Peet's Coffee Online Store: Where I Send All of My Coffee Gifts
Written: Apr 01 '03 (Updated Jun 26 '04)
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Sometimes it's hard to figure out what to give someone. I've run into that a lot in my life. However, I was fortunate in that many of my co-workers at the various jobs I've had were all caffeine addicts like myself. Since then, whenever I have had to send a gift for any occasion, but especially housewarmings, I have used Peet's Coffee Online Store.
The site focuses on both coffee and tea. On the main page there are links at the top to take the shopper to articles about coffee and tea. Here you can learn more about roasting and how it affects the flavor of the bean, about how the freshness of the bean affects the flavor, and a section on tasting to help select the brew or tea blend that is best for you.
Also in that vein there is a Coffee Selector and Tea Selector to help find the flavor variety just perfect for your tastes. If you know the preferences of someone you are buying for, it will help select varieties for gift baskets as well.
The shopping area is divided into Coffee, Tea, Essentials, and Gifts. In Essentials there is all sorts of brewing equipment as well as coffee and tea accessories. It is here that I discovered Press Pot Brewing, something I have turned quite a few people on to. I have been very satisfied with the quality of press pots from Peet's Coffee Online Store, and so have the people who I've introduced this brewing method to.
A press pot mixes coarsely-ground bean with near-boiling water in a glass pot, then has a plunger to press the beans to the bottom as you pour the steeped coffee out. It makes a delicious cup of coffee and is a great way to have a good cup of coffee while traveling. All that is needed is a cup or so of hot water to pour over the beans. This is terrific for people who are the only coffee drinkers in their house or office and want to have fresh coffee.
In the coffee selection area, I can choose from a wide variety of flavors and sizes. There are also monthly coffee "tours" available where you can choose to receive a different coffee every month, as well as a nice selection of samplers - something I often send with a press pot as a gift. Peet's Coffee Online Store has some very unique blends, all of which I've been quite satisfied with. Decaffeinated coffee is available for just about all of their flavors.
The prices change depending on the blend. There are some available at $10.95 for a pound, while some of the signature blends are upwards of $29 for a ½ pound! The tea prices vary as well, depending on the blend.
In the tea section there is also a wide variety of flavors, and the teas come unbagged! I was startled the first time I saw this - I had never heard of tea not in a bag before. However, after consulting with several friends a bit more worldly than I (and more into drinking tea than I am), I found that this is not that unusual. For those like me who would be totally thrown by tea not in a bag, there are varieties available in tea bags. However, not all of the flavors are available.
Peet's Coffee Online Store ships by weight, starting at $3.85 for one pound and going up from there. This is just enough to put ordering my coffee from them on a regular basis. When two pounds of Starbuck's goes for $13 at my local warehouse club, it's hard to justify spending double that (including shipping) on two pounds from Peet's Coffee Online Store. Every now and then I do like to treat myself, however.
While it's not cost-effective for me to use this site for my entire supply of coffee, it's a great place to order something special when I want it. More often, however, I use the site for gifts. Last Friday I ordered a housewarming gift for a friend of mine and I received a phone call today (Tuesday) that it had arrived. I was quite pleased.
Other coffee-related reviews:
Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffee Maker
Hamilton Beach Portfolio Coffee Grinder
Gevalia Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
© 2003 Patti Aliventi
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Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
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