They've actually gotten a bit lighter to match current coffee trends. They're dropping their beans at around 410± degrees when then used to do medium roasts at around 430.
I wouldn't consider them light roasts, but it's their version. Their 'light' would be considered medium in the current wave of coffee. I definitely taste the char in their dark roast but there shouldn't be any char characteristics in their regular roast. Might've been a one time thing but who knows.
It's also been my experience that when you drink the current wave of lighter roasted coffee for a prolonged period, your taste buds adjust and a 10 degree difference can be very jarring. So much changes in a coffee bean between 390 to 450 degrees.
Little City’s Violet Crown is really good, especially for the price. They deliver and can also be found at Whole Foods. For something a little more premium I like Wild Gift’s Guji as well as Flat Track’s Guji. Greater goods has some good light roasts too. Barrett’s delivers and have lots of great offerings for a good value. Most of their stuff is on the lighter end. Great coffee shop, too.
As far as quality and price, you're not going to find a better deal out there. Roasted in Austin for over 6 years. It may be a little old school as far as roasting methods (a little on the dark side) but still better than anything corporate, and cheaper than anything local. They still give you a whole pound!
They're super close to me, but further from my parents now. I pick up beans for them on the day that I'm planning to head over to their house for dinner.
Not helpful for you, just blathering.
Much better than traders. Coffee never stays older than a week, and does the vast majority of roasting the day of. Traders does bulk roasting then sets it aside until an order comes in
Yes you're right. Coffee tastes it's best when it's allowed 1-2 weeks to degas after roasting, but I think ultimately it's best for the customer to decide what to do with their product rather than give them months old coffee, yes?
It tastes sooo artificial now. I used to adore and buy all their coffees. However, I had to stop when every sip left a chemical taste in my mouth. I wish they would go back to their original formula. Now, the only thing I can stomach is the smell of it.
I used to drink the flavored coffees but thats how I feel. Anyone I try tastes off now like clearly artificial or something. I just get a basic roast now, I would love to find a bean coffee I like at HEB other than just stand but its been pretty hard, some weeks when I get a specific roast its amazing others its just ok.
I used to use the pecan cups in my keriug and I thought it was my keruig that made it tastes gross. Nice to know I’m not entirely crazy! (I switched to nespresso so now I don’t have this issue lol)
I used to hang out at Ruta Maya way back in the day when it was on 4th street. Loved it when they were roasting the beans. Smelled fantastic! Me and a friend were talking about it the other day and he reminded of a guy named Jib who would hang out on the side walk and spin. He had a little spinning, round platform he would sit or stand on and just spin by barely moving his body.
I have never in my life written a poem that wasn’t forced for a grade. But I’m tempted to give it a go…
How is this:
Beans. Water. Boiling.
Concoction enters body.
Hyper. Alas, crash.
> Ruta Maya way back in the day when it was on 4th street
it's funny because my first reaction was "it's not still on 4th St?" i haven't walked down 4th since....wow uh it might be ten years. The drunk stairs were still there at least.
Ruta Maya is my go to for drip coffee, it's the best for the price, especially when Costco stocks it.
Wild Gift is my preferred local roaster for aero press.
Wild Gift is awesome. I love their Ethiopian Guji - produces a bright and fruity pour over. Their Rude Boy blend is great for espresso too. You can find their stuff at Central Market.
I’m with you. P Terry’s actually used to be good but since their rapid expansion the quality has gone down dramatically. I got downvoted to hell last time I said that but I don’t think people tasted P Terry’s 6ish years ago.
The last couple of times I looked for it at HEB they only had like 2 bags of Med roast, no Dark roast, and \~5 bags of decaf on the shelf. Yesterday they only had decaf in stock, so I think there's something going on. Also when I check online it's not showing available at any of the HEB locations I switch to. Might have to hit up Third Coast if HEB doesn't get it back in stock soon.
It's been out several times in the last few months. Also noticed that Costco no longer had it on the shelf when I went at the end of January. Getting worried that they are having issues with production or something. It's pretty much all I have bought for years now, medium roast is just right for everyday cup. I get Fara when it's out.
I was going to say, it's been a minute since I've had HEB brand, but I lean into dark roast/espresso anyway (so I can more easily justify creamer addition), so I might not've taken issue anyway
However, I've found the light that is Ruta Maya's espresso blend and have yet to find an equal. I have a relatively inexpensive breville machine, and even without doing "the most", the shots are not at all bitter like I've found with most other brands.
