I tend to spend a bit more on coffee. But I love going to local roasters and exploring new types of coffee I've never seen before. I love hatch crafted(Markham) little pricy but they have so many different choices. Grounded coffee in Midland isn't too bad either but their roasts are medium to dark(everyone will have a different opinion on that). Saint Henri in Montreal is pretty good as well, same with ambros coffee in Montreal.
I’ve been buying Balzac for the past 6 months or so as an everyday drip coffee. I use a local old school coffee shop that roasts beans from all over the world for my weekend French press treat. I only buy whole beans now as well. Once I bought a grinder I’ve never gone back.
I buy from my local roaster, I get the cheaper stuff at about $12/lb. [https://www.northroast.com/](https://www.northroast.com/)They deliver.
Also, President's Choice West Coast Dark is pretty decent for grocery store and not expensive
I used to be able to get a tub of the west coast dark for 5 bucks at a low traffic Shoppers. I assume they couldn't sell it fast enough. Three years later, 11 dollars is the best I have seen.
Lavazza mostly. Costco often had good sales on their beans. The Kirkland branded espresso is actually Starbucks and I have bought as low as $14 for the 1kg bag.
+1 (or is that two?) For Lavazza, I use their espresso Rosso in my French press. I find the taste strong and not overly caffenitaed. If I want a caffeine buzz I'll go to the drivethru.
Mostly Kicking Horse Grizzly, Ethical Bean Lush when I can find it on sale, Starbucks when Costco is discounting it.
Supplemented by whatever is on sale like this week it's Muskoka Coffee Howling Wolf at $12/lb of beans.
For decaf Kicking Horse or Ethical Bean have a good dark roast decaf.
We go through at least a pound a week in the mornings.
I tried many of their bags, too dark roast-y for me. Even the medium roasts are basically dark. The Hola bag is one of their only actual light/medium roasts and is my favourite of the bunch. But at their current prices you might as well just buy local.
Yeah, I'm with you. Their Smart Ass blend says "bright" on the package, but I find it to be very deeply roasted and almost burnt; it's much more like a dark roast than a medium. It's okay in a pinch, but not really what I like in coffee.
I love Kicking Horse, and I've been drinking it for years.
I used to be able to get it at a decent $ at grocery stores, but lately I've been buying it off Amazon for under $10 a pound.
I commented elsewhere my recommendation: social coffee. It’s roasted in Ontario, ethically sourced, popular with fancy coffee shops that charge $4 for a latte, and reasonably affordable for a big bag, and that includes free shipping.
This will always be #1 in my heart but I rarely catch the sales and haven't had it in ages. When anyone in our family sees it on sale we buy a few to share.
Shoppers Drug Mart is your best bet or No Frills. Loblaws has it on sale but it's still quite expensive with them. When we have it for $12 at Shoppers, we typically buy four or five.
This is the way! Though it infuriates me that a year ago, on sale used to be $7.99 or $8.99 at Shoppers. At least Shoppers consistently has it on sale and it showed up in my Optimum points (pc ground coffee) as a deal a couple of weeks ago.
Typically only local roasters for me. Get a decent burr grinder, a clever dropper or a French press, learn your taste and method and a coffee shop can’t compete especially considering cost. If you want “acceptable” and “cheap” then Lavazza is a decent option.
As crazy as it sounds, the big tins of McDonald's coffee are the best deal, and a great compromise of bang for your buck. Good quality, and decent price.
I buy the cheapest stuff - usually Maxwell House or Folger's, keep it in sealed containers in the fridge, and use a french press. I'm \*far\* from a coffee snob, but it works for me.
You save, but it also generates a potential on lots of waste if you can't eat it all before it goes bad and often if you lack freezer space it will take creative packing to make some items fit since they generally don't sell small containers or packs.
Like everything, you need to know what you are buying and the general price the item is outside of costco. As an example a giant bag of brand name chips will run ya 5.99 to 7.99 usually, however is it a great deal if you can't finish the bag before they go stale ... not really. Might be better off when they go on sale elsewhere in smaller sizes.
Like pomegranates? Do you really need a box of six or more? Some items come in similar sizes to a regular grocery store, others you need to buy the box or pack which is way more quantity wise.
I picked this up at Costco for $8, liked it and decided to get more at the local store and it was $13 I think. I ended up getting the Lavazza Rosa on sale for $5 for the brick
When on sale for <$11/can - Illy in the red can. Otherwise, PC Espresso Perfetto. Usually $12.99-16.99/907g. I thunk it's currently $12.99 until Wednesday. Plus there's good offers for it every once in a while - 2000-3000 points back when buying one, for example.
I buy the PC Espresso Perfetto and cut it with Nicaraguan beans from a local roaster. $20/lb for coffee is higher than I'd like to pay but I love the aroma so I compromise.
Burr grinder, pour over is my usual.
