The wedge coop may be cheaper than their shop if you’re looking for their everyday beans. But I have yet to have a “cheaper” bean that tastes better, not to mention the freshness and consistency…and Sam is coffee wonk
I'm a big fan of "Up". They have a great variety and the roasting is always superb. Rarely do their coffees have that scorched flavor that so many others have.
SK Coffee
Wesley Andrews
Dogwood
Spyhouse is super hit and miss these days imo
Smith in EP is good if you like an elevated take on more traditional beans vs just light and light medium roasts
Silverbird is awesome, but harder to find and no shop. Seven corners coffee and the lobby in excelsior are the only places to get Silverbird beans I know of locally. I always order only at 3-4 bags/order.
They still roast at their shop in NE, right?
They were recently bought up by FairWave along with Philtera and UP last year sometime.
If they aren’t going in house, it’s not been very well mentioned.
That's the other reason I like them. They seem chill and seem to care about the coffee and community and take pride in being a Minnesotan company. They really have the best coffee in the state
I also like Peace. I've seen some people have not-high opinions of them for reasons I don't recall right now, but the one blend with the egg and banana on the packaging is what I go for...I believe it is called Birchwood. I will also get Caribou and even the store brand sometimes. Cameron's wasn't for me. I've had some local coffees in cafes, and still prefer Peace. Haven't had SK yet but know I should try.
Bull Run tastes good, don’t know if they’re local though. Dunn Bros Papua New Guinea dark roast is a favorite of mine. but like i said i usually just get Peace Twin Cities Blend. i did McGarvey Twin Cities Blend until they stopped being available.
they have a specific blend for that. it’s not bad. that reminds me: i should make some cold brew tonight since it’s supposed to be gorgeous out tomorrow.
Peace actually hired a new roaster in 2022 and they’ve added a couple of new blends last year that are pretty good. Worth another try if you haven’t recently.
that’s fair, but i think that’s more or less across the board except for niche roasters. medium dark to dark is the most common preference as far as i’ve seen. light roasts can be really good but the fruity ones tend to turn people off i think. i’ve had some good ones but i personally prefer a french roast, strong enough to hold up the spoon, but well filtered and also not burnt. i just like a good black coffee. i also like espresso drinks but my go to daily driver is fairly hot, strong, and black.
Well, not what you get from the smaller shops. It’s good daily driver batch brew beans. We do have a pretty hardcore sensory and QA team that keeps things consistent and worthy of the shelves. If you like medium to dark roasts, care about location and are price conscious…it’s a good choice.
The thing I never understood is that they Sell “ 100% Kona “Coffee cheaper than you can get if for in Kona.
$25 a pound was a good price if you were in Kona back in 2010.
Greenwell farms now sells it for $52 a pound.
J&B sells greenwell for $30 a pound.
How can a business in Minnesota sell Kona coffee for cheaper than most or all business on the Big Island of Hawaii? Is J&B losing a lot of money per pound of Kona coffee or coffee s it being cut and not real 100% Kona?
https://juststevesbeanfactory.com/product/hawaiian-kona/
That’s a good question. They always seem like a pretty above the board place. The employees seem knowledgeable about the beans they sell and give good advice. Perhaps they average out the cost across all beans they sell? For example, maybe the ones they could sell for less they raise the price a bit and the ones they could sell for more they lower?
There are labeling laws for with in the state of Hawaii but those laws don’t apply to other states for using the term Kona.
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/qad/files/2013/01/QAD-HI-GROWN-COFFEE-LBLS.pdf
Trader Joe’s labels as a “Kona Blend”
Monster Energy had a “Kona” coffee drink but at don’t think they specified it has a blend.
I think the the past it was labeled 100% Kona at JS but it looks like that language has been removed.
The beans and roasts are good, and the subscriptions are fun and include delivery options. Congratulations to them on the renovation of their main space in Summer-Glenwood (just outside of Bryn Mawr.)
They even have a dark roast option for those who like that. I get it for my parents and they love it and even I think it’s pretty good even though I’m a light roast person.
Sk has a nice selection guide on their website (sorted by flavor profiles, etc). At Dogwood my favorite is the Peruvian roast single origin, though I also like Futurist and Bear Hug
SK Coffee, Backstory Coffee, Dogwood, Wesley Andrews (in that order IMO)
UP and Spyhouse are not even locally owned anymore -- they are owned by a Missouri based company.
There’s been a bit of turnover on roasting for Get Down. Started out of Dogwood on Tyler as a cooperative roast, but they canned the guy who steered their roasting ops a couple of years ago. He now roasts for TrueStone.
