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Where to Buy Coffee – Pros & Cons
Understanding where to buy coffee and the benefits to each one.
Table of Contents
Let’s discuss where to buy coffee. For this, I’m going to say there are generally 3 places to buy coffee.
- Supermarket
- Cafés, coffee shops, roasters
- Online
We need to talk about each of these because they impact the offering and your options and the way you should approach buying in those places.
Buying Coffee from the Supermarket:
Pros of Buying Coffee from the Supermarket
- Incredibly convenient. You’re often visiting or buying from the supermarket anyways. Might as well get your coffee from there too.
- Generally cheaper. Supermarkets compete with each other. They're happy to use their size and scale to diminish their profits.
Therefore, coffee products at the supermarket are as cheap as they’re likely to be anywhere.
Cons of Buying Coffee from the Supermarket
- Not as fresh
- Dubious marketing phrasing
As previously discussed, they don’t want you to think about when that coffee was roasted because you might pick up a bag and think, “Oh, this is two months old.”They give you a best before date. That way you think, “Oh, I’ve got 10 months left to use this product.”The way supermarkets work is that they may buy from a single supplier that gets into a centralized distribution center. That product eventually goes to the individual supermarket, who then gets onto the shelf. Later it works its way slowly toward the front of the shelf. That’s why it could take months from the time it was produced to the time it’s being sold.Therefore, freshness is extremely difficult to achieve at a supermarket. You can’t buy good quality traceable coffee there.I would say well-roasted coffees are good coffees, definitely worth drinking, but know that the trade-off is freshness when purchasing coffee from a supermarket.
Therefore, freshness is extremely difficult to achieve at a supermarket. You can’t buy good quality traceable coffee there.
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Buying from a Coffee Shop:
As of this writing, coffee shops around the world have begun to reopen in many places, buying coffee from a coffee shop is a great way to support them.
Pros of Buying Coffee from a Coffee Shop
- Convenience factor if you already go there.
- Opportunity for a conversation. You can talk to the barista or employee and let them know what kind of coffee you like, the brand, that time you got great specialty coffee from them. Then ask for a recommendation.
Good coffee shops, if they’re not busy, will gladly help recommend coffee suitable for you. It’s in their best interest to get you to love coffee.
Cons of Buying Coffee from a Coffee Shop
- Their products are typically fresh. It may not be as fresh as buying online, and we'll come to that in a moment. But if you need coffee at that moment, coffee shops are perfect.
The chances are that the coffee is, and they certainly will have something that old you can buy. But, on the other hand, it’s beautifully fresh, perfectly ready to brew, and you can take it home and have a delicious cup of coffee.
Don’t forget that coffee shops are often serving the coffee they retail.
You know, there may be an opportunity to try before you buy it, taste something or buy something, drink it, really enjoy it, go back and take a bag of that home to enjoy in the morning.
We’re big fans of buying from coffee shops.
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Don’t forget that coffee shops are often serving the coffee they retail.
Buying Coffee Online:
Pros of Buying Coffee Online
- Most variety
- Competitive pricing
- Ships from the roaster
If you’re ordering from the roaster, they sometimes will roast your coffee once they receive your order. Then, ship it the same day. Check the details on their website or contact them.
It’s arrives in a day or 2 after being roasted; incredibly fresh. But like we said, fresher isn’t always better.
If you’re ordering from the roaster, they sometimes will roast your coffee once they receive your order.
Cons of Buying Coffee Online
- If they are not reputable then you're in no mans land
All the shady business tactics are possible if it’s a random online coffee shop. Do your research before you commit.
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Coffee Subscription Services
Roasters will offer things like subscription services. It’s a great way to go. It takes away having to remember to do something. Coffee simply arrives at your door.
Often many people they’ll go through more than one bag of month. Therefore, a great way to set up life is to have one bag come on a subscription from a roaster and then buy one bag on top of it from a different place, from a cafe, or from wherever.
Pros of Subscription Coffee Service
- Huge variety
- Trying something new all the time
- Watch your coffee intake and budget
- Learn about the coffee you're drinking through the information in the subscription box
- Convenient. Having coffee delivered on a schedule has many benefits
This is because the whole point is that coffee is really, really fun. Trying new things and tasting different variations of coffee is really fun.
Cons of Buying from a Coffee Subscription Service
- Typically more expensive
- Less control of exactly what kind of coffee and when
- Not for those who don't drink coffee often and don't like variety
Where Should I Buy my Coffee From?
Often many people they’ll go through more than one bag of month. Therefore, a great way to set up life is to have one bag come on a subscription from a roaster and then buy one bag on top of it from a different place, from a cafe, or from wherever.
This is because the whole point is that coffee is really, really fun. Trying new things and tasting different variations of coffee is really fun.
That’s our official choice: choosing more than 1. That being said, you need to weigh the pros and cons of each place where you can buy coffee and choose what suits your preference.
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