A GUIDE TO HELP YOU PURCHASE THE BEST GOURMET COFFEE ON EBAY ALONG WITH A LITTLE COFFEE HUMOR!

We want to help you choose the best gourmet coffee for your Ebay coffee purchase with a little coffee humor along the way. We have been in the specialty coffee business, owning specialty coffee stores and our online specialty coffee businesses. We wanted to offer this guide to help you choose a great coffee and coffee vendor on Ebay. If you wish to have more detailed information about coffee, including choosing the proper coffee, coffee roast levels, proper brewing techniques and storing coffee, please visit our information links at the bottom of this page.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

* Reputable Coffee Vendor - look for an established, reputable coffee vendor that is dedicated to the gourmet coffee & tea business.

* Look for High Feedback Rating - look for established coffee stores with high positive feedback ratings. There are many new "coffee" stores opening monthly on Ebay. Many of these vendors have little experience in the coffee business and/or little experience selling on Ebay.

* Look for Specifically Focused Coffee & Tea Vendors - you have to question someone that claims they are experts about coffee, yet they sell a lot of other items. Look for coffee vendors that focus solely on gourmet coffee, tea, and related items.

* Type of Packaging - look for coffee packaged in heat-sealed, air-tight coffee bags with a one-way degassing valve. This is essential for purchasing fresh coffee. Many sellers advertise "Vacuum Packed Coffee" or "Vacuum Coffee with a Valve". Vacuum packed coffee is not the freshest way to pack coffee. Most vacuum packed coffee is sold that way because the manufacturer expects a lengthy shelf life. Many vendors advertise vacuum coffee with a valve. This is a mistaken concept. Coffee packed in heat-sealed, air-tight bags with a degassing valve are not vacuum packed. These bags are an excellent way to purchase coffee. When coffee is roasted, the beans give off carbon dioxide for a few days. Packing in air-tight bags with a one-way degassing valve allow the carbon dioxide to escape without allowing air to enter.

* Package Sizes - Standard packaging in the coffee industry is typcially 12 oz. or 16 oz.(1 pound). Both are acceptable standards. The advantage of purchasing 12 oz. is with the shipping box weight, it can ship as 1 pound total weight. A 16 oz. (1 lb.) bag has to ship at the higher 2lb. weight, including the shipping box. There are many other size packages available at different price levels. Just be aware and do the math to determine what is the cost per ounce. Remember, there are 16 oz. per pound. Many people do get confused and see 12 oz. coffee and consider it a pound.

Sampler Packs - Other standard packaging includes sampler packs ranging from 1.5oz. to 2.0 oz.. These are good for a single pot of coffee. Sampler packs of coffee do not require a one-way degassing valve, but should offer an air-tight seal.

Bulk Coffee - Bulk packaged coffee for those who really love coffee are typically 5 lb. bags. It is critical to purchase this coffee with an air-tight seal and a one-way degassing valve. Do not purchase a 5 lb. bag unless you can consume it in a reasonable time. Always transfer the coffee into an air-tight container after opening the bag. An 8 quart white polyethylene container commonly used in the food industry is perfect.

* Net Weight - A note of caution - reputable vendors sell their coffee as "Net Weight". When someone advertises 12 oz. of coffee, that weight should not include the bag weight. If you put a 12 oz. coffee bag on an accurate scale, the weight should run about .03 - .04 lb. over 12 oz. There are vendors that sell coffee as "Total Weight", including the bag weight.

* Sold by Weight Not Volume - There can be some confusion about the actual volume of coffee from one bag to another. Many people do not realize that coffee is sold by weight, not volume. 12 oz. of one coffee bean may take up more or less space (volume) in a coffee bag than another coffee bean. This is due to several factors, most typical is the roast level. As coffee beans are roasted, they lose moisture, and thus lose weight. The darker the roast, the less the coffee bean weighs. A dark roast coffee simply takes up more room in the bag for the same equivalent weight of lighter roasted coffees. Coffee beans are also sized differently and their density can be different. For example, coffee beans from Africa (Ethiopia or Kenya) tend to be smaller beans, but are more dense. Their weight / size ratio is higher which simply means the bean is smaller but can weigh as much or more than other coffee beans. The bottom line, make sure your coffee vendor properly weighs the coffee and don't be too concerned about the size of the bag.

