The Online Photographer

If you lived here, you could go to a Fresh Market and have a choice of Counter Culture coffees, roasted within the month. And I hesitate to mention that my daughter lives in Chapel Hill NC and can just drive over to Counter Culture and bag it fresh out of the roaster.

BTW....I have moved to an undisclosed location until you get your coffee;~}

Regarding Taughannock Falls, I just saw that the Gorge trail (the nice walk that brings you to the base of Taughannock Falls) is closed. The warm/freeze cycle we've been getting is probably causing a lot of rocks to fall.

It's still a nice park and you can see the falls from an overlook, but the Gorge Trail is why a lot of people go.

I feel your pain Mike! I use a similar service here in London called Pact - they roast just before sending out, and since the UK is a small island compared to the USA, their default delivery option is "tomorrow" (as long as tomorrow is a week day).

I have found, however, that I prefer my freshly roasted coffee to rest a few days before drinking, else I tend to think it's too sour. That's why the bag getting delivered today will only be opened this weekend. Maybe that's just me.

Fortunately for me, I have an excellent supplier (Social Coffee & Tea) located within a 10-minute drive from my home. Unfortunately, they are not open on weekends. And that is when I'm most likely to run out.

Trust me! I get it.
We have been in France for 6 months and my wife is ADDICTED to Starbuck's Espresso. So that means we have to special order the beans and DRIVE to Marseilles to pick it up.
It's NEVER there when expected.
We are heading back to the States soon JUST so we can get some coffee.
The French make AWESOME pastries.
AWESOME baked goods.
AWESOME chocolates.
But they do NOT make good packaged coffee beans or pizza.
Just saying.
Mi dos pesos (and a half)

Hey at least you got the Flavor Wheel.

First world problem...

By that I mean, most of the (third) world drinks TEA ;-)

You should do as we Brits do when the going gets tough; pop the kettle on and have a nice cup of tea. That's English tea, you know, from India!

First world problems, Mike. :)

You drink this elixir from plastic cups?

[No, it's stainless steel. Gift from my son. --Mike]

Mike, I've been a fan of Heavenly Cup in Painted Post, N.Y., not far from Corning. I like their Stillwater Blend. Order on the web at: http://www.heavenlycup.coffee/
Amy roasts the coffee after you place your order.

Good to know that the second Behmor didn't provide full service. I've been using a Gene Cafe roaster for ~7 years, and it's still going strong! I like it, as I can use sight, sound and smell to monitor the roast. I keep thinking that I should get a Hottop, though, just as a backup...

Mike,
Ah the disadvantages of living in the "sticks"-
though I find it somewhat hard to believe you cannot find good coffee beans locally (or within a short drive). On the other side of the coin (bean) I live in sunny, warm, CA and very good coffee is but a short drive away.

Mike, My wife and I tried your suggestion of a burr grinder a while ago and paired it up with a Technivorm Moccamaster 741 (from a top recommendation in American Test Kitchen) using Whole Foods beans. Since then, we've discovered Death Wish coffee, that ships from up near you in NY, I think. A step above in taste, and might come sooner, too. Here's their site:
http://www.deathwishcoffee.com/pages/company-1

Just to make sure you miss Wisconsin, I'm giving you this link: http://colectivocoffee.com/. Their Turkey Trot is worth ordering. I have people who can send you a bag . . .

The Wegman's at Hornell is nice, too. Good bagels, and a variety of coffees; I’d stick to the African beans, though.

Take it from me, you need a contingency plan for just such emergencies. Whether its frozen coffee, canned coffee, instant coffee - anything's better than the blazing hell and headache of no coffee.

I used to think drinking instant coffee was a sure sign of getting old, of losing one's tether to the earth. And while that may indeed be the case I find lately that instant coffee seems to have been improved; or maybe it's just me declining. All I know is, I feel better having a few packets of it tucked away somewhere, for that desperate day when the real thing can't be had.

Do you ever feel that way too much of your life revolves around obtaining and using your coffee?

[Just because most "consumers" have standards that are way too low doesn't mean mine are too high. --Mike]

Try Canaltown Coffee Roasters, based in Rochester. Don't know if they have any shops closer to you. And, btw, I roast coffee beans on the stovetop- using a Whirly-pop (that my wife got at a garage sale for fifty cents) and beans from Sweet Maria's.

