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Good grinders/coffee in North Jersey?

MJP

By MJP
in New Jersey: Dining

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Curlz

Curlz

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Not sure what Whole Foods you go to, but the one in Edgewater in particular as well as any other one I've bought coffee from has a sticker on the coffee bin or barrel that tells you when it was roasted.

Iirc, the Edgewater store has the big roaster right there in the middle of the coffee section--certainly not the case for the Montclair store! :laugh:

And I have to agree the Bluestone has some excellent coffee--but I've never purchased any--just drank it on site. Note to self : stop in and buy some to brew at home...thanks for that!

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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SusanGiff

SusanGiff

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The issue, with respect to coffee roasting, is when was the coffee roasted.  None of the coffees at Whole Foods gives you an idea of what day roasting occurred (yet... provides an expiry!).  Same for places like Bean's or Porto Rico.  Coffee deteriorates quickly after roasting...

Not sure what Whole Foods you go to, but the one in Edgewater in particular as well as any other one I've bought coffee from has a sticker on the coffee bin or barrel that tells you when it was roasted.

At the Montclair Whole Foods, the sticker on the bulk-bean bins tells you when they last FILLED it! Which of course tells you absolutely nothing, because they could have filled it this morning by pouring in a bunch of beans that were roasted weeks ago.

I've noticed that even Peet's, purchased in retail outlets as opposed to online, tells you how long the coffee's good, not when it was roasted; they used to have a roast date.

That's why I love ordering from little places online--my bag comes with my name pencilled on it and a roast date of a couple of days ago. Makes me feel special.

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richl2214

richl2214

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Exactly Susan. Once you get fresh roasted coffee from a small roasterie you'll never buy a bag o' beans at Whole Foods again.

"My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them." ~Winston Churchill

Morels- God's gift to the unworthy human species

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menton1

menton1

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The issue, with respect to coffee roasting, is when was the coffee roasted.  None of the coffees at Whole Foods gives you an idea of what day roasting occurred (yet... provides an expiry!).  Same for places like Bean's or Porto Rico.  Coffee deteriorates quickly after roasting...

For more on this subject - visit eG's coffee forum. 

As to N. NJ - I find the Bluestone Cafe (123 Watchung Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043) a capable roaster who's freshness you can taste.  I send away and pay the shipping once in a while, too...

Well, the thing I keep in mind with Porto Rico is that he sells about 10,000 lbs a week of coffee. It's hard to have stale coffee with that turnover. And the proof is in the pudding, I have never had a less-than-outstanding bag of coffee from there.

N.B. I think we forgot to mention another High Court of coffee in these parts, Zabar's.

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MJP

MJP

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Wow, talk about a response! Thank you for all the suggestions, everyone; it's going to be a lot of fun trying all these places.

I haven't browsed much of eG outside of the NJ forum, so I'll be sure to seek out the Coffee/Tea threads.

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside" -Mark Twain

"Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock 'n roll." -Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of The Legend of Zelda, circa 1990

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waves2ya

waves2ya

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I love good coffee - and do not home roast (I've a rant about that, too, in coffee forum), so started this thread there:

Master Roasters

However - I think finding roasters in Northern New Jersey is the best way to go. Good roasting is a difficult, artisanal and expensive equipment precise venture. Local folks who do it will get my business even if it means driving.

~waves

"When you look at the face of the bear, you see the monumental indifference of nature. . . . You see a half-disguised interest in just one thing: food."

Werner Herzog; NPR interview about his documentary "Grizzly Man"...

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SusanGiff

SusanGiff

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Wow, talk about a response!  Thank you for all the suggestions, everyone; it's going to be a lot of fun trying all these places. 

I haven't browsed much of eG outside of the NJ forum, so I'll be sure to seek out the Coffee/Tea threads.

I'd definitely recommend that. It's where I've gotten suggestions for places to order from far afield, and so far they've been right about every one. In fact, Food and Wine recently did a coffee piece and recommended a lot of the same places, so either they're really good, or F&W is also relying on eGullet. Not out of the realm of possibility.

Have fun!

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DrNuke

DrNuke

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I tried to stave off the morning caffeine craving by teas of all kinds.  That failed miserably, so I've finally given in to coffee.  The thing is that I need a coffee that's rich, heady, and strong.  I haven't had much luck with light roast coffee; the best I can get is a Sumatra Mandheling that we get at the office.  It's in pods, though, which is no help for my morning cup with breakfast. 

Shop-Rite coffee isn't strong enough for me.  I need a coffee that comes both in regular and decaf so I can do a half-decaf, otherwise I'll be way too hyper.  Where can I go in North Jersey to stock up on coffee that's ground fresh that I can freeze? 

Please don't say Starbucks; their blends usually have too much Columbian in them and that's got that acid aftertwinge that I'm not too big on.

Trader Joe's has Sumatran and Kenyan coffees (Arabica beans, naturally) which have less of an aftertaste than Columbian. You can experiment with using some of them along with decaf. Don't forget the burr grinder. :rolleyes:

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  • 4 weeks later...
Curlz

Curlz

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I just read about this place...

Moon Doggie Cafe (and Retro Espresso Cafe)

108 W. Pleasant Ave.

Maywood, NJ 07607

201-556-0111

Anyone know anything about it? If nothing else, their web site sure does make me smile! :smile:

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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waves2ya

waves2ya

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So - on the Whole Foods local roaster angle...

WF is now stocking Gorilla Coffee out of Bklyn (Park Slope) - great site explains most...

Packages are marked with a 'roasted on' date; roasts are in small batches; beans are fair trade; lbs are 16 oz, not 12 or 14; roast is between full city and French (deep roast).

Was a delicious cuppa this am - bodes well (bet other vendors get w/ it soon enuf)...

~waves

"When you look at the face of the bear, you see the monumental indifference of nature. . . . You see a half-disguised interest in just one thing: food."

Werner Herzog; NPR interview about his documentary "Grizzly Man"...

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