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In 2006, Target -- which has 1,752 locations in 49 states (Vermont is the only state without a Target store) -- began buying up coffee from micro-batches with Cup of Excellence designation.
What's "Cup of Excellence?" It's the top award given to coffee beans -- the equivalent of a Grammy or an Oscar for the coffee industry. A panel of judges conduct cuppings (coffee-speak for tasting) a total of five times during the competition, which is hosted in the country of origin.
Coffee farms in nine different countries participate: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Rwanda. The winner's coffee is then sold to the highest bidder during an online auction -- and ultimately brought to coffee drinkers in the United States.
Last year Target bought beans from five Cup of Excellence winners, including the winner from Colombia. Currently Target is selling coffee from the Cup of Excellence 2009 winner (Flor de Mayo) in Bolivia, with farmer Pedro Castro Conurana at the helm. But you might never notice, because it's packaged under the store's in-house label, Archer Farms. To find it, search for the 10-ounce bags (or tins) of Archer Farm coffee beans marked "Cup of Excellence." The best part? The price: Only $15 for a 10-ounce tin of whole beans. You'll have to shop in person, though -- the coffee isn't available online.
- Get great coffee recipes from our sister site, Kitchen Daily.
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3-03-2011 @1:51PM Candres said... I hope this is Fair Trade Coffee. While it is nice to see Americans realizing that some coffee beans taste better than others, moves to commoditize all coffee in the past have caused middlemen to control coffee exports and pay the farmers so little they can't afford to grow it, with no premium for better coffee. Fair Trade methods require paying coffee farmers a living wage and accountability for the supply chain back to the farmers. Fair Trade benefits everyone and makes the world a better place. The converse are monopolies and corruption as we have seen so often in the 20th Century. Not all coffee from a country is the same. If you want seriously good coffee, you want it from small farms that practice shade grown techniques and don't use pesticides. Do yourself a favor and look for the Fair Trade logo on any coffee you buy. Drink Deep and do the right thing for yourself, the farmers, and the planet.
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3-03-2011 @2:40PM Ray said... The Cup of Excellence program is far more beneficial to the producers that submit their coffees than Fair Trade could dream of being. The current Fair Trade price is only $.05 above current market price. That nickel needs to pay for the branding (that logo you put so much stock into), the employees of Transfair (the organization that runs the Fair Trade program), and overall maintenance costs. On top of that, the producers must pay dues to a co-op, pay for the certifications, and have the infrastructure in place to transport their harvest to the co-op. In addition, farmers that produce a higher quality coffee get paid the same amount as another farmer from the same co-op who may produce a much lower grade coffee. There is absolutely no stipulation for quality. I invite you to visit the Cup of Excellence website and look at the prices the coffees garner. Fair Trade has done some good work, but has quickly become the bare minimum that producers need.
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3-04-2011 @8:26AM Roxy said... If this coffee from Archer Farms is as good as their toffee popcorn, I'm definitely buying it. The Snicker Doodle cookies are another must try. I have fallen in love with Archer Farms' products. I really have to use self control when I have these items in the house.
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3-04-2011 @8:54AM Lorna said... I agree, Roxy. Archer Farms puts out some excellent products. I always know I'm getting high quality when I buy it.
3-27-2011 @11:34PM Another Day said... I find using the phrase "ground zero" for something as mundane as laundry detergent appalling.
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3-04-2011 @9:38AM Appzalien said... $15 for 10oz? I pay $5 for 34oz ground (McDaniels at Save-a-Lot). Its not the greatest, but when blended with fresh ground beans from Marc's (80% - 20%) its quite tolerable and far more inexpensive to drink several 16oz cups a day.
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3-04-2011 @9:41AM Nana said... ONLY $15 for 10 oz!!!!????????
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3-04-2011 @10:15AM Kennedy said... Fifteen Bucks for 10 ounces? What planet are you living on that makes this a good deal?
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3-04-2011 @10:18AM OL said... Good Grief!!!! $24.00 a pound is a good price???? ::laughing:: a pound of Starbucks' over-rated grounds is only $10.95 per pound!
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3-04-2011 @10:52AM shena said... i hate coffee! can we talk about tea?! lol anyone know a good flavored tea? i love tropical flavors like mango, kiwi and peach, etc.
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3-04-2011 @6:44PM Greg said... This should hardly be surprising. For the past few years now, Wal-Mart has been America's largest purchaser of decaffeinated Fair Trade coffee. Target seems to want to get in the act with CoE, but I don't see how their limited supplies can scale to the number of stores they run.
And for the person concerned about whether CoE coffee is "Fair Trade" or not, I worry about you.
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3-06-2011 @12:44AM Ray said... Let me start by saying that I am employed by the company that roasts this coffee for Target Stores...as a barista. A passionate and professional barista who is in the coffee industry as a career choice, not because I'm working through school.
To those commenting about the price of these coffees, consider the prices paid for these coffees. Please, LOOK at the CoE website. The Flor de Mayo coffee referenced in the article was purchased for $6.20/lb. by Coffee Bean International, the roaster that roasts this coffee for Target's Archer Farms private label. While Cup of Excellence does take a percentage of that price for maintenance costs, just like Transfair, they are also getting over twice the price of the current "Fair Trade Certified" price of $2.78. That is the price for the green coffee. Add shipping costs up the West coast of South, Central and North America to the likely port of Oakland, CA. Transportation from Oakland to Portland, OR where the coffee is roasted, cost of the actual roasting, packaging, shipping to Target's distribution center(s) and the price might actually seem like a bargain. Don't forget all of the associated costs to the farmer I referenced in my above comment.
To OL - You kind of made my point. Starbucks "grounds" are overrated. So why pay $10.95 for it?
Understand that these coffees are intended for customers that DON'T drink 3 16oz. cups a day. And they're also not necessarily intended for "coffee snobs" either. These are coffees that provide a culinary experience.
"It's just COFFEE!" you rant? Fine, you're right. "It's just WINE!" I respond, "It's just beer. It's just bourbon." This is a foodie site, right? Do you not like things that taste better than less expensive alternatives? Do you search out the best ingredients when you cook for yourself?
While I admit that I do have a bit of a caffeine dependency ;), the stimulative effects of coffee are at this point an unfortunate side-effect for me. If I could drink more coffee, I would. Because it's GOOD. Not because it's a drug.
Sorry for the rant. This is something that gets me worked up.
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3-19-2011 @9:11PM Bender said... Indeed. I am learning to appreciate coffee in the same way I enjoy wine or even good spices (Penzy's FTW). It takes effort to learn that making coffee right and buying quality negated the need for cream and sugar. I gave up drinking energy drinks and decided to save money by drinking coffee and I am glad I am learning what is good.
I am not a snob, yet, but I picked up some CoE from Target an am just amazed by it. It has flavor! Not just a bitter sludge I tolerate, but a taste I enjoy. The $15 a tin is expensive, but I also don't drink a bottle of Caymus Cabernet every day, either. My wife and I drink it on the weekend when we can enjoy it and take the time to make it right.
I love the Target Coffees and cant wait to try more. Next up is the Direct Trade tin I just bought...Cant wait!