Comments on: Trader Joe’s Dark Sumatra

by: Stevarino

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:20:43 +0000

I just purchased the dark sumatra and have yet to try it. I gave up drinking beer for several reasons, and now am pursuing a excellence in the lesser vice or coffee. I always almost brewed TJ’s french roast, but after doing some research discovered why I thought it tasted funny, in that it has a smoky component. I haven’t had a chance to brew my Sumatra yet, but I CAN’T WAIT!! It smells fantastic!

by: Chris

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:04:35 +0000

Naw, I just know how to be really, really mean. You really have to deserve it, though, and have to have been a real jerk, even after I tried being nice, which is where I try to go first, it usually helps.
I have a really long fuse, but it’s attached to a really big reaction. ; >

by: Austin

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:01:04 +0000

He types in all caps when he gets REALLY mad.

by: Chris

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:03:00 +0000

You won’t see many of us if you don’t tell us who ‘we’ is, what you’re opening, and where it is ! ; > (there’s the smiley!)
OTOH, being from another generation just means that you need to assume that the words being used are being used in their lightest and nicest possible way, unless the poster specifically says otherwise. Can’t screw up that way!
And, if I wanted to be mean or nasty, there would be no way you could misunderstand it. ; >

by: Randy

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:23:28 +0000

No problem, I prefer face to face communication. I come from a slightly older generation, (Not much older) and have a difficult time getting used to this style of communication. It is informative and interesting, but is very impersonal.
It would be nice to meet many of you so as to have an understanding of whom I am speaking to.
Hope to see as many of you as possible when we open.

by: Chris

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:30:43 +0000

It was meant as a light hearted response, Randy. I figured that would be evident by the suggestion that I had a deep, dark, secret in the NOFM can.
Note to self, more smileys ; >

by: Randy

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:03:26 +0000

Sorry, the last post was done before I could finish editing it. Hit a wrong button while in the heat of bantering.

by: Randy

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:56:36 +0000

It’s too bad that a simple side comment to a product alone can be construed as an insult to an individual. That is not how it was intended. This is one of the problems with written communication that is passed back and forth. You miss all the nuances of physical expression as well as tone and inflection of voice, leaving one to assume the manner and intent in which the message was delivered. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously and enjoy each other’s company as much as possible.
Technology has destroyed the personal aspect of humanity. No one really “speaks” to each other anymore with out an inanimate object to act a the go between.
For those of you who frequently quote someone, I have one now. This goes back quite a bit farther than Einstein, however, they too were delving into physics but didn’t know it. This is from the Upanhishads. Janaka asked a question of Yajnavalkya. “When the sun sets, and the moon sets, and the fire goes out, what is left for man?” Yajnavalkya replied: Then speach is our light, for by that we sit, work, go out and come back.” This is a deep discussion on self and existence that I won’t go into, but the basic premis is we are getting away from the human aspect of communication and hope to bring this back through my efforts in my coffee shop. I want to talk with people, not at them.

Sorry for any confussion.

by: Michael T

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:11:45 +0000

I think Trader Joe’s is a great alternative to some other, more mainstream, whole bean coffees. But $4.99 still raises some serious questions. Sometimes you get just what you pay for.

by: Ron Cortez

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:03:29 +0000

When it comes to rating coffee gets kind of tricky. According to Kenneth Davids as a professional coffee cupper he always discloses it’s rendition as his personal taste. We local roasters will deffend the argument that fresh coffee is better, but you can only taste fresh coffee when you drink coffee without milk, sugar, cinnamon and any other flavor contaminant (if we are judging coffee) if we are rating an espresso based drink, the overall feel and taste of the drink is what is used as a parameter. The other fact is that we will become “tuned” to a particular coffee. Per example if I grew up tasting folgers and believe that the taste of folgers is the best, then guess what? folgers will be the best to me (if you really think that folgers is the best try a side by side of folgers alone and cold against any other coffee). Real fresh coffee is considered fresh for less than 2 weeks as a general rule.

by: Chris

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:59:42 +0000

Never insult someone’s taste in a less complicated or less expensive (or in this case, both) satisfaction. I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t take the TJ coffee anymore, but Carmen is getting her happiness for less hassle and half the cash as I get from my beans. Keep it up, it’s the champagne tastes that break a beer budget!
OTOH, I do have to confess the “New Orleans Market’ brand of canned, ground(!) coffee is my favorite for drip. Mull some milk over a medium flame, and it makes a fairly decent replica of a cafe au lait from ‘Cafe du Monde in N.O.

by: Randy

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:06:55 +0000

Wooooo boys, are you going to the dark side and buying canned coffees now?

Ouch!

by: James

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:30:57 +0000

Thanks for this review. I hadn’t thought about Trader Joe’s as a source for coffee, and if I can get less expensive but tasty coffee, so much the better.