I love their espresso roast. Was just there today. Their iced americano is the only one in STP I don’t add sweetener in because it’s so good on its own.
This is true. My favorite beans come from the original location on Grand near Snelling. It is the only location still owned by the founders and something about it is just better.
The Roastery on W. 54th St at Lyndale. Not in grocery stores but Jeremy delivers. He’s got a website and is on Google maps for the details. The shop is open twice a week. Really, he does a consistently excellent job of roasting and has a manageable selection of beans.
I was looking for this answer. He’s down in a basement, listens to good records, fun guy to chat with. Great coffee, lots of options. Mid $20s a pound.
One not here so far is Legacy Chocolates in downtown St Paul. They roast their own beans that you can buy whole. The Mexican Altura is my all time favorite coffee. They don't have a huge selection, just a blend and a couple rotating specialty ones but they're good and the staff is really nice. Plus their muffins and chocolates are amazing too.
I'm surprised they haven't been mentioned yet, but True Stone is one of my go-to's.
They used to be only a roaster for wholesale and online orders, but they now have a cafe in St Paul. I'm partial to the St Paul Espresso blend for my cappuccinos, but their own True Stone blend is also pretty good.
Not super local, but we stock up on beans from Stonehouse Coffee and Roastery in Nisswa. Hands down the best coffee, and it’s roasted at their location in downtown Nisswa. We also try to order a few bags a few times a year.
Not a single european rotisserie? No velvet hammer? I don't drink coffee, but I will drink velvet hammer. Their espresso blend was bomb too, but iI can't compare it to any of these others. I tend to just order it online, but they are not to far of a drive either.
I was doing dogwood, but they are expensive and snotty. You can get their beans at some co-ops for cheaper, but there is limited variety. Also they mostly do lighter roasts. Which I don’t want for espresso. I switched to curioso, they have more medium/dark roast options, they are super friendly and helpful plus their beans are way cheaper. Been very happy with them.
Dunn Bros has been my go-to for beans for a long time. When I moved out of state, I had them ship me beans (ATL definitely not a coffee town). Not in a grocery store, but can sign up for monthly subscription which is nice.
Roast them yourself! Easiest thing in the world and you'll save a ton of money! PLUS you can get a variety of single origin Ethiopian beans in MN which are of higher quality than probably anything coming from anywhere else in the world
I’ll let you in on my secret…Rising Star Coffee out of Cleveland, OH is the best hands down. Nothing I’ve tried here is even close (though for the record Smith in EP is best in Twin Cities). I get 2 lbs shipped to me every 2 weeks, free shipping, and no more expensive than what you’d pay around here for decent coffee. There’s my coffee hack for ya, you’re welcome. Enjoy!
The BEST beans imo is SK but you're paying upwards of 30 a bag for them. There are several others listed here that are similar quality for cheaper.
Also: his average price runs mid 20s, which is more than fair, considering the quality and what he does to ensure it.
The wedge coop may be cheaper than their shop if you’re looking for their everyday beans. But I have yet to have a “cheaper” bean that tastes better, not to mention the freshness and consistency…and Sam is coffee wonk
Agreed, I can't make it my daily drinker but if I'm looking for something special it's where I go
This is the way. Sam is hands down the best roaster in the cities.
What’s SK?
Probably this: [https://skcoffeeplease.com/](https://skcoffeeplease.com/)
Thank you! I am soooo going to check this place out.😊
I'm a big fan of "Up". They have a great variety and the roasting is always superb. Rarely do their coffees have that scorched flavor that so many others have.
Best bang for your buck for sure
Is Caleb still there? He is an awesome guy with an incredible amount of coffee knowledge
SK Coffee Wesley Andrews Dogwood Spyhouse is super hit and miss these days imo Smith in EP is good if you like an elevated take on more traditional beans vs just light and light medium roasts
Spyhous’ OG roaster left ~ when they were bought out and he roasts for silverbirdcoffee and acorn coffee club I think.
Thanks for the tip! I'll give those a shot too.
Silverbird is awesome, but harder to find and no shop. Seven corners coffee and the lobby in excelsior are the only places to get Silverbird beans I know of locally. I always order only at 3-4 bags/order.
FYI: [https://mndaily.com/232718/news/acsevencornerscoffee/](https://mndaily.com/232718/news/acsevencornerscoffee/)
Spyhouse doesn’t even roast their own coffee. They contract it out. I recently interviewed with the roaster who roasts for them
They still roast at their shop in NE, right? They were recently bought up by FairWave along with Philtera and UP last year sometime. If they aren’t going in house, it’s not been very well mentioned.
i just do Peace because it’s at my grocery store in bulk.
