Good coffee beans?
 

Where do you guys get your coffee beans?
I went from instant coffee, to Starbucks ground coffee, now with no coffee.
I find home made Starbucks coffee just doesn't cut it.

Is there a place or store to get good dark espresso-like coffee beans?

What type of coffee maker are you using?

You could buy the best grounds in the world, if your using a walmart coffee maker it won't turn out well.
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Hi way2quik. Maybe I can help! I need you to answer the following questions for me in order to help you though. :)

1. How are you preparing your coffee? Drip? French Press? Pour-over? Espresso machine?

2. Have you been buying whole beans or pre-ground?

3. Do you have a particular preference? (I'm assuming a dark roast)

You could visit some more dedicated coffee bean shops around town and they can usually give you a good direction.

IMO, if you are transiting from SB quality coffee bean to something more serious, start with something milder and then adjust to taste. Starting strong makes you unable to differentiate other milder beans. And no, even if you usually drink dark roast doesn't mean it's perfect for you. Try all of them out. You never know!

Oh, and don't be afraid to mix things up to achieve the perfect blend. (for you at least. Taste is very subjective) There's a big big world out there if you start to mix different blends. I made the mistake of sticking to a single bean every time and have been mixing beans up for the last half years or so and LOVING IT!! But do take a lot of notes. So you know what approach to take when you make THE cup of coffee that you want at the moment. :)

My personal favourites are JJ Bean and Salt Sprint Island, 49th Parallel is very good too.

Unless you have a decent espresso machine I recommend that you ditch your standard coffee brewer and purchase a Bodum French Press. IMHO the best tasting coffee, all the oils of the bean are transferred right into the drink, not filtered away.

Also the freshness of your grounds count (try to grind fresh for every cup) and your grinding device. Blade grinders hack and chop the beans and do not allow for proper flavour/oil extraction. A conical blade grinder is the only way to go, expect to spend $100+ for a decent grinder.

Costco has like 10 different types of whole beans and some ground also. The price is pretty good.
I've been using their Kirkland pre ground beans with my Breville Keurig maker. <---Good machine if you only need 1 cup at a time, fast.

Moja up in North Vancouver IMO has the best espresso in the city.

cough* ethical bean cough*

I get mine from Save On Foods, actually. A local brand called Doi Chang. Bit pricey, but the flavour is good, no bitterness, and this is the only coffee I'm willing to drink black.

Doi Chaang Coffee - Home

ive been meaning to try doi chang, they have won some awards for their coffee. what roast are you drinking? good deal on their site, 2lb bags for $23-26.

i also like lavazza beans, the qualita rossa and super crema are great. you can find the rossa locally for $20 a 2lb bag.