I'm scouting around for decent sources of fresh roasted beans in Toronto. Right now I get my Intelligentsia from Manic on College and my custom blends from Greenbeanery on Bloor, but I wonder if there are other purveyors of fine espresso bean blends, or just retailers of some of the old faves in Toronto that are "known to the community". Or, I suppose, if there are online sources I should be trying. Any suggestions?

At risk of going offside some by-law of the HB site, I thought I would just list some of the suggestions that came my way in response to this post from friends and afficionados. I'm looking for new blends and roasts, imported or local, in part because some of the really good stuff coming out south of the 49th parallel is not always available here, or can't be shipped here, short of having a friend in NY or Austin or SF order it and send it along, and so forth.

Apologies for those missed and I'll do my best to post any more I find out about, this has a sort of "big tent" appeal. But if you're in Central Toronto, the following are places you can find a variety of beans and sometimes roasters, not all of them local:

Ideal Coffee in Kensington Market
Manic Coffee on College
Green Beanery on Bloor
Detour Roasters in Dundas (just outside the City)
the Faema store on Dupont

More details as events warrant.

Try Dark City Roasters in TO. They'll deliver! (http://www.darkcitycoffee.com)

Another one that came in...

Ezra's Pound on Dupont

Having tried everything there is (practically) in and around Toronto, I mostly buy from DarkCity (as mentioned above) and Manic. Dark City will roast to your requirements, and if you buy 2lbs or more at a time, they deliver within 24hrs of roast, no charge.

You should also look into BirdsandBeans http://www.birdsandbeans.ca/ (on the Lakeshore in Etobicoke).

Mark

Simon, it was our mutual friend Garth Breaks who turned me onto espresso some years back. Thanks for the thread as I was just looking for a local source for Intelligentsia and was not aware of Manic. I have a friend that travels frequently from Chicago and brings me a pound of black cat here and there and in between I've been mostly on I Deal from the Ossington location. I understand they receive fresh roast tuesday and thursday and often the beans are still warm.

Curious to know what others think of I deal.

JC

If you want to try out Counter Culture Coffee you can buy them at Communal Mule in little italy @ 984 Dundas St W. The owner is super nice and helpful.

Thanks everyone. I'm so glad this post finally came up. Also, I find that Greenbeanery's beans are horrible. I've never - and I've tried twice now - gotten a bag of fresh roasted beans that I thought were good at all. Manic and Dark horse have been my go to's for GOOD espresso/drip/press coffee because they sell 49th and Intelly.

Here's a google map of cafe's, roasters and suppliers in the GTA and beyond. Could use an update but it's got alot of good stuff.

Google Map

That map is awesome... although there are a few I would remove.