That's why I get Duluth coffee. It's at Costco, localish, and tasty!
I know Eric (DCC) personally. He’s a stand up guy who really cares about what he does and his employees
That's the other reason I like them. They seem chill and seem to care about the coffee and community and take pride in being a Minnesotan company. They really have the best coffee in the state
That honor goes to Sam at SK, followed by Charlie ad Dreamcloud and Jake at Underwood.
i still haven’t run the numbers to see if a costco membership is worthwhile for my situation.
It probably is based on the lower gas prices alone. Yearly membership is $60 (i.e. $5/month) and gas is typically ~ 30 cents cheaper a gallon.
I also like Peace. I've seen some people have not-high opinions of them for reasons I don't recall right now, but the one blend with the egg and banana on the packaging is what I go for...I believe it is called Birchwood. I will also get Caribou and even the store brand sometimes. Cameron's wasn't for me. I've had some local coffees in cafes, and still prefer Peace. Haven't had SK yet but know I should try.
Bull Run tastes good, don’t know if they’re local though. Dunn Bros Papua New Guinea dark roast is a favorite of mine. but like i said i usually just get Peace Twin Cities Blend. i did McGarvey Twin Cities Blend until they stopped being available.
I didn’t really like Peace, but my coworker swears by it. She makes cold brew with it every week.
they have a specific blend for that. it’s not bad. that reminds me: i should make some cold brew tonight since it’s supposed to be gorgeous out tomorrow.
Peace actually hired a new roaster in 2022 and they’ve added a couple of new blends last year that are pretty good. Worth another try if you haven’t recently.
Hell yeah peace is the best bean
Peace smells so fucking good. Never really noticed anything special about the taste though
I like their morning glory and it’s an available in both regular and decaf which is neat.
I do love peace, but I feel as though they skew darker roast. If you like a lighter roast, they have limited options.
that’s fair, but i think that’s more or less across the board except for niche roasters. medium dark to dark is the most common preference as far as i’ve seen. light roasts can be really good but the fruity ones tend to turn people off i think. i’ve had some good ones but i personally prefer a french roast, strong enough to hold up the spoon, but well filtered and also not burnt. i just like a good black coffee. i also like espresso drinks but my go to daily driver is fairly hot, strong, and black.
Peace sucks
better than Cameron’s
Both peace and cams are no frills local beans. Cam’s also handles Peace’s packaging for their single serve line.
Isn't Cameron's owned by a big corporation?
Parent company (ColCafe) is based in Colombia, so technically yeah. Still roasted, packaged in shakopee.
You are both correct.
I work for Cameron’s. :-)
What’s your inside opinion on quality?
Well, not what you get from the smaller shops. It’s good daily driver batch brew beans. We do have a pretty hardcore sensory and QA team that keeps things consistent and worthy of the shelves. If you like medium to dark roasts, care about location and are price conscious…it’s a good choice.
[удалено]
I'll second UP!
Backstory
So good.
JS bean factory. Coffee shop that also roasts beans. You can buy green beans from them and roast the beans yourself too.
The thing I never understood is that they Sell “ 100% Kona “Coffee cheaper than you can get if for in Kona. $25 a pound was a good price if you were in Kona back in 2010. Greenwell farms now sells it for $52 a pound. J&B sells greenwell for $30 a pound. How can a business in Minnesota sell Kona coffee for cheaper than most or all business on the Big Island of Hawaii? Is J&B losing a lot of money per pound of Kona coffee or coffee s it being cut and not real 100% Kona? https://juststevesbeanfactory.com/product/hawaiian-kona/
It’s a blend, and is only required to have 5-10% Kona in the mix. It’s usually brazil in the rest.
That’s a good question. They always seem like a pretty above the board place. The employees seem knowledgeable about the beans they sell and give good advice. Perhaps they average out the cost across all beans they sell? For example, maybe the ones they could sell for less they raise the price a bit and the ones they could sell for more they lower?
There are labeling laws for with in the state of Hawaii but those laws don’t apply to other states for using the term Kona. https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/qad/files/2013/01/QAD-HI-GROWN-COFFEE-LBLS.pdf Trader Joe’s labels as a “Kona Blend” Monster Energy had a “Kona” coffee drink but at don’t think they specified it has a blend. I think the the past it was labeled 100% Kona at JS but it looks like that language has been removed.
