Peet's has great Joe
Written: Jul 14 '05 (Updated Jul 15 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Absolutely delicious quality coffee.
Cons: none!
The Bottom Line: Try Peet's Coffee and Tea for a noticeably delicious difference.
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| gaelkm's Full Review: Peet's Coffee & Tea |
Have you heard of PEET's COFFEE? If you haven't yet, chances are, you will in the near future.
Peets Coffee was started by Alfred Peet in 1966 in Berkeley, California. Mr. Peet was from Holland and came from a family of coffee merchants. He and his family understood the art of how to roast coffee beans to perfection.
Peet's has been a favorite coffee establishment in the San Francisco Bay area since those early days, but in more recent years, Peet's Coffee and Tea Shops have been springing up in other areas. There has been a Peet's Coffee shop in Santa Barbara for about 8 years now, and I have watched it grow steadily in popularity. Peet's Coffee & Tea Shops are NOT on every corner, as there are Starbucks, but the ones that are, are popular and have loyal customers.
Mr. Peet passed down his expertise to Peet's coffee buyers who are experienced in their knowledge and skill of selecting the best beans for their coffee. Roasting of coffee beans the Peet's way, is done in small batches, so the coffee is very fresh and roasted to perfection of taste, not merely color. Peet's coffee roasters spend up to 10 years to master the art of perfect coffee roasting.
The coffee at Peet's Coffee Shops is not older than 10 days old and brewed coffee is not older than 30 minutes old. I believe this because Peet's coffee always tastes so so fresh to me. I spoke with one of the friendly employees and told her that I read one of their pamphlets about the coffee not being over 10 days old. She confirmed that and further told me that the 10 days actually starts from when the coffee is roasted, not from when an airtight bag is opened. That says it for me. When the employees confirm what the brochures say, it means something. She also told me that many of the employees at our local Peet's shop have worked there for some years. They are happy in their jobs which means Peet's knows how to take care of their employees too.
Peet's chooses a "Customer of the Week", and I was recently selected for this job -- a job I was happy to accept, despite having no training for the rigorous duties. As "Customer of the Week" I was entitled to receive the coffee drink of my choice every day of that week...free! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! (I normally treat myself to Peet's a couple of times a week, but after my status was elevated, I went daily.)
Their coffees smell great and taste wonderful. Some of their coffees are: Arabian Mocha Java, an old and famous coffee blend, Maduro, a full-bodied coffee, Major Dickason's blend, which is rich and mellow and has a reputation with Peet's loyal customers. Then there is the Sierra Dorada blend, which is spicy and rich. The Garuda blend comes from Indonesia and has a nutty, earthy flavor. The Viennese Blend has a distinctively smoky flavor. Peet's also features a Fair Trade Blend, with a clean, full-bodied flavor. This comes from Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. Of course, you can buy any of these by the pound. Peet's will grind it for you, if you wish or you can take it and grind it yourself.
There is an art to tasting and enjoying coffee, much like one enjoys wine. First, Peet's says, you should sniff the coffee when it's freshly ground to appreciate the aroma, always a treat! After the coffee is done brewing, smell it one more time before you drink it. The aroma should remind you of something earthy. Be open-minded and let your imagination go. Now you get to taste the coffee. Without burning your tongue, of course, let the flavor spread evenly in your mouth, so you can again appreciate its full-bodied aroma and flavor.
Another reason I like Peet's is because they are a company that's still small enough to appreciate their customers. They pay attention to their coffee. Never have I had an "old" cup of coffee or a burned cup at Peet's. Their prices are competitive with Starbucks and other coffee shops, but their taste is "boldly superior". I actually like the fact that there aren't a million of their shops, which somehow makes them more special in my mind.
Our local Peet's Coffee and Tea Shop has a soothing ambiance too. Daily newspapers are around the counters and tables for customers to read while they sip. The interior of the shop is tastefully decorated with dark wood and a tiled floor. There are sky light windows along the high ceilings and soft classical music plays in the background. There are also a few tables right outside the door where I sometimes sit with my little pug while I chat with other friendly Peet's patrons. There are many 'regulars' at Peets too, because people just keep coming back.
Peet's locations:
Peet's is growing! There are several Peet's Coffee and Tea shops all over northern and Southern California, with shops now in Illinois, Massachusetts, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Colorado and Texas.
Peet's prices: These are the Peet's prices in my area. They do differ in other areas due to transportation costs. (I believe I tried almost all of their drinks and even had a yummy chai tea drink too, so I can vouch for their delicious quality.)
Caffe Latte (2.75, 3.20, 3.60),
Vanilla Caffe Latte ($3.25, 3.70, 4.10), (or Hazelnut or Sugar-Free Vanilla)
Caffe Mocha or White Caffe Mocha ($2.95, 3.50, 3.80)
Cappuccino ($2.75, 3.20, 3.60)
Espresso ($1.50, 2.00, 2.50)
Hot Cocoa ($2.30, 2.50, 2.70),
Kids Hot Cocoa, Juice or Milk (1.45)
Caffe & Tea Freddos
Mocha Freddo ($3.55, 3.95),
Cafe Freddo (3.25, 3.95),
Vanilla Freddo (3.25, 3.75),
Swirl Chocolate Caramel Freddo (3.75, 4.25)
Coffee of the Day ($1.50, 1.70, 1.80)
Coffee with Steamed Milk ($2.00, 2.20, 2.30)
Iced Coffee ($1.50, 2.00, 2.50),
Iced Caffe Latte or Mocha (2.75, 3.20, 3.60)
Tea 1.70 by the Cup, Loose Leaf by the Pot 2.00
Jasmine Tea, Hibiscus ($1.75, 2.25, 2.75)
Herbal Infusions, Xiao's Blend, Lemon Rose
Green and Oolong Tea
Jasmine Fancy, Ti Kwan Yin, Sencha, Lung Ching Dragonwell
English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey with Bergamot, Darjeeling, Russian Caravan, Assam Golden Tip
Rare Teas 3.00 Loose Leaf Pot
Jasmine Downy Pearls, First Flush Darjeeling
Masala Chai Latte 2.75, 3.20, 3.60
1-800-999-2132
webmail@peets.com
www.peets.com (Try Peet's mail order online too.)
~Thanks for reading~
© gkm
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Recommended:
Yes
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