GreenTech GeeK: The Great Organic Coffee Search

Image courtesy of fineartamerica.com.

The GreenTech Geek is on the hunt. Hunting for organic coffee, that is. Organic coffee for lazy people. Meaning, over-the-counter and ready to drink. Not organic beans that I need to grind. And I want that most elusive of all organic coffees -- decaf organic.

You know what? It's harder to find in San Diego than you might think. Of course, I'm just one person with two eyes, so if you, and your two eyes, happen to have come across more options than I, do tell ... using the "comment" feature at the end of this post.

As for me, to date I have discovered exactly TWO places where I can get organic decaf over the counter.

Discover my two discoveries ... after the jump ...

Why so eager for organic coffee? I just like to avoid pesticides whenever I can. And some evidence points to coffee crops being among the most heavily sprayed:

• Coffee and Health: Pesticides and Chemicals
• The Hidden Danger in Your Coffee: Pesticides
• Coffee, Conservation, and Commerce in the Western Hemisphere

Yay to this place!

I remember a time -- perhaps it was just a dream, but I think not -- when, for a short while, Starbucks offered an organic coffee choice, over the counter. But then it went away.

Then I learned of my favorite coffee shop -- Caffe Calabria in North Park -- offering up organic beans, but not an over-the-counter choice. I even Facebooked them, pleading my case. They said if enough people request it, then it might show up on their menu.

Over time, I found some places where I could get organic caffeinated coffee:

• Clare de Lune Coffee House in North Park: they usually have an organic choice called Kona
• Lestat's on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights: they usually have one organic option among their self-serve carafes.
• Fern Street Cafe in South Park: they also have an organic offering.

All fine and dandy. But what about when I want to avoid both pesticides AND the jitters by opting for organic decaf? So far, I've only found it at two places:

Yay to this place too!

• My scooter/moped friend Christopher saw me ranting on Facebook about the lack of organic decaf and promptly directed me to Big City Bagels in the Ralph's center in Hillcrest. Bingo! They offer regular and decaf organic coffee, at the same price as their non-organic choices. Yay! 

• And wouldn't you know it? Today I lunched at Mimo's Grab N Go Italian Subs near the Hall of Justice during a lunch break from jury duty -- and there it was.  Not only organic coffee, but also organic decaf.  

So far, those are the only two places I've found offering the jitter- and pesticide-free, over-the-counter option in my stomping grounds around San Diego. I look forward to hearing your finds, below.

Until next week ...

Posted in: coffee,food,GreenTech Geek,organic