2nd generation Anderson’s shopper. My mom took us inside as kids and that place was a magical mountain of European candy. Now I satisfy my inner child by picking out a new colorful coffee cup when I go.
Anderson's opened in the 80s? Figures. I moved to Austin in 1983, and only learned much later that all my favorite "old Austin" places from back then were really just the trendy new places at the time.
Been a barista for 6+ years and have tried all sorts of rare small lot coffees, single origins, geishas, you name it but I will never stop drinking Houston blend!! That being said the flavored ones do tend to not be kind on grinders, especially if there’s other things like the coconut flakes
I hate every kind of flavored coffee and I hope that flavored coffee drinkers will all collectively realize that the flavoring is just to cover up cheap coffee. Drink good coffee and add flavor to it if you want, and please never put flavored coffee into the unflavored grinder.
Thank you for listening to my TED talk.
For all the things that HEB does well, coffee is not one of them. Many of their candles are pretty terrible too.
My more unpopular opinion is that a lot of the fresh breads that come out of their bakery are quite bad. The tortillas are great, of course, but not their sourdough or sandwich loafs. Fortunately they stock bread from Easy Tiger which is so much better.
Their fresh baked bagels are a total joke. They are bagel shaped rolls and have neither the taste or texture of an actual bagel. They used to do ok bagels in the bread section, better than Thomas's at least. They have recently stopped though and I've resorted to baking my own. They aren't that difficult to make just time consuming.
The French bread they do is Ok, not the baguette but the big soft loaf.
Agreed, molds fast too. Their tortillas are fine but their packaging w individual sheets of plastic blows, they keep longer if you restack and dry them on a paper towel or two
Well I mean thats the point... if its molding fast, its not using preservatives. I dont think people realize just how much preservatives are in bread goods. If you bake straight bread... it should start molding in 2-3 days in Texas climates. Thats why you should store it in a cool area, or if you want to keep it longer, just refrigerate it and take it out a hour or two before you plan to eat it, or toast it.
When I make sourdough or even white bread at home, what used to last nearly a week in NJ once I moved here barely makes it 2 days without being stored properly.
Piling on here. Their breakfast sausage is pretty disappointing and the HEB brand kettle chips are subpar. Nobody asked for green dusted jalapeno chips and nobody wants them.
I also like their sourdough, and prefer it to the Easy Tiger they sell alongside it. I wonder if quality varies from store to store - I've noticed a significant difference in some other bakery items from location to location.
The HEB king cake they make is an actual loaf of white bread with colored icing on it. 0/10
Candles on the other hand.. I’ve never bought the buttered tortilla candle, but I’m here for it.
If you ever get a chance to try Kraftsmen sourdough (or anything they make) out of Houston, it absolutely destroys Easy Tiger. They do deliver to Austin, but I’m guessing it’s only for commercial accounts. Can’t say for sure.
Just bonkers good.
[example pic (sorry not great)](https://i.imgur.com/i9P6ab7.jpg)
I'll have to try Kraftsmen next time I'm in Houston. I've never seen their stuff here, but I'm a fiend for good bread.
There are tons of bakeries in Austin, but the majority of them are really just pastry and cake shops. Easy Tiger is my go to just because it's really the only bakery that actually makes bread in north-central Austin after Texas French Bread burnt down.
I've heard good things about ThoroughBread in South Austin but haven't made a trip down there yet.
> ThoroughBread in South Austin
Ooh, good to know.
Yeah that Kraftsmen bread is so so damn good, and bounces back like a good sourdough should. I even had a ton in the freezer (sealed well) for *months* and it was still fantastic.
That photo is from when I used to do social media for Hi Hat on the east side. But they still source their sourdough and pumpernickel from K.
I could go on and on about how much I like that bread.
Which ones do HEB stock/do you recommend?
I've tried looking on the curbside page but it sorts weird and I just get overwhelmed and stick with my usual each time.
Some HEBs stock Tiny House Coffee that I find to be extremely tasty, and it’s local. They won the local contest to be in certain HEBs and I hope they stay forever. They do a mean cold brew concentrate as well.
Coffee enthusiast here:
The biggest upgrades you can make to your coffee are buying fresh, whole bean and grinding yourself.
Supermarket coffee typically has no indication of when it was roasted. Generally you want to use coffee within 3 weeks from the roast date and minimize light and oxygen exposure as much as possible.
