local coffee roasters

[francishsu]

I'm looking for an alternative to getting whole bean coffee from the supermarket. Any recommendations on local coffee roasters (GR Coffee Roasters, Schuil's, Madcap, etc.) and specific roasts/blends?

[fotoman311]

I'm looking for an alternative to getting whole bean coffee from the supermarket. Any recommendations on local coffee roasters (GR Coffee Roasters, Schuil's, Madcap, etc.) and specific roasts/blends?

For my daily cup, I haven't found anything I like better than the Martha's Blend at Martha's Vineyard. I usually buy it 1/2 lb or 1 lb at a time and just have them grind it for me at the shop.

It's roasted in East Hills (soon to be on Wealthy St., once the new tasting room next to Johnny B'z opens) by Rowsters Coffee. I'm also liking the Mexican roast I purchased last week. Kurt Stauffer, the owner, is also a really cool guy to hang around with and he's always willing to tell you about his coffee.

For a bit less money ($8.50/lb), I got turned onto better quality coffees by the Ethiopian Sidamo from Ferris and I've had a few of their other roasts that I liked.

[Nitro]

I've been getting mine all over but I just started buying whole bean from Ferris. Good coffee plus they have a frequent buyer program buy 10lbs. get one free.

[honeygrl]

I like the New York blend from Schuil's. Also, some good ones are at Kingma's market. I like the Kingma's blend and pick it up when I'm there. I favor the darker roasts, though.

[torgo]

Ferris has some great coffee. I really like Brazilian Santos.

[FilmMaker]

It is not near the urban core, but Herman's Boy in Rockford may, in fact, be the largest local roaster of coffee in the metro area. Well worth the drive (or bike ride up the White Pine Trail). Here's a link:

[LA Dave]

Do any of the geezers on this board remember the "Coffee Ranch"? It was located in the block of buildings just to the south of the Civic Theater (then, the old Majestic) and had a great old-time roaster on the premises. I still remember the incredible smell of fine roasted coffee and nuts when you walked into that store -- this was at a time when fine coffee was instant Yuban (at least to my Mom).

Unfortunately, the sons of the owner could not make a go of it during the 1980s -- ironically, just before the boom in good coffee.

[walker]

Do any of the geezers on this board remember the "Coffee Ranch"? It was located in the block of buildings just to the south of the Civic Theater (then, the old Majestic) and had a great old-time roaster on the premises. I still remember the incredible smell of fine roasted coffee and nuts when you walked into that store -- this was at a time when fine coffee was instant Yuban (at least to my Mom).

Unfortunately, the sons of the owner could not make a go of it during the 1980s -- ironically, just before the boom in good coffee.

Yes, I remember it well. Funny, I was just thinking about it yesterday when I happened to drive by the latest incarnation of the Coffee Ranch on Old Northland Drive in Rockford. I don't know the ownership history of the business but there is at least a thin dotted line link between the original downtown GR Coffee Ranch and the Coffee Ranch that for years occupied a small niche in downtown Rockford and then fairly recently moved to Old Northland Drive. (I'm barely old enough to remember when Old Northland Drive was US 131 before it was replaced as 131 by the new Northland Drive that of course itself was replaced by the 131 expressway.)

Here's a link to the latest Coffee Ranch:

COFFEE RANCH

One my favorite things as a kid in the late fifties early sixties in the summer was to take the bus downtown and hang out for a couple of hours. This would include riding all the escalators in the department stores (six floors in Wurzburg's,) walking through all the dime stores and stopping for a root beer in a big glass mug at the Woolworth at the corner of Monroe and Pearl, and stopping in Dodd's record store at the northeast corner of Monroe and Division to pick up copies of the latest competing top forty lists from WMAX and WGRD and much later WLAV. Next door to Dodd's was the Coffee Ranch. It always seemed to me to be a strange and exotic store. There didn't seem to me much in it besides the big old coffee grinder and roaster. But the smells were great. Their claim to fame was that they provided coffee to the Pantland hotel and you could buy the Pantland blend from them. Never bought anything there, I think most of the customers were wholesale. Coffee at our house was Maxwell House out of a can brewed in a percolator.

[LA Dave]

Yes, I remember it well. Funny, I was just thinking about it yesterday when I happened to drive by the latest incarnation of the Coffee Ranch on Old Northland Drive in Rockford. I don't know the ownership history of the business but there is at least a thin dotted line link between the original downtown GR Coffee Ranch and the Coffee Ranch that for years occupied a small niche in downtown Rockford and then fairly recently moved to Old Northland Drive. (I'm barely old enough to remember when Old Northland Drive was US 131 before it was replaced as 131 by the new Northland Drive that of course itself was replaced by the 131 expressway.)

Here's a link to the latest Coffee Ranch:

COFFEE RANCH

One my favorite things as a kid in the late fifties early sixties in the summer was to take the bus downtown and hang out for a couple of hours. This would include riding all the escalators in the department stores (six floors in Wurzburg's,) walking through all the dime stores and stopping for a root beer in a big glass mug at the Woolworth at the corner of Monroe and Pearl, and stopping in Dodd's record store at the northeast corner of Monroe and Division to pick up copies of the latest competing top forty lists from WMAX and WGRD and much later WLAV. Next door to Dodd's was the Coffee Ranch. It always seemed to me to be a strange and exotic store. There didn't seem to me much in it besides the big old coffee grinder and roaster. But the smells were great. Their claim to fame was that they provided coffee to the Pantland hotel and you could buy the Pantland blend from them. Never bought anything there, I think most of the customers were wholesale. Coffee at our house was Maxwell House out of a can brewed in a percolator.

Wow -- Memories . . .

I remember . . .

The escalators at Wurzburg's and Herp's -- a little scary when I was little, but Mom or Dad was always there to hold my hand. Dodd's record store -- I had completely forgotten about them until your post. I do remember when 'LAV and 'GRD was what everyone listened to, unless you were uber cool (and your transistor had an antenna) and you could listen to WLS out of Chicago.