I’m a coffee junky from way back and could give up just about anything but that. Sure, I like tea and chocolate but one whiff of roasted coffee and my toes curl. Back in the early nineties I was grateful for Starbucks for bringing some much needed consistency and quality to coffee across the nation.
Now that I’m all grown up and concerned about the environment and aware of the economic plight of coffee and chocolate farmers and workers I’m not so keen on Starbucks. And frankly their coffee roasts and brews have gone sissy. Like microbrew for the masses, they’ve lost my vote.
I was intrigued when a friend told me about Small COG Coffee – a local family with a true love for the bean. They roast it daily, sourcing organic (although uncertified) beans and paying well above fair trade prices. And not only is it roasted daily but it’s delivered to you daily – sometimes within hours of roasting. It hasn’t been roasted, then trucked only to sit on a store shelf waiting for you to buy it.
And the best part about the delivery – it comes to you on bicycle inside the Seattle area, delivered with a smile by a charming entrepeneur.
So far I’ve tried the Sidamo and Pacamara and both are exquisite. I prepared them lovingly using my dusty old French Press to get the most out of the nuances. The bouquet is heavenly and the taste is out of this world fresh. I’ve been saving them for after dinner when the kiddos are in bed and I can really enjoy it while it’s still warm.
If you are looking for a standard cup of joe grab a bag of Starbucks. If you want coffee to savor and impress your dinner guests – go to your computer and type in http://www.smallcogcoffee.com. And be sure and tell Roger I sent ya!
Hey. I ordered from small cog a week ago and still haven’t received my coffee. I emailed them & called them. Haven’t gotten any word back! Do you know of any way to contact Roger and family? I’m going on a week sans coffee and startin’ to get grumpy.
Hi Andrew, I’ve had similar experiences with Roger when they go out of town but they usually publish their vacation schedule on the website. I always have some backup coffee just in case. I know caffe vita is all fair trade and either shade grown or from sustainable coffee farms that are not cutting down trees to grow beans. I’ve been getting Camano Island coffee from emilkman.com or Tony’s from PCC also meets my eco-criterion. Thinking of you going a week without coffee is bringing tears to my eyes.
Thanks for responding so quickly! I’ll resume practicing patience.
I got this sad email from Roger today:
Hello Andrew,
I have come to the realization that Small Cog has become a hobby that I
increasingly don’t have time for and as a result have decided to stop taking
orders for delivery. I apologize that you were caught in the transition.
You haven’t been charged so other than the inconvenience we should be good.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
Roger
Oh no! Along with http://www.mylackey.com there goes another one of my favorite little guy businesses. Poop. But thanks for looping me in.