coffee as it is organic and environmentally friendly to CR and supports family farms.
The only half way decent deal on coffee at the airport is the organic Cafe Britt. The markup is about 400 colones as opposed to almost double cost on everything else.
Oct 8th, 2004, 05:46 AM
#3
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I agree that buying coffee at a grocery store is the way to go. That's what we do. The prices at the airport are much higher. We like Britt a lot. Their quality is consistent. We also like Doka Plantation coffee which is sold under "Three Generations" label.
Oct 8th, 2004, 09:35 AM
#4
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We always pick up Britt at the grocery. Recently we have started buying Volio also, which is a little less expensive and very good. Tres Generaciones (3 Generation) produced by Doka is unavailable in the supermarkets. We never return without 30 bags of coffee! We have found a few supermarkets that do not carry Britt, but many do.
Oct 8th, 2004, 09:40 AM
#5
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The Doka Plantation tour guide told us that 85% of their production goes to Starbuck's. I bought their (expensive) Peaberry on site which, like most wine tasted at the winery, was less than great at home.
Also, 'tho the harvest was completed in March '03, nearly all their "show and tell" cherries were infested with a small parasitic worm critter - a near panic situation if I read the reaction correctly.
I much prefer Guatemala Antigua.
I agree, the San Jose airport shopping is a world class ripoff
Also, 'tho the harvest was completed in March '03, nearly all their "show and tell" cherries were infested with a small parasitic worm critter - a near panic situation if I read the reaction correctly.
I much prefer Guatemala Antigua.
I agree, the San Jose airport shopping is a world class ripoff
Oct 8th, 2004, 01:27 PM
#6
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Mikemo,
On our Doka Tour, I thought it interesting to hear that Starbuck's buys a lot of coffee from Doka, but not their better quality beans. If memory serves, the tour leader said they don't even buy the 2nd highest quality beans!
On our Doka Tour, I thought it interesting to hear that Starbuck's buys a lot of coffee from Doka, but not their better quality beans. If memory serves, the tour leader said they don't even buy the 2nd highest quality beans!
Oct 8th, 2004, 04:09 PM
#7
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Pat:
Please check with your customs officials on this, quantity, etc.
In the USA bringing "food-plant-things" is subject to the whim...better to ask and get documentation...I learned the very hard way.
Please check with your customs officials on this, quantity, etc.
In the USA bringing "food-plant-things" is subject to the whim...better to ask and get documentation...I learned the very hard way.
Oct 8th, 2004, 05:37 PM
#8
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You learned specifically with regard to returning to the USA with coffee from Costa Rica? We've returned numerous times with an entire suitcase filled with it--it has never seemed to be based on whim. It passes through always without problemas. The fact that it is a packaged product may make a difference. We had some apples taken away from us upon entering CR once--we had taken snacks onto the plane!
Oct 9th, 2004, 08:50 AM
#9
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Mikemo, I am with you on the Peaberry but I do like the dark roast.
If you are serious about organic shade grown, there is a youth camp that a friend of mine does mission work at in Nicaragua. They have a very limited supply of very good coffee.
vidajoven.org. Go to their catalogue.
If you are serious about organic shade grown, there is a youth camp that a friend of mine does mission work at in Nicaragua. They have a very limited supply of very good coffee.
vidajoven.org. Go to their catalogue.
Oct 9th, 2004, 10:14 AM
#10
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Maybe we were "profiled"...so your right! That is no whim that's racism...possibly...WHO cares...geesh!
Just some good ole "travel-caution" based on MY experience.
No need to "dipose" me.
That you devoted a "entire suitcase" to coffee "numerous times" should draw no sworn statement from you either.
Good grief!
Just some good ole "travel-caution" based on MY experience.
No need to "dipose" me.
That you devoted a "entire suitcase" to coffee "numerous times" should draw no sworn statement from you either.
Good grief!
Oct 9th, 2004, 11:38 AM
#11
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Oaktown Traveler,
Sorry you had trouble with the coffee. Any insights for the rest of us? I realize you were reporting on a personal experience.
You are obviously a well traveled person. I have enjoyed your reports on the South American Dream vacation. I would love to do that myself. If I do and see any beautiful monkeys (LOL) I will let you know.
Oct 9th, 2004, 11:40 AM
#12
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Jessie, thanks for the website. We have a friend who has spent quite a bit of time in El Salvador on business lately. He met an ex-pat there who grows his own coffee and sent some back with him in a plastic bag. Our friend said it was the "smoothest" he's ever tasted! I still remember the first time I tasted Central American coffee. The difference was unbelievably noticeable! Makes a great gift for friends and family.
Oct 9th, 2004, 12:26 PM
#13
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We toured the Cafe Britt plantation when we were in C.R. last year. Now that we are home I purchase coffee from them at www.cafebritt.com . The price works out nicely if you buy 20 bags which goes faster than you think. They also ship free. We tried several brands while there and liked it the best.
Oct 9th, 2004, 01:24 PM
#14
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Shillmac, you are quite welcome. I love the central american coffees. When you go to the web site you will see that they offer a whole list of possible gifts. Our friend has ordered with no problem.....we are just finishing up our last bag of this great coffee.
Oct 9th, 2004, 07:42 PM
#15
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Stop into a cooperativo roast house and see if you can talk them out of some private reserve. The best beans go to Starbucks and the leftovers are packaged for local stores, but the VERY best are saved for the cafeteros private use.
