Coming from the east coast, I’m trying to find that perfect Portland coffee bean to make for my morning ritual. What’s your favorite coffee roaster in the metro area? Bonus points if they do a great espresso on site as well!
If you’re buying from new seasons look for sisters coffee as well. They’re Oregon based down in Sisters. Water ave is great as well, and tend to be lighter roasts which I like. Also Coava coffee I think is from here as well. But I would say don’t go with stumptown. Not very good imo.
The question implies some brand or taste preference will overrule other inputs, which I don't align with, I mostly look in a price range. Price gouging is out of control and has been couched as inflation but finally the acknowledgement has been hitting mainstream media recently, albeit several years too late. Coffee roasters hardly big oil or anything, but I'm not paying almost $20 for 12 fucking ounces of beans.
I think that’s fair and factors into the conversation but a good roaster can make a huge difference in the quality of a coffee bean. Price is still gonna be a consideration for my regular cup of joe but I do find some joy in branching out and having some other treats.
Locally, I've been very happy with Puff Coffee. It's a small roaster started up by Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson. The dude knows his stuff and I think it shows.
Though, with the closure of the Green Zebra near me I've been pretty lazy about it, and I hate to say I've been ordering coffee all the way from Philadelphia: https://royalmilecoffee.com. The Ethiopian beans have been excellent, the prices are reasonable, and I don't have to worry about checking the roasted on dates.
As of late, most of my coffee drinking has been a Trade subscription or ordering from my hometown all the way back in Delaware. It’s good enough coffee but I wanna try some more local flavor since Portland has such a big coffee culture.