Best Coffee: Everyday -- AND Gourmet/Specialty (organic, donuts, breakfast)

[rdflk]

Recommendations, please.
I'm looking for coffee ideas for holiday gifts....specialty or gourmet if possible. But mostly GOOD.

A friend likes (loves) Dunkin Donuts coffee, so I COULD just get a few pounds of that. BUT I've done that before.

-- How about a Jamaican Blue Mountain Brand?
-- There a few monasteries who sell coffee.
-- I also got a catalog from a Wisconsin company named Seroogy's which does chocolates and a lot of coffee bean offerings.
-- Williams Sonoma has Bouchon Bakery coffee -- Medium-dark in the Viennese style roast coffee - Sumatra Golden Pawani is dominant, supported by African and Latin American coffee beans.

Your own suggestions or recommendations?

[Cdarocks]

Do you live near a specialty grocery store or a Fresh Market? I think FM has a selection of interesting coffees from smaller roasters, as well as their own brand of coffee. A lot of it is packaged attractively and would be perfect for a gift. I am not sure I can give you a recommendation on a specific bean for your gifts - my DH only buys espresso and I only drink organic SWP decaf.

Also, if there is a local coffee shop you enjoy I am sure you could buy beans there. We have a local roaster that has 4 or 5 coffee shops in the area and I pick up several gift cards a year to give as gifts.

[Cubanchic]

If you have an Aldi around you the breakfast blends taste as good as Newman's own. They also have specialty coffees that are very good at half the price elsewhere.

[rdflk]

I do have a Fresh Market I go to from time to time. Great idea.

I've been to Aldis. And to be honest I'd have to get over the 'discount' image I have of them. I sort of think of them as one step above Dollar Store food. I'm looking for something that can rival the Dunkin Donuts coffee my friend likes so much. Maybe the Aldis coffee is one of those things where you'd never think a store like that would have GREAT coffee. That's what I get for being snooty about my food shopping I guess. Who knew? Only the thousands who shop there

[burdell]

Maybe not fancy enough for gifting but I've been drinking Café du Monde coffee with chicory for years and like it a lot.

[rdflk]

I'm in the NJ-PA-DE-MD area.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Cubanchic

If you have an Aldi around you the breakfast blends taste as good as Newman's own. They also have specialty coffees that are very good at half the price elsewhere.

I would humbly disagree. I've yet to come across a whole bean coffee at Aldi that i felt was good. The Grandessa Signature ground coffee is relatively decent overall, but is no longer a good value, IMHO.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by rdflk

I'm in the NJ-PA-DE-MD area.

That's a big area, lol.

Here are some suggestions where to go to get something special, hopefully one is close:
Baltimore: Spro (Hampden neighborhood)
Annapolis: Ceremony
DC: Peregrine
Philly: Ultimo, Chestnut Hill, Town Hall (on Main Line)

I think the mod had a finger twitch and orphaned both my posts although only one pertained to the spammer that got deleted.

[elhelmete]

You could also get them a pour-over device or french press instead or in addition.

[rdflk]

Thanks sskink -- and all. I just have to decide whether to buy in person (going to the store) or ordering mail order.
And like I said since she love DD coffee and a LOT of people rave about that, I could just get that. I am leaning toward something different though...we'll see. I think I'll hit a couple of the stores mentioned and see what they have. I'll be near most of those areas between now and xmas.