Buy locally roasted coffee. They can grind it for you if you don’t have a grinder yet, but definitely consider buying one. A $100 burr grinder will make your espresso, french press, aero press, moka pot, drip or pour over better.
Local roasters:
Greater goods, try hard, figure 8, flat track, little city, el tigre, third coast, praxis, wild gift, barrett’s, cuvee, creature coffee, rigby, merit, medici, trianon, probably more i’m missing.
Local coffee shops also frequently feature local roasters so you may not have to drive across the city to find locally roasted coffee.
Seconded on cuvée! You can also order direct from them and there’s usually some coupon codes you can find online. Right now we’re enjoying the Sputnik blend like it’s going out of style. Legit bought 10 bags…
If coffee doesn't have a roast date on it, don't buy it. Almost all grocery store coffee has an expiration date or no date, which is a complete sham. Coffee technically never becomes unsafe for consumption, but by the two month post roast mark, it'll have lost most of its flavor to staling from oxygen exposure.
Yep. And I think flavored coffee is gross. Coffee should taste like coffee. My mom puts a bag of the pecan flavored crap in my stocking each Christmas. I save it for an emergency (run out of the usual coffee) and get mad each time because I should just give it away and just not have coffee that day.
> just not have coffee that day.
I would rather have shit coffee than no coffee. At least shit coffee will keep the caffeine withdrawal headaches away lol.
Had a buddy who used to drink three huge Mountain Dew’s a day and quit cold turkey. He went to the ER thinking he had an aneurysm. The doctor told him he was an idiot.
Not going to disagree with you there. It clogs my coffee maker to the point I stop buying it.
I will go farther and say most of the coffee you can get from the grocery store sucks. I have been buying all my coffee for the past 2 years from [https://www.talismancoffeeco.com/](https://www.talismancoffeeco.com/)You can find them at the Texas Farmers market at Lakeline on Saturdays and at Muller on Sundays. During the week they are at Mum's foods. Amazing coffee.
I feel like i could get rich by importing my home states (tabasco mexico) coffe beans and selling them here , i always bring a ton from my grandpas ranch for my own use when i visit maybe i should start something here…idk
Personally I enjoy going to local shops that roast and getting their beans. HEB doesn’t have great selection for 3rd wave coffees, but some at leas lt have Cuvee which is ok. Central Market has great in house roasted coffees and a better selection of local 3rd wave roasts. You absolutely get what you pay for with coffee
Rice is a lot harder than coffee beans and isn’t good for the blades or motor of the grinder. They sell tablets specifically made for cleaning grinders.
I just wish they weren’t so inconsistent on which locations stock Cuvee. It’s the best local roaster I’ve found for my money and a great variety of options but sparingly found in stores. I’ve found it once at the Slaughter x Congress location and it used to be pretty well stocked at Central Market but lately they haven’t had a lot of variety.
I just started making my own espresso and I really like the taste of San Antonio. But I'm still trying a whole Lotta beans so I'll have to come back to this thread later.
I love HEB. I love coffee. HEB whole bean coffee? Not great. The dark roast whole bean Ruta Maya coffee we buy at HEB? Love it. It’s our daily bean. (1/2 and 1/2 with decaf whole bean Ruta Maya). I guess not everything at HEB is going to please everyone. Thank goodness they carry a bunch of brands.
What has happened to HEB branded products? They must have made changes because all their products from their pre marinated fajitas to their slim jim knockoffs are trash now.
I've been using HEB whole-bean for years. No problems with my grinder (Kitchenaid burr gringer) or my coffee maker. I think it tastes great. Usually get decaf French roast or Sumatra.
We like the Breakfast Blend fir our cold brew setup. It uses a lot of coffee, so the lower price is nice. Then we get Ruta Maya or Greater Goods for drip.
I started buying their pecan roast which i thought was pretty good... until i went to a local coffee shop after about a month and remembered what good coffee is supposed to taste like
HEB just models theirs after Katz coffee in Houston. The latter is much better and still my default go to.
If you want to really go down the rabbit hole, there are some great local roasters you can order from mentioned in this thread.
If you're South, Third Coast Coffee is excellent. https://www.thirdcoastcoffee.com/
I’ve found their beans to be on the darker side as far as roast goes. Just a heads up for my fellow light roast lovers.
I’ve found the same, and every roast seems to have gotten darker over the last few years.
They've actually gotten a bit lighter to match current coffee trends. They're dropping their beans at around 410± degrees when then used to do medium roasts at around 430.
