Peet’s Coffee, established in 1966 prides itself on their commitment to crafting exceptional coffee. Their founder, Alfred Peet opened his company with the intention of introducing dark, freshly roasted beans to the ever-growing coffee market. Today the company has transformed to offer a wide range of products from teas to grounds, fresh bean and even a coffee subscription delivery service. All of the products and programs offered at Peet’s Coffee are grounded in a guiding principle: the commitment to using only selectively sourced beans that are handcrafted and roasted to perfection and delivered fresh.
For each Peet’s Coffee subscription, you have the option of selecting coffee, K Cup pods, tea or espresso capsules. For a coffee subscription, they go into even further detail, asking how you prepare your coffee, with options to select from including whole beans, ground drip, ground espresso, ground press pot/percolator or ground commercial brewer. For my subscription, I chose to have whole beans delivered, knowing that with the arsenal of coffee creation gear I had at home would provide ample opportunity to sample the product in a variety of forms: classic brew, strong brew, iced and even in a latte form.
For the month of February, the Peet’s Coffee explorer series selection of beans was a limited release Peru Chirinos organic dark roast. They arrived at my door certified organic labelled with a QAI/USD organic sticker and were also time stamped for freshness indicating exactly when the beans were roasted. Knowing this guides you into a time frame for which your beans will be at their best. All Peet’s Coffee beans are guaranteed fresh within 90 days of opening.
The flavours identified on the bag were “fresh and floral with apricot sweetness” which initially made me a bit wary as I know I tend to gravitate towards dark rich coffees with chocolate undertones. In my experiences of hot beverage consumption, “floral” usually doesn’t do it for me, and it most definitely isn’t a flavour I would associate with coffee. I made my first cup, a simple classic roast prepared the way I like it: with a tiny dash of milk and raw sugar added. As I took my first sip I was surprised and impressed. The coffee was smooth, easy to drink but also full of flavour. Way better than I anticipated, especially with the word “floral” making me initially hesitant. I found that with the next cups I was able to lower the amount of milk and sugar that was added to it as this coffee was full of robust flavours that were still delicate and easy to palate. To dilute them with milk and sugar seemed unnecessary. I then made it in other forms – a rich brew (even better!) as well as a latte, both of which were delicious.
To learn more about Peet’s Coffee I strongly suggest you hop over to their website: www.peets.com as it is by far one of the more expansive websites I have ever seen for a food product. There is information about the company history, their principles, where to find their products (USA only). As a consumer I value this, knowing that I can head to their website to gain a bit more information about their product to help me select the best option for my tastes and needs. If you are interested in starting a coffee subscription but aren’t sure where to start then head straight to their website. Built within it is a simple to use “Find Your Match” interactive survey that will ask you a few key questions and point you towards your ideal package.
With so many options to customize your Peet’s Coffee order I am confident there is a perfect match for every consumer. So far, 1 month into my 3-month subscription plan I am loving what has arrived and it is making me reconsider my usual coffee purchasing strategy: grabbing a giant bag of whatever is on sale at my local big box grocery store chain. There is something to be said about mindfully selecting your beans and crafting your experience – after all, it is how most of us start our day off, so why not start it off in a way that is a little bit less generic and a whole lot more personalized?
Jennifer Hulley – http://jenniferhulley.com