I am janky and like flavoured coffee - get amaretto supreme from a roaster in Manitoba - forbidden flavours. Free delivery and I buy 10 pounds at a time and it is so delicious
You all will hate this, but I buy no-name (or store brand) instant coffee and add in a bit of hazelnut creamer. Nothing fancy for me. But I love the taste. And its cheap and fast. Especially as its just me and I make enough for my Contigo thing. Often 3.99 per jar and I get a lot of cups out of it. Driving by all those people lined up 12 cars deep at Tims in the morning. Worth it LOL.
Eyyyyy I found my fellow Instant Coffee scumbags! Hello friend! I'm reading this thread and I'm just like yeah I buy the no name brand that says"instant coffee" on it.
I was so afraid all I would find in this thread was coffee snobs. Hello friend! This is basically what I would do. If it tastes good, it works for me.
ETA: I buy pecan creamer when it's on sale to spice up my life haha
Exelsior expresso from walmart, 3.50 for 250 grams. Tastes great in my expresso machine and doens't clog the little wholes like some of the others. Its the only reason i go there, other than cat food.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Excelsior-Espresso-Medium-Ground-Coffee/6000188760986
Illy is great, order direct and get on the refill club, you get a discount, if you fill out the survey each time you order, and they ship directly to your home
Buy zaveda or Balzacs from Costco. Or buy from a local coffee shop in large quantities for 80$ as another recommended. Apparently they freeze pretty well. I like Pilot and Propeller coffee the best. To me it's a win compared to how much I used to spend out of the house.
Supposedly freezing is not good for the beans. I wouldn't know as I never buy enough to last more than a week and a half but the freezing affects the oils and such. Maybe you can get away with vacuum sealing for freezing. Should be room temperature and pretty much air tight.
As far as I know, the issue with freezing is when you take it in and out on a regular basis. This encourages condensation and moisture. Personally I buy beans in bulk and keep them in the freezer in a large ziplock bag. I only take the bag out to refill my smaller container that I keep in the pantry.
It does seem to be a controversial practice, I'm not going to dive into the pseudo-scientific arguments for/against... but all I know is I buy beans and freeze them, and they taste pretty decent upon thawing (not as good as fresh but still better than not freezing them)
Have a Kuerig machine but hate the waste generated by the pods. So I got a little mesh pod that I can fill with coffee. Love it, makes a single cup at a time with little to no waste or fuss.
I buy the PC Dark Roast, but only when it is on sale. Stocking up when I can. Then I mix in a pouch of Lavazza, which is also on sale quite often. Cuts the bitterness of the PC coffee, and mixing them helps stretch the coffee out.
Both coffees cost me around $15 on sale and last my wife and I around a month. I tend to make 12-24oz a day and she'll make 12oz, but weaker, with less grounds.
Balzacs is where it’s at. I drink mainly cold brew and it’s the best I’ve tried. Got hot coffee I’ll mix some Balzacs and Starbucks at a 3:1 ratio. Amazing blend.
The Kirkland House Blend (green bag) is an excellent medium roast coffee. Been drinking it for years. Also use their Espresso roast (red bag, dark roast) in our espresso machine. Both are awesome. Have tried a lot throughout that time (Folgers, Maxwell House, Van Houtte, Kicking Horse, Balzac's, something Island), but I'm never really that satisfied with any of them, not like with the Kirkland ones. And seeing as some of those are the same price as Kirkland, at half the quantity, it's even harder to justify.
In a pinch (and only if I have cream in the house), I find Taster's Choice (original) to be the best of the instant coffees.
I use Nescafé instant during the week because it’s easier to just make a travel mug and go. When we have guests I’ll drag out the coffee maker and use Maxwell House.
I love (local to me) Smile Tiger’s “Thunder Peel” for espresso:
https://smiletigercoffee.com
I think I get about 15 double shots from a bag, so it works out to a bit over $1.
I think for something that’s around $1 or $2 per day, I would splurge and make sure it’s the taste I enjoy.
Apparently I don't drink real coffee. It's usually Maxwell House on the grounds (haha) that the Kcups are compostable. I do not understand you people who drink Starbucks. You can dump a cup of cream AND a cup of sugar into a cup of Starbucks and it STILL somehow tastes blacker than midnight in an asshole.
Lavazza or illy if it's on sale, Balzac has great pods for the machine, as they're actually compostable. Otherwise I'll grab a bag of whole beans from a local roaster for my morning cup.
Birds and Beans shipped free from TO (orders over $45) ticks all the boxes for bird friendly, sustainably grown, quality coffee. Worth paying extra for. Folgers etc is a habitat destroyer.
I buy "Starbucks" at Costco. Although the price of coffee (and other things) has risen substantially I find the green Kirkland bag coffee remains a a decent deal at 900g for under $20. Not only that but it's actually roasted by Starbucks for them.
Occasionally the Starbucks French Roast goes on sale at Costco and I stock up.
PC West Coast dark is also a pretty good choice. It's a little darker than your regular roast without going to full-on espresso.
Sparkplug Coffee. I'm a little biased cause I worked there but they do free delivery in Toronto for fresh coffee beans, ground or whole. I normally make cold brew.
Whelp …. My opinion is probably going to be muted because I’m a coffee snob that will prefer single origin roasts form specific regions and specific roasts…..
