Amtrak Coffee

[user 1215]

What brand does Amtrak use for coffee? What did the legacy railroads use? Is there really "railroad coffee"? If I were to open a café next to a mainline track and offer "railroad coffee" what would your expectations be?

 

[acelafan]

I think it's Green Mountain coffee. I am sure someone can confirm/refute that. Maybe it differs between the Viewliner machines and the old-style percolators on the Superliners.

As long as the coffee is strong and hot I'm not too picky on brand!

 

[PRR 60]

I think it's Green Mountain coffee. I am sure someone can confirm/refute that. Maybe it differs between the Viewliner machines and the old-style percolators on the Superliners.

As long as the coffee is strong and hot I'm not too picky on brand!

At least in the NEC, it's Green Mountain Coffee.

 

[dlagrua]

All I have even seen is Green Mountain Coffee served on Amtrak trains. Although I am primarily an Espresso drinker, you do get a consistently good cup of coffee on Amtrak and its free in the sleepers.

 

[Anthony]

As of a month or two ago, the brewed coffee is no longer Green Mountain coffee. You'll notice there is a new style of coffee cup with no logo.

The new vendor is S&D Coffee: http://www.sndcoffee.com/

I can't speak for the Douwe Egberts auto-coffee machines, but I know that stuff tastes different, anyway

 

[pennyk]

Speaking of coffee machines... Since I do not drink coffee and am often in search of hot water for tea, I am usually disappointed that the Viewliner machines often do not work and the Superliners do not have hot water dispensers. However, I noticed that the sleepers on the Auto Train have fancy coffee machines that also have a hot water dispenser.

Anthony - is there any chance that all the Superliners will switch to that type machine or is it specific to the AT?

 

[Anthony]

Speaking of coffee machines... Since I do not drink coffee and am often in search of hot water for tea, I am usually disappointed that the Viewliner machines often do not work and the Superliners do not have hot water dispensers. However, I noticed that the sleepers on the Auto Train have fancy coffee machines that also have a hot water dispenser.

Anthony - is there any chance that all the Superliners will switch to that type machine or is it specific to the AT?

Don't know, sorry!

 

[Palmland]

Too bad about the change in coffee as Green Mountain is about as good as it gets. A cost cutting move by Amtrak? Or perhaps Green Mountain wasn't such a good deal for Amtrak anymore since it has gotten very popular due to its use in the Keurig coffee makers.

 

[Anthony]

Too bad about the change in coffee as Green Mountain is about as good as it gets. A cost cutting move by Amtrak? Or perhaps Green Mountain wasn't such a good deal for Amtrak anymore since it has gotten very popular due to its use in the Keurig coffee makers.

Actually, I think it's as simple as the fact that GM stopped making filter packs! Amtrak doesn't have K-Cup machines in the cafe cars, and I imagine that would be a very expensive retrofit.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

As of a month or two ago, the brewed coffee is no longer Green Mountain coffee. You'll notice there is a new style of coffee cup with no logo. The new vendor is S&D Coffee: http://www.sndcoffee.com/ I can't speak for the Douwe Egberts auto-coffee machines, but I know that stuff tastes different, anyway

I was wondering to what extent S&D made use of sustainable fair trade sources, but as a privately held company easily accessible information was hard to find. Do you have any idea Anthony?

 

[Anthony]

As of a month or two ago, the brewed coffee is no longer Green Mountain coffee. You'll notice there is a new style of coffee cup with no logo. The new vendor is S&D Coffee: http://www.sndcoffee.com/ I can't speak for the Douwe Egberts auto-coffee machines, but I know that stuff tastes different, anyway

I was wondering to what extent S&D made use of sustainable fair trade sources, but as a privately held company easily accessible information was hard to find. Do you have any idea Anthony?

Sorry, I don't know anything else.

 

[amamba]

That is a shame that they are no longer doing green mountain coffee. The green mountain coffee is very good and they do have a whole line of fair trade products.

If you were opening a cafe at the train station and offering "railroad coffee", I would expect the coffee to be strong and flavorful. Robust one might say.

 

[AlanB]

Maybe it differs between the Viewliner machines and the old-style percolators on the Superliners.

Those machines on the Viewliners are going away, in favor of the old-style percolators found on the Superliners.

 

[PRR 60]

As of a month or two ago, the brewed coffee is no longer Green Mountain coffee. You'll notice there is a new style of coffee cup with no logo. The new vendor is S&D Coffee: http://www.sndcoffee.com/ I can't speak for the Douwe Egberts auto-coffee machines, but I know that stuff tastes different, anyway

I was wondering to what extent S&D made use of sustainable fair trade sources, but as a privately held company easily accessible information was hard to find. Do you have any idea Anthony?

From S&D Food Innovation and Ingredients,a division of S&D Coffee:

Our customers and their customers are becoming more aware of sustainable coffee offerings. At S&D Coffee, we offer sustainable coffees that include Fair Trade Certified™, Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and Quality Assurance International organic certified coffees.

S&D

Now, do you think Amtrak buys the (presumably) more expensive Fair Trade products? I'm betting not.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I was wondering to what extent S&D made use of sustainable fair trade sources, but as a privately held company easily accessible information was hard to find. Do you have any idea Anthony?

