Coffee is the new wine when it comes to the obsession of understanding, appreciating and achieving the gourmet cup of coffee. Those individuals who appreciate good coffee can easily make it a life passion, and a continuing education about the topic, provides perpetual new aspects. Mastercraft is in the forefront of this knowledge and we were one of the first 10 companies to become a certified coffee operator.
 
When a coffee company applies this knowledge to benefit the client; you wind up with a large array of coffees and coffee equipment. So please be patient with the following information as we attempt to present a number of choices now available to you.

Mastercraft sells many types of coffee because people have differerent tastes and budgets. 
 
There are THREE quality levels in coffee:

Value Coffee

Near Gourmet Coffee

Gourmet Coffee 
 

Value Coffee
 
These coffee are represented by the names we all grew up with like Maxwell house, Hills Bros., Superior, etc. This category of coffee sells more pounds per year, compared to the ‘Near Gourmet’ or ‘Gourmet’ coffees. Yet the value coffee market share is eroding as the general consumer has become more sophisticated. Value Coffees tend to be very affordable and very ‘ok’ in their taste profile. Mastercraft’s House blend, "Premium Gold", is our favorite value coffee, and we get it from a small roaster, in a very simple gold bag. So without advertising, and fancy packaging we are able to put all of the value into the coffee. 
 
It took Mastercraft hundreds of coffee tasting sessions to find this coffee. The price is really good and it wins taste tests over coffees that cost more. The bags weigh 1.5 oz. each, which is about as light as you can go and still have real coffee. Mastercraft does not sell any of the substandard coffees like Ultra, or many others. Taste it and you will be surprised how good an affordable coffee can be. Yet there are still better coffees. (top)
 
Near Gourmet Coffee
 
Near Gourmet coffee is defined by having good quality which is about 80% of the gourmet coffees quality for significantly less money. The near gourmet coffees are 100% Arabica beans and have a really nice flavor.

They are still is not an equal to a Caribou Coffee or Starbucks, but it is not far away. You would think this category of coffee would have many different coffees to choose from, but are very few near gourmet coffees out there. There are many different roasters who say they have a coffee as good as Starbucks or Caribou, but when you taste them you instantly smell, taste and feel the difference.

Mastercraft’s team has spent the last year looking for the best candidates for our Near Gourmet category, and our winners are…

Gloria Jean’s Sumatra Dark 
 
Gloria Jean’s Sumatra Dark has a bittersweet aroma, smooth, full body, low acidity. Gloria Jean’s is a coffee with strong name recognition and sometimes adds more to the perceived value for your final drinkers. Some people have a little fear that Sumatra dark will simply be too overpowering, but in this instance it is milder than one might think.

Celebration Blend
 
Celebration is a blended dark roast coffee with full flavor, low acidity, and the roasted sweetness typical of darker roasted coffees. It will be your more robust choice compared to Gloria Jean’s when you want just a ‘little’ more punch to your coffee while saving you a ‘little’ money when compared to Gloria Jean’s. (top)

Gourmet Coffee
 
There are only a handful of true gourmet coffees. They are your choice when only the best will do, and you are willing to pay the premium price. This category of coffee is the fastest growing coffee category. Gourmet Coffee definitely uses only the best Arabica beans. They are the freshest beans sourced from best regions. Plus these coffees come from roasting houses that really understand the nuances in bean selection, blending, roasting, and ultimately packaging in high quality materials to keep the coffee really fresh.  
 
We carry Caribou and Starbucks Coffee as our two gourmet coffees. When we do blind taste tests with a group of coffee drinkers, Caribou always wins. Caribou also ranked #1 with Consumer Reports. It is certainly a coffee for you to consider. (top)
 

Back to 'Coffee Education' Section