Best Third Wave

Intelligentsia Coffee has long been a pioneer in the specialty coffee movement, known for its unwavering commitment to direct trade relationships and exceptional roasting quality. They meticulously source beans from around the world, focusing on farms that prioritize sustainable practices and except...

Onyx Coffee Lab Geometry is a naturally processed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe featuring prominent notes of black tea, bergamot zest, and ripe plum, exhibiting a complex acidity and lingering sweetness due to its unique processing method.

Tim Wendelboe is a legendary name in the specialty coffee world. His roasting philosophy is centered on purity, aiming to let the bean speak for itself with minimal intervention. The results are incredibly clean, bright, and expressive cups that showcase the absolute best of what each origin can off...

Ritual Coffee Roasters’ Sweet Tooth is a naturally processed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe boasting vibrant notes of honey, ripe pear, and subtle jasmine blossom, exhibiting a balanced acidity and lingering sweetness.

Passenger Coffee is a Pennsylvania-based coffee roastery recognized for its commitment to transparency and quality. They specialize in meticulously crafted, light-roast coffees sourced through direct trade relationships with independent farmers. This approach ensures traceability and supports sustai...

Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso is a core espresso blend roasted by the Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee. The coffee is composed of beans primarily sourced from Brazil and Guatemala, roasted to a medium-dark profile. It is engineered to produce a high viscosity shot of espresso with low...

Stumptown Hair Bender is a dark roast coffee blend featuring notes of cocoa, cherry, and spice, primarily sourced from Brazil and Ethiopia, delivering a full-bodied flavor profile with a lingering finish.

Verve Streetlevel is a coffee blend produced by Verve Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roaster founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California. The blend is composed primarily of coffees from Latin American growing regions, including Brazil and Colombia. It is positioned as the company's flagship espre...

George Howell is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable figures in the coffee industry. His roastery focuses on transparency and education, providing deep insights into the origin and processing of every bean. The roasting style is precise, aiming to showcase the inherent terroir of each r...

When Counter Culture highlights a specific single-origin lot, it represents the pinnacle of their sourcing efforts. These beans are often micro-lots from specific farms, allowing the roaster to showcase the absolute best expression of a unique terroir. This is for the enthusiast who wants to deep-di...

Blue Bottle Coffee’s Bella Donovan is a single-origin espresso blend sourced from Brazil and Ethiopia, exhibiting notes of dark chocolate, cherry, and subtle spice with a creamy body and balanced acidity.

While a staple in the industry, Counter Culture remains a top choice for their transparency and commitment to quality. They provide extensive information on every coffee they source, including producer stories and processing details. Their roasting is consistent and highlights the best of each origi...

Sweet Maria excels at creating perfectly balanced, highly drinkable blends that appeal to a wide gourmet audience while maintaining artisan quality. Their roasters are known for their ability to harmonize different bean characteristics into a cohesive, smooth cup. They are perfect for those who want...

Atlas Coffee Roasters is a rapidly growing D2C brand specializing in meticulously sourced and expertly roasted specialty coffee beans. They focus on direct trade relationships with farmers, ensuring fair prices and sustainable farming practices. Their subscription service delivers freshly roasted be...

Stumptown Coffee Roasters provides small batch, single-origin coffee beans roasted in the Northwest. Known for their direct-trade relationships and craft roasting style, these dark-chocolate flavored coffees offer a bold roast profile appreciated by serious coffee drinkers. This bulk pack is ideal f...

Intelligentsia is highly regarded for sourcing beans from high-altitude farms, which naturally boosts acidity and complexity. Their Ethiopian and Kenyan offerings are particularly noteworthy, providing vibrant, wine-like notes. They cater to the coffee connoisseur who appreciates the terroir and the...

Philz Coffee’s Tesora blend is a medium-roast espresso featuring notes of dark chocolate, cherry, and hazelnut, primarily sourced from Brazil and Ethiopia for its balanced flavor profile.

Joe Coffee Waverly Espresso is a dark roast blend featuring notes of bittersweet chocolate and roasted nuts, delivering a full-bodied flavor profile with a rich crema and balanced acidity.

Stumptown remains a commercial giant, known for its deep, satisfying roast profiles that appeal to a massive customer base. Their beans are engineered for reliability in high-volume settings, delivering a familiar, robust, and satisfying cup. While sometimes less nuanced than smaller roasters, their...

Blue Bottle is synonymous with clean, bright, and minimalist coffee experiences. Their beans are roasted to highlight the inherent, delicate characteristics of the bean's origin, resulting in exceptionally clean cups with vibrant acidity. They are the gold standard for pour-over enthusiasts who appr...

Metric Coffee’s “El Diablo” is a dark roast blend primarily composed of Brazilian Santos and Sumatran Mandheling beans, exhibiting notes of dark chocolate, black cherry, and spice with a full-bodied mouthfeel and lingering finish.

Peet's Coffee Big Bang pods, compatible with Keurig machines, offer a surprisingly sophisticated single-serve experience. This dark roast delivers a bold, smoky flavor with notes of dark chocolate and toasted nuts, characteristic of Peet's signature roasting style. The pods are packaged in recycla...