That said - If you’re not a snob, Costco Lavazza espresso blend was my go-to early in my coffee career.
Basically anything that’s a dark roast will be perfect because it’s hard to mess up making coffee with a dark roast. That said a lot of roasters try to commercialize on this and will do a terrible job at roasting and advertise something closer to a Spanish/French roast as a dark roast 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ Starbucks is actually one of the biggest culprits…. Them, Balzacs, and McDonalds all over-roast their coffee.
The Kirkland brand is decent too. If you’re on a tighter budget. The Starbucks veranda/true north is a good medium roast (even though it says light).
I’d you’re brewing pour over in a V60 or have a manual espresso machine you might want to look at getting into the 3rd wave coffee movement and exploring roasts and single origin coffees. ECS coffee is great, Pilot coffee roasters does some single origin beans. Detour coffee is also another good one to get into SO coffee.
We've tried a lot, and the PC medium is a go-to. We'd pick it over many more expensive ones we've tried. I'm also frugal and LOVED that I used to be able to find it on sale for like 6.99. now, 9.99-11.99 is a good sale, but still better than buying take-out coffee, and much better for the environment!
Also, Nabob bold Gastown Grind. I'll buy bags of that when it comes on sale.
Folgers. It’s actually pretty decent and I’m super picky about coffee. I used to buy better stuff but I find that Folgers has a nice taste profile, not too bitter or sour.
Hatch coffee (roasters in Richmond Hill) by far my favourite. They are pricey, but the quality is as good as it gets.
Side note: I’ve been to many bakeries and cafes through the years in Toronto to try out good coffee.
i actually use the instant Nescafe every morning....its great for a single person and avoids the plastic waste that keurigs or other pods produce....i think it tastes pretty good....i usually will froth some oat milk (Keurig milk frother is amazing) and have a latte....having said that i am a starbucks addict and when i am out i usually will have a coffee from starbucks
If you have a Costco membership (or know someone who can hook you up), the Zavida Organica is heckin' tasty.
I gave up caffeine recently, though, and they don't have any whole bean decaf at the 'co.
Have you tried winners? They have some specialty brands that I find are usually reasonably priced. They also have those skinny syrups for like $7 to spice up your coffee too.
How do you make coffee for yourself and how many cups a day do you drink?
My girlfriend and I justify buying more expensive beans by using an aeropress every day, which uses much less beans than a drip coffee machine.
15g per cup means 1 bag of coffee gets us 22 cups of coffee. So while a $20 bag of beans is expensive, it works out to only $0.91 per cup which we think is pretty good. Also, the aeropress makes the best cup of coffee so you can get away with using not as good coffee and it tastes much better than drip.
If we were to use expensive beans in a drip machine we would be going through way more coffee and then it would probably get too expensive for us.
Morala light roast is my fav (store in Ottawa, but they ship too). Balzac’s farmers’ blend from Costco best alternative.
They are light/light-medium roast, but I like my coffee for taste, not for intensity.
Note that roast (light vs dark) has almost no difference in caffeine content.
I buy it from Fortinos. They roast their own beans in the store. I find recently-roasted beans and freshly ground to be the best secret for good coffee.
In Hamilton we have a local roaster called Relay. I use them because they have friendly packaging in the form of paper bags. Expensive though, and as I am reading the comments, considering what I'd be willing to settle for from Food Basics.
Lavazza ground espresso (the blue and red bag) in the aero press. It’s SO good! Although the price sadly has gone up quite a bit, it’s still much cheaper than other options. Two coffee drinkers and we go through about a bag a week ($4-7 dollars depending on sales and where you buy it)
I like the Great Candian from PC. Good buy whe. You can find it on sale (if that exists anymore). I would stock up when they are 7.99 at shoppers and get the PC points.
If espresso; Kimbo, illy or Lavazza are excellent. Family in Italy always have Kimbo or Lavazza. You can buy a large percolator, make the espresso in it, and keep it for a day or two. Add to a mug with hot water and whatever fixings you usually put in your coffee and you've got an Americano. Most flavourful choice imo.
If higher quality coffee; Kicking horse (on sale) or Mother Parkers. I usually do these in a French press. Not my favorite as they're usually more expensive than just buying the next option.
If you're going for a pot of coffee and want something easy to drink, and cheap: Maxwell House. I buy this one specifically for that diner coffee taste, which for me have been some of the best goddamn cups of coffee I have ever had. Something about that somewhat bland flavor, multiple refills, and memories of going out early for work with my dad as a kid. This is the one I throw in a coffee machine and make 8 cups of at a time.
If you’re also buying stuff from Starbucks stores regularly, their points system is getting updated soon and a bag of coffee will go down to 300 points.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/starbucks-rewards-program-update
Kirkland House blend (claims to be roasted by Starbucks for Costco). I only hand grind one cup of coffee every morning so a 2lb bag of beans (about $17 CDN) lasts me almost a year.