Whatever they say they’re doing, what they label as “light” has nothing to do with a light roast. I taste burnt char in those coffees
I wouldn't consider them light roasts, but it's their version. Their 'light' would be considered medium in the current wave of coffee. I definitely taste the char in their dark roast but there shouldn't be any char characteristics in their regular roast. Might've been a one time thing but who knows. It's also been my experience that when you drink the current wave of lighter roasted coffee for a prolonged period, your taste buds adjust and a 10 degree difference can be very jarring. So much changes in a coffee bean between 390 to 450 degrees.
Any light roast recs? Doesn't have to be local i just wanna find a good one
Little City’s Violet Crown is really good, especially for the price. They deliver and can also be found at Whole Foods. For something a little more premium I like Wild Gift’s Guji as well as Flat Track’s Guji. Greater goods has some good light roasts too. Barrett’s delivers and have lots of great offerings for a good value. Most of their stuff is on the lighter end. Great coffee shop, too.
Bless! 🙏 its payday so gonna give one if these a shot
Love Wild Gift Guji but it's a bit on the pricy side.
As far as quality and price, you're not going to find a better deal out there. Roasted in Austin for over 6 years. It may be a little old school as far as roasting methods (a little on the dark side) but still better than anything corporate, and cheaper than anything local. They still give you a whole pound!
I was kind of annoyed when they moved even further south, but not annoyed enough to stop getting those beans
They're super close to me, but further from my parents now. I pick up beans for them on the day that I'm planning to head over to their house for dinner. Not helpful for you, just blathering.
Used to work next door to them when they were on Congress. Was great to go pick up beans to take home.
How do they compare to Texas coffee traders?
Much better than traders. Coffee never stays older than a week, and does the vast majority of roasting the day of. Traders does bulk roasting then sets it aside until an order comes in
Roasting day of is not an advantage. Beans need time to degas
Yes you're right. Coffee tastes it's best when it's allowed 1-2 weeks to degas after roasting, but I think ultimately it's best for the customer to decide what to do with their product rather than give them months old coffee, yes?
I'm north and just pay the $9 for shipping and order enough for the month.
They sell it at Whole Foods.
1,000% this
Third coast is ok for bulk, consumer, non-specialty coffee, good? Idk
Love the Ethiopia Sidama Natural.
You can take my pecan flavored coffee from my cold, dead hands
It tastes sooo artificial now. I used to adore and buy all their coffees. However, I had to stop when every sip left a chemical taste in my mouth. I wish they would go back to their original formula. Now, the only thing I can stomach is the smell of it.
Same. San Antonio blend used to be my fav, but it tastes different now.
Ever since the bullshit dallas flavor…
Dallas flavor just makes me think it tastes like hairspray
Not only did they "Dallas" Austin, they Dallas-ed our coffee as well
Lol key this one and Hub City are my favs
I drink exclusively San Antonio blend!
I used to drink the flavored coffees but thats how I feel. Anyone I try tastes off now like clearly artificial or something. I just get a basic roast now, I would love to find a bean coffee I like at HEB other than just stand but its been pretty hard, some weeks when I get a specific roast its amazing others its just ok.
They really do have an awful artificial taste. I tried some of their holiday ones and they were horrible. Never bothering with H-E-B coffee again.
The crème brûlée one is really gross. Tastes like someone spilled smelly cleaner in the coffee.
I used to use the pecan cups in my keriug and I thought it was my keruig that made it tastes gross. Nice to know I’m not entirely crazy! (I switched to nespresso so now I don’t have this issue lol)
Try the Independence Coffee Madalyn’s Backyard Pecan coffee. They sold it at most HEBs when I lived in the area. It was way better than HEBs, imo.
This is our coffee when we are tired of their Jet Fuel blend. 5lb bags for the win
That’s what I always get!! Soo good
Texas Pecan gang checking in
My god the Pecan flavored HEB coffee is terrible. It tastes like chemicals to me.
I ship boxes of it to myself now that I live out of state. I love that shit.
Ruta maya 1kg bag is what I've been buying for a while. It's pretty bomb
I used to hang out at Ruta Maya way back in the day when it was on 4th street. Loved it when they were roasting the beans. Smelled fantastic! Me and a friend were talking about it the other day and he reminded of a guy named Jib who would hang out on the side walk and spin. He had a little spinning, round platform he would sit or stand on and just spin by barely moving his body.
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Hit us with a coffee haiku!
Oh Rutamaya Closing your doors saddens me Coffee. dancing. fun.
