Costa Rica coffee question

[summer slope]

If I purchase coffee at the dock, can I bring it back to the US without any problems with customs?

[hrhdhd]

Yes, you can bring back coffee. You should declare that you have food (there's a box to check on the declaration form), and the agent will probably ask you what kind of food you have. But that's it. :)

 

At airports, I sometimes get sent over to the agricultural line for a second screening regardless of the kind of food I have, but I have never had that happen returning from a cruise.

[sue1898]

Yes, we did that but remember to claim it on your customs forms.

[Chelly]

Holy Smokes! It never occurred to me that coffee is considered food on custom declarations. I only bought a small amount on a couple of occasions, but didn't know enough to claim it. Really appreciate being informed. THANKS!!!

[Sue from Canada]

Holy Smokes! It never occurred to me that coffee is considered food on custom declarations. I only bought a small amount on a couple of occasions, but didn't know enough to claim it. Really appreciate being informed. THANKS!!!

 

Oooops. I didn't know to declare it either coming back into the US and Canada:eek:

 

Note. If you're buying coffee, buy the beans instead of the ground coffee.

[DaveOKC]

How much coffee (beans) are you allowed to bring back to the US?

 

DaveOKC

[hrhdhd]

How much coffee (beans) are you allowed to bring back to the US?

 

DaveOKC

 

Don't know if there's a limit. We took a 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise on Princess a few years ago and bought coffee at several stops (hubby likes coffee!), so we probably had 7 or 8 bags. We put it on the form, were asked what kind of food we had, answered, and were sent on our way. They didn't ask to inspect. That was at Port Everglades.

 

Of course, if your coffee purchases put you over your family's allowed duty-free amount, you'll pay duty for going over. But that would be a lot of coffee. :)

Edited October 8, 2014 by hrhdhd

[sail7seas]

I once bought spices in Grenada and wasn't sure if they needed to be declared. I erred on the side of caution and listed them and it was fine but I imagine it would be the same with coffee. Why take the chance and not list the beans, just in case?

 

[DaveOKC]

OK - my DW wants to bring back coffee from Costa Rica now.

 

Questions - where to buy, what is the cost and any thoughts on what to look for??

 

Thanks - DaveOKC

[summer slope]

Thank you all. This is why I love CC. It prevents me from making dumb mistakes. LOL

[take us away]

You can usually buy coffee at a reasonable price right at the pier in Costa Rica. Haven't been there in a tear so not sure of the current prices which are tied to the weather and availability of the beans - but do not expect great savings and check prices on Amazon before you go just to make sure. Costa Rica has a law that all coffee must be Arabica beans so you really cannot go wrong with any brand.

Tico and Britt are well known. Some people really like the Tarrazu coffee which is pricey but excellent. You can usually sample the beans at the shopping area by the pier as they may give you a few to chew on so you know the flavor. Recommend you make sure the bag is very sealed (shrink wrapped is best) to ensure freshness as who knows how long these have been in the shop.

Edited October 8, 2014 by take us away

[DaveOKC]

you can usually buy coffee at a reasonable price right at the pier in costa rica. Haven't been there in a tear so not sure of the current prices which are tied to the weather and availability of the beans - but do not expect great savings and check prices on amazon before you go just to make sure. Costa rica has a law that all coffee must be arabica beans so you really cannot go wrong with any brand.

Tico and britt are well known. Some people really like the tarrazu coffee which is pricey but excellent. You can usually sample the beans at the shopping area by the pier as they may give you a few to chew on so you know the flavor. Recommend you make sure the bag is very sealed (shrink wrapped is best) to ensure freshness as who knows how long these have been in the shop.

 

Thanks!!

Edited October 8, 2014 by DaveOKC

[LHT28]

I cannot remember if I ever ticked the box for food but when asked what I had I said coffee beans ...no problem in USA or Canada

 

We usually bring 10-12 bags

On some packages they actually have an expiry date so look on the bags before you buy

 

Cafe Britt is most popular but other brands are good also ..we prefer the dark full bodied coffees

We have bought beans in Columbia, Colon, Guatemala, Puerto Chiapas Mex, Roatan, Costa Rica, Dominica... all have been good

 

Anyone find any good ones in Cozumel??

