Does Fair Trade Coffee really taste better??

http://fairgroundsnewsletter.com/100...x.html#profile
I buy Fair Trade Coffee online, altho I rarely drink it, and it has been getting rave reviews from the coffee aficianados in the building as well as from clients My DH has always purchased high-dollar coffees, and we always grind fresh, so the only diff is my coffee - and I buy from different countries each time.

I hope it's cuz I'm buying from co-ops that focus on sustainability, and I try to choose areas that promote the improvement of women's lives.

I dont know anything about Fair Trade Coffee...I drink a lot of coffee but I stick with what ever I can get the cheapest which right now is weis brand regular coffee. If I could Id buy DD coffee for all day everyday and have one of those new fancy smancy coffee machines that grinds the beans itself...it could make hot or cold coffee type thingers...Mmmmmmmmmmm could I PUHLEEEZE win the lottery!! PUHLEEZE!

I rotate the coffees I buy, by buying from maybe four different sources. The fact that a coffee is fair trade isn't going to make it taste any better, or any less good. The quality of the coffee bean itself is what is most important. I think it's good to pay a little extra for Fair Trade coffee, because this supports sustainability and fair business practices and boosts economies of regions that need it- which happen to be regions with the best coffee. Fair Trade coffees tend to be higher quality.

For Fair Trade: I think both of these are pretty similar to buying any premium, packaged coffee- ie Starbucks or Gevalia:

http://www.awcoffees.com/
http://www.maithaicoffee.com/

I buy most of my coffee from three local roasters, all of which offer Fair Trade, and all of which are superior to any packaged coffee that you might get from the store.

http://www.crazysisterscoffee.com/
http://oldcrown.com/
http://www.highergroundsonline.com/

High quality, premium beans, freshly ground, made with cold filtered water, in a good coffee maker that brews at the right temp- that makes for a darned good cup of coffee! Stay away from any coffee with too many light-colored specks (almost like saw dust). These are called quakers and will make your coffee taste bitter. The beans that are lighter in color and make these tan-colored grounds are poor quality.

We sell fair trade coffee at work (whole beans) in one and 1/2 pound pkg from Alterra Coffee located in Milwaukee,WI. Many customers specially ask if the coffee is fair trade (its on the label).

Coffee does taste better if its freshly roasted. We receive weekly deliveries at work.

The mass market stuff that is sold in the grocery stores are not the better arabica coffee beans but much cheaper and poorer quality robusta beans usually grown in Vietnam.

I am lucky enough to live where there are multiple roasters: ie the local grocer has three different LOCAL roasters beans in it ... week old beans here is frowned upon... Fair trade is great , taste better I do not think so but it is better for the world as a whole...

Do you like like roast , dark roast or a nice medium? Do you like notes of floral, spices or chocolate?

Originally Posted by sharky

I am lucky enough to live where there are multiple roasters: ie the local grocer has three different LOCAL roasters beans in it ... week old beans here is frowned upon... Fair trade is great , taste better I do not think so but it is better for the world as a whole...

Do you like like roast , dark roast or a nice medium? Do you like notes of floral, spices or chocolate?

Click to expand...

... hmmmm.....my DH prefers dark roast, but clients prefer medium. The chocolate sounds good, maybe the spices....any suggestions