* Arabica Coffee Beans - buy only Arabica coffee beans. Robusta coffee beans are the lowest grade of coffee, grown at low altitudes, machine harvested, and typically used for inexpensive, mass-produced coffee. While there are multiple grades of coffee, first make sure it's arabica coffee.

* Caffeine Content - Arabica coffee beans contain about 1/2 the amount of caffeine of Robusta coffee beans. Many people that complain about not being able to tolerate the caffeine in coffee have grown up drinking mass-produced coffee (grocery store coffee) typically made from Robusta coffee beans. Most people don't realize that the higher quality Arabica coffee beans contain much less caffeine. When you see a coffee vendor advertising a "High Caffeine" coffee, or "Coffee With a Kick", they make it seem that they are adding an extra "secret" ingredient to give their coffee a little more "kick". They are typically selling you lower quality coffee that is either all Robusta coffee bean or a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. Keep in mind that different types of coffee, from different regions do vary in their caffeine levels, but not to a great extent like the difference between Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.

* Coffee Blends - most coffee vendors offer coffee blends. Blended coffee can be wonderful. There are many great exclusive blends created by well-crafted coffee roasters. However, if you are wanting to purchase a single-origin, pure, coffee, do not purchase the coffee if you see the word "blend". A blend is not pure. Typically, this is most important with expensive gourmet coffee such as Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Most gourmet coffee drinkers purchasing either of these coffees want a 100%, pure coffee, not a blend. The coffee industry labeling standards are very unregulated on this matter. If you purchase a Kona Blend, it could be 5 or 10% Kona mixed with much cheaper coffee beans. What's the point in purchasing this type of blend. If you want an expensive Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain blend, that's fine, just ask the vendor what amount of pure Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain it contains.

* Buying PrePackaged Coffee - whether you are buying Starbucks or an unknown brand, you need to ask the vendor what the expiration date of the coffee is. Most coffee roasters that pre-pack coffee label it with an expiration date. If the vendor won't tell you, don't buy. Most reputable coffee roasters will not guarantee coffee freshness past the expiration date. Also be aware of purchasing large coffee lots that may contain expired coffee.

* Coffee Gift Sets - Gift sets containing coffee can be wonderful and a very few are not so wonderful. Again, look for a dedicated coffee seller or gift basket seller that focuses on this business. Many gift sets are prepackaged or shrink-wrapped and the coffee expiration dates are not visible. Be careful of buying coffee gift sets from individuals or liquidators because these are often last year's sets that come out of the closet at the holidays or a liquidator has purchased last year's stock from a supplier. If you do wish to purchase a gift set that someone received as a holiday present, that may be a good opportunity. Just make sure you purchase it after the holiday passes, not before.

* Fresh Coffee - many vendors advertise their coffee as staying fresh for up to one year or maybe longer when properly packaged. This claim is just not reasonable. The industry standards are as follows: coffee that is roasted fresh, packaged immediately into air-tight bags with one-way degassing valves can remain fresh for six months as long as the packaged is unopened. Coffee packaged in bags that are not air-tight remain fresh for about two weeks. Coffee packed in air-tight sampler bags can remain fresh for 6 months. Coffee paced in air-tight, nitrogen-flushed sampler bags can remain fresh for 10 months.

Those vendors or coffee roasters advertising that their coffee can remain fresh for a year or more must have a secret method of preserving coffee that no other expert coffee roaster has discovered. It simply cannot be done.

When purchasing coffee, once received and opened, you should store your whole coffee beans in an air-tight container, in a cool, dark location, such as a pantry. Never refrigerate coffee because it is porous and attracts odors. We also recommend against freezing coffee. Coffee degrades over time, and when exposed to air and moisture and to a lesser degree, heat and light.

The best way to enjoy gourmet coffee is to purchase only quantities that you can consume in a reasonable time; purchase from a reputable gourmet coffee vendor; purchase whole bean coffee and properly store the coffee; and grind your coffee just prior to brewing.

JUST FOR LAUGHS - A HUMOROUS LOOK AT THE EBAY COFFEE BUSINESS

We put this section in just for fun but it can also be frightening at times. We do get a few chuckles with some listings and just wanted to share a few of those laughs with you. No specific vendor is mentioned or targeted, but rather generalizations of the types of interesting things we see in a few coffee listings. We do hope most buyers use their common sense when choosing their coffee and coffee vendors on Ebay.

