Good Coffee Co

I've gotten my coffee here for 30+ years and wouldn't go anywhere else A very special place and you've never seen anything like it. Know before you go: Check or cash only, and they'll show you how to write a check if you don't know how. No website, so show up or call in or email your orders. They retail and wholesale coffee and tea from around the world, and ship across the nation. No coffee drinks, unless you want an espresso for $1 cash you put on a can on the counter. The best beans, roasted masterfully on a 100-year old Probat roaster. It's Seattle's best kept coffee secret.

An unpretentious cash-only place that makes you feel like you're walking into another era. The coffee is quite good. Honestly, it is quite a step up from most places in terms of flavor. I ordered a bag of Ethopian and wow, great coffee. Too bad old Seattle-type places like these are becoming a rarity.

Cutest place ever with lots of history, great prices, caring staff, and amazing tea and coffee! Honestly this place should be a museum, I talked with an employee (who is actually a volunteer who just loves the company) and found out that The Good Coffee Company started at the same time as Starbucks, so it is really a part of Seattle coffee history! They’ve apparently been having a hard time since COVID and the long-time owner passed away, so would highly recommend stopping and showing this place some love and support! They have extremely reasonable prices and a nice selection of coffees (including green coffee) and loose leaf teas, all great quality, as well as some equipment for home brews! Heads up that they only take cash or check, but they’ll also grind your coffee for you (or you can just get the beans). Really feels like a special place and piece of history that I hope more people will discover!

I used to come to this hidden gem of a shop every day during my bike messenger shifts in the Pioneer District in 2014 to get a delicious americano and chat with the roaster. It seemed like he would always drop the beans into the cooling tray right when I walked in and I'll never forget the awe from that amazing experience. I ended up founding a roastery of my own in CO last year and your shop as well as our chats were certainly foundational to my passion for coffee, thank you so much :)!

Our family has been buying this coffee (French 88) for over 40 years. Joe was a wonderful man/roaster/owner and every time we have his coffee, we think of him dearly. My dad knew Joe is his 20’s when he started this amazing coffee company and was delight every week he came in to buy. We hope the business stays in the family and continues to make great coffee. There’s nothing else out there like it. Give them a try if you haven’t!!!

They’ll make a delicious shot of espresso, primarily as a favor to customers but also if you ask nicely. Fantastic unpretentious atmosphere to enjoy a quick shot of espresso

Great vibes. Love that freshly roasted coffee smell. Only serving espresso though, so look elsewhere for a cup o' Joe.

a seattle treasure edit: the more I drink the beans I bought there the more I'm impressed w the place. excellent roasting

FANTASTIC espresso! And a century old Probat roaster: OG FTW! Definitely worth a stop: support your local roaster!

Walking into the Good Coffee Company is like stepping back in time. None of the glitz and fanfare of other coffee outlets. Only the smell of freshly roasted beans, the old roaster, and bins filled with every selection imaginable. I'm only one cup into enjoying their espresso roast. The taste is unlike any coffee I've had before -- rich, smooth, and deep flavor from the mix of Italian and French roast beans. David was helpful behind the counter. He told me that Joe, the founder of Good Coffee Company, passed a few years ago on National Coffee Day nonetheless. This place has soul. And you can taste it in every sip.

Cutest place ever with lots of history, great prices, caring staff, and amazing tea and coffee! Honestly this place should be a museum, I talked with an employee (who is actually a volunteer who just loves the company) and found out that The Good Coffee Company started at the same time as Starbucks, so it is really a part of Seattle coffee history! They've apparently been having a hard time since COVID and the long-time owner passed away, so would highly recommend stopping and showing this place some love and support! They have extremely reasonable prices and a nice selection of coffees (including green coffee) and loose leaf teas, all great quality, as well as some equipment for home brews! Heads up that they only take cash or check, but they'll also grind your coffee for you (or you can just get the beans). Really feels like a special place and piece of history that I hope more people will discover!

Grab couple of bag of pounder and it was pretty amazing coffee. People. Its not a coffee shop. Its coffee roaster. I will comeback for another option next time.

