If you’re a regular customer of The Kiva Grocery Store in downtown Eugene , then you may already know that the beloved local natural foods store sells some of Eugene’s best coffees from a number of local coffee roasters.

I first discovered The Kiva’s wonderful selection of locally roasted specialty coffees in their bulk, whole bean coffee section in 2009. The Kiva was the one place I could find my favorite coffee at the time, a wood-fire roasted Sumatran on a retail shelf that I could take home to grind and brew myself.

With such a great selection of varied coffees from some of the area’s favorite and most respected micro-roasters, I would eventually fall in love with an Ethiopian Harrar from another Eugene roaster that I would buy bulk from the Kiva’s shelves.

As I’ve continued my coffee journey over this past decade, tasting coffees and espresso from countless coffee roasters and coffee shops in the Eugene and Springfield area, my palate development journey has led me to a new favorite local coffee purveyor. Equiano Coffee Company. And guess where I can find some of Equiano’s finest coffees to take home. You got it, The Kiva !

As local, Eugene area foodies and health-conscious shoppers already know, the Kiva has a long-standing reputation for offering the highest quality natural foods that they source locally whenever possible. And if your experience of shopping at The Kiva is like mine, you’ll find the employees at the store to be knowledgeable about their products and helpful when It comes to answering questions about the different products they stock and where to locate what you’re looking for.

Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Eugene, next door to the Eugene Public Library’s main branch, and across the street from Lane Transit District’s downtown station, The Kiva offers free, on-site parking for their customers. And to my continued delight, I almost always find a parking space available whenever I visit the store!

With a penchant for selling only top quality merchandise, it’s no wonder that The Kiva carries some of the best-tasting coffees from my favorite coffee shop and roaster in Eugene, Equiano Coffee. And even if you’re already a fan of Equiano Coffee and drink their coffees regularly, The Kiva gives you a great reason to visit the store to buy your coffee.

The Kiva is the only place that you can find and purchase one of Equiano’s top Colombian coffee offerings, their “Finca La Paz”, single origin, Colombian. Finca La Paz is a reference to the small farm owned by Angela Escobar. Located in the town of Palestina on the slopes of Colombia’s central mountain range, Finca La Paz is one of the few coffee farms anywhere to be “ exclusively run by women.”

According to the Traviesa Coffee organization, women between the ages of 20 and 70 years old are employed on the farm and collectively perform close to 90% of all the work, growing and harvesting the coffee.

Equiano Coffee’s Finca La Paz is carefully roasted to bring out its dark chocolate, sweet cherry, and smokey finish flavor characteristics. This “Castillo” varietal Colombian coffee is a real treat for anyone that enjoys fine coffees.

Another Kiva favorite is Equiano Coffee Company’s Minas Gerais, Brazilian coffee. According to the “Association of Brazilian Coffee Producing Regions,” this Minas Gerais is grown in a region of Brazil known for its uniquely excellent coffee growing conditions, making this region the largest producer of specialty coffee in the world by volume. “Its high altitude and average annual temperature facilitates the production of bodied coffees, such as acidic flavors, smoothly citrus and with fruity aromas,” according to the association’s website.

This fine Brazilian coffee, roasted to a golden-brown perfection by Equiano’s Roast Master, Okon Udoenata, boasts toasted walnut, brown sugar, and lemon zest flavor characteristics. This Brazil is a must-try for any of my fellow coffee adventurers searching for the best coffee in Eugene!

With today’s ever-increasing prices for specialty coffee, many of us are buying our favorite whole bean coffees in smaller amounts when we go shopping for our morning brew. Well, The Kiva has a secret that I’m delighted to share with you. The Kiva just happens to offer their bulk Equiano coffees at the lowest retail price point available anywhere! A significant discount in fact. It’s definitely worth a trip down to the store to try one or both of these very special coffees.

The Kiva’s bulk coffees are available in whole bean and they even have a commercial grade coffee grinder right there in the coffee section if you need to grind it before bringing it home. If you’re not already a regular patron of The Kiva, I encourage you to make the trip downtown to explore their delightful selection of fine foods, wines, and coffees.

If you have further questions about either of these Equiano coffees or are looking for tips on brewing these coffees at home, you can stop by the Equiano Coffee tasting room in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood and any of their friendly Baristas will be happy to answer any of your home brewing questions or tell you more about either of these coffees available at The Kiva Grocery Store.

The Kiva Grocery Store also offers online ordering and home delivery for your convenience. You can visit their website at http://www.kivagrocery.com for more details.