Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

[tintub]

Yes I know, I should roast my own.  One day I will, at the moment I have no outside place to do it, no hood above the oven etc.

So given that Im not roasting my own, what are recommended roasted beans?  What do people think of Jaspers, Gravity, Grinders etc.  Usually I buy Grinders Brazilian or Columbian up in Queens Parade, I used to buy Jaspers, especially the Skybury Peaberry (although I think that was before I got my Silvia).  Recently I bought some Gravity XTC from Butterfly in Camberwell.  I know there is a roaster on Burke Road in Camberwell but I dont want to buy my coffee there (boycotted ).

Apart from the latest batch, which for some reason doesnt seem to be going so well, the Grinders Columbian is probably my favourite, although the big beans require a small grind and often I have to give the grinder a bit of a stir to get them through.  So I probably buy the Brazilian more often.  However, I would really like to be getting something fresher.  The Gravity coffee from Butterfly comes in a 1kg vacuum packed bag and god knows how old it is (tastes ok though), and the stuff from Grinders and Jaspers is probably roasted more recently but they just have it in the shop sitting in open buckets which I am sure cant be good.  So whats a guy to do?  For the record, Im in Clifton Hill (work in Camberwell).  Is there a local coffee roaster I dont know about? Im about to get a PID controller for Silvia, I have a naked portafilter coming soon, and I feel its about time I boosted the quality of my bean to make it all worthwhile

[>Veneziano]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

Hi tintub,

Im not sure if Abbotsford/Richmond is convenient for you, but if it is, we would love to see you around - just take a look at our sponsors page for the details.

Cheers,

Luca

[>Veneziano]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

You can see in this photo that we have nine small hoppers. We usually have five or six blends on offer and three single origins or experimental blends. However, we throw out a fair bit of coffee to keep it fresh, so please be understanding if occasionally a blend isnt available.

[>Veneziano]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

We also have a sample roaster set up to roast your own blend.

[>Veneziano]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

Roasting your own can be a daunting task, so rest assured that well help you navigate through the choices. I used to own a Silvia and am on the bar on Saturday mornings.

Beware that roast your own beans will need five days to degas. I guess that the positive side of that is that if you pick up a roasted blend and roast your own on the day, youre good to go for a fortnight.

[tempestv8]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne


I had a list of different coffee bean places in Melbourne from the Sunbeam Coffee Appreciation course that came free with the purchase of the EM6910.

Its interesting to see that the list was so long! Definitely lots of coffee roasting places around.

My challenge is that there are so many coffee bean "names", its a bit all too bewildering for the newbie. Its a bit like the way the wine industry in Australia works - theres just so many labels out there!

So its so hard to know what to ask for, because each shop seems to have a different name for each coffee.

Is there a "beginners guide" to buying coffee in Melbourne somewhere?

Lawrance

[AndyL]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

I know one of the partners at butterflys just sold out. Im sure Gravity coffee is a lot better than Grinders. If you like that type of coffee Romeos on Doncaster Road do fresh coffee. Stefano is an ex roaster from Grinders. Best yet the coffee is fresh and traditional.
If you need some advice Im not too far away, just in Canterbury.

[TC]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

Hey mate this really isnt the best forum to ask that question. The only places that we could mention without being moderated are the sponsors. There is a list to the left. Id try the yellow pages.

:-? were you looking for the ozsarcasm forum, MM??

Try:
-bean bay brown (always fresh)
-first pour at Veneziano Coffee
-St Ali
-Atomica (sold with true integrity at Maling Room for example)- seems that roast dates have been deleted from the stock at the cafe in Fitzroy St

Avoid
-Supermarkets
-buckets or bags of old stuff which sit in various establishments for god knows how long?
-grimy hoppers in cafes and similar places which avoid questions like "How long has that been there?"

rather than being the only places we can mention....these are places that care about coffee

[Dimal]

Re: Buying roasted coffee beans in Melbourne

By far the best way to buy Brown is to tour around your local area and try to identify a couple or three artisan roasteries who look like they take pride in what they do and have plenty of passion to match with that.

In this way, you will be able to establish a bonhomie with your roaster of choice and ensure that you obtain the freshest beans roasted the way you like it. Still not quite up to roasting your beans of choice at home but the next best thing. If you cant find any roasteries in your area, then by all means try pre-roasted from reputable roasters such as our own highly reputable CS Andy Freeman 8-) or any of our listed Site Sponsors.....

All the best,
Mal.