Costco Fans Are Loving These Organic Coffee Beans

Costco shoppers are raving on Reddit over a brand of whole coffee beans you may not have heard of before. A Redditor started the conversation by posting, "Ruta Maya coffee beans, does anyone else love this stuff or am I crazy?" Costco sells Ruta Maya organic coffees in 5-lb. bags for the reasonable price of $41.99 to $47.99, according to the Costco website.

The Reddit thread included a friendly debate about whether medium or dark roast was better, with medium gaining the edge. Few argued about whether Ruta Maya coffee was good, however. (Although there are always a few naysayers in every bunch.) "This is hands down the BEST coffee ever!" Redditor BirthdayGuest commented. "It always throws me for a loop when I need coffee and Costco is out. Nothing compares!" Reddit user ihave80D expressed a similar sentiment. "One of the best coffees I've ever tasted," they said. "Was really not happy when I had to wait 2 weeks, after they ran out one time."

Participants in the Reddit conversation also liked Ruta Maya coffee for making cold brew. "I use the medium roast and have been drinking it exclusively as cold brew for a couple of years now. It's fantastic!" thattrippingsound commented. But there's another reason to sing the brand's praises, too.

Ruta Maya coffee tastes good, as far as most commenters on a recent Reddit thread are concerned. To hear Ruta Maya tell its own story on its website, the company's practices are good, too. Ruta Maya coffee is based in Austin, Texas and has been in business since 1990, buying high-quality arabica beans directly from Mayan farmer cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico. By cutting out middleman exporters, Ruta Maya is providing greater benefit to the small, independently owned cooperatives it works with. Ruta Maya says it does not cut corners in other aspects of its coffee business. It air-cools its roasted beans rather than spraying water on them to hurry up the cooling process. Ruta Maya's farmers hand-pick only ripe beans, which are then roasted in small batches to keep a close eye on quality.

2Caffeinated provided an extensive review of Ruta Maya's medium roast. The blogger was honest, saying they did not love it. They concluded, "If you like smoky, rich, bold flavors with a bitter aftertaste or like a coffee that can stand up to the flavor of different creamers and syrups, this one might be something you enjoy." The reviewer gave Ruta Maya coffee bonus points for its fair trade practices and environmentally sensitive farming. "I would probably buy it again simply because I know that my money can go toward saving the planet and treating people fairly," they wrote.