My Favorite Coffee Beans & Roasters from Late 2022
Sure, I have my favorite coffees and my regular go-to roasters, but I love the adventure of trying out a new bag of beans. 2022 was filled with a few real wins. Here are the best beans I tried over the past few months.
Table of Contents
Tandem Coffee Roasters - Portland, ME
I have only positive things to say about Portland-based Tandem Coffee Roasters. Last month I was drinking their Time and Temperate seasonal blend. This is Tandem’s signature espresso blend, but it also works well in a pour over + milk. A bit darker then my usual light coffee preference, but very smooth and versatile. When you order online Tandem’s website tells you the day of the next roast and when the subsequent shipment goes out. That’s fresh!
Tandem also makes the BEST high quality instant coffee. Pricing comes out to between $2.50 and $3 a cup, but I highly recommend trying their Time and Temperature coffee packets for when you’re traveling without access to good coffee. If you’re visiting Portland, Maine, stop by Tandem for their egg and cheese biscuit with chorizo and garlicky greens – one of the best meals in Portland!
Mayorga Coffee
Mayorga is a larger-scale coffee producer whose products have even made it onto Costco’s shelves. I found them searching for Instagram coffee giveaways, and I was skeptical. But, I tried 4 different medium and light roasts, and each one was fantastic! Mayorga has a ton of options for roast, region and blend vs. single origin coffees.
Other things I love about Mayorga:
- Their beans are organically grown, and the company operates with the social purpose, “To eliminate systemic poverty in Latin America through responsible trade of artisanal organic foods.”
- Average cost per 12 oz bag is $14, but you can buy 3-bag gift sets for $35.
- The beans were freshly roasted, confirmed by the beautiful pour over bloom.
LOT61: Kenya Rukira PB - Amsterdam
Coffee beans are one of the best travel souvenirs. These beans from LOT61 were a gift from my sister-in-law’s recent trip to Europe. The Kenya Rukira roast was perfect as a pour over. Despite the dark, strong packaging, the coffee was light (yet flavorful), fun and a bit fruity. The slight natural sweetness meant I didn’t even need much milk to enjoy. Definitely the best Kenyan coffee I’ve had.
LOT61 is focused on sustainability, aiming to be a circular coffee company. I appreciate the level of supply chain detail LOT61 shares, down to the specific local cooperatives they buy from. They’re also a registered B Corp.
Small Planes Coffee - Washington, D.C.
My wife brought me a bag of Arboretum beans from Small Planes Coffee, a roaster in northern D.C. Arboretum was a lovely lighter roast coffee that paired with milk as both a pour over and espresso. The tasting notes are milk chocolate, toasted nuts and ripe fruit. Note that the specific origin of the beans for this roast change depending on available crop. Another plus: the bag was sexy. A sleek, shiny logo on a simple white background – made for a pretty gift.
Blonde Roast changed my relationship with Starbucks. Their coffee is way too dark and burnt-tasting to me, but I truly enjoy espresso drinks made with Blonde Roast beans.
Starbucks Blonde Roast Instant Coffee
Oh a whim (and with a free $10 coupon to CVS) I tried the Blonde Roast instant. I was pleasantly surprised when this placed in the top bracket of good quality instant coffees. The price-point is far lower (~$10 for 40 cups) than Tandem, Joe Coffee and Black & White, my other favorite instants. I also appreciate that it comes in a can and not individual packets. Packets are great for one or two days, but I can leave this at work and use one can for a month. The can allows you to choose how much coffee you want to make at once – sometimes I just make a 1/2 cup and wouldn’t want to waste a whole packet.
Trader Joe's Guatemala Pacaya Small Lot Coffee
I’m not usually a fan of Trader Joe’s coffee, but their Pacaya Hot Springs small lot batch was a winner. Labeled a medium roast, I found it lighter than most of their beans – which was a plus for me. I’m not sure if these beans are still available, but adding it to this list because I enjoyed this coffee enough to reconsider my relationship with TJ’s.
I cannot deny the nostalgia factor. Volcano Pacaya erupted when I was living in Guatemala City. The view of the mountain was beautiful, finding volcanic ash in my bedsheets for months was not. My positive feelings toward these beans may have been influenced by my journey down Memory Lane.
My Coffee Setup
I buy whole beans and grind them myself daily before use. I use a Hario V60 with a mesh filter to make my morning pour over and a Breville Bambino for pulling espresso shots.
Pin it!
Related Posts