Bearing in mind that I love making espresso at home, and that this is a place that only sells roasted beans, there are 2 things to really really like about this place. 1) This coffee shop feels like it's lifted directly from Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. It's got ancient, interesting, dusty equipment on shelves, it's dark, and wow, what a fun experience to go there. I kept gawking like a tourist. It would be tempting to try to host a Halloween party here. 2) Their dark roasts are OUTSTANDING. Now this is a place that doesn't believe in non-dark roasts... so I'm not sure I'd even ask. This is old-school espresso, dark, oily and delicious. I hesitated to put it in my grinder but I'm glad I tried it. It's actually partially converted me that dark roast can be a good thing that I will bring into my rotation. Ok a few smaller things to note: A) cash only B) weird limited hours (which add to the intrigue) of Tue/Thu and some Sun C) they will let you buy as little as 1/2 lb of any roast for like $7-8 D) they will make you a shot for $1, but no milk or any fancy stuff, just the shot E) if you want to see the roasting in action it happens on Sunday I'm told If you are a Seattle-area coffee nerd this is a must-visit IMO. Cheers.

Thanks to Yelpers. This was indeed a fascinating place to visit and a great source to buy your coffee beans and tea. This modest coffee & tea place has been in business for 50 years - since 1971 (same year as the establishment of Seattle Best Coffee & Starbucks). While it does not have a cafe, I wondered why locals including myself, who had been making our own cup of coffee never got to know about this place, that is deep in Seattle's coffee history. I sampled their espresso and it was very good - bold and smooth. Hands down, it's definitely much better than Starbucks. They're only open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and (possibly - call first) Sundays when they are roasting. Cash only. Highly recommended!

Excellent old-school roaster that makes divine dark roasts. My partner hates dark roasts and is singing about what I've been brewing with my booty from here.

This made our trip to Seattle extremely worth it. Being a coffee addict, one of the main things we were going to explore were he different roasters. As we wandered and stopped thru most places, I was not impressed and didn't really consider buying coffee beans. UNTIL WE GOT HERE. Once you walk in, unless you know of the place, you'll think you're not in the right spot. Looks like a warehouse supplier of coffee goods and appliances. THIS MAKES THE PLACE FEEL THAT MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC. You see the machine they use to roast their beans as soon as you walk in. They provide best bang for buck pricing in the area for also the most variety I noticed in terms of bean origin and flavors. It's been a family operated business from day one and still is. You get that genuine love for the craft feeling the moment you're greeted by anyone working there that day. For the caffeine addicts: -first roaster in seattle (yes even before sbucks) -tend to roast darker than typical places -best per lb pricing in the area -they can grind foe your specific machine/method of brewing Randomness: They do ship so you can have it sent wherever THEY ALSO HAVE TEA for amazing prices They only accept cash, even for shipping

I've been getting beans for my home expresso machine at GCC for about 30 years. And they've been in business about 50 years. Their shop is truly worth a visit, if you can find it. Inside it feels like one of those magic shops from a Harry Potter movie. I always get the feeling when I leave that if I turned around, there would be a blank wall where the shop was located! Anyway, their beans are fabulous. Rich tasting is my best description.

I was introduced to this coffee when a friend from Seattle gave it to us as a gift. We were hooked with the first cup. Just delicious and now I have it mailed to me in San Carlos, CA. Treat yourself and try it - you'll love it.

Just bought what is likely to be my last coffee from Joe and the gang. After a long and wonderful run roasting and selling wonderful coffee Joe is probably going to sell the business. Age and health issues are forcing the door closed on this family run treasure. Anyone have any suggestions about where to buy coffee, we have been using Joe's coffee for over 25 years so we need ideas for a good north Seattle vender- lighthouse is close. Hey, joe is back at the roaster and open for business- things are better and we just stocked up on coffee

If you happen to stumble across the Good Coffee Company, be forewarned - this isn't a place to get a latte or cappuccino. This is a place to get coffee and tea to take home. Walking into the store, it is immediately clear that you are not in a Starbucks or Tully's (or any of the smaller chains here in Seattle). You are in a place for people who love coffee, but not with all the pomp that often comes along with it. Bags full of beans line the wall to your right for the first ten or twenty feet, with the roaster, constantly churning, immediately to your left. All sorts of different contraptions in which to make coffee fill shelves further down, and there are multiple grinders and scales for use by the proprietor, as well as espresso machines he's working on, behind the counter on the left. At the counter, there's a price list for the beans, handwritten on an accounting ledger, with nothing more than $10 per pound. And then there's the roasted beans, right there for you to view. Multiple roasted options. Further down, at least a dozen different types of tea. Nothing fancy in the presentation, but absolutely fabulous in the aroma and taste. I've had the luck of having been able to drink drip coffee from TGCC every day at work for the last couple years (we switched from Tully's), and I can honestly say I am beyond pleased. The flavor is full bodied, not overly acidic, and not too strong, but not too weak, either. And believe me, I understand that how you prepare the coffee (grounds to water ratio) is important, but the roasting is just as important. These beans are expertly roasted. I also use these beans for my espresso machine at home, and always get an absolutely fabulous cup in the mornings...it really is quite helpful in getting out of bed. To add to all of it, the aroma from the beans sticks around (we buy five pounds at a time at work) in the break room for days, and occasionally seeps out, down the hall, and into my office. Very pleasant, to say the least. What makes everything better is that the pricing is not outrageous for such quality. $8.45 per pound for most beans, and he'll either grind them there, or you can take them home. All in all a great place to get your grind for your morning brew, without all the sass of the hip baristas. Only a coffee lover sharing his wares.

