# Glossy packs of beans in supermarkets - any recommendations?



## Shaun (Jan 30, 2013)

My palate is still developing and so is my gear. For now I'm happy just to get a consistent espresso in the right proportions which doesn't taste foul. I'd go so far as to say I don't want my mouth bursting with unusual flavours until I've cracked ye olde fashioned espresso which I've regularly had in French cafes over the years.

On that basis, I'm working through the perceived stale offerings of the average supermarket stocked beans, and wondered if anyone had any other recommendations for the usual run of glossy packed beans? Here's my thoughts so far:

Illy: It's far too expensive so it can stay on the shelf. Six quid odd for 250g in Waitrose - is this a joke?

Lavazza (I can only find the beans in the black bag not the supposedly better blue one): The wife and I found this one pleasant enough and not bitter. £3.50 a bag isn't bad.

Percol (black and beyond): Much the same as the Lavattza in that it's not bitter and pleasant enough to drink. £3.75 a bag isn't bad either.

Taylors of Harrogate - I tried two different types of bean. Both were bitter and pretty horrid really. Each pack was definitely espresso beans, so how they've managed to earn their place on the shelves amongst the Italian big boys is beyond me.

Asda's cheap own brand - 10 second gusher per double shot, no matter how hard I tamped, so a waste of money. Actually it wasn't much money - couple of quid a bag. Once bitten...

Starbucks. Now this is what appears to be a newer offering, compared to what I bought in tins a couple of years ago. This one is fairtrade and Asda had knocked the price down from nearly a fiver a bag to three quid, yesterday.

It's so strong I'm at a loss as to who could like it. I first knocked the usual bean dose down from 16g to 14g, but even that over-extracted and took an age to get through. I then knocked the grinder back a bit and tamped less, but it still took ages and was still so strong I might as well have smoked it.

So, whilst my early coffee experiments are no doubt akin to eating toffee with the wrapper on, the three and a half quid bags of Lavazza or Percol are ahead of the pack at present.

Shaun


----------



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

before i knew about the ins and outs of coffee making, and was using a mates Jura bean to cup machine, i tried a few of the supermarket offerings.

The taylors stuff was always aggressively roasted and the staleness didnt help. Dark, bitter, burned tasting.

Illy, not bad but nothing special.

The lavazza Espresso beans (black packet) were always our favourite. Decent tasting, not complex, not clever and not fresh, but a taste of smooth coffee, a few chocolate notes and always produced consistent results. If i HAD to buy beans from a supermarket, those are the ones i'd have.


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

You might find some Union beans in Waitrose - worth a shot... however I think its time you moved into the freshly roast bean market, the results will be night and day!


----------



## twistywizard (Sep 3, 2012)

Are you using Pre Ground or grinding yourself? Also what Grinder.

Also there is no real perception of Supermarket beans being stale on the whole, they are!!! Check the roast date (If there is one!) and most will have been sat around for months.

I would suggest getting a bag from a Roaster online and trying them. You will NOT go back. If you do well... I would stick with Instant.

Again perception of what is good comes into it. Get yourself to a good coffee shop which serves properly extracted Espresso and Milk Based drinks and see for yourself what exactly is possible. With the right beans, some half decent kit and some time/attention you will be pulling shots similar in taste.

I do not mean to come off as a Snob but truely as above going to a roaster will open your eyes!


----------



## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

garydyke1 said:


> You might find some Union beans in Waitrose - worth a shot... however I think its time you moved into the freshly roast bean market, the results will be night and day!


+1 on union beans.. but they are about the same price freshly roasted from the union website

(revelation beans are very nice)


----------



## hopsyturvy (Jan 7, 2013)

From what you're saying it sounds like you're using pre-ground - in which case that will be a much bigger factor than how good the beans are. I know everyone on this forum bangs on about it, but it's the sad truth


----------



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

well he used the words "grinder" and "beans" quite a bit... so i'm guessing not







hehe


----------



## Shaun (Jan 30, 2013)

I am using beans, hence my asking about beans, not pre-ground.

Guys, better beans will come later. I'm experimenting with all my gear, and have a commercial grinder on its way to match the commercial machine. I simply don't wish to confuse matters with loads of different flavours, nor waste more expensive beans and have to use them within an optimum window, simply whilst I try to match everything and establish a half-decent espresso. I just want to grab some beans from the supermarket!