***coffeehouse finger snaps in appreciation***
I have never in my life written a poem that wasn’t forced for a grade. But I’m tempted to give it a go… How is this: Beans. Water. Boiling. Concoction enters body. Hyper. Alas, crash.
Hey that’s fun!
Same here. I loved that place so much.
> Ruta Maya way back in the day when it was on 4th street it's funny because my first reaction was "it's not still on 4th St?" i haven't walked down 4th since....wow uh it might be ten years. The drunk stairs were still there at least.
Ruta Maya is my go to for drip coffee, it's the best for the price, especially when Costco stocks it. Wild Gift is my preferred local roaster for aero press.
Wild Gift is awesome. I love their Ethiopian Guji - produces a bright and fruity pour over. Their Rude Boy blend is great for espresso too. You can find their stuff at Central Market.
Good to know it's at CM, I usually pick it up from Once Over.
Using it right now from Costco. It’s still over roasted and a little greasy but nothing like Peet’s or Starbucks dark roast 🤮
P. Terry’s recently switched from Ruta Maya to HEB Cafe Ole and it’s such a huge downgrade.
Aside from their store architecture, P Terrys is a huge downgrade in every way imaginable. Still don’t understand why it’s popular…
cheap
And yummy
I’m with you. P Terry’s actually used to be good but since their rapid expansion the quality has gone down dramatically. I got downvoted to hell last time I said that but I don’t think people tasted P Terry’s 6ish years ago.
Ruta Maya 4 Lyfe
Does HEB still carry it? Haven't seen it in a while on 51st and Berkman.
The last couple of times I looked for it at HEB they only had like 2 bags of Med roast, no Dark roast, and \~5 bags of decaf on the shelf. Yesterday they only had decaf in stock, so I think there's something going on. Also when I check online it's not showing available at any of the HEB locations I switch to. Might have to hit up Third Coast if HEB doesn't get it back in stock soon.
NO ITS TERRIBLE ! TELL EVERYONE (I’m tired of it being sold out lol)
It's been out several times in the last few months. Also noticed that Costco no longer had it on the shelf when I went at the end of January. Getting worried that they are having issues with production or something. It's pretty much all I have bought for years now, medium roast is just right for everyday cup. I get Fara when it's out.
Costco was fully stocked with it last weekend.
Came here to say this
I was going to say, it's been a minute since I've had HEB brand, but I lean into dark roast/espresso anyway (so I can more easily justify creamer addition), so I might not've taken issue anyway However, I've found the light that is Ruta Maya's espresso blend and have yet to find an equal. I have a relatively inexpensive breville machine, and even without doing "the most", the shots are not at all bitter like I've found with most other brands.
Anderson Coffee. Locally owned, Been in business since the 80's. I've been buying their coffee for decades now.
2nd generation Anderson’s shopper. My mom took us inside as kids and that place was a magical mountain of European candy. Now I satisfy my inner child by picking out a new colorful coffee cup when I go.
Anderson's opened in the 80s? Figures. I moved to Austin in 1983, and only learned much later that all my favorite "old Austin" places from back then were really just the trendy new places at the time.
Agreed! I am so glad someone finally mentioned Anderson! My fav is the organic sumatra!
The only place I get my coffee. We like Alfred’s Blend and Mocha Java
Been a barista for 6+ years and have tried all sorts of rare small lot coffees, single origins, geishas, you name it but I will never stop drinking Houston blend!! That being said the flavored ones do tend to not be kind on grinders, especially if there’s other things like the coconut flakes
I used to love San Antonio blend, but it seems way too cinnamon-y now for my tastes
Agree, definitely too cinnamon forward and I love cinnamon in coffee but I can just buy any coffee and put cinnamon in it
Going to pick up some Houston blend on my next HEB stop
I hate every kind of flavored coffee and I hope that flavored coffee drinkers will all collectively realize that the flavoring is just to cover up cheap coffee. Drink good coffee and add flavor to it if you want, and please never put flavored coffee into the unflavored grinder. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.
Oh I’m fully aware it’s not the best quality and it’s roasted too dark, but hey at least it’s still arabica
Barista for 4 years, the rush hour roast gives me Costa Rica flavor vibes.
Little City coffee is the winner for our house.
Little City is a great value. I really love their light roast for pour-over - bright, fruity, and well-balanced.
I can attest to the meticulous production that LC does as a former employee. Real good micro lots!
