Coffee - how do you drink it and why?

[Klondike]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

I bought a bag of Costco espresso beans sometime last year: it smelled to me a little like cat pee when I opened it. Returned it lol.

Notes of asparagus and meow mix

[supafamous]

There was a Reddit thread about what are the worst Kirkland products and the coffee beans came up quite a bit regardless of blend.

[bcrdukes]

I'm not defending it, but I'm curious what makes the Kirkland coffee so bad?

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I'm not defending it, but I'm curious what makes the Kirkland coffee so bad?

Seems like the beans are quite oily and the roasting too uneven and/or dark. I've only tried it once (can't recall which one) and I have a bag I'm about to open up (breakfast blend I think) - I don't recall disliking it but I'll pretty much drink any coffee now so don't trust my opinion on coffee.

Here's the thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/CostcoCanad...orst_products/

Top comment:

The Kirkland Signature logo t-shirts make it impossible to leave the house without being pursued by ladies like it's an early-2000's Axe commercial. I'm just trying to mow my lawn.

It's true, I feel like a slab of meat when I go outside wearing a Kirkland shirt and the shirt doesn't even say I'm an Executive member.

[bcrdukes]

Oily is a result of the roast level itself, and particular to espresso blends. This is more of a traditional coffee or espresso roast where the bean goes through various roasting stages, or cracks. I won't go into the science behind it, but because Kirkland contracts out their coffee roasting to Starbucks, the roast level is normal, and is expected. There is nothing particularly "bad" with oily beans.

More medium or house/breakfast roasts are not as dark. They tend to be on the more neutral side of flavour and favourable by the general population, in particular, North Americans.

The complaints in the thread are generally of not figuring out their water to coffee brewing ratios etc. It's easy to throw the product under the bus for those who won't even try. I'm not advocating that Costco coffee is the bees knees, but it's also not fair that a group of keyboard warriors are spreading misinformation because they simply are uninformed. I agree that Kirkland or Starbucks coffee isn't for everyone. There are always alternatives available to ones liking.

Re: Kirkland t-shirt - I see why Badhobz wife decided to get landscaping services instead of him mowing the lawn.

[6thGear.]

Originally Posted by supafamous

There was a Reddit thread about what are the worst Kirkland products and the coffee beans came up quite a bit regardless of blend.

You can add the cold brew in a can to that list. It was so bad, made me want to throw up and not a lot of things makes me throw up.

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Oily is a result of the roast level itself, and particular to espresso blends. This is more of a traditional coffee or espresso roast where the bean goes through various roasting stages, or cracks. I won't go into the science behind it, but because Kirkland contracts out their coffee roasting to Starbucks, the roast level is normal, and is expected. There is nothing particularly "bad" with oily beans.

More medium or house/breakfast roasts are not as dark. They tend to be on the more neutral side of flavour and favourable by the general population, in particular, North Americans.

The complaints in the thread are generally of not figuring out their water to coffee brewing ratios etc. It's easy to throw the product under the bus for those who won't even try. I'm not advocating that Costco coffee is the bees knees, but it's also not fair that a group of keyboard warriors are spreading misinformation because they simply are uninformed. I agree that Kirkland or Starbucks coffee isn't for everyone. There are always alternatives available to ones liking.

Re: Kirkland t-shirt - I see why Badhobz wife decided to get landscaping services instead of him mowing the lawn.

Any link to it actually being roasted by Starbucks?

[bcrdukes]

There is no official link or post about it being roasted by Starbucks, but there are a lot of media outlets have have confirmed it (I use this term very loosely.) If you pay attention to the roasting consistency, and similarities to Starbucks roasts, they are near identical.

Having said that, regardless of who roasts for them, could be Folgers, Nestle Foods, Mother Parkers, or what have you, Kirkland brand decided this was the product they wanted and as such, the roaster will roast to their specifications. White label roasting is not new in the coffee world. You have only so many roasting facilities that can pump out this level of production to a major supplier like Costco, and Starbucks is likely one of them. There could be others, I'm sure.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

There is no official link or post about it being roasted by Starbucks, but there are a lot of media outlets have have confirmed it (I use this term very loosely.) If you pay attention to the roasting consistency, and similarities to Starbucks roasts, they are near identical.

