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Hi- Can anybody recommend a half caf coffee that is not major expensive? I have liked eight o'clock half caf, but I can't find it anymore. I used to be able to get it at Jewel. Right now I am drinking Maxwell house half caf blend, only because I got it dirt cheap at Dominick's recently, but it is not that great. I just think coffee is better if you grind your own beans.

There is a coffee in cans at Whole Foods, which is put out bu Allegro, and I believe it is called Three Beans Blend, or something similar. I know Three is in the title. They sell it for $4.99 for a 12 oz. can? I know it is caffeinated, but is it any good? Thanks, Nancy

Right now we are drinking Cafe Puro, a Puerto rican coffee. All the Spanish coffes are usually the norm at our house depending on what we end up picking up on sale such as Bustelo, Goya, Cafe Caribe and Rico Rico.

Nancy - I think when you buy 1/2 caf you pay more than you would if you got reg beans and decaf beans and mixed them yourself.

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That is what I usually do is mix the regular and decaf myself, but I have been drinking this Maxwell House Lite coffee lately, that I got at Dominick's. I got a 33 oz. container for $7.29 as part of their J4U program. It is no longer available for that price. I love the price, but I am not crazy about the coffee. I would much rather grind my own. I can get fairly cheap whole bean regular coffee, but cheap decaf is hard to come by. Thanks, Nancy

Bond No 9 New Haarlem

Chase & Sandborn. After trying all sorts of standard brands at Jewel and a few off-brands elsewhere, we like this best. It's at CVS.

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Speaking of caffeine levels, have you noticed that some coffee seems to have more caffeine than others? Is this possible? Does higher quality coffee have higher caffeine? I have been drinking a cup of coffee a day from various places -same size-no additives. And it seems that I get a bigger jolt from specialty coffee houses than, for example, a Dunkin Donuts or a local diner or even my home brew(I grind my own beans). Am I crazy?

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Hi- Starbuck's and Peet's make their coffee way stronger than Dunkin Donut's and McDonald's does. It could be because both Dunkin and McDonald's have a lot of seniors coming in to just get coffee. At McDonald's you can get a senior cup of coffee for 49 cents, and they give you a free refill. The McDonald's I go to occasionally on Dempster and Dodge, has a large group of senior men who meet there most mornings for coffee. Hope this helps, Nancy

The roast, the brewing method, and the bean have a lot to do with caffeine content. In other words: you're not crazy.

And just for the sake of bookkeeping, Casteel Coffee of Evanston announced their closing on January 7, 2012.

See the Opening and Closings thread at this link: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=33696&start=30

kona, wishing i was there.

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I usually get light roast from the Coffee and Tea Exchange on Aldine & Broadway. It all changes, so right now I'm drinking Guatemalan. When they have Galapegos Islands I get it without fail. By the way they do have Kona or Jamaican on occasion, but you'd have to call in advance.

I picked up some Passion House Coffee at CityGrounds Coffee Bar at Lincoln and Dickens this morning. The coffee is a Rwandan single origin (Buf Cafe Red Bourbon) and is really good.

Passion House is a relatively new roaster with roasting works at Fulton and Damen. Not sure where else they retail besides CityGrounds (which also carries beans from Metropolis and Barismo, out of Arlington, MA), but worth seeking out if you can find them. Pricing (both at CityGrounds and online) seems to be comparable to Metropolis (i.e., fairly pricy, but not as expensive as Intelligentsia).

Passion House Coffee
www.passionhousecoffee.com

CityGrounds Coffee Bar
507 W Dickens Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
www.citygroundschicago.com

Hi- I was waiting for somebody to post about their experience with Passion House coffee. They sell this coffee at the indoor winters farmers market at the Evanston Ecology Center on McCormick Blvd. in Evanston, which takes place on Saturday mornings from 9:00am-1:00pm. I was curious if anybody felt the coffee was worth the price. I can't remember how much they charge there. It might have been around $9.00 for a half a pound, which is more than I can get Intelligensia for at Whole Foods. I know they charge $3 for a cup of coffee at the farmer's market, which I think is too much money. I asked if they had any free samples, and they said no. Well at least now I know that it is good coffee. Thanks, Nancy

Nancy -- I believe I paid $15 for a pound of the Passion House. Pricey, yes, but seems worth it to me. Intelligentsia seems to start around $12 for 12 ounces these days at most places (for the "regular" blends), going up from there (more for the single origins and specialty blends).

I drink the Costa Rican blend from World Market in Oakbrook.Good body and low acid. At 9.99 for 24oz. a real bargain.

We like Bustelo and La Llave for our espresso maker, but it was getting a bit pricey, so I started buying Trader Joe's coffee. So far I haven't found one I've liked - too acid, too burnt, too something. Any suggestions?