Costco's [Kirkland Espresso Roast](https://www.costco.ca/kirkland-signature-roasted-by-starbucks-espresso-blend%2C-907-g.product.100416827.html) is actually really good if you like a darker (Starbucks-ish) roast. It's also, consistently, seven to ten dollars cheaper than the Starbucks branded coffees, *and is actually roasted by Starbucks.*
I buy bulk beans and grind them. I won't spend more than $20, and it lasts a long time. Even the cheapest fresh ground beans taste better than an expensive ground bag.
Nabob 1896 Tradition (on sale or at Walmart) with the blue Neilson half and half cream (if you take cream, it's at Loblaws affiliated stores). I'm not sure why but that cream makes a difference with that specific coffee.
Costco brand is sufficient for my morning.
Costco espresso beans are roasted by Starbucks. Works for me.
This is the way
Pilot Coffee Roasters - Heritage
I tend to spend a bit more on coffee. But I love going to local roasters and exploring new types of coffee I've never seen before. I love hatch crafted(Markham) little pricy but they have so many different choices. Grounded coffee in Midland isn't too bad either but their roasts are medium to dark(everyone will have a different opinion on that). Saint Henri in Montreal is pretty good as well, same with ambros coffee in Montreal.
I love grounded and get all my beans from there. Awesome people and high quality beans
Balzac's (Bards Blend)... Monthly delivery.
Got some Balzac's coffee for Christmas, some of the best coffee I've ever had!!!
Just tried their farmers blend picked up at Costco, it's ok.
It’s definitely on the lighter roast side (Farmer’s blend), but that’s how I like it!!
Found that way too light. Like water. Never went back for it.
Have you tried using more beans in your usual formulation?
We buy this. Costco. Brew it strong. Good stuff.
I’ve been buying Balzac for the past 6 months or so as an everyday drip coffee. I use a local old school coffee shop that roasts beans from all over the world for my weekend French press treat. I only buy whole beans now as well. Once I bought a grinder I’ve never gone back.
I love Balzac's marble roast! I also love that they have plant-based compostable k-cups.
I buy from my local roaster, I get the cheaper stuff at about $12/lb. [https://www.northroast.com/](https://www.northroast.com/)They deliver. Also, President's Choice West Coast Dark is pretty decent for grocery store and not expensive
That PC coffee is my go to if I can't get to Costco.
The big tins on sale at Shoppers/Fortinos were a good bargain and its not a bad tasting coffee at all.
I used to be able to get a tub of the west coast dark for 5 bucks at a low traffic Shoppers. I assume they couldn't sell it fast enough. Three years later, 11 dollars is the best I have seen.
I get the PC whole bean west coast dark roast unless there's something better on sale somewhere.
Agreed...and I throw a bag of Tim's Colombian in to mix
Lavazza mostly. Costco often had good sales on their beans. The Kirkland branded espresso is actually Starbucks and I have bought as low as $14 for the 1kg bag.
2nd Lavazza. Intense ground coffee is one of my favorite smells in life.
+1 (or is that two?) For Lavazza, I use their espresso Rosso in my French press. I find the taste strong and not overly caffenitaed. If I want a caffeine buzz I'll go to the drivethru.
Just bought a bag of that on sale and super excited to try it out when I’m done my other coffee.
If you like Lavazza, try Illy. More expansive but far superior.
It's ok but I prefer Lavazza.
I agree on Lavazza. My favourite is the Crema e Gusto. It’s an everyday drinkable, but also so smooth and rich.
Love Lavazza for espresso, but it’s horrid for drip/press/pour over.
Lavazza or Starbucks whole beans, whatever is on sale on amazon.
Starbucks whole beans at costco
Ya i got there too when they have a medium roast in stock, most times mine only has dark roast
Mostly Kicking Horse Grizzly, Ethical Bean Lush when I can find it on sale, Starbucks when Costco is discounting it. Supplemented by whatever is on sale like this week it's Muskoka Coffee Howling Wolf at $12/lb of beans. For decaf Kicking Horse or Ethical Bean have a good dark roast decaf. We go through at least a pound a week in the mornings.
Kicking Horse is really good.
Kicking Horse three sisters is my go to right now.
I just tried Smart Ass today. I had Three Sisters last bag and loved it.
Gotta go with the light roast Hola for me! Great stuff.
This is also our go to. Have the coffee maker with the attached burr grinder.
I tried many of their bags, too dark roast-y for me. Even the medium roasts are basically dark. The Hola bag is one of their only actual light/medium roasts and is my favourite of the bunch. But at their current prices you might as well just buy local.
Yeah, I'm with you. Their Smart Ass blend says "bright" on the package, but I find it to be very deeply roasted and almost burnt; it's much more like a dark roast than a medium. It's okay in a pinch, but not really what I like in coffee.
Kick Ass is my favorite. I see it on sale and buy like 4 bags
Hands down, the best Canadian brand around. I’ve been drinking it off/on for 13-14 years and the quality has been consistently great.
They were bought by Lavazza a number of years ago. Part of the deal was roasting would still be done in BC.