It's not very often you come across a coffee roaster with as much class as this. Off the beaten tourist path in downtown Seattle lye's the Good Coffee Company. This is primarily a roaster as well as an Espresso machine sales shop. Upon walking into GCC I was blown away by the massive drum roaster as well as the various origin coffee bags on the floor, now this is my kinda place! If your looking for a latte this is the wrong place, but I highly recommend asking for an Americano or shot of Espresso while your in the shop.. Absolutely amazing Espresso in fact this was the best espresso I've had to date. Stop in this little shop, and stock up on amazing roasted beans. I will be back again for sure to pick up some coffee the next time I'm in the Seattle area. If a better roaster in Seattle exists... I'd be amazed.

This is the greatest old-school coffee bean/equipment place in town! They sell their own excellent roasts and well as green coffee beans. I have purchased many pounds of greens to roast at home. Yes, the beans are of highest quality, and sell for around $7/lb. I have bought espresso machines and grinders over the years from them. Joe services them. They have great prices on refurbished HX machines. The collection of vintage and more modern equipment is like a free trip to the coffee museum in Venice. Joe's son Carl will gladly pull you an espresso. Yes, on a giant lever machine. No milk, just espresso. And check out their Probat roaster while you're there.

This fine establishment is still going. It's perfect as is, beyond cool and reasonably priced, as opposed to ridiculous boutique roasters which charge upwards of $16 for a miserable 12oz bag. You can get two pounds of a fresh, wonderful espresso for $25. (The 12oz bag, I suspect, is a way of looking substantial, while charging much more per ounce.) Enter and it's dusty, dirty and dim. Wood beam ceilings. Strange and wonderful old and new machines arrayed on shelves and a roaster near the door. What is this? What is that? Beautiful machines with brass and copper and stainless fittings and pipes and shrouds. Italy, not China, is present here. I brought in an older stovetop machine for new gaskets. Well, those gaskets aren't made anymore. So the grand old man actually ground down some gaskets so they would fit! Who else would do that? Get thee there. Seattle needs no more boutique thieves.

I bought a Ponte Vecchio espresso machine here and it is the best machine I've owned and I've gone through a few, plus the price here was better than anywhere else. It makes great lattes at home--better than many places that are in the coffee business. It's a solid, hardy machine and can get the water heated so hot that it pulls the best flavor out of each grain of coffee grounds. Also, its steamer has 3 holes in it, which enables one to achieve a micro-foam that allows one to make latte art. Joe, the owner, works on these machines and, though I've never had a problem with mine after several years of near-daily use, I would like to bring it in to have him look it over for a tune-up before he retires or sells the place. The Good Coffee Company is unique, rustic, and a little piece of coffee history in Seattle.

Definitely come check this place out. It's not your typical shop with seats and wifi, but you'll be glad you came. Been there since 1972

There is a rumor going around that the Good Coffee Co. is closed. Not true, I bought coffee there today. How long Joe can keep the business going is an open question but it's still open. A long-time customer is helping out with some of the heavy lifting for Joe. I've been buying coffee from him since 1975, he's a treasure and still has the best coffee in Seattle.

