Taking back coffee

billma90

billma90

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Aug 15, 2012
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I used to bring Santo Domingo coffee back with me, but i kept getting called downstairs at the airport to open my suitcase. Probably thinking it was drugs. Since then i found the coffee here and also it is the same price or even cheaper here. No more filling the suitcase for me with coffee.
Now if i could only fit in a couple sexy chicas,,,,lol
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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billma90 said:
I used to bring Santo Domingo coffee back with me, but i kept getting called downstairs at the airport to open my suitcase. Probably thinking it was drugs. Since then i found the coffee here and also it is the same price or even cheaper here. No more filling the suitcase for me with coffee.
Now if i could only fit in a couple sexy chicas,,,,lol
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You lock your suitcase with an unapproved lock? They have the right to open any suitcase without permission. We bring back at least 30 pounds of coffee beans every trip, we've never been called down anywhere, but we never lock our suitcases.
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i do not lock my suitcase and was called to open it before boarding, in a presence of DNCD, police and some other officials. but alas, we stray from the topic.
 
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Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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To not stray from a previous topic on cruise ships with the issue of traveling with coffee.

My experience with packing coffee?

Every time my sister visits from Dallas, Texas she brings a carry-on with her stuff and an empty suitcase to go on board and take it back filled with coffee beans. If you do this frequently, I would think you will be in the system and you will not be stopped for this as is her case.

From her own experience with forgetting some food to be found by a beagle at the airport, she shared that what you bring that is noted goes on your record, as she found out when the migration person noted that she was a food lady, because she forgot on two occasions.

So, on the positive side, if you regularly take back coffee, you should not be stopped.

My sister saves it in her freezer and gradually uses it. We once went together to Colombia and she did the same with Colombian coffee, but she says Dominican gourmet brand coffee is better.
 
M

Meemselle

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Oct 27, 2014
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Dolores said:
To not stray from a previous topic on cruise ships with the issue of traveling with coffee.

My experience with packing coffee…

Every time my sister visits from Dallas, Texas she brings a carry-on with her stuff and an empty suitcase to go on board and take it back filled with coffee beans. If you do this frequently, I would think you will be in the system and you will not be stopped for this as is her case.

From her own experience with forgetting some food to be found by a beagle at the airport, she shared that what you bring that is noted goes on your record, as she found out when the migration person noted that she was a food lady, because she forgot on two occasions.

So, on the positive side, if you regularly take back coffee, you should not be stopped.

My sister saves it in her freezer and gradually uses it. We once went together to Colombia and she did the same with Colombian coffee, but she says Dominican gourmet brand coffee is better.
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Ummm. Non-issue. You are allowed to bring back coffee/candy/sugar/etc. Unless you're feeding the 9th fleet.

Except that Dominican coffee is very, very good. Makes up for a lot.
 
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GuillermoRamon

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I come to La R.D. 3 times a year, bringing back coffee pretty much every time, so far I have yet to be pegged as "the coffee guy"...
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Dolores said:
To not stray from a previous topic on cruise ships with the issue of traveling with coffee.

My experience with packing coffee…

Every time my sister visits from Dallas, Texas she brings a carry-on with her stuff and an empty suitcase to go on board and take it back filled with coffee beans. If you do this frequently, I would think you will be in the system and you will not be stopped for this as is her case.

From her own experience with forgetting some food to be found by a beagle at the airport, she shared that what you bring that is noted goes on your record, as she found out when the migration person noted that she was a food lady, because she forgot on two occasions.

So, on the positive side, if you regularly take back coffee, you should not be stopped.

My sister saves it in her freezer and gradually uses it. We once went together to Colombia and she did the same with Colombian coffee, but she says Dominican gourmet brand coffee is better.
Click to expand...

We also bring back only beans, usually Induban or Monte Alto. I'm wondering if we've never been bothered because they can see the beans on the xray machines, as opposed to ground coffee.

I've heard of Dominican airport security actually cutting open ground coffee bags to check inside, and then just closing the suitcase. You can imagine the mess when that person opens their bag at home.

I can find Dominican coffee in NJ, but never the beans. We're down to 1 pound from our last trip, which won't last until we fly down. Yesterday I found a 2 pound bag of Costa Rican beans at Marshall's, not bad at $12.99 considering the price of coffee lately.