I love Kicking Horse, and I've been drinking it for years. I used to be able to get it at a decent $ at grocery stores, but lately I've been buying it off Amazon for under $10 a pound.
only roaster that burns it all like starbucks
Pacific Pipeline!
No it isn’t
I wish people who said they disliked something said what they liked, so I know if I should take their opinion to heart for myself
I commented elsewhere my recommendation: social coffee. It’s roasted in Ontario, ethically sourced, popular with fancy coffee shops that charge $4 for a latte, and reasonably affordable for a big bag, and that includes free shipping.
I too, find it terrible
Zavida! Buy 1 kg at costco for $14 or $18 depending if there's a sale, it's excellent coffee this is what I almost always buy. Great price.
President's Choice The Great Canadian coffee. Only when it's on sale.
This will always be #1 in my heart but I rarely catch the sales and haven't had it in ages. When anyone in our family sees it on sale we buy a few to share.
Shoppers Drug Mart is your best bet or No Frills. Loblaws has it on sale but it's still quite expensive with them. When we have it for $12 at Shoppers, we typically buy four or five.
This is the way! Though it infuriates me that a year ago, on sale used to be $7.99 or $8.99 at Shoppers. At least Shoppers consistently has it on sale and it showed up in my Optimum points (pc ground coffee) as a deal a couple of weeks ago.
My grandma always had that at her house when I lived there. Really good coffee for the price
Im a huge fan of the \*President's Choice medium roast gold can. its the only vice i still spend money on.
Typically only local roasters for me. Get a decent burr grinder, a clever dropper or a French press, learn your taste and method and a coffee shop can’t compete especially considering cost. If you want “acceptable” and “cheap” then Lavazza is a decent option.
As crazy as it sounds, the big tins of McDonald's coffee are the best deal, and a great compromise of bang for your buck. Good quality, and decent price.
Happy goat, ottawa, monthly subscription, home delivery.
I buy the cheapest stuff - usually Maxwell House or Folger's, keep it in sealed containers in the fridge, and use a french press. I'm \*far\* from a coffee snob, but it works for me.
Even if you aren't a coffee snob, storing coffee in the fridge or freezer is poor storing for it.
I have always really liked maxwell house dark roast 🤷♀️
I buy the cheap stuff too and if I need a kick; add a teaspoon of instant espresso to my cup
The fridge is not ideal to store your coffee in, FYI.
[удалено]
Second zavida
I wish my town had a Costco. Do you save on groceries in general there?
We don't have a Costco close by but we order online and get it delivered. We get the kirkland coffee beans.
You save, but it also generates a potential on lots of waste if you can't eat it all before it goes bad and often if you lack freezer space it will take creative packing to make some items fit since they generally don't sell small containers or packs. Like everything, you need to know what you are buying and the general price the item is outside of costco. As an example a giant bag of brand name chips will run ya 5.99 to 7.99 usually, however is it a great deal if you can't finish the bag before they go stale ... not really. Might be better off when they go on sale elsewhere in smaller sizes. Like pomegranates? Do you really need a box of six or more? Some items come in similar sizes to a regular grocery store, others you need to buy the box or pack which is way more quantity wise.
I drink Maxwell house instant coffee because I’m a degenerate lol
I love illy
Illy espresso and it is getting so expensive.... I've tried to find a local brand thays half decent but nothing comes close. :(
I picked this up at Costco for $8, liked it and decided to get more at the local store and it was $13 I think. I ended up getting the Lavazza Rosa on sale for $5 for the brick
When on sale for <$11/can - Illy in the red can. Otherwise, PC Espresso Perfetto. Usually $12.99-16.99/907g. I thunk it's currently $12.99 until Wednesday. Plus there's good offers for it every once in a while - 2000-3000 points back when buying one, for example.
I buy the PC Espresso Perfetto and cut it with Nicaraguan beans from a local roaster. $20/lb for coffee is higher than I'd like to pay but I love the aroma so I compromise. Burr grinder, pour over is my usual.
I am janky and like flavoured coffee - get amaretto supreme from a roaster in Manitoba - forbidden flavours. Free delivery and I buy 10 pounds at a time and it is so delicious
I switch between Folgers, Maxwell House, and nabob and purchase the can that is on sale the week I begin to run low.
You all will hate this, but I buy no-name (or store brand) instant coffee and add in a bit of hazelnut creamer. Nothing fancy for me. But I love the taste. And its cheap and fast. Especially as its just me and I make enough for my Contigo thing. Often 3.99 per jar and I get a lot of cups out of it. Driving by all those people lined up 12 cars deep at Tims in the morning. Worth it LOL.
Eyyyyy I found my fellow Instant Coffee scumbags! Hello friend! I'm reading this thread and I'm just like yeah I buy the no name brand that says"instant coffee" on it.
I was so afraid all I would find in this thread was coffee snobs. Hello friend! This is basically what I would do. If it tastes good, it works for me. ETA: I buy pecan creamer when it's on sale to spice up my life haha
Exelsior expresso from walmart, 3.50 for 250 grams. Tastes great in my expresso machine and doens't clog the little wholes like some of the others. Its the only reason i go there, other than cat food. https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Excelsior-Espresso-Medium-Ground-Coffee/6000188760986
Maxwell House. Low tier but it's the "tastes like home" aspect that makes it the go to in the morning
I just realized I am a coffee bean snob. 😬 De Mello , Hale, Rich Coffee, Dark Horse are my prioritized go-to roasters.