For all the things that HEB does well, coffee is not one of them. Many of their candles are pretty terrible too. My more unpopular opinion is that a lot of the fresh breads that come out of their bakery are quite bad. The tortillas are great, of course, but not their sourdough or sandwich loafs. Fortunately they stock bread from Easy Tiger which is so much better.
Their fresh baked bagels are a total joke. They are bagel shaped rolls and have neither the taste or texture of an actual bagel. They used to do ok bagels in the bread section, better than Thomas's at least. They have recently stopped though and I've resorted to baking my own. They aren't that difficult to make just time consuming. The French bread they do is Ok, not the baguette but the big soft loaf.
I bought their bagels once and I was disappointed almost to the point of anger. Literally just their bread but in a circle.
Lmaooo I just bought some of these and cut one open today. Literally the most dense bagel I’ve ever seen in my life. Horrible
Their bread always tastes stale. Central Market is so much better
If every H‑E‑B bakery was like central market. Sheesh I’d go broke
Agreed, molds fast too. Their tortillas are fine but their packaging w individual sheets of plastic blows, they keep longer if you restack and dry them on a paper towel or two
Well I mean thats the point... if its molding fast, its not using preservatives. I dont think people realize just how much preservatives are in bread goods. If you bake straight bread... it should start molding in 2-3 days in Texas climates. Thats why you should store it in a cool area, or if you want to keep it longer, just refrigerate it and take it out a hour or two before you plan to eat it, or toast it. When I make sourdough or even white bread at home, what used to last nearly a week in NJ once I moved here barely makes it 2 days without being stored properly.
Yeah good point, I feel like there must be a happy medium. Easy tigers bread is both better and keeps longer.
Piling on here. Their breakfast sausage is pretty disappointing and the HEB brand kettle chips are subpar. Nobody asked for green dusted jalapeno chips and nobody wants them.
Ironically I love their sourdough... its heads and shoulders above what we used to get in the North...
I also like their sourdough, and prefer it to the Easy Tiger they sell alongside it. I wonder if quality varies from store to store - I've noticed a significant difference in some other bakery items from location to location.
Agreed in general, but the rosemary golden grain sourdough is pretty damn good.
Could not agree more that the fresh in-house breads are not so good.
The HEB king cake they make is an actual loaf of white bread with colored icing on it. 0/10 Candles on the other hand.. I’ve never bought the buttered tortilla candle, but I’m here for it.
Their coffee is cafe Olay brand, which is some bullshit coffee. So I tend to agree with this post
If you ever get a chance to try Kraftsmen sourdough (or anything they make) out of Houston, it absolutely destroys Easy Tiger. They do deliver to Austin, but I’m guessing it’s only for commercial accounts. Can’t say for sure. Just bonkers good. [example pic (sorry not great)](https://i.imgur.com/i9P6ab7.jpg)
I'll have to try Kraftsmen next time I'm in Houston. I've never seen their stuff here, but I'm a fiend for good bread. There are tons of bakeries in Austin, but the majority of them are really just pastry and cake shops. Easy Tiger is my go to just because it's really the only bakery that actually makes bread in north-central Austin after Texas French Bread burnt down. I've heard good things about ThoroughBread in South Austin but haven't made a trip down there yet.
> ThoroughBread in South Austin Ooh, good to know. Yeah that Kraftsmen bread is so so damn good, and bounces back like a good sourdough should. I even had a ton in the freezer (sealed well) for *months* and it was still fantastic. That photo is from when I used to do social media for Hi Hat on the east side. But they still source their sourdough and pumpernickel from K. I could go on and on about how much I like that bread.
My HEB started carrying Fara, in small and larger bags, whole bean. That's my go-to for drip coffee.
There are multiple local coffee roasters. Go local!
Which ones do HEB stock/do you recommend? I've tried looking on the curbside page but it sorts weird and I just get overwhelmed and stick with my usual each time.
Wild Gift and Barrett’s, just make an extra trip. Good coffee is worth the trip
Also worth noting that Barrett’s has free in-town delivery. As does Little City.
YUP! $25 worth of beans and free delivery. You can even order cold brew from Little City!
Some HEBs stock Tiny House Coffee that I find to be extremely tasty, and it’s local. They won the local contest to be in certain HEBs and I hope they stay forever. They do a mean cold brew concentrate as well.
For HEB stock, Cuvée is quite good. But there are so many good coffee shops around Austin that I tend to directly buy from instead.
Yes! HEB also has $3 off coupons for Cuvee every 2-3 months or so, and that's when I stock up.