What is the current price of coffee in DR? I think we paid 219 pesos in May??
 
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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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I always take several bags of ground coffee but have only been called back once.
 
billma90

billma90

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Did you ever notice the price of a bag of Santo Domingo coffee in the "duty free" store at the airport. I remember is was $12. U.S. The same bag in Toronto is $8.00 Canadian. Why bother to carry home coffee in the luggage if you can drive to the corner store and get it.
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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billma90 said:
Did you ever notice the price of a bag of Santo Domingo coffee in the "duty free" store at the airport. I remember is was $12. U.S. The same bag in Toronto is $8.00 Canadian. Why bother to carry home coffee in the luggage if you can drive to the corner store and get it.
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You're right, it's a total rip-off at "duty free" :(

In our case, we only use coffee beans [our espresso maker grinds them as part of the process], we've never ever seen the beans in the US. We even buy beans in DR [have a good burr grinder there] and use a greca most of the time.

We also prefer Induban or Monte Alto brand to Santo Domingo, and those aren't available here either in beans.

Last trip, the more expensive brands were 219 pesos, if we bring back 30 pounds of it we're saving several dollars on each pound. Because we have a home there, we don't bring clothing, etc., back and forth, our suitcases are mostly empty coming back to the US, except for the coffee.
 
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LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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billma90 said:
I used to bring Santo Domingo coffee back with me, but i kept getting called downstairs at the airport to open my suitcase. Probably thinking it was drugs. Since then i found the coffee here and also it is the same price or even cheaper here. No more filling the suitcase for me with coffee.
Now if i could only fit in a couple sexy chicas,,,,lol
Click to expand...

I can buy SD coffee in Newark Delaware for 5.69 a one pound can.
 
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dropshort

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May 18, 2008
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You are correct about the packing coffee en grano.

I had TSA compatible locks. TSA either stole them or were too stupid to put them back.

I now use cable ties* as luggage lock. You can only use them once.
I will only be responsible for the contents if I am present when the locks are removed.

When I make coffee, I grind the beans in a burr grinder and immediately brew away.

DS

* Suggested by an airline pilot.
 
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Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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LTSteve said:
I can buy SD coffee in Newark Delaware for 5.69 a one pound can.
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The coffee in the can is ground. The better Dominican coffee is not ground. For quality, buy the beans.
Induban sells brown and black bags with different grades of their gourmet coffee, there is Mama Ines also, and Monte Alto as mentioned among the better known gourmet brands. There are many smaller producers, too.

These have been difficult years for coffee producers with the coffee leaf rust disease destroying most of the coffee plants. This has resulted in lots of coffee being imported to meet local market demands.

So, to ensure you are getting good Dominican coffee, is better to buy the premium brands in their coffee beans packaging.
 
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Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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May I suggest you try brewed Dominican coffee (piping hot) and drop in a teaspoon-tablespoon of Bon rum raisin ice-cream, imperial vanilla or macadamia. Delicious!
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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This post is intriguing.

It shows an almost complete lack of understanding as to what has happened to the Dominican Republic's coffee crop.

The "roya" or coffee rust virus has WIPED OUT (for all intents and purposes) the majority of coffee farms in the country. Just ask the people at CODOCAFE.

As a result the major coffee toasters are having to import coffee beans from wherever they can find them (nota a higher coffee price in the US??)
The major brands here are using Vietnamese and Cambodian beans along with inferior local beans.

If you talk to people like Cobraboy, he will tell you of the devastation experiences by so many farmers. CODOCAFE has a really huge program
of replanting and professional guidance for new and old farms.

Again, this is a problem that was a long time developing, and partially the result of export taxes that cut back profits to the exporters and farmers, which in turn resulted in less and less investments in good crop management, renewal and overall expenses.

If you want to buy good coffee, try and find the few bags of Caf? Melo that might be on the shelves of some places in Santo Domingo.

Alta Monte, I really can't vouch for.

Frankly, I think I would bite the bullet and buy Bustello (?) for now...and only serve Cafe StoDgo to guests..JEJEJE!! Just kidding..it is still drinkable.

For coffee fans

HB
 
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