Whole Foods Coffee BeansWarning this post may cause you to spend more money.
The other morning I woke up and went to the kitchen to prepare my morning pot of coffee. After getting the water ready, the unexpected happened. I WAS OUT OF COFFEE BEANS. I'm sure my fellow coffee drinkers know just how shocking this moment of realization can be. I checked the pantry and all I could find was a bag of ground coffee. Problem solved, right? Well, little did I know that over the past few months I had turned into a coffee snob. Pre-ground coffee was no longer good enough. I had tasted greatness after living through years and years of mediocrity. Coffee had become more than just a morning wake-up call. It was now part of a ritual that brought an inner peace and...can you tell I miss my coffee beans. Once I finished struggling through a pot of pre-ground coffee (shiver) that morning, I realized that I never wanted to go back to that sad, dark, bitter place.
This kind of brought me to a bit of a conundrum (fancy coffee snob talk for problem). I'm all about being frugal, but coffee beans are, at least from what I've seen, more expensive than ground coffee. It probably has something to do with them not tasting like garbage water. However, now that I've had a taste of the good life, I can't go back. I guess coffee has made the jump from an everyday-buy-what's-cheap item like bread, toilet paper or juice to something I'm willing to pay a premium for. So congratulations coffee, you have now joined the likes of Apple (the company, not the fruit), Bosch power tools and raspberries. Seriously blueberries, are you even trying? Some things are just so awesome that it's worth paying more for them.
Since this blog is about things of value, let me throw this out there, if you are a coffee drinker and haven't tried freshly ground coffee, find a friend, relative or neighbor who doesn't lock their doors, that has a coffee grinder and brew up a batch. If you do it right, I'd bet you too will never want to go back.
Also, it seems like everyday there are more and more studies being released about the health benefits of coffee. Here is a good one from the P90X newsletter. BRING IT! (P90X humor) Worth a quick read, especially if you drink little to no coffee. See what you're missing out on.
What is coffee to you? Just your morning pick-me-up or is it more? What products are you willing to pay a premium for?
No coffee here, but I can follow you on the raspberries (also blackberries and sometimes strawberries out of season). I would also like to add in Silver (jeans) and ice cream. Ben and Jerry's Greek Raspberry Fudge Chunk among others I pay more to buy by the pint; DQ and Coldstone are also well worth the price occasionally.
ReplyDeleteMmm, blackberries and strawberries and DQ too. I'm with you there. I'm an Americone Dream fan because I love watching The Colbert Report.
DeleteDrinking coffee is absolutely crucial to me being able to have a productive (and happy day.) I just drink Folgers though. I'm cheap.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I always used to drink until I discovered freshly ground coffee. I guess that's what I still drink at family members' houses. Seems like the go-to for ground coffee.
DeleteWe've found a bag of hazelnut coffee, whether grounded or if you ground it yourself, can last much longer if you brew a mixture of about 3/4ths Foldgers and 1/4 hazelnut. I personally find it tastes and smells a bit better than a Foldgers only brew.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely something I would try if I didn't have whole beans. Maybe I'll have to get a bag of hazelnut to mix with my pre-ground coffee for guests.
Delete