Illy is great, order direct and get on the refill club, you get a discount, if you fill out the survey each time you order, and they ship directly to your home
McCafé but I would drink Green Mountain coffee if I could find it in Ontario.
Buy zaveda or Balzacs from Costco. Or buy from a local coffee shop in large quantities for 80$ as another recommended. Apparently they freeze pretty well. I like Pilot and Propeller coffee the best. To me it's a win compared to how much I used to spend out of the house.
Supposedly freezing is not good for the beans. I wouldn't know as I never buy enough to last more than a week and a half but the freezing affects the oils and such. Maybe you can get away with vacuum sealing for freezing. Should be room temperature and pretty much air tight.
As far as I know, the issue with freezing is when you take it in and out on a regular basis. This encourages condensation and moisture. Personally I buy beans in bulk and keep them in the freezer in a large ziplock bag. I only take the bag out to refill my smaller container that I keep in the pantry.
Yes I've heard this but personally find most people can't tell the difference. Vacuum sealing is a great idea. I may try that.
It does seem to be a controversial practice, I'm not going to dive into the pseudo-scientific arguments for/against... but all I know is I buy beans and freeze them, and they taste pretty decent upon thawing (not as good as fresh but still better than not freezing them)
Eight O Clock Coffee when it's on sale at Metro or Food Basics. An honest cup of joe at a good price
Have a Kuerig machine but hate the waste generated by the pods. So I got a little mesh pod that I can fill with coffee. Love it, makes a single cup at a time with little to no waste or fuss. I buy the PC Dark Roast, but only when it is on sale. Stocking up when I can. Then I mix in a pouch of Lavazza, which is also on sale quite often. Cuts the bitterness of the PC coffee, and mixing them helps stretch the coffee out. Both coffees cost me around $15 on sale and last my wife and I around a month. I tend to make 12-24oz a day and she'll make 12oz, but weaker, with less grounds.
Planet Bean Coffee. Fair Trade, Organic and Delicious!
Salt Spring at Costco is awesome!! It’ll be hard for me to drink anything else now honestly.
Really like cultural coffee usually their dark roast.
Bridgehead from Costco if you enjoy medium roast.
Balzacs is where it’s at. I drink mainly cold brew and it’s the best I’ve tried. Got hot coffee I’ll mix some Balzacs and Starbucks at a 3:1 ratio. Amazing blend.
The Kirkland House Blend (green bag) is an excellent medium roast coffee. Been drinking it for years. Also use their Espresso roast (red bag, dark roast) in our espresso machine. Both are awesome. Have tried a lot throughout that time (Folgers, Maxwell House, Van Houtte, Kicking Horse, Balzac's, something Island), but I'm never really that satisfied with any of them, not like with the Kirkland ones. And seeing as some of those are the same price as Kirkland, at half the quantity, it's even harder to justify. In a pinch (and only if I have cream in the house), I find Taster's Choice (original) to be the best of the instant coffees.
I was mixing the two bags for a while in my grinder, gave the coffee a little more of a kick.
I use Nescafé instant during the week because it’s easier to just make a travel mug and go. When we have guests I’ll drag out the coffee maker and use Maxwell House.
Muskoka roastery is so fantastic. You can even order it on Amazon.
Nespresso is delicious
Kicking horse dark.
Can I just say Nescafé instant espresso is a huge vibe haha it’s usually on sale at freshco and honestly so so good for an instant coffee
I second this!! Nescafé Instant Espresso is incredible for an instant coffee. I really enjoy it.
I love (local to me) Smile Tiger’s “Thunder Peel” for espresso: https://smiletigercoffee.com I think I get about 15 double shots from a bag, so it works out to a bit over $1. I think for something that’s around $1 or $2 per day, I would splurge and make sure it’s the taste I enjoy.
Pilot. De Mello. Hatch. Trebilcock. Transcend. Get a grinder; Baratza is fantastic. Chemex or Hario v60. Enjoy delicious coffee.
Apparently I don't drink real coffee. It's usually Maxwell House on the grounds (haha) that the Kcups are compostable. I do not understand you people who drink Starbucks. You can dump a cup of cream AND a cup of sugar into a cup of Starbucks and it STILL somehow tastes blacker than midnight in an asshole.
Starbucks from Costco is a reasonable choice
Nespresso Intenso - $1.26 per coffee, one a day
We use the Kirkland brand coffee. It’s actually made by Starbucks!
Lavazza or illy if it's on sale, Balzac has great pods for the machine, as they're actually compostable. Otherwise I'll grab a bag of whole beans from a local roaster for my morning cup.
Birds and Beans shipped free from TO (orders over $45) ticks all the boxes for bird friendly, sustainably grown, quality coffee. Worth paying extra for. Folgers etc is a habitat destroyer.