Dear Mike,

I agree with DD-B; there is too much emphasis in your life on something as inconsequential as coffee.

Now, if it were tea...

pax / Ctein

I wish this new source could be regular for you. My son, and his/our camera gear, is in Lao(s) with a group that will source coffee that has not made it to our shores. They are planning to empower local growers and have a "beyond fair trade" focus. He should be back with some great photos, his part of the trip, and hopefully some really good coffee. Kickstrater at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2039394710/good-coffee-lets-empower-a-coffee-community-in-lao

Talk to Alan Hayes, he's a street photographer and he does specialist coffee roasting.
http://www.hayeshomeroast.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/generousmedium/

Strange (ore not) how coffee can be so important to 'survive'!

A few years a go we stopped buying industrially roasted coffee. Now we only have coffee coming from a local (in town) roaster, who, BTW, is a third generation craftsman with a very interesting history (which is important too).
This man works alone, does the distribution to local restaurants himself and his wife is keeping their boutique.
As a matter of fact, more and more, local shops and craftsmen is where we go for purchasing our daily products and goods.
It is so pleasant to evaluate and appreciate the quality of a product when you can feel the engagement and passion of the craftsman.
And if there might be a problem, there's always a nearby door to knock on and the knowledge to solve any issue right a way.

And, as a craftsman myself, an independent photographer, it's all a matter of attitude and solidarity!

One of the main reasons I dislike buying online is because it is lacking human contact.

BTW, here is a nice quote I found on the internet: "The bitterness of poor quality is remembered far long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory"

Santé

Mike I can't help feeling most US citizens waste a large proportion of their lives in an endless quest for the absolute best in everything they consume or use on a regular basis,Mike chill out,we are only passing through on a one way pass,learn not to sweat the small unimportant trivialities and smell the roses along the way.
Have a good day friend.
Michael.

In 2013 I spent a month in Nepal. Since my wife had lived, worked, and gotten a masters degree there, the trip was all about visiting with Nepali friends, and relatively less about doing touristy things, coffee was not easy to come by. In our time in Kathmandu we weren't even staying anywhere near the tourist ghetto. We stayed in a village, off the road, and there was no coffee there. In photographer's paradise, I was sometimes less functional and more grumpy than I would have liked. The last morning in the village, in the mud wall kitchen with the stove an open fire on the floor (a wonderful kitchen), I mentioned the coffee thing. One woman said she had a coffee tree, but she never knew what to do with the beans. The matriarch said, "oh, I think I have some! She poked around and found a bit of black plastic garbage bag material tied up to contain some instant coffee powder. "Someone was traveling through here and left this a couple of years ago." It was very good.

In the more tourist-frequented areas, there were, of course, coffee shops, like this one: https://www.lehet.com/photo/details/Pigeons_and_coffee_shop_ISC_5745.html -- shimmering in in the distance through the fog of my mind and a haze of pigeons.

Counter Culture is great. I have a local shop that gets their beans regularly so I can indulge without resorting to mail order.

Love that photo of the dogs.

Mike,
I'm late to this but here goes:
Here's the best coffee deal. Metropolis Coffee in Chicago. Let me type that again, Metropolis Coffee Company in Chicago! Fresh roasted to order and free shipping for orders over $50. Yeah, some of the coffee may sit on your shelf a little longer than you like if fresh roasted is of paramount importance but I've learned to accept that and find it's a very small compromise. One pound bags for ~$16.00 (instead of the baby 12 ouncers for about the same price!). I live about 40 miles north of you and order about once per month. The coffee is delivered in two days as long as you meet the order cutoff time.
I used to buy beans at Wegmans but always found the quality to be mediocre.
I've bought a lot of Gimme! over the last 10 years. Generally very good but you'll have to drive to find bags. Normal Bread in Geneva has them and great bread, too. The only reason I wouldn't recommend Gimme is that you either have to drive to get it or pay shipping so the per ounce price is significantly higher.
I do recommend going to the Trumansburg Gimme shop if you haven't been just to relax and have a cup.
Also, if you're in Ithaca stop at the Green Star market. They have the best selection of local bagged coffees (Gimme!, Ithaca, Copper Horse, Forty Weight) and the Gimme bags are cheaper than buying at a Gimme shop. Hope this helps!