# Coffee?



## gbb55434 (Feb 2, 2019)

I am looking for sources to buy ground coffee or coffee beans in the Philippines. I really don't like instant. Can anyone give me advice about where in Ilocos Sur to buy coffee or how to order it online? I'd rather not send over coffee by balikayan box.

Thanks


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Its a hit or miss here at most of the supermarkets to buy regular coffee grounds. I have found Hills and Folgers now and then in different stores. A good local grind is "'Barkada'" brand. I also use "Monks Blend" available at the Trappist Monks place out on Guimeras Island which is close to where I am located. 

I also detest instant coffee and can't stand these so-called coffees most here drink as it seems to be mostly powdered milk and sweeteners. 

Fred


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Coffee Beans*



gbb55434 said:


> I am looking for sources to buy ground coffee or coffee beans in the Philippines. I really don't like instant. Can anyone give me advice about where in Ilocos Sur to buy coffee or how to order it online? I'd rather not send over coffee by balikayan box.
> 
> Thanks


Hi Gbb I'm with you on the instant coffee I can't do it too often anymore it's quick but not satisfying. Have you tried the local markets or checked around all the grocery stores or asked around most refer to coffee beans as Barako coffee? Here's a link from Facebook from a spot in Batangas they might deliver as a last resort. 
https://www.facebook.com/BatangasCoffeeBeans/?ref=br_rs

Coffee Beans are sold at the Baguio Public Market and they also grind them, but it looks like a long or slow ride to Baguio from Ilocos Sur. Those Balikbayan box prices add up and hardly a saving, most things can be found here it just takes a little walking in the larger markets I haven't had much luck asking citizens for information either.

Photo is from the Baguio Public Market.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

gbb55434 said:


> I am looking for sources to buy ground coffee or coffee beans in the Philippines. I really don't like instant. Can anyone give me advice about where in Ilocos Sur to buy coffee or how to order it online? I'd rather not send over coffee by balikayan box.
> 
> Thanks


Have a look on Lazada.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

No offence guys, but I find t strange to read posts from our American cousins, talking about quality coffee. The coffee I drank whilst in America has to have been some of the worst I've ever tasted.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Coffee beans stateside*



hogrider said:


> No offence guys, but I find t strange to read posts from our American cousins, talking about quality coffee. The coffee I drank whilst in America has to have been some of the worst I've ever tasted.


The can Coffee I'll agree with you isn't so good but most of the large grocery stores in the US sell the roasted coffee beans and you help yourself and stick them in the grinding machine and wait for it to finish up and you mark the type of coffee and cost.

I do like the Arabica beans from Batangas region I just picked up a half kilo at our larger grocery store today the price was up there 550 a kilo they ground it at the grocery store.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

gbb55434 said:


> I am looking for sources to buy ground coffee or coffee beans in the Philippines. I really don't like instant. Can anyone give me advice about where in Ilocos Sur to buy coffee or how to order it online? I'd rather not send over coffee by balikayan box.
> 
> Thanks


If you have an S & R there, they usually have big cans of Folgers and Kirkland.

Expensive, but you can buy bags at Starbucks.


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## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

I am an Englishman and i hate Tea !, for me the best coffee here is from S&R 100%Arabica granules called members Mark i make it with 2 small spoons of sugar 1 small spoon of granules and angel creamer perfect ! 
Ive tried all the instant coffees here , but hate them all most have between 8 - 20grams of sugar !
Now real coffee ! For a while now we have been buying ground coffee from Batangas via the sisters college where 
Some of her students sell it to help out their families ! We have a coffee machine we bought with us from the UK !
And then we bought a grind and brew coffee machine at half price from HMR ! 
Now we only use real coffee beans ! And the difference is great ! And the coffee is hot unlike most other coffee machines however we still buy the coffee granules from S&R for an instant fix!


