Best of … specialty coffee online

Contributed by Tim Brugger, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

A good, steaming cup of coffee in the morning is about as good as it gets.

For coffee drinkers to fully appreciate just how rewarding this special time can be, try getting your day started without a cup; just for research purposes. Make sure to warn any passersby; you haven’t succumbed to an epileptic seizure, just a science experiment gone awry.

Why put up with the lady in front of you ordering the skim, mocha-mocha, light cream vanilla-vanilla latte with just a hint of caramel at the local coffee shop when you can have specialty coffee delivered to your door. Now that’s the way to get the day started.

Whole beans

Fresh with flavor

Unless you pound a half gallon of coffee daily, you’ll need to make it last to retain the best flavor. There’s no better way to keep specialty coffee fresh than buying it whole bean. Illy has a selection of whole bean java for all tastes, including a decaffeinated option. Yes, drinking decaf is akin to kissing your sister, but a fine option for coffee lovers adhering to a medically prescribed coffee regimen.

Coffee Grinder

Fresh ground in the morning

Okay, now you have a few pounds of newly delivered specialty coffee, but no way to grind it? Brylane Home can help you here. Check out this grinder from Cuisinart; easily adjustable to get the beans just the right consistency before brewing, with a large, sealable bean hopper to pour the whole beans into. Nothing worse then picking coffee beans off the floor, even with a 3-second rule in effect.

Specialty roast

Dark and bold

For the environmentally conscious, Green Mountain Coffee offers their Sumatran Reserve. Specialty coffee, in my humble opinion, should be as dark as the deepest night and thick as the densest forest, and this selection from Indonesia is just that. Check out the reviews from some of the other coffee lovers; apparently good news travels fast.

Peruvian roast

Organic import

Another rich dark coffee bean, Pachamama Organic is from Peru, and from Cafe Britt. The name is derived from “Mother Earth,” and this earthy roast will satisfy the most discerning gourmet coffee drinker.

Filters

Brewing essential

Filters Fast has a wide selection of filters for specialty and gourmet coffee brewers. The permanent coffee filters are an economical and eco-friendly alternative to paper filters. They hold finely ground coffee while letting water flow freely while coffee oils are released for the perfect morning cup.

Cafe Bustelo

Latin American favorite

If you are looking for the perfect espresso to give you that coffee-charged caffeine boost, The Latin Products has Cafe Bustello Espresso. Vaccuum packed for freshness, Latin American coffee drinkers will stand resolute for their Bustello. Brew it for your favorite coffee drink: espresso, iced coffee, cappuccino or a standard cup of Joe. The Latin Products has Goya coffee as well, another Latin favorite.

Coffee flavored chocolate

After dinner espresso

Who says your specialty coffee must come in a mug? Espresso flavored chocolate gets our vote any time of the day, and the best is from Ghirardelli, whose premium espresso bar is luxuriously deep and velvety 60% Cacao dark chocolate infused with deep-roasted espresso beans.

Mystic Monk Coffee

Heavenly aroma

Roasted and blended under the perfectionist supervision of Carmelite Monks and available through Monastery Greetings, Mystic Monk Coffee is a treat for any coffee lover. The coffee also helps fund a new monastery; so you’ll feel good spending your java money here. Check out the other intriguing flavor blends (Hermit’s Blend and Royal Rum Pecan are intriguing) and consider sending the JINGLE BELL JAVA developed especially for the Christmas season; with hints of white chocolate, festive spices and bourbon.