Posted Mon May 26, 2008, 10:03pm Subject: source for beans - west LA
I am looking for a reliable source of beans for auto-drip (Technivorm) and occasional espresso blends. My life does not allow any time for special trips for anything, so any source has to be on my normal routes (i.e. to/from work via elementary and pre-schools!). This limits me to the following currently :
The Conservatory in C.C. - but I have never had a single batch from them that I really liked over many years
GroundWorks on Rose in Venice - I have tried them a few times and was not impressed. I found their house blend downright horrid actually
Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Petes - only Coffee Bean was tolerable, but you're lucky to find any packages less than two months old
Grafeo in Beverly Hills - I can occasionaly make a special trip up that way - I actually adore their coffee. Light is a perfect flavorful blend with super high caffeine, 1/2 and 1/2 (half dark, half light) is rich and mellow and their decaf is one of the best I know.
Mail Order - Grafeo is great for this, next day on your door. The Supreme Bean also seams workable, however I have only tried their coffees once with mixed results. I detested their decaf espresso blend, but found some of their single regions quite good (Oaxaca stands out in my mind). What other blends, origins are great from them?
Out of town mail order - I have ordered single origins from Intelli and Stumptown both of which I liked, but it was expensive, expensive to ship and quite a wait. Seems kind of impractical for a regular supply.
So LA folks, what have I missed? Any shops on the west side that carry Supreme Bean or other specialty roasters on the shelves?
You can get Vivace beans at Luxxe on Montana. Some Whole Foods used to roast in store (3rd and Fairfax did) when I lived there so maybe check Brentwood and Westwood locations.
Posted Wed May 28, 2008, 6:43pm Subject: Re: source for beans - west LA
Thanks for the tip mobley, West Coast is indeed quite close to me, I hope to hook up with Nate. I forgot about Whole Foods. They roast at the one close to me (Barrington) and their coffee was fine as I recall. I love the experience at Luxxe, but I am not a huge fan of Vivace if Luxxe's preparation is as good as it gets. Too burned for straight espresso imho, but that Synesso pulls an amazing all crema shot! Their caps are truly superb, best I have had.
I placed an order with Supreme Bean today and will give Groundworks another spin for the next batch as they are on my morning commute. I really want to avoid shipping fees on small batches.
Off topic: I saw someone mention Supreme Bean and where to get some. A previous post somewhere noted Silverlake Coffee House (on Silverlake Blvd) carries some Supreme Beans whole beans. This is the only place I've found to carry Supreme Bean, but I haven't looked all that hard either. (I think I remember Marshal saying the new drip coffee shop in downtown carries Supreme Bean Coffee). What I got from Silverlake Coffee House I liked = Organic Espresso Blend.
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