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## Tim_L (Jul 14, 2018)

Starbucks.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

M.C.A. said:


> The can Coffee I'll agree with you isn't so good but most of the large grocery stores in the US sell the roasted coffee beans and you help yourself and stick them in the grinding machine and wait for it to finish up and you mark the type of coffee and cost.
> 
> I do like the Arabica beans from Batangas region I just picked up a half kilo at our larger grocery store today the price was up there 550 a kilo they ground it at the grocery store.


We do the same - locally roasted arabica beans from Cordillera I think.. They have a medium or dark roast for 600p per Kg. Buy a half kilo at a time. I'm lazy and have them grind it. It's not quite as good as the espresso machine I use in the States but not bad. Definitely better than instant and I don't go to Starbucks although I will go to Bo's Coffee or Coffee Bean once in a while.


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## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Bo's Coffee sell Philippine beans and grind also. Not quite sure but maybe also Robinsons sell beans if one is in your area. I happen to have 3 or 4 kilos of Italian beans, and have stopped drinking coffee.......


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

*Sourcing Quality Coffee Beans in Ph*



gbb55434 said:


> I am looking for sources to buy ground coffee or coffee beans in the Philippines. I really don't like instant. Can anyone give me advice about where in Ilocos Sur to buy coffee or how to order it online? I'd rather not send over coffee by balikayan box. Thanks


I’m afraid I’m addicted to good coffee as much as I am to quality breads, so I’ve spent considerable time sourcing both here in the Philippines. I posted a reply to another query about 2 years ago under the heading ‘Foods Available’ and I talked a little bit about coffee under section #7 of the original thread. You can find it at the following link: https://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/1136866-food-nutrtion.html#post10993658
Since writing that post, I’ve managed to source excellent coffee beans here in the Ph. On the matter of bringing coffee in a Balakbayan box, FYI, it’s illegal to import coffee into the Ph., without a licence.

The good news is that coffee beans are much more readily available in the Ph now than they were 2 years ago. Most supermarkets stock them. However, one of the problems is quality. Barako beans are readily available but I’m afraid they do nothing for my palate, subjective of course. I find the biggest problem though is that producers only put an expiry date on their packets; they do not say when the coffee was roasted, which is key. As many will know, coffee is at its best within 3 weeks of roasting; after that, it starts to deteriorate. I’m not suggesting for a moment that one wouldn’t drink coffee beans that are older that 3 weeks; that would be impractical for the majority of us, but you get the gist. The sooner you drink your coffee after roasting (with the exception of the first 3 days as the coffee needs that time to develop), the better tasting your choice of coffee will be. If you can grind your own beans, that will help retain the flavours for longer. We prefer 100% Arabica, most of the beans available in supermarkets here are of the Robusta variety or a combination of Robusta/ Arabica.

As you have requested where to source coffee beans, I believe it is within the forum rules to provide the names of specific companies. Other members have suggested trying the well-known high street coffee shops and whilst some of them provide excellent beans, their prices have become too outrageous for me.

Conlins is a major supplier of coffee here in the Ph and they have an online subsidiary called ‘The Coffee Laboratory’ https://mycoffeelab.com/coffee/artisans

The main Conlin's website is as follows: Bluenotes | Conlins Coffee

Eco Life is a much smaller supplier who only deals in local coffees. To my knowledge they do not have a website but are on Facebook and I can provide direct telephone numbers if you want. They are also based in the Manila area.

I have built up a good relationship with my contact at Conlins and order beans direct from them. It makes no difference where you live; they use Xend to courier their product. Conlins know that I only want coffee that has been freshly roasted, so they won’t send me coffee more than a week old, otherwise the whole exercise would be pointless as I can buy their products from the local supermarket (without a ‘when produced date’); freshness is the key. I also find it cheaper to buy certain Arabica beans from Conlins in their unroasted form i.e. green beans, which are substantially cheaper and can be stored for much longer. With the green beans, I can take them to the local Eco Life Coffee shop as and when required and they will freshly roast them for a fee of Php100 per kilo. Despite the cost of shipping and roasting, this method is still cost effective, but more importantly, provides the freshness that I’m looking for. I have to say that the quality of these freshly roasted Arabic beans is excellent and some of the best I’ve ever come across. The only negative about Eko Life is that they use a locally made Roaster and under the terms of their contract, are only permitted to roast locally produced coffee. They will not, therefore, roast green beans such as Colombia, Ethiopia and Kenya etc. All in all though, I’m very satisfied with the products coming from both Conlins and Eko Life. 