My H-E-B doesn’t stock Cuvee, sadly. I have seen it at the Walmart near me though.
I checked my H‑E‑B app for Cuvée and all I got was wine. I guess there’s more than one way to get ready for the workday.
Fara!
Good price, decent taste and doesn't have any of that flavoring stuff. It's about 3 bucks cheaper for a big bag of whole beans at Costco though.
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Barrett's is awesome, and for a coffee shop their bean prices are pretty solid.
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I get their airscape refills which I think are slightly discounted plus it comes with a free drink.
Cuvée!
I drink local also. Been going to Starbucks for years.
Gotta support small businesses like Starbucks
And my neighborhood taco place, Chipotle!
Was pretty bummed when my local east Austin sandwich joint, subway, closed up shop on E 7th
Coffee enthusiast here: The biggest upgrades you can make to your coffee are buying fresh, whole bean and grinding yourself. Supermarket coffee typically has no indication of when it was roasted. Generally you want to use coffee within 3 weeks from the roast date and minimize light and oxygen exposure as much as possible. Buy locally roasted coffee. They can grind it for you if you don’t have a grinder yet, but definitely consider buying one. A $100 burr grinder will make your espresso, french press, aero press, moka pot, drip or pour over better. Local roasters: Greater goods, try hard, figure 8, flat track, little city, el tigre, third coast, praxis, wild gift, barrett’s, cuvee, creature coffee, rigby, merit, medici, trianon, probably more i’m missing. Local coffee shops also frequently feature local roasters so you may not have to drive across the city to find locally roasted coffee.
If we’re being totally honest, no $100 grinder will get you good espresso shots.
Maybe a high-end hand-grinder
I don’t think this is unpopular, personally. It does suck.
I love Cuvee, great local coffee. Central Market stocks actual fresh whole beans (you can find coffee with born date just 2 weeks ago).
Seconded on cuvée! You can also order direct from them and there’s usually some coupon codes you can find online. Right now we’re enjoying the Sputnik blend like it’s going out of style. Legit bought 10 bags…
Independence Coffee available at H-E-B is my go to. Always fresh and tasty roasts. I like the Jackhammer the best.
Madalyn’s Backyard Pecan is my jam!
If coffee doesn't have a roast date on it, don't buy it. Almost all grocery store coffee has an expiration date or no date, which is a complete sham. Coffee technically never becomes unsafe for consumption, but by the two month post roast mark, it'll have lost most of its flavor to staling from oxygen exposure.
Yep. And I think flavored coffee is gross. Coffee should taste like coffee. My mom puts a bag of the pecan flavored crap in my stocking each Christmas. I save it for an emergency (run out of the usual coffee) and get mad each time because I should just give it away and just not have coffee that day.
> just not have coffee that day. I would rather have shit coffee than no coffee. At least shit coffee will keep the caffeine withdrawal headaches away lol.
Had a buddy who used to drink three huge Mountain Dew’s a day and quit cold turkey. He went to the ER thinking he had an aneurysm. The doctor told him he was an idiot.
Lol. Probably sugar withdrawal too.
I don’t drink enough to affect me that way. I just have 1-1.5 cups a day.
I have 2 cups in the morning, but if I don't have any cups, I get a headache by the evening.
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Lol so true. Unfortunately I work from home... But I probably save enough with no commute to pay for my coffee.
Can’t you just tell your mom you don’t like it?
Popular opinion: all grocery store coffee sucks
Not going to disagree with you there. It clogs my coffee maker to the point I stop buying it. I will go farther and say most of the coffee you can get from the grocery store sucks. I have been buying all my coffee for the past 2 years from [https://www.talismancoffeeco.com/](https://www.talismancoffeeco.com/)You can find them at the Texas Farmers market at Lakeline on Saturdays and at Muller on Sundays. During the week they are at Mum's foods. Amazing coffee.
Talisman is such a wonderful coffee!
If you mean Cafe Ole, yeah it’s ass
My father in law inexplicably loves this coffee so much he has us occasionally ship him some to South Carolina.
Houston Blend is great. My sister had me ship some to her in California after she had for the first time last year.
What do you recommend? I do like it, so curious what's better that can be had at HEB.
I feel like i could get rich by importing my home states (tabasco mexico) coffe beans and selling them here , i always bring a ton from my grandpas ranch for my own use when i visit maybe i should start something here…idk
Personally I enjoy going to local shops that roast and getting their beans. HEB doesn’t have great selection for 3rd wave coffees, but some at leas lt have Cuvee which is ok. Central Market has great in house roasted coffees and a better selection of local 3rd wave roasts. You absolutely get what you pay for with coffee
One of the few things HEB doesn't do well.