I took a trip downtown to checkout this place in particular. The moment I stepped in I had a smile on my face. The smells of the roasted beans, to the giant Probat roaster, to the wall of burlap bags of green coffee, I knew I found a special place. Then my initial impressions gave way to a less impressive place. Everything is covered w/dusk. I was unsure of what was for sale and what was just vintage equipment for eyes only. The coffee counter had signs that were "45 years old". In other words, the coffee was fresh but the signs on the counter didn't match the stock; to see the stock one must squint at the very small hand-written piece of paper near the register. I didn't try the espresso shot, but I did get 1.5 lb of roasted coffee Ethiopian/Kenyan and 2lb of green Columbian ($35 cash for 3.5lb of coffee, which is on the more expensive side of specialty coffee, but not nearly at the top). I have yet to roast the Columbian, but I did try both of my roasted coffee. My preferred method of brewing is the Chemex, and brewed nicely, but I definitely have had better. I'll try additional cups/recipes and update if my opinions change. I asked the son about the roast level ("Is it roasted to CityPlus") and he didn't answer the Q (Note CityPlus is a very common term in roasting/coffee circles) About 10 minutes after entering, the son left and the father took care of my purchase. This was another source of irritation. He was very hard of hearing which made some crucial Qs I had un-askable (roast date, whether the coffee I was getting was Single Origin or a Blend, etc). While after the fact, I realized this place is a roastery, but I've been to many small specialty coffee places, that roast/brew/sell equipment but in a much clearer/modern/friendlier/more knowledgeable shops. TL;DR I really wanted to enjoy this place, but was overall unsatisfied. Place wasn't clean, dusk covered everything. Merch appeared old. Couldn't taste the coffee I was buying except by espresso shot. Don't expect to chat over freshly brewed/roasted coffee. Despite this I'd still recommend a quick look if in the area.

I have been buying coffee (and espresso machines) from The Good Coffee Company since the 1990s. No better coffee in my opinion.

Best espresso ever! Such a nice and quaint spot to get the best fresh beans and tea leaves. Always a favorite. You should also try their loose leaf teas.

You can only get old school beans here. Very cool place and the taste is out of this world. I slow pour this.

Family run business using high quality beans but don't charge a over-rated price. The roasting is correct to bring out the good flavors rather than over-roasted beans that are lower quality to begin with. Our family has only used Joe's coffee for 30+ years. My husband is British and he carries "his" coffee with him whenever he goes overseas... it is that good. I like the tea selection.

The Good Coffee Company is little known despite having the best whole bean coffee in Seattle. Joe, the owner, doesn't believe in advertising and has never wanted to grow beyond what he can handle (now along with his son). I started buying from the Good Coffee Co. when I was working at a restaurant in 1975 (that's right, 37 years ago). Joe selects coffee from the wholesale import market and only takes the best. He expertly roasts it. No over-roasted as is the case with some famous brands. He will do a custom blend after asking about your preferences. You can take it as whole bean or he will grind it to suit the particular method you use to brew coffee. This is strictly, take the coffee and go. It's a dark, industrial warehouse kind of place with burlap bags of unroasted coffee on the floor, all sorts of coffee brewing equipment and a huge roasting machine. It's an education in fine coffee.

If I could, I would rename this place "The Best Coffee Company" (in the world). The GCC is perhaps Seattle's finest hidden treasure. They have been roasting some of the finest coffee blends in Seattle since the early 70's and the quality shows in every cup. Yet without knowing of its existence many people pass by in search of inferior coffee from the big brand name stores or hip flashy coffee shops that litter Seattle's streets. I am most delighted on days when they roast coffee as I can smell the thick rich sent from blocks away calling to me. Stepping into the store a light fog of roasted coffee hits you like a warm blanket welcoming you in. My ears perk up to the delightful sound of the beans playing their familiar song as they fall from the roaster to the cooling bin. The dark full color of the finished beans swirl around the bin until they are ready to be transformed into a cup of pure goodness. With the right approach Carl (the owner's son) will pull you a shot of espresso on the vintage piston espresso machine that other coffee shops abandoned long ago. A single or a double shot will take your taste buds on a coffee adventure they have never had (at least not since my shot yesterday). Purchasing a pound of coffee here will not break the bank here either. The GCC has many blends to choose from that run 3-4 dollars per pound less than other coffee shops around town. They will even grind the beans for you according to your need (i.e. Espresso or drip grind). If you want a truly different coffee experience that will both educate and delight your coffee taste buds, a visit to the GCC is in order for you. I am going to go get a shot right now!

I love this place. The hours have gone to 11:30 to 4:30, M-F, so it helps if you work in the area as I do. I got my vintage, unused Spong hand grinder here at a good price. I also love the French Roast and Post Street Blend beans. But most of all I love the old-time atmosphere and the proprietors (father and son). It puts a smile on my face to visit for my pound of beans.

Great vibe in this place, high quality, sought after product at much lower prices than elsewhere (even online) and extremely helpful service.

Tried the bean coffe. Excellent coffee and reasonable prices. You can buy half or whole pounds to go. The inside is basic and looks kind of rough. Well worth the trip to get the coffee.

I have buying my beans from Joe for over twenty years; shipped to Idaho, Montana and wherever. His coffee is not too dark and not burned. The best roast in the country.