One final word, if purchasing coffee from Conlins/ The Coffee Laboratory, the Artisans brand refers to mixed coffees and Robusta’s etc., their Bluenotes brand covers 100% Arabica.

I feel I may have veered off track a little so to get to the nub of your question, yes, you can source a good choice of quality coffee here in the Ph, whether that be green or roasted beans, or simply ground coffee. If you're not too fussy about when the beans were roasted, you’ll find beans and ground coffee at most of the larger supermarkets here in the Ph. If it's freshness and choice you're after, I recommend buying online as the way to go. Welcome to the forum by the way.


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## Darby Allen (Sep 22, 2014)

Lazada has been suggested, and Shopee has some as well.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

Supermarkets are hit and miss as mentioned but I have found whole beans at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Bo's.

Expensive, usually twice the cost of a store brand in a supermarket and not really much better.


Mandaulyong has several coffee roasting places where the bean is processed, you could try there for bulk buys. Don't remember the name of it but one just behind SM Light on EDSA near Boni MRT station.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

When in Rome......at one time Philippines was a leading world producer of coffee(if memory serves me right)...until a blight. Many plantations were around Lipa ........Honestly I don't see any progression,it(the country) just stays the same.


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## Rwestgate (Jan 29, 2019)

Father in law has about 100 coffee plants on our property in Mindanao, he just harvested the first batch and roasted the beans, I will let you know in April, he stated the actual care and feeding was minimal. perhaps easy enough to grow that may be an option. 

I'm looking forward to the experience


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## gbb55434 (Feb 2, 2019)

Thanks, my sister-in-law is in the Philippines now, and I will ask her if she knows of this brand.


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## gbb55434 (Feb 2, 2019)

Thank you! I have it bookmarked now.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Barako Coffee*



gbb55434 said:


> Thanks, my sister-in-law is in the Philippines now, and I will ask her if she knows of this brand.


Sounds good Gbb and I'm sure the sister-in-law will be able to find you some in your region :fingerscrossed: and if not try calling it Barako coffee (watch out they sell instant) that's what real coffee is known as, sort of a nickname for tough like the Barako 175 cc Suzuki motorcycle, I've found that the citizen and this might be another thread to start, but bottom line is they use different names for products and items.

The only person in my neighborhood that drinks Barako or real coffee is my sister-in-law and it's because her daughter sends the cans in a Balikbayan box from Canada pretty much everyone else drinks that instant stuff.

The good news is that you will only be staying 6 months at a time if I'm not mistaken from another posting and back to the US, so you get the best of both worlds.


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## gbb55434 (Feb 2, 2019)

hogrider said:


> Have a look on Lazada.


I now have Lazada bookmarked. Thank you!


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## Rwestgate (Jan 29, 2019)

Rwestgate said:


> Father in law has about 100 coffee plants on our property in Mindanao, he just harvested the first batch and roasted the beans, I will let you know in April, he stated the actual care and feeding was minimal. perhaps easy enough to grow that may be an option.
> 
> I'm looking forward to the experience


The coffee was hideous, small and ill-formed beans, I will attribute this to too young plants being harvested, I will wait another year and try again


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Coffee Beans*



Rwestgate said:


> The coffee was hideous, small and ill-formed beans, I will attribute this to too young plants being harvested, I will wait another year and try again


Sorry to hear that Rwestgate it sure was a dry year and they probably had to harvest or lose the crop, thanks for the update.


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## digitalchic (Jul 11, 2019)

I'll go for Barako, Benguet, Sagada, Kalinga - and yes those Cordillera coffee grinds are the best local coffee, better than Starbucks.


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