Just For Laughs - coffee listing comments we see, but still amaze us!

* Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee from 100% arabica Central American beans. - (The last time I checked a map Jamaica was located in North America, not Central America. Maybe I should do a google search, they might have moved the island since we last checked) - (On second thought, maybe the Jamaican government reclassifies coffee once it is shipped in from a Central American country?).

* Best Quality & Best Price Coffee because we sell direct! No Middleman, No brokers. Wholesale Welcome! - (Contradiction? Maybe they have just eliminated the middleman or brokers until they actually have one of them interested in wholesaling their coffee).

* Special Introductory Price! - We are new to Ebay and wish to introduce ourselves with this Low Introductory Coffee Price. - (first introductory listing was 10 months ago).

* Our Coffee Sells for $11.99 a Pound on our Website, but We're Selling it for $3.00 a Pound on this Listing - (If they were actually selling any sizeable amount of coffee on their website at $11.99 a pound they wouldn't be offering it on Ebay at $3.00 a pound).

* We are the Coffee Experts! - (last week we were selling sunglasses and beach umbrellas)

* This Special Offer is Available for a Limited Time Only. - (this is the 699th listing for this item in the last 6 months).

* Fresh Starbucks Holiday Blend Coffee - (Selling in August? This statement speaks for itself).

* 100% Pure Coffee Blend - (We're not sure exactly what this means. It may simply mean it's 100% coffee and not mixed with dogfood. A Blend is not "PURE". "Pure" implies that no other types of coffee are mixed with it, a blend is a mixture of coffee).

* 100% Pure Robusta Coffee - (This is telling you that you are buying 100% of the lowest grade of coffee on the market. Hmmmm?)

* Coffee With A Kick! or High Octane Coffee! - (typically you will receive the lower quality Robusta coffee that contains twice the amount of caffeine than the higher quality arabica coffee)

* 100% Pure Kona Blend - (?????????????)

* We Pack Our Coffee in 16oz.(1 lb.) Bags - More Than Any Other Coffee Vendor. - (This is news to us! 12oz. and 16oz. are the standard. A seller offering 12oz. coffee can ship it under 1lb. with total weight. Those offering a 16oz. bag have to bump the the 2lb. shipping weight because of packaging. Do the math, you might be surprised in many instances you pay less per ounce for a 12 oz. bag of coffee)

* Our Higher Coffee Prices Guarantee High Quality Coffee - (Why didn't I think of that. If I just raise my prices, the quality of the coffee goes up. Hmmmmm?).

* This is a Special Promotion Below Factory Direct Pricing - (Some sellers just enjoy selling fresh coffee and losing money)

* We Provide Fast Shipping to Get Fresh Coffee to You! - (we only roast on Mondays, we only pack on Thursdays, the post office is closed on Sundays, and by the way, please don't read any of our feedback about how quickly we ship - Talk About Fresh!).

* Our Coffee is as Almost as Good As Starbucks - (Not sure what they're thinking - I think they are shooting a little low).

* We are Dedicated and Focused on Delivering the Best Coffee on Ebay - Please Visit our Ebay Store for our Great Selection of Flip-Flops, Gold Jewelry, and the Bumper off a '57 Chevy - (Now that's focus on coffee!)

* Our Coffee is Guaranteed Fresh until February, 2016 - (okay we're exaggerating here, but some of these claims are pretty laughable)

* Colombian Coffee fresh out of Central America - (now they've moved Colombia. It used to be located in South America)

We hope you have learned something about choosing a good gourmet coffee vendor on Ebay and also had a laugh or two along the way. Please visit our Ebay Store, Blue Moose Coffee, for a great selection of gourmet coffee and tea. If you wish to learn more about choosing coffee, coffee roast levels, proper coffee brewing and storage, please visit our links below.

Thanks for spending some time with us!

Blue Moose Coffee

Blue Moose Coffee - Ebay Store

How To Choose Your Coffee - Coffee Information by Blue Moose Coffee

How To Brew Great Coffee - Coffee Information by Blue Moose Coffee

How To Store Coffee - Coffee Information by Blue Moose Coffee