# Coffee beans



## PoleDancer

Any coffee fiends on here?

I'm finding it surprisingly hard to get coffee beans here, and so far impossible to get good ones suitable for espresso. I have found one local coffee merchant on Road 9 in Maddi (Hadayek end), but his beans weren't great and look as if they've been lying around in the sack for about a year. I gather there are coffee roasters downtown, but my guess is they'll be mainly oriented towards beans for Turkish coffee and it could be a long process of experimentation until I find one who has what I want. Anyone found a supplier who understands espresso and roasts beans to suit?


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## cutiepie

PoleDancer said:


> Any coffee fiends on here?
> 
> I'm finding it surprisingly hard to get coffee beans here, and so far impossible to get good ones suitable for espresso. I have found one local coffee merchant on Road 9 in Maddi (Hadayek end), but his beans weren't great and look as if they've been lying around in the sack for about a year. I gather there are coffee roasters downtown, but my guess is they'll be mainly oriented towards beans for Turkish coffee and it could be a long process of experimentation until I find one who has what I want. Anyone found a supplier who understands espresso and roasts beans to suit?


I'm not exactlly a coffee expert instant does me fine!  but why don't you get them from starbucks or costa coffee prob more expensive but at least you know they are good quality! I've also seen in spinneys a selection of coffee beans


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## PoleDancer

cutiepie said:


> why don't you get them from starbucks or costa coffee prob more expensive but at least you know they are good quality! I've also seen in spinneys a selection of coffee beans


Yep, that's the fall-back option. Three downsides though:

Stuff that's been roasted overseas, shipped, sat around in customs and then in the shop (and I presume that's how it works for the chains) is never going to be as good as fresh roasted beans.

I feel I should be buying local where it's possible. 

As you say, cost. I know my coffee bill isn't going to break the bank, but I don't like feeling I'm paying the 'sucker price.


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## MaidenScotland

60LE for beans from Starbucks


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## Sonrisa

PoleDancer said:


> Yep, that's the fall-back option. Three downsides though:
> 
> Stuff that's been roasted overseas, shipped, sat around in customs and then in the shop (and I presume that's how it works for the chains) is never going to be as good as fresh roasted beans.
> 
> I feel I should be buying local where it's possible.
> 
> As you say, cost. I know my coffee bill isn't going to break the bank, but I don't like feeling I'm paying the 'sucker price.


Have you tried Gourmet Egypt | Home


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## PoleDancer

Thanks Izzie. Good link, though I may now waste too much time drooling over food porn. They do indeed to beans, though it's of the expensive (and not fresh) import variety. 

Maiden - Thanks also for the Starbucks info.


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## CherryBomb

Hi, Try greco !


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## PoleDancer

Well I finally found / visited Greco (Road 9). Spot on, thank you. They have a good selection of coffee beans. Not fresh roasted - they're imported from a US roaster, and not cheap (45LE for 225gm - roughly twice the cost of good beans in the UK, but until I can find fresher/cheaper, Greco will do nicely.

Nice place too.


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## PoleDancer

OK, this one again.

Greco have been unable to supply beans since the revolution.

I did get some beans in a can from Costa, at a price I would have thought more appropriate to crack cocaine than coffee beans (produced a good crema, though I would have preferred a sharper taste).

Given that half of Arabia sits around sipping coffee though, it continues to bug me that I have to pay hugely inflated prices for an expensive, un-fresh imported product. I strongly suspect there must be an Egyptian business freshly roasing beans suitable for a decent espresso.

Any ideas?

Maybe I should try the Italian embassy


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## canuck2010

If you find the fresh stuff let us know, I have been looking as well for ages with no luck!

Good idea with the Italian embassy, they must have a fresh stash!


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## aykalam

PoleDancer said:


> OK, this one again.
> 
> Greco have been unable to supply beans since the revolution.
> 
> I did get some beans in a can from Costa, at a price I would have thought more appropriate to crack cocaine than coffee beans (produced a good crema, though I would have preferred a sharper taste).
> 
> Given that half of Arabia sits around sipping coffee though, it continues to bug me that I have to pay hugely inflated prices for an expensive, un-fresh imported product. I strongly suspect there must be an Egyptian business freshly roasing beans suitable for a decent espresso.
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Maybe I should try the Italian embassy


Italian coffee beans you can find at Gourmet Egypt, maybe not the fresh kind you are looking for but certainly great espresso making stuff:

Gourmet Egypt | Beverages


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## maadiboy

In Maadi Degla, close to subway there is a shop with italian specialities. Maybe you can check it out if they have cafe as well. Its in the street opposite of subway, on the right side is a pharmacy and left is a bank, after about 150m or so the shop is on the right side.


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## txlstewart

maadiboy said:


> In Maadi Degla, close to subway there is a shop with italian specialities. Maybe you can check it out if they have cafe as well. Its in the street opposite of subway, on the right side is a pharmacy and left is a bank, after about 150m or so the shop is on the right side.


It's on Road 231, roughly across from Adams Market, but down some pretty steep steps. It's set back off the street, but has a sign on 231.

Have you tried Costa Coffee or Starbucks?


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## PoleDancer

txlstewart said:


> It's on Road 231, roughly across from Adams Market, but down some pretty steep steps. It's set back off the street, but has a sign on 231.
> 
> Have you tried Costa Coffee or Starbucks?


Thanks both. I'll investigate.

Yep, tried both Costa and Starbucks. Both sell beans several months old at a price which reflects their being grown in one continent, shipped to another for processing, global brand 'magic' (markup) applied and then shipped to Egypt. Both are inferior to the beans Greco used to sell. The Costa beans produce a better crema than the Starbucks. The Starbucks beans have a flavour I prefer to the Costa. I'll give them both 5 out of 10. Both would be knocked into a cocked hat by beans freshly roasted by someone who knew what they were doing.

At the risk of banging on about it, this is the part of the world that brought coffee to the attention of most of the rest of the world. I find it surprising that I can't buy (quality) localish produce from a local business.

Then again, I suppose beer was invented round about here too . . . . . .


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