----------



## hopsyturvy (Jan 7, 2013)

Oh, my bad - I just saw the words '10 second gusher per double shot, no matter how hard I tamped' and leapt to conclusions. Tamping hard doesn't have much effect compared to tweaking the grind. What grinder are you using, and how are you dialing it in to get the correct grind? Perhaps your Asda beans just need a finer grind?


----------



## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

waitrose - union roasted revelation £4.75


----------



## RisingPower (Dec 27, 2009)

Shaun said:


> I am using beans, hence my asking about beans, not pre-ground.
> 
> Guys, better beans will come later. I'm experimenting with all my gear, and have a commercial grinder on its way to match the commercial machine. I simply don't wish to confuse matters with loads of different flavours, nor waste more expensive beans and have to use them within an optimum window, simply whilst I try to match everything and establish a half-decent espresso. I just want to grab some beans from the supermarket!


Tbh, cheap beans shipped from hasbean will probably be less than illy in cost.


----------



## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

As supermarkets go, Sainsburys beans aren't so bad.


----------



## Callum_T (Dec 23, 2012)

If you were really looking for cheap, buy 1kg bags from limini - if you don't use much they'll be stale by the end of the bag but still in better condition than supermarket. The only other thing I can think of is maybe the starter packs from has bean?

It almost seems like your associating "fresh" with "expensive" - the only thing annoying about buying fresh is the postage.

Laynes espresso in Leeds sell 350g bags of red brick cheaper than direct from the roaster. - so maybe find a nice local independent and see what's in there grinders, and if you buy small amounts it'll be cheaper than one bag direct from a roaster

My take on supermarket beans - the only thing I managed to drink and "enjoy" - (enjoy as in not screwing my face up) was illy - but I found it too sweet as a shot and fairly uninteresting in milk.

I kinda wish getting fresh wasn't such a faff - imagine if you could do your food shopping and then get some nice fresh beans along with it!


----------



## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Shaun said:


> I am using beans, hence my asking about beans, not pre-ground.
> 
> Guys, better beans will come later. I'm experimenting with all my gear, and have a commercial grinder on its way to match the commercial machine. I simply don't wish to confuse matters with loads of different flavours, nor waste more expensive beans and have to use them within an optimum window, simply whilst I try to match everything and establish a half-decent espresso. I just want to grab some beans from the supermarket!


I honestly think you are confusing things more this way, with fresh beans you will need to make a significant adjustment to grind to match the pour you get from stale supermarket beans. If you don't want outlandish flavours just choose a traditional espresso blend, most roasters offer one. It should be a lot easier to get a consistent and good pour with real beans, you are going to run into problems with stale supermarket coffee.


----------



## tribs (Feb 21, 2012)

Yeah Limini beans are dirt cheap £6 a kilo. I was going to order some the other week, only to discover their minimum postage was £5.50 or something. It would mean I'd have to order a couple of kilos to make it worthwhile, but I have too many other beans. Unless I missed something. But, if you wanted the same bean to build consistency then it would be a good option.


----------



## Callum_T (Dec 23, 2012)

Off topic abit - I ordered 1.25kg from limini just over a week ago 500g luscio, 500g of their main blend and 250g of there Rimini blend - I thought they were alright I was generally pleased, think I preferred the luscio as it was more interesting to my tastes.

I think there flat rate postage is 5.50 I think but I suppose buying larger amounts allows for more experimentation.


----------



## tribs (Feb 21, 2012)

Sorry, not £6 a kilo. £6 per half kilo. £11 per Kilo.

Wow £6 a kilo would have been truly dirt cheap.


----------



## Godders (Dec 29, 2012)

The problem is that you'll have to re-learn your technique once you start using fresh beans. If you're worried about complicating things with "fancy" flavoured coffes just go with something like the everyday espresso blend from coffee bean shop.


----------



## willowkevin (Dec 2, 2012)

Before Christmas and my fresh coffee discovery I'd frequently use Morrisons fair trade espresso, pre ground and in a green packet at £2.99! Tastes ok in a mocha pot and wakes you up on a morning! Lavazza Crema de Gusto is a nice wake up coffee too, though I suppose the purists will frown at the 80% robusta in it!


----------