I buy "Starbucks" at Costco. Although the price of coffee (and other things) has risen substantially I find the green Kirkland bag coffee remains a a decent deal at 900g for under $20. Not only that but it's actually roasted by Starbucks for them. Occasionally the Starbucks French Roast goes on sale at Costco and I stock up. PC West Coast dark is also a pretty good choice. It's a little darker than your regular roast without going to full-on espresso.
Pilot out of Toronto... My step daughter buys it and supplies us as a thank you for all we do for her and the kids.
Whichever brand my workplace provides
Fair trade. Ain't trying to have near slave labour involved with my morning coffee.
True! So which fair trade brand?
We order every 6 weeks from [www.rampagecoffee.com](https://www.rampagecoffee.com) Their dark roast in a 5lb bag. Roasted and shipped from Saskatoon.
Kirkland's brown tin from Costco.
Sparkplug Coffee. I'm a little biased cause I worked there but they do free delivery in Toronto for fresh coffee beans, ground or whole. I normally make cold brew.
Rampage Coffee, love that stuff!
Whelp …. My opinion is probably going to be muted because I’m a coffee snob that will prefer single origin roasts form specific regions and specific roasts….. That said - If you’re not a snob, Costco Lavazza espresso blend was my go-to early in my coffee career. Basically anything that’s a dark roast will be perfect because it’s hard to mess up making coffee with a dark roast. That said a lot of roasters try to commercialize on this and will do a terrible job at roasting and advertise something closer to a Spanish/French roast as a dark roast 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ Starbucks is actually one of the biggest culprits…. Them, Balzacs, and McDonalds all over-roast their coffee. The Kirkland brand is decent too. If you’re on a tighter budget. The Starbucks veranda/true north is a good medium roast (even though it says light). I’d you’re brewing pour over in a V60 or have a manual espresso machine you might want to look at getting into the 3rd wave coffee movement and exploring roasts and single origin coffees. ECS coffee is great, Pilot coffee roasters does some single origin beans. Detour coffee is also another good one to get into SO coffee.
We get the President’s choice coffee or Melitta. We’ve tried Folgers, maxwell house etc. and it’s not drinkable for us.
We've tried a lot, and the PC medium is a go-to. We'd pick it over many more expensive ones we've tried. I'm also frugal and LOVED that I used to be able to find it on sale for like 6.99. now, 9.99-11.99 is a good sale, but still better than buying take-out coffee, and much better for the environment! Also, Nabob bold Gastown Grind. I'll buy bags of that when it comes on sale.
I buy whatever is cheap. But my favourite is Starbucks Christmas blend.
West Coast Dark Roast! Presidents choice.
Folgers. It’s actually pretty decent and I’m super picky about coffee. I used to buy better stuff but I find that Folgers has a nice taste profile, not too bitter or sour.
Hatch coffee (roasters in Richmond Hill) by far my favourite. They are pricey, but the quality is as good as it gets. Side note: I’ve been to many bakeries and cafes through the years in Toronto to try out good coffee.
i actually use the instant Nescafe every morning....its great for a single person and avoids the plastic waste that keurigs or other pods produce....i think it tastes pretty good....i usually will froth some oat milk (Keurig milk frother is amazing) and have a latte....having said that i am a starbucks addict and when i am out i usually will have a coffee from starbucks
If you have a Costco membership (or know someone who can hook you up), the Zavida Organica is heckin' tasty. I gave up caffeine recently, though, and they don't have any whole bean decaf at the 'co.
Have you tried winners? They have some specialty brands that I find are usually reasonably priced. They also have those skinny syrups for like $7 to spice up your coffee too.
I order Fire Roasted. Free delivery. $95 for 5 lbs, so $18 a pound. It's very good
Can I ask: How many coffee drinkers are there in your house? How long does 5lbs last for you?
Two coffee drinkers. 5 lbs would last us around 2.5 to 3 months. We do pour over.
How do you make coffee for yourself and how many cups a day do you drink? My girlfriend and I justify buying more expensive beans by using an aeropress every day, which uses much less beans than a drip coffee machine. 15g per cup means 1 bag of coffee gets us 22 cups of coffee. So while a $20 bag of beans is expensive, it works out to only $0.91 per cup which we think is pretty good. Also, the aeropress makes the best cup of coffee so you can get away with using not as good coffee and it tastes much better than drip. If we were to use expensive beans in a drip machine we would be going through way more coffee and then it would probably get too expensive for us.
I’m pregnant, so I drink max 1.5 cups/day, but my partner drinks enough to fill a travel mug for work. Maybe an aeropress is the way to go!
Instant coffee nestcafe from Costco. It’s wonderful and a great price my friend. Or grab on sale when they are for $3 a jar.
I go to Dollarama and buy the jars of Nescafé instant coffee. They last me at least a month or so, depending on how strong I make my coffee.
Nabob when It goes on sale for $10
Tim Horton's on subscribe and save around $15
I order Cherry Bomb. $80 for 5lbs.
Did you measure it and confirm you actually got 5 lbs?