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I've been buying coffee online from George Howell's Terroir Roasters, Johnson Brothers and most recently, Kuma Coffee. I've thoroughly enjoyed the Mamuto from George Howell and the Pacamara Finca Tierra Fertil from Johnson Brothers. I just noticed a Kenya peaberry at Johnson Briothers which I will order next and report accordingly.

I bought three coffees from Kuma a few weeks ago. They were Elida from Panama, Nombre de Dios from El Salvador and Gethumbwini from Kenya. Each was at least very good but the Elida was something special. It had deeper berry flavors than I had previously experienced in any coffee.

All of these coffees are light to medium roasts, so if you are into dark roasts, these will be of no interest. Here are links to their virtual stores:

http://www.johnsonbrotherscoffee.com/order.htm
http://store.terroircoffee.com/coffees/
http://www.kumacoffee.com/collections/frontpage

The least expensive of these items is $14 for a 12 ounce bag (Pacamara) and the most costly is Mamuto (about $24 for 12 ounces if I remember correctly). Shipping is free at Kuma and Johnson Brothers and $6 at Terroir with a minimum purchase. If you are looking for inexpensive coffee, these will not be for you. If you are looking for a great cup of coffee at a very reasonable price, these might be of interest.

Suzy, have you tried some of the other Spanish expresso coffees? There is a number of them very comparable in quality and taste to Bustelo including Rico, Rico, Cafe Caribe, Cafe Puro and Pilon and they are cheaper than Bustelo. Armitage Produce has a good selection and usually inexpensive.

Armitage Produce
3334 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 486-8133

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned $2-off days at both Intelligentsia and Metropolis.

I usually visit Metropolis on Thursdays, when coffee is $2 off, and, as always, they offer a free small cup of brewed coffee with the purchase. My purchases usually average around $11.50-13 per pound. It's a less-good deal at Intelligentsia, which offers $2 off on Tuesdays. Their standard bag size is 12 oz. these days.

$2 off on a 12oz is a better deal than $2 off on a pound. But Metropolis and Intelligentsia both have great beans.

Just about through a $12 one-pound bag of Resistance coffee I got at the new worker-owned Comrade bike shop. Roasted by a "crazy anarchist guy." Pretty good stuff; no origin/roast info on the bag, just handmade radical collage art. I also used to get Daniel Tucker's MiscTreats beans which he roasted and delivered, once in a while. Usually I'll get a bag from Ipsento, which is expensive but good.

Almost finished with my first 1 lb bag of Southern Skies Single Estate El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas--full disclosure, this is the love project of a friend and her husband in Finksburg MD--but it's pretty delicious stuff so thought I'd share. Not cheap to order ($14/lb, shipping about $6) but considering the cost of a latte and that (along with my new coffee set up consisting of Capresso burr grinder and Chemex) I no longer need those much, I'm still way ahead. It's full bodied but completely smooth--if you're a coffee geek looking for something different, this is worth checking out.

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New Wave Coffee in Logan Square sells Metropolis for $12.50/lb so we grab that quite a bit.

We have REALLY liked everything we have gotten from Dark Matter. Really wish they were around when I lived over there.

And on some Tuesdays I'll walk to Intelligentsia to get the $2 off bags special and upgrade the free small coffee they give you to a large for $.75 or so.

My wife used to be the primary coffee drinker in the house and we'd primarily get the Seattle Mountain Blend at Costco. Ever since I got her a Technivorm for Xmas we have been splurging on higher quality beans. Has even gotten me into drinking more coffee.

And on a random note, I found the perfect travel coffee mug: Contigo 20oz West Loop. Stays hot for hours and won't leak AT ALL. I toss it in my bag in morning and never spill a drop. Drops to about $20 quite a bit. Also have a 16 oz version that we found a bit too small.

Between my wife and I we've gone through about 10 Contigo's in the past several years (they frequently sell multi-packs at Costco). After a few months, they invariably begin to leak around the mouth seal or where the lid joins the base. Admittedly, I cannot follow the manufacturer's instructions that recommend hand washing. It's just too much of a hassle, and I'm sure that directly contributes to the seals wearing out. I keep going back to them, because they work so well when they are new. But, until they develop a product that is actually dishwasher safe they will be far from perfect in my opinion.

i am still on a highlander grog kick

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http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.other.blends.php#3092

I used to go through a lb a month when I was in undergrad and didn't have access to free drip coffee.

My father before he passed away was thrilled with the Dunkin Donuts expansion into my area - that and finding their coffee at Costco before they expanded into our area.
Dad always claimed that he helped found the chain - and remained loyal to it.

I had a cuisinart grind & brew that I had to set up every night for him at his assisted living place with Dunkins.. (We moved him here when it got too difficult for him at home).

I however, rarely if ever drink coffee.

I beg to differ. Intelligentsia coffee starts at around $15 for 12 ounces, and Metropolis beans start at around $13.80 per 1 lb-bag (both prices are pre-discount). Metropolis offers better value.