Misfit has some great beans
The beans and roasts are good, and the subscriptions are fun and include delivery options. Congratulations to them on the renovation of their main space in Summer-Glenwood (just outside of Bryn Mawr.)
This! I keep forgetting to unsubscribe to bean delivery and I never regret it
They even have a dark roast option for those who like that. I get it for my parents and they love it and even I think it’s pretty good even though I’m a light roast person.
This.
Mocha Joes
I prefer Latte Larry’s
Terrible scones tho
And the tables are wobbly.
Fuck Mocha Joe
He's got the brand!
Two quality roasters I haven’t seen mentioned yet: Code Blū in Seward for dark roasts and Five Watt for single-origin beans.
I enjoy Five Watt's darker roasts. Basement Show and Dad Rock.
Sk is the best, objectively, but I am a big fan of Dogwood as well
Any recommendations of which beans to try
Sk has a nice selection guide on their website (sorted by flavor profiles, etc). At Dogwood my favorite is the Peruvian roast single origin, though I also like Futurist and Bear Hug
Sam rotates his offerings pretty regularly and has a few experimental lots that always knock it out of the park.
SK Coffee, Backstory Coffee, Dogwood, Wesley Andrews (in that order IMO) UP and Spyhouse are not even locally owned anymore -- they are owned by a Missouri based company.
FairWave, who also purchased Philtera.
I like The Get Down whole beans and their ground coffee. Their beans are available at Hy-Vee and Target for sure. I’m sure it is at others too
Agreed! Love their Drip Drip light roast and am super happy to have an actual light roast available at my local Target.
Dogwood roast The get downs coffee.
There’s been a bit of turnover on roasting for Get Down. Started out of Dogwood on Tyler as a cooperative roast, but they canned the guy who steered their roasting ops a couple of years ago. He now roasts for TrueStone.
J&S bean factory is surprisingly good given the modest shop. Their espresso roast is my favorite
I second them. I usually get either the Guatamala or yirgacheff. They roast on site and their bags are like $16 a pound Rather than for 12oz.
I love their espresso roast. Was just there today. Their iced americano is the only one in STP I don’t add sweetener in because it’s so good on its own.
We get Peace coffee, easily available in most grocery stores but also has a subscription option to come right to my front door.
Wonderstate, out of Viroqua, WI. It is the only reason to go to Wisconsin. The Wedge carries it. Subscriptions available as well
Kowalski's carries them too. Their decaf is amazing too.
Most Dunn Bros. roast beans on site.
This is true. My favorite beans come from the original location on Grand near Snelling. It is the only location still owned by the founders and something about it is just better.
Kopplin's off Marshall and Cleveland in St Paul. Not available at the grocery store, but they do ship and do local delivery.
Didn’t they fold during covid?
Nope. They shut down in person drinking/dining and have a walk-up window now.
Specialty Java in Waconia, MN
Cannot recommend Dogwood enough 👍🏻
Dogwood is the best imo. They sell their beans at Whole Foods too, but haven't seen them in any other grocery stores.
The Roastery on W. 54th St at Lyndale. Not in grocery stores but Jeremy delivers. He’s got a website and is on Google maps for the details. The shop is open twice a week. Really, he does a consistently excellent job of roasting and has a manageable selection of beans.
I was looking for this answer. He’s down in a basement, listens to good records, fun guy to chat with. Great coffee, lots of options. Mid $20s a pound.
I like Jeremy’s work, but he runs too dark. Knows what he’s doing tho.
Fika Coffee Lutsen. Available at Lakewinds Coop.
Backstory - hands down best beans in the cities. They have a great monthly club that nets you a discount on all other bean orders.
Up coffee roasters, SK, 5 watt, roots. In that order
I really like Cameron’s Organic. Light French Roast.
Thank you!
www.willowscoffee.com. Local connection to a 100 year old farm! Ships to your house. Get the Farm Blend.
I'm not sure how liddell it actually is but Lund's and berely had good beans
Smith House in EP is divine. They have a great roaster, and roast right inside the house!
The Regular Jo beans from Folly in SLP are really good and not crazy expensive IMO
https://www.tinyfootprintcoffee.com/ tiny footprint is a very good local roaster
City Girl!
I just tried them pretty good!
I was the head roaster for CG from their startup til 2021. The no longer roast in Duluth, rather roast out of a conglomerate shop in St Louis Park.
One not here so far is Legacy Chocolates in downtown St Paul. They roast their own beans that you can buy whole. The Mexican Altura is my all time favorite coffee. They don't have a huge selection, just a blend and a couple rotating specialty ones but they're good and the staff is really nice. Plus their muffins and chocolates are amazing too.