Oct 9th, 2004, 08:16 PM
#16
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The best coffee I tasted in Costa Rica came from Cafe de Monteverde. It is located right next to CASEM in Monteverde. The coffee beans come from a coop of about 80 coffee growers. We took a coffee plantation tour from Cafe de Monteverde and saw where they process beans and roast their coffee for the entire community. They roast their coffee weekly, so you know you're getting fresh roasted beans.
Oct 9th, 2004, 09:04 PM
#17
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You can get a little history and some good Monteverde coffee
http://www.coffeetraders.com/monte.cfm
Montana coffee traders.
http://www.coffeetraders.com/monte.cfm
Montana coffee traders.
Oct 10th, 2004, 04:20 PM
#18
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Having resisted the whole Starbucks bandwagon phenomenon for as long as I could w/o offending our hosts one evening & finally "coming over to the dark side", I later, was amazed at how similar in taste the coffee beans were from our recent trip to CR. Mikemo's 85% explanation helps to justify my curiosity at the similarity between starbuck's and the coffee we brought home from CR.
Oaktown : You are wise to share that advice, however, Packaged coffee is no issue for import to USA. A coconut was on the list of "not approved for import to USA" and we gifted these to a CR local, pre-flight.
Just to help us fill in the blanks in the storyline, what were you denied carrying?
Shillmac : Nice to see you taking the high ground.
While the airport can be expensive the Britt store did have a buy 6 bags = 2 free bags promotion that brought the price to a reasonable level. I'm not rich or foolish, but I'm not wound up too tightly about the price of food. Since when did a box of cereal go over $5 USD in the states, anyway? A can of Campbell's soup is $2.50? It's all too high. And, yes, I drive an SUV at 12mpg and a sportscar in the same range.
Not splitting hairs here, but PatL asked where is the best place to buy coffee.
Did you mean the lowest price?
Did you mean the best quality?
Did you mean the location where you will have to carry it the shortest distance during your trip?
We traveled lightly and specifically bought the coffee at the airport to support our objective.
Oaktown : You are wise to share that advice, however, Packaged coffee is no issue for import to USA. A coconut was on the list of "not approved for import to USA" and we gifted these to a CR local, pre-flight.
Just to help us fill in the blanks in the storyline, what were you denied carrying?
Shillmac : Nice to see you taking the high ground.
While the airport can be expensive the Britt store did have a buy 6 bags = 2 free bags promotion that brought the price to a reasonable level. I'm not rich or foolish, but I'm not wound up too tightly about the price of food. Since when did a box of cereal go over $5 USD in the states, anyway? A can of Campbell's soup is $2.50? It's all too high. And, yes, I drive an SUV at 12mpg and a sportscar in the same range.
Not splitting hairs here, but PatL asked where is the best place to buy coffee.
Did you mean the lowest price?
Did you mean the best quality?
Did you mean the location where you will have to carry it the shortest distance during your trip?
We traveled lightly and specifically bought the coffee at the airport to support our objective.
Oct 10th, 2004, 07:12 PM
#19
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Bringing back "a bunch" of coffee from Costa Rica--you're right, TripleSec. . .always a matter of convenience vs. price! Two choices stand out:
Stop by the super the day before departure. 25 bags for about $90.00 OR. . .
Buy "20 bags/get 5 free" and have it shipped. For just a few bucks more, if any, this is the way to go if you're wanting Britt. We did this once at the large gift shop in the Hotel Don Carlos. . .it came close to beating us home as they ship out of Miami. They may offer this at the airport as well. I've spent a little time in the Cafe Britt shop but haven't paid that much attention since we don't buy it there.
We may be beating a dead horse on this thread by now! LOL It is nice, however, to be in touch with various websites where good CR coffee can be conveniently ordered. Thanks, everyone! Probably those who don't share our taste for that "perfect first sip of the day" are thinking Fodor's is a gathering place for a bunch of nuts high on caffiene! LOL
Stop by the super the day before departure. 25 bags for about $90.00 OR. . .
Buy "20 bags/get 5 free" and have it shipped. For just a few bucks more, if any, this is the way to go if you're wanting Britt. We did this once at the large gift shop in the Hotel Don Carlos. . .it came close to beating us home as they ship out of Miami. They may offer this at the airport as well. I've spent a little time in the Cafe Britt shop but haven't paid that much attention since we don't buy it there.
We may be beating a dead horse on this thread by now! LOL It is nice, however, to be in touch with various websites where good CR coffee can be conveniently ordered. Thanks, everyone! Probably those who don't share our taste for that "perfect first sip of the day" are thinking Fodor's is a gathering place for a bunch of nuts high on caffiene! LOL
Oct 10th, 2004, 11:03 PM
#20
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Shillmac : Don't tell me you're omitting the website names in your reply because of somebody's comment on another thread here, are you?
I'm due to re-up my supply and will use a popular search engine that begins with the 7th letter of the alphabet (is THIS, also, advertising?) to find the websites of the online purveyors of CR coffee beans you almost mentioned in paragraph 4.
Half of the supply I brought home, I gave to my younger brother for watching the house while we were away. For people who DO drink coffee, it can be a GREAT gift.
See you later,
I'm due to re-up my supply and will use a popular search engine that begins with the 7th letter of the alphabet (is THIS, also, advertising?) to find the websites of the online purveyors of CR coffee beans you almost mentioned in paragraph 4.
Half of the supply I brought home, I gave to my younger brother for watching the house while we were away. For people who DO drink coffee, it can be a GREAT gift.
See you later,