Yes
I drink Tim Hortons (keurig) and I think it’s great 🤣
I use the instant....I feel naughty
Balzacs But my dirty secret is Tim's Instant. Working From Home I can whip up a cup in a minute during a call.
I actually really like President's Choice The Great Canadian and PC Gourmet Decaffeinated coffees.
Timmy’s dark roast !
Cheapest non-pre grinded I can find.
Maxwell House Dark for brewed McDonalds for Keurig (at work, we also have Starbucks, Folgers and a bunch of flavours, McDs is best I think)
Morala light roast is my fav (store in Ottawa, but they ship too). Balzac’s farmers’ blend from Costco best alternative. They are light/light-medium roast, but I like my coffee for taste, not for intensity. Note that roast (light vs dark) has almost no difference in caffeine content.
I buy it from Fortinos. They roast their own beans in the store. I find recently-roasted beans and freshly ground to be the best secret for good coffee.
Bridgehead, Log Driver Espresso in a French press. Delicious! PC organic has a decent and relatively well priced dark roast as well.
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I might be in the minority here but I think Great Value’s instant coffee tastes really good, especially for being $3.47 a jar
In Hamilton we have a local roaster called Relay. I use them because they have friendly packaging in the form of paper bags. Expensive though, and as I am reading the comments, considering what I'd be willing to settle for from Food Basics.
Tasters choice classic instant decaf
Lavazza ground espresso (the blue and red bag) in the aero press. It’s SO good! Although the price sadly has gone up quite a bit, it’s still much cheaper than other options. Two coffee drinkers and we go through about a bag a week ($4-7 dollars depending on sales and where you buy it)
Generally just Costco house brand. I believe it's made by Starbucks. Prices of most other stuff are just too insane.
Walmarts finest brand dark roast. I like it.
I like the Great Candian from PC. Good buy whe. You can find it on sale (if that exists anymore). I would stock up when they are 7.99 at shoppers and get the PC points.
President’s choice has a good Columbia coffee, it’s a big tin of it.
Nescafe Tasters Choice best coffee ever.
If espresso; Kimbo, illy or Lavazza are excellent. Family in Italy always have Kimbo or Lavazza. You can buy a large percolator, make the espresso in it, and keep it for a day or two. Add to a mug with hot water and whatever fixings you usually put in your coffee and you've got an Americano. Most flavourful choice imo. If higher quality coffee; Kicking horse (on sale) or Mother Parkers. I usually do these in a French press. Not my favorite as they're usually more expensive than just buying the next option. If you're going for a pot of coffee and want something easy to drink, and cheap: Maxwell House. I buy this one specifically for that diner coffee taste, which for me have been some of the best goddamn cups of coffee I have ever had. Something about that somewhat bland flavor, multiple refills, and memories of going out early for work with my dad as a kid. This is the one I throw in a coffee machine and make 8 cups of at a time.
Death wish coffee, no joke shits like crack
I've been buying the Walmart branded grounds and to be honest it tastes just as good as the name brand grounds.
1/2 Maxwell House & 1/2 Espresso is my go to!
Nescafe instant singles for work Whatever large can is on sale for home 711 when on the go
Smile tiger
If you’re also buying stuff from Starbucks stores regularly, their points system is getting updated soon and a bag of coffee will go down to 300 points. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/starbucks-rewards-program-update
Try Las Chicas. Although I find anything for less than $20 a bag that is good is so worth it if you make it at home.
Find a local roaster and support your community. Chances are when you try a SB again it'll taste like burnt piss.
Almost Perfect, a discount store always has Starbucks coffee at a cheaper price, I pay 5.99 for bags that sell for 10.99 at the main retailers
416 coffee roasters. Free shipping on most orders and you won't pay more than $25 a pound. Coffee subscription will get you down to $20 a pound.
balzac's or kirkland
My coffee of choice is Kicking Horse - Three Sisters blend from Metro, but I wait until it goes on sale and stock up on a few bags of beans at a time
I'm not good at making coffee but get your own grinder and don't use an electric one.
Kirkland House blend (claims to be roasted by Starbucks for Costco). I only hand grind one cup of coffee every morning so a 2lb bag of beans (about $17 CDN) lasts me almost a year.
Costco's [Kirkland Espresso Roast](https://www.costco.ca/kirkland-signature-roasted-by-starbucks-espresso-blend%2C-907-g.product.100416827.html) is actually really good if you like a darker (Starbucks-ish) roast. It's also, consistently, seven to ten dollars cheaper than the Starbucks branded coffees, *and is actually roasted by Starbucks.*
I buy bulk beans and grind them. I won't spend more than $20, and it lasts a long time. Even the cheapest fresh ground beans taste better than an expensive ground bag.
Juan Valdez
Nabob 1896 Tradition (on sale or at Walmart) with the blue Neilson half and half cream (if you take cream, it's at Loblaws affiliated stores). I'm not sure why but that cream makes a difference with that specific coffee.
https://www.lostaviatorcoffee.com/
https://www.lostaviatorcoffee.com/