Having said that, regardless of who roasts for them, could be Folgers, Nestle Foods, Mother Parkers, or what have you, Kirkland brand decided this was the product they wanted and as such, the roaster will roast to their specifications. White label roasting is not new in the coffee world. You have only so many roasting facilities that can pump out this level of production to a major supplier like Costco, and Starbucks is likely one of them. There could be others, I'm sure.

I think on and off you'll see the "Roasted by Starbucks" on some of the packages as well - I could have sworn the current run has that on them but I don't have it in front of me. I've also heard that they may have switched to have Seattle's Best do it (which is a sub of Starbucks).

[bcrdukes]

Ditto. That's exactly it. The packaging will show, or it's sub-contracted out to their subsidiary, Seattle's Best.

If coffee history has taught me anything, the style of roast is very Seattle/West Coast style. Every sip of coffee you drink from Starbucks should remind you of the cabin in the woods, or when you trip on a tree branch and eat dirt.

Okay, enough of my coffee BS. Just find what you like and enjoy it, and don't turn your home office into a mini Starbucks.

[EvoFire]

Roasted by Starbucks might make me feel like the espresso is worth a try, but I hate regular Starbucks beans, they taste so bad.

[Hondaracer]

Unless you’re pounding through 5 lb of beans a month don’t know why you’d be buying Costco anyways

The amazing options locally are plentiful

I also feel like there is a bit of value in beans from places like Moja etc. where you get a free drink because even though the beans are $20, an iced latte is still $5+

[bcrdukes]

The 5lb bag is a real turn off. I can't imagine a normal person blowing through 5lbs in a short amount of time, unless you have a big family who all drink coffee regularly.

EvoFire - I cannot recommend it if you don't like their beans as-is. This will make you dislike it more.

Joking aside - Their medium / house roast is supposed to be okay? I don't find that it's roasted as dark as the espresso roast. I normally prefer traditional Italian or West Coast-style roasts, but the Kirkland brand espresso roast is even too much for me to handle.

[Razor Ramon HG]

https://agroroasters.com/products/eq...39838716133491

This has been my go to for the last 2-3 years.

$80 for a 5 pound shipped to my door next day. Tastes great for milk based espresso.

I just split each bag into a pound and vacuum seal.

[hud 91gt]

If I’m buying locally roasted. I want fresh beans. Which in the day of the life 2 babies, is 4 more trips a month that I don’t need to take. Costco it is. Lol

[Badhobz]

Next time we have a meat I’m gonna give you all packets of instant trung Nguyen coffee. Yall shut the hell up about your bean obsession and taste my brown instead !!!

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by hud 91gt

If I’m buying locally roasted. I want fresh beans. Which in the day of the life 2 babies, is 4 more trips a month that I don’t need to take. Costco it is. Lol

You can get free deliveries from Pallet - $35 gets you free shipping. That's two regular bags or one bigger one.

[Hehe]

We don't really have it here other than maybe the Kicking Horse beans.

US Costcos would usually carry local roasters beans and I find them to be quick decent. The Portland Roadster's house coffee is as good as it gets for the price.

Other than those, Costco beans are something I avoid. They are just not good coffee if you are serious into coffee.

Agro is pretty good. They don't really do like discount every few month or so. Just one single price throughout the year. And their single origins are really good if you like coffee with sweeter or fruity flavours.

[EvoFire]

This is tempting, posted on the local costco group, but I still got lots of beans.

[bcrdukes]

Say no. Do not buy. Not bcrdukes approved.

Terrible coffee (but you guys might like it.)

[Hehe]

Second that. No bueno.

At least for espresso

[bcrdukes]

It's meant to be a drip. It's especially worse for espresso. The roaster is from Vancouver Island, and I tried it while I was visiting a few months back.

It's a weird one because Ethiopian coffees tend to be on the bright, juicy side. But they dark roasted it, so it has a weird burnt fruit sort of flavour when brewed.

But for $18.99, and if you can't tell the difference, give it a go. And if it's so bad, pull a Badhobz and return it. Because Costco.

[EvoFire]

Ok great so that's a no then. Saved me $20 you guys

[bcrdukes]

You should try it anyway.

[Badhobz]

Throw it on the counter. Make sure beans go flying everywhere and demand your satisfaction!!!

Lousy beans…. Heads

[unit]

when it comes to grocery store coffee go as light as you can, it'll still be twice as dark as what you want.