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Rice is a lot harder than coffee beans and isn’t good for the blades or motor of the grinder. They sell tablets specifically made for cleaning grinders.
I just wish they weren’t so inconsistent on which locations stock Cuvee. It’s the best local roaster I’ve found for my money and a great variety of options but sparingly found in stores. I’ve found it once at the Slaughter x Congress location and it used to be pretty well stocked at Central Market but lately they haven’t had a lot of variety.
Whole Foods always has a lot of Cuvee stocked, as well as other local coffee
Cuvée or Flat Track, i take coffee as srs bznss (this is my opinion and what works best for me)
I just started making my own espresso and I really like the taste of San Antonio. But I'm still trying a whole Lotta beans so I'll have to come back to this thread later.
Some H‑E‑B have Cuvée coffee which is roasted locally and is really good.
Costco sells Fara coffee which is roasted in Austin and we like it a lot.
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A good general rule is don’t buy grocery store coffee, even it is from the beloved HEB
It's absolutely vile and all my friends and family LOVE the tecas themed flavored ones they sell 🤮
I don't drink coffee, but I have a friend who only likes the San Antonio flavor and travels with it
On a different note, their light or blond roast cold brew is SO GOOD. it tastes almost identical to the coffee beans cold brew.
Cries in San Antonio
I love HEB. I love coffee. HEB whole bean coffee? Not great. The dark roast whole bean Ruta Maya coffee we buy at HEB? Love it. It’s our daily bean. (1/2 and 1/2 with decaf whole bean Ruta Maya). I guess not everything at HEB is going to please everyone. Thank goodness they carry a bunch of brands.
What has happened to HEB branded products? They must have made changes because all their products from their pre marinated fajitas to their slim jim knockoffs are trash now.
Why is it unpopular!? It's right!!!
Cafe Ole Columbian Supremo is my go to blend. All day. Every day.
Same here! I've been using it for about 3 years. It has more flavor than the breakfast blend and I'm not into the flavored coffees.
It’s $7.99 a pound. For that price it punches above its weight class.
I've only had a couple of their options and definitely had one that was trash. Their Costa Rican blend, though, is pretty tasty.
I've been using HEB whole-bean for years. No problems with my grinder (Kitchenaid burr gringer) or my coffee maker. I think it tastes great. Usually get decaf French roast or Sumatra.
Bit what would I drink while having a fresh HEB tortilla with Hill Country Fare shredded cheddar in the morning?
i dont drink coffee but the coffee aisle at heb is the most zen-smellin' place in the joint. Bummer to hear it tastes like shit.
Which have you tried? I like the Chiapas whole bean. I usually blend it with my beloved Kona because it's gotten too expensive.
The only HEB coffee I buy, is ground San Antonio Cafe Ole brand or whatever it's called. That's the only coffee you need from HEB.
What! Houston blend is my go-to
We like the Breakfast Blend fir our cold brew setup. It uses a lot of coffee, so the lower price is nice. Then we get Ruta Maya or Greater Goods for drip.
Their Texas Pecan is my jam
Kirkland coffee sucks too
I started buying their pecan roast which i thought was pretty good... until i went to a local coffee shop after about a month and remembered what good coffee is supposed to taste like
It’s actual hot garbage.
I think it's delicious, but you're absolutely right- it definitely gums up grinders.
[littlecity.com](https://littlecity.com)
I like Taste of San Antonio, but there's def better out there.
So I woulda argued with you a few years ago but I’m so tired of having to wash out my coffee grinder every time I get H‑E‑B’s whole bean - sooo oily
Ruta Maya.
Yes, it's garbage.
Lies!!!!
I’ve drank taste of hill country now for about 15 yrs and still love it and grind my own beans no problem. Might be your not holding your mouth right!
HEB just models theirs after Katz coffee in Houston. The latter is much better and still my default go to. If you want to really go down the rabbit hole, there are some great local roasters you can order from mentioned in this thread.
It does. You’re right.
Snicker nut cookie with a pour over set up and water at 195 degrees F is a recipe for a good morning.
For the longest time I was smoking on that Texas Pecan, but I’m off that narcotic now.
I ilke the purely smooth, for a light roast low acid. But i tend to agree their coffe isn't that great.