Review: Coffee Bean Direct

I recently had the chance to review any coffee from Coffee Bean Direct. Mmmm.... caffeine! They let me choose which flavor I wanted, so I picked out French Roast Papua New Guinea in whole bean.

As soon as I opened up the box, I could smell the heavenly aroma.


The flavor of the coffee? Darker (for a French Roast) and delish! I tried it in a regular coffee maker (read: cheap wedding gift lol) and a French Press - both ways were equally wonderful.

I figured the true test would be on my parents. My mother has always complained that American coffee is just horrid, lol. So when they came over to visit, I let them try it.

My mother actually said that it was the best cup of coffee she had in years. And folks, that said it ALL to me.

The package resealed very easily, which is great. That's usually my one peeve with whole bean coffee. The price per pound is pretty much on par with quality coffee (read: not the cheapest can stuff) but a better price than if you walked into a coffee house. You can purchase it in small 1 pound bags, but the better deals to be had are in the bigger 5 pound size to me.

Coffee Bean Direct has five tips for finding the freshest coffee at your local grocery store:

Vacuum packed containers are your best bet, because canned coffee will always be stale to some extent.

Look for packaging that includes a one-way air valve. Fresh coffee beans emit gas for a few weeks after roasting. Coffee that is packaged fresh will always have this valve or else the bag will burst! Be sure to check carefully for these valves, because they can sometimes be hard to find on the package.

Instead of an expiration date, it is better for the containers to display dates like “Roasted on “or “born on” because coffee should be consumed within 2 to 4 weeks of roasting.

Buy whole bean coffee. Ground coffee has a shorter shelf life than whole bean. Plus, when the bean remains whole it is able to maintain its freshness and flavor for a longer period of time.

The freshest coffee option is not found in the super market. It’s best to buy from a boutique coffee roaster. They roast their beans daily and because they are the producer, the cost is much lower than big third party distributors.

I totally agree with them that purchasing coffee in whole bean vs ground allows you to store coffee for a longer period of time - thus enabling you to be able to take advantage of deals and sales.

Coffee Bean Direct roasts all their coffees at their roasting facility in New Jersey, and most orders are roasted, packed, and shipped the very same day to ensure that you receive the freshest coffee possible. (Let's be honest, as convenient as buying coffee at the grocery store is, we all know the coffee's not as fresh as that!) They also carry teas!

If you really love your coffee (or maybe you own a business that you serve coffee in?), Coffee Bean Direct offers free shipping on orders of 25 pounds or more!