Quality coffees in the UK?

[Mefisto]

Hi everyone,
In main land Europe, it is pretty easy to find good beans for my Maximatic. However, in Great Britain, its different.......they love their instant coffee.

If anyone could possibly give me some names, that would be great.


cheers.

[radish_beans]

Hi

For internet suppliers, I've used and been very happy with hasbean (http://www.hasbean.co.uk) and the beanshop (http://www.thebeanshop.co.uk). Both offer good selections and fast delivery service.

[Navin]

Burgil Coffee and Monmouth Coffee also ought to be good; I don't have any personal experience working with their coffees, but I have had quite good espressos made from their beans at Climpson & Sons (who I believe use Burgil's coffee) and flat white (who I am quite certain use Monmouth's coffee).

It is not clear from the websites, though, whether it is possible to mail order from those two roasters.

[luca]

And don't forget to keep your eye on this: http://www.squaremilecoffee.com/

[Mefisto]

Cheers, now i have got something to work from!
Thanks guys!

[Mefisto]

Another question, i keep on hearing that different coffees suite different machines. I tried many different coffees with my Maximatic, and thought that i found the right one.

But why is that the case? Is there something like a set answer?

Thanks a lot!

[King Seven]

And don't forget to keep your eye on this: http://www.squaremilecoffee.com/

As excited about it as I am, I wouldn't expect anything for a few months. (I am working on it though!)

[navier_stokes]

Another vote for http://www.hasbean.co.uk - have bought only a few 250g packs from them thus far, but swift delivery and freshly roasted, great tasting coffee... highly recommended

[DavidMLewis]

If anyone could possibly give me some names, that would be great.

In addition to the others people have mentioned, you might check out Hill and Valley Coffee in Aylesbury. His tastes run darker than mine, but what he does he does well, so it's worth a look.

Best,
David

[Bertie Doe]

Agreed, Hasbean and Hill & Valley produce great coffees. Here's a particular coffee that worth trying at some time in the future : Dominican Republic Barahona and the only place in the uk that I can find this is Anothercoffee http://tinyurl.com/2cllsl

Bertie

[ozzyymclaren]

I've ordered lots of coffee from Hasbean. All great, I have no problem at all. I'm from Turkey but I recieve the coffee after 3 days of roast.

[buffard queynte]

A friend of mine recommended Hasbean and blendandroast.co.uk

Ive ordered from both - both are very good.

The blendandroast guys were much better for espresso across all the coffees that I ordered. And as I only drink espresso I now only use them. (Apart from when I get time off from work, where I fire up my Toper Cafemino Ive got in the garage - is that flash or what ?)

Buffard

[neilCC]

That hasbean place looks very good, I'll have to try them, quite a large selection there.

I'm in Ireland and I've been getting my roasted beans from Java Republic http://www.javarepublic.com/
I like their descriptions of their blends, I've been mostly drinking this one for 4 months:

Munkey Espresso Beans
This coffee is an extra dark strength coffee and contains 30% Cachoeira Bourbon from a private Farm in Brazil, 60% La Manuela Private Estate Colombian coffee, 10% Blawan coffee from a Government Farm in East Java.

Tasting notes for Munkey Espresso Beans as an Espresso
'Sweet, mid-toned aroma complicated by delicate chocolate, vanilla and toast notes. Full-bodied and slightly rough in mouthfeel in the small cup; resonant in dimension and pungent with fresh-cut cedar, ripe papaya and semi-sweet chocolate notes. The short finish is rich and bittersweet-chocolate-toned; the long reveals just a slight heavy astringency. Superb in milk: sweet and rich with a complexity fruity chocolate.'

Tasting notes for Munkey Espresso Beans as a Plunger
'Rich, deep and rather sweet, with roundly pleasing caramel and vanilla notes. Fermented fruit notes suggest pungent raisin, brandied cherry, semi-sweet choocolate from cup into short finish.'

Tasting notes for Munkey Beans as Filter
'Sweeter than the plunger version, with a simple, almost candyish caramel charater overlaying a pungent, herb-toned chocolate. Only as the cup cools does the cherryish fruit ferment emerge.'

[kahvedelisi]

My vote also for http://www.hasbean.co.uk

Steve from hasbean replied to my every mail and silly questions/requests instantly (and by instantly I mean "in 5 minutes" after I mail to him, everytime! I don't know how he does that! ) And he shipped 4.5kg (10lb) green coffee at once to Turkiye/istanbul (now that's quite something if you consider we have the worst --and I mean worst!!-- customs one can imagine)