From S&D Food Innovation and Ingredients, a division of S&D Coffee:

Our customers and their customers are becoming more aware of sustainable coffee offerings. At S&D Coffee, we offer sustainable coffees that include Fair Trade Certified™, Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and Quality Assurance International organic certified coffees.

S&D

I saw that but I couldn't seem to find anything about the extent of their use as a percentage of the sourcing or sales; just that some unknown percentage of certain specific brands is in compliance. If Amtrak is using a high percentage sustainable fair trade mix that would be good to know.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

I say just go with Folgers or Maxwell house coffee both are good.

 

[The Chief]

S&D Coffee is Fair-Trade certified, as well as organic and shade-grown. In 3Q 2011 S&D, largest U.S.food service coffee roaster, introduced "Bird Friendly" coffee (BFC).

To earn the BFC designation, product must come from farms with a leafy shade cover that provides vital habitat for local and migratory birds. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center sets standards for BFC.

In several hotels I've stayed in over the years, S&D is product provider for in-room coffee service. I like it.

 

[Guest]

If I were to open a café next to a mainline track and offer "railroad coffee" what would your expectations be?

Rude service, long wait times, nonsensical customer unfriendly policies, outdated decor

but at least I wouldn't have to hear "single shot half frap breve extra foam fourty pump mucho grande skinny mocha latte hold the espresso and some leave room for even more milk and sugar"

 

[PRR 60]

If I were to open a café next to a mainline track and offer "railroad coffee" what would your expectations be?

Rude service, long wait times, nonsensical customer unfriendly policies, outdated decor

but at least I wouldn't have to hear "single shot half frap breve extra foam fourty pump mucho grande skinny mocha latte hold the espresso and some leave room for even more milk and sugar"

LOL!!! Laugh of the day.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

If you were opening a cafe at the train station and offering "railroad coffee", I would expect the coffee to be strong and flavorful. Robust one might say.

I believe such an establishment is called a "Hobby Shop" and it's where railfans hang around all day running the model railroad, looking over the newest rolling stock, structures and other goodies and justifying how they can add those to the home layout. It takes plenty of strong coffee to keep this going :lol:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I say just go with Folgers or Maxwell house coffee both are good.

Best joke of the entire thread! :lol:

S&D Coffee is Fair-Trade certified, as well as organic and shade-grown. In 3Q 2011 S&D, largest U.S.food service coffee roaster, introduced "Bird Friendly" coffee (BFC). To earn the BFC designation, product must come from farms with a leafy shade cover that provides vital habitat for local and migratory birds. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center sets standards for BFC. In several hotels I've stayed in over the years, S&D is product provider for in-room coffee service. I like it.

It is my understanding that each blend has its own percentage of certified beans. This can be up to 100% but is often much lower, down to maybe 30% or so. Those specific blends with some portion of certified beans are themselves a much smaller percentage of the total sourcing and sales. It's the percentage of total sales that's important to me. The rest is just window dressing really. To give an example, Starbucks is fair trade certified, but if you do some research you'll discover that what you're actually drinking depends greatly on which stores you visit. In Western Europe the primary brews will be fair trade certified while some of the specialty one-off brews may not be. While in the US the primary brews will NOT be fair trade and you will have to specifically request a fair trade brew from scratch to get fair trade coffee.

 

[Big Iron]

Maybe it differs between the Viewliner machines and the old-style percolators on the Superliners.

Those machines on the Viewliners are going away, in favor of the old-style percolators found on the Superliners.

Is this occuring now? Hope so, I'll be on the LSL heading western bound on 2/18, CL return on 2/19. I'll do a coffee comparison.

Last I rode, in 1/2010 I much preferred the Superliner coffee to the Viewliner.

PS: I haven't ridden the LSL westbound at all and last eastbound trip was into Grand Central. STOKED!!!!

 

[NAVYBLUE]

“You don’t have to spend a lot to get a great cup of coffee, despite what some coffee snobs may tell you,” said Bob Markovich, home and yard editor, Consumer Reports. “Several of CR’s top coffees could save you $25 to $75 each year over pricier brands even if you just drank one 6-ounce cup a day.”

This excerpt from 2009 Consumer Reports pretty sums up my feelings about average coffee drinkers since most drinkers do not drink it black and add anything from sugar, milk/cream and flavored milks and when blind folded can't tell the difference unless they drink it black. As a sugar/cream or milk addee I can't and I don't think most of the coffee "snobs" on AU can either. I can tell the difference from most coffee sold in America (mostly Colombian/Arabic) which are all derivatives from Ethiopian coffee from pure KONA coffee. Some people just like to blow smoke up people's *****. I am also so impressed with the fair trade crowd who also buy China crap which is a large amount of our consumer purchases made with near slave labor and get all uppity about coffee. Give me a freakin break people.

NAVYBLUE

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am also so impressed with the fair trade crowd who also buy China crap which is a large amount of our consumer purchases made with near slave labor and get all uppity about coffee. Give me a freakin break people.

Yeah! Wait. What? :wacko:

 

[amamba]

I am also so impressed with the fair trade crowd who also buy China crap which is a large amount of our consumer purchases made with near slave labor and get all uppity about coffee. Give me a freakin break people.

This is an interesting jump and assumption.

Most people that I know that are concerned about drinking fair trade coffee make a point to buy local as much as possible.