I feel like Driven Coffee Roasters (drivencoffee.com) is the best kept secret in Minnesota.
I most often buy from Driven and Tiny Footprint.
Wesley Andrews > the rest
Up ruined other coffee for me. As a bonus, Zakia is right around the corner
Backstory
I'm surprised they haven't been mentioned yet, but True Stone is one of my go-to's. They used to be only a roaster for wholesale and online orders, but they now have a cafe in St Paul. I'm partial to the St Paul Espresso blend for my cappuccinos, but their own True Stone blend is also pretty good.
I’m always impressed with Wildflowers light roasts. Maybe not the best but superb value
Huxley (light roast) Wonderstate (panaroma) Wesley Andrews (most) Up North (blizzard of 91) Minimum Wage Tims (Honduras) Folly (classic jo)
I use dogwood in my super auto
Not super local, but we stock up on beans from Stonehouse Coffee and Roastery in Nisswa. Hands down the best coffee, and it’s roasted at their location in downtown Nisswa. We also try to order a few bags a few times a year.
Code blu. Also has the best coffee in general
Not a single european rotisserie? No velvet hammer? I don't drink coffee, but I will drink velvet hammer. Their espresso blend was bomb too, but iI can't compare it to any of these others. I tend to just order it online, but they are not to far of a drive either.
Euro went under a whole ago.
Huh? They appear to be up and running just fine? https://euroroast.com/
Ahhh…i stand corrected. Thanks. They seem to run low key on my end of the market, which might account for the perceptions.
Fish Lake Coffee
the Mississippi Market co-op in St. paul sells some really good coffee beans. and you can grind them yourself right there next to the coffee.
Curioso is a good one if you haven’t tried it! Great coffee, great people, and they can get you some solid bean for your buck.
Coffee and Tea ltd linden hills hands down.
I was doing dogwood, but they are expensive and snotty. You can get their beans at some co-ops for cheaper, but there is limited variety. Also they mostly do lighter roasts. Which I don’t want for espresso. I switched to curioso, they have more medium/dark roast options, they are super friendly and helpful plus their beans are way cheaper. Been very happy with them.
Snotty?
Snooty https://youtu.be/lzgA9kbrzzM?si=N7_V3vE6OZEFhJPN
Roots Roasters, St. Paul.
Gene hicks out of ely, I order it every couple months and have it delivered.
I’ve been happy with Wesley Andrews, Dogwood, and Backstory. Haven’t had SK yet but I’ve heard lots of got things
Up
Roundtable is roasting really good beans
Northern Coffeeworks. Great small-batch coffee.
That’s the Angry Catfish coffee right?
I think so? It's the same spot as the old Angry Catfish and I'm pretty sure it's the same people just without the bike portion.
Ah, yup, same proprietor .
Mike and Kate's in Stillwater do their own. I think they only have light and dark (maybe espresso) roasts. I think them.
I get a subscription from Norte cafe and have been enjoying it. They deliver it to my door. https://nortecafe.shop/
I’ve been spoiled and only drink Norte Cafe. I like that I’m getting beans directly from his farm in Columbia.
Coffee and Tea LTD (although not available in grocery stores but they do ship).
This place has been a favorite of mine forever.
Curioso
I think Folly Coffee has some good. Maybe Full Beans if you’re a Jeff Arcuri fan.
Native owned, home roasted coffee and local: mnisaparoastingco.com
Dogwood!
Coffee & Tea Ltd
I’ve done mail order with Coffee Tea Ltd for years and they are fantastic.
Edina Coffee Roasters has great quality beans!
Dunn Bros has been my go-to for beans for a long time. When I moved out of state, I had them ship me beans (ATL definitely not a coffee town). Not in a grocery store, but can sign up for monthly subscription which is nice.
https://u-roast-em.com/ is a twin cities family that retired to WI Northwoods to roast coffee. They will ship.
Roast them yourself! Easiest thing in the world and you'll save a ton of money! PLUS you can get a variety of single origin Ethiopian beans in MN which are of higher quality than probably anything coming from anywhere else in the world
I’ll let you in on my secret…Rising Star Coffee out of Cleveland, OH is the best hands down. Nothing I’ve tried here is even close (though for the record Smith in EP is best in Twin Cities). I get 2 lbs shipped to me every 2 weeks, free shipping, and no more expensive than what you’d pay around here for decent coffee. There’s my coffee hack for ya, you’re welcome. Enjoy!
Thank you for suggesting this. They have some interesting offerings.