coffee prices

perinova

perinova

Full time employment: Posting here.
Joined
Apr 18, 2006
Messages
644
I enjoy a Saturday morning coffee at a local coffee shop. It's been 3 weeks in a row that I realized: drip coffee 12oz size was now >$4.00.

Did quick research on drip coffee inflation at Starbucks (Grande size). Not easy since to do since prices are not the same everywhere.
$2.95 most places I checked (Reno, Portland, Phoenix ST Louis, Providence)
$3.45 California, Seattle
$3.65 Boston, NYC

So here it's $3.45.
All coffee shops around seem to be higher priced than Starbucks.
 
We buy from a local roaster. We were paying about $12/lb, now $14/lb.
 
Since retirement, DH has handled the coffee purchases, both at Costco, and pre-made (drive through, take out, sit down) and I don't track this particular expense.

While a skeptical person might believe this deliberate/willful ignorance may have something to do with my coffee addiction :blush: I decline to either admit or deny the truth of any such allegation.
 
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Yes, they’ve been rising, past years too. I stocked up quite a bit in Jan.

Costco has amazing prices on whole coffee beans ordered online. One brand that I bought in Jan went from $35 for 4 pounds whole beans, amazing deal, went up to $45 a few months later, and is now $55! The other was $35 for 4lbs and amazingly is still only $35. I’m well stocked for a long while.
 
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My usual 12 oz. bag of Starbucks used to be $7.99 at Walmart. It is now $9.99, a 25% increase.

The US has 10% tariffs on Brazilian coffee so that can't be what's driving the prices, probably bad weather is the likely culprit.
 
Aldi's Barissimo brand Guatemala medium roast ground coffee is surprisingly good. Good enough that I've taken a break from grinding the beans fresh every morning. Don't recall the price from memory, but ~$6 for a 12 oz bag.
 
My upper limit for beans from Costco used to be about $5.20. The other day I paid $7 a pound. .
 
This reminds me of the frog in the pot story. Turn the heat up a little at a time and they don't notice until it's to late. Back to coffee my brand is Jose's organic mayan blend. Dec 2024 2 1/2 lbs of beans $12.99 been that price awhile I believe. March 2025 2 1/2 lbs $14.99, June 2025 $17.99. Oh well $7.20 still isn't a bad price for organic.
 
I don't buy coffee out other than McDonalds. I have no idea what that costs.

The importer I use for espresso beans added a 8% tariff charge earlier this year.

The roaster I buy from is charging 15% more since the first of the year. They were recently acquired so who knows what is influenced by costs vs profits.
 
$13 for 25.4 oz. ground coffee store brand. Pre-pandemic, I was buying it on sale for $5 most of the time. I already cut way back on buying pop. I might have to do the same with coffee. I'm drinking more water.
 
GenXguy said:
$13 for 25.4 oz. ground coffee store brand. Pre-pandemic, I was buying it on sale for $5 most of the time. I already cut way back on buying pop. I might have to do the same with coffee. I'm drinking more water.
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I have realized the same. I don't need a whole pot of coffee in the morning, just one good cup.
 
Not sure what is was before, but cheap k-pods at Sams (100) are under $30, Starbucks $42. We use whole beans for De'Longhi. 40oz Starbucks Espresso beans $19.99 so less than $10/lb.

These are all regular price. We usually buy in (more) bulk when they go on sale. I don't think we have bought k-pods in several months as we bought 3 boxes when on sale $34 last time.

Flieger
 
Stormy Kromer said:
I have realized the same. I don't need a whole pot of coffee in the morning, just one good cup.
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Agreed. The second one just doesn't give me the same punch.

We've stocked up ~6 months ago with Costco / Sam's bean @ ~$12/40 oz (currently $15). We usually wait for price reductions @ Sam's to restock. We still have ~5 bags, so we are inflation neutral for now.
 
Besides weather issues one of the factors for the increase in coffee prices is that demand is way up around the world. China is a fast growing market for coffee, was in Thailand earlier in the year and new coffee shops seem to be going up everywhere, one of the big shopping malls we visited had at least four Starbucks stores throughout the mall.
 
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If I recall my college Economics class correctly, for me the price of coffee is inelastic. I'm loyal to Melitta for brewing at home and Dunkin if I go out. Oh, yeah, my friend brought back Kona Peabody coffee for me from his trip to Hawaii. He didn't want me to pay him back, but I paid him $40 for the pound. It's worth every penny. I've seen price go up for my coffees, but I won't change my habits.
 
Around the beginning of the year I heard coffee prices were going to go up because of something about production or something. Costco had the coffee I drink on sale. I stocked up. I still have 2-4 months in my stash depending on how much my kids drink.
 
We used to have a subscription service with Black Rifle for about 7 years, we buy whole beans. About 18 months ago, the coffee just didn't taste the same, so we haven't gone back I just drink Eight O'Clock Columbian, maybe a Starbucks Pike Place, or something from Aldi's for a brief change. I sometimes roast my own.

Life's too short to drink bad coffee, or wine for that matter.
 
zinger1457 said:
Besides weather issues one of the factors for the increase in coffee prices is that demand is way up around the world. China is a fast growing market for coffee, was in Thailand earlier in the year and new coffee shops seem to be going up everywhere, one of the big shopping malls we visited had at least four Starbucks stores throughout the mall.
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Interesting. Weather definitely had an impact on coffee production.
 
A little bit OT but I recently got a 12 pack of brand name soft drink in my Walmart order. We don't drink it but I got it for guests at our park trailer at the lake. The prices keep going up with no end in site...so beverages in general are having big price run ups.
 
audreyh1 said:
Yes, they’ve been rising, past years too. I stocked up quite a bit in Jan.

Costco has amazing prices on whole coffee beans ordered online. One brand that I bought in Jan went from $35 for 4 pounds whole beans, amazing deal, went up to $45 a few months later, and is now $55! The other was $35 for 4lbs and amazingly is still only $35. I’m well stocked for a long while.
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How do you keep the beans fresh? I buy the 10-12oz bags of beans that last about 2 weeks. I always buy bags with the newest roast date. I can tell by the end of the 2 weeks that the beans are getting old.
 
We usually get something like this 5 lb bag of Corsica, and split it up. Just noticed the current price, and it's more than I would have guessed. $88.

www.lacolombe.com

Corsica

Savor the taste of Corsica dark roast with La Colombe Coffee Roasters. Experience the essence of this Mediterranean island and enjoy our other unique blends.
www.lacolombe.com www.lacolombe.com
 
surprising said:
How do you keep the beans fresh? I buy the 10-12oz bags of beans that last about 2 weeks. I always buy bags with the newest roast date. I can tell by the end of the 2 weeks that the beans are getting old.
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We avoid exposure to oxygen. When we open a new 2lb bag, we vacuum pack most of it in smaller amounts. The beans have already mostly degassed and this keeps them from more exposure to oxygen.

Of course it all comes down to taste, and for us our method does not result in stale tasting beans. We use quite dark roasts overall and decaf.
 
I'm not surprised by retail roasted coffee prices going up. Roasters are paying more for raw green coffee beans. A year ago, I had a wide range of choices between $5-$6/pound for specialty raw beans. $6-$8/pound is much more common now. During the roasting process, moisture is driven from the beans (15%-25% depending on roast level).

Oxidation is the enemy of fresh coffee. Unfortunately, coffee beans undergo chemical changes from the moment they are roasted--even without oxidation. Some people like those changes; others don't. I've experimented with freezing vacuum packed freshly roasted coffee, and that does seem to halt the changes--at least to my taste.
 
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