 

Lyn

[Christine Frances]

We have been going to Costa Rica for about 20 years now. This is excellent coffee and the best prices are usually found in local grocery stores.

 

Sorry will have to post picture on new post lol

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited October 8, 2014 by Christine Frances

[Christine Frances]

Great coffee!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[YubaSutter]

How much coffee (beans) are you allowed to bring back to the US?

 

DaveOKC

 

I brought 15 pounds in 1 pound bags from the Dominican Republic. Customs didn't seem to mind.

[take us away]

Have never found decent coffee in Cozumel. Don't think they grow any coffee and the island seems to be into other more touristy items I guess.

[LHT28]

Have never found decent coffee in Cozumel. Don't think they grow any coffee and the island seems to be into other more touristy items I guess.

 

Thanks

Will report back if I find any ..we will be there in Nov

 

Lyn

[kjw869]

Holy Smokes! It never occurred to me that coffee is considered food on custom declarations. I only bought a small amount on a couple of occasions, but didn't know enough to claim it. Really appreciate being informed. THANKS!!!

 

Me neither. I've brought back coffee a half a dozen times, and it never occurred to me to declare it on the customs form. Years ago, I brought back five pounds of green coffee beans (we often roast our own) from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, and never gave it a second thought.:eek:

 

I'll remember this in the future. :)

[kjw869]

We have been going to Costa Rica for about 20 years now. This is excellent coffee and the best prices are usually found in local grocery stores.

 

Sorry will have to post picture on new post lol

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

The last time we were in Costa Rica, I also bought five one pound bags of Café Britt Tarrazu coffee at a local grocery store. It was about $2.25 per pound, or less than 1/4 the cost in the US.

 

We took a six hour private tour and the last stop was a grocery store so that we could pick up coffee and spices. It was about six blocks from the cruise terminal.

[Beachsidegirl]

We've been fortunate to visit Costa Rica a number of times. What we learned from our first tour guide then had confirmed by the locals (I speak Spanish) in the grocery stores is that only tourists buy Cafe Britt. Costa Ricans favorite is 1820.

 

You can get it for less than half the price of Cafe Britt on the dock. It is so good that when we gave some to a friend who is such a coffee connoisseur that he has international coffees delivered monthly, he told us this was the best he ever had!

 

Last time we flew down and brought back 43 bags! It makes wonderful gifts as well as having it for your own enjoyment.

[thinfool]

Buying at the dock is ok if that's the only opportunity you have, but prices are definitely inflated for the tourist market.

 

We always ask for directions to a local 'supermercado' (supermarket) or have our tour guide stop at one on our way back to the ship.

[kjw869]

We've been fortunate to visit Costa Rica a number of times. What we learned from our first tour guide then had confirmed by the locals (I speak Spanish) in the grocery stores is that only tourists buy Cafe Britt. Costa Ricans favorite is 1820.

 

You can get it for less than half the price of Cafe Britt on the dock. It is so good that when we gave some to a friend who is such a coffee connoisseur that he has international coffees delivered monthly, he told us this was the best he ever had!

 

Last time we flew down and brought back 43 bags! It makes wonderful gifts as well as having it for your own enjoyment.

 

The last time we were in Costa Rica, not only did I buy two types of Britt café, I also brought back packages of café 1820 Reserva Especial, Volio, Rey Tarrazu, Tarrazu Montecielo and Café Rey. Rey Tarrazu was my favorite and Café 1820 was my least favorite of the bunch. I've been roasting my own coffee for over 30 years and have had international green coffee beans delivered to my house for the same period of time. (I stopped buying Jamaican Blue Mountain Mavis Bank Estates green coffee beans when they hit $50 a pound).

 

It is true that many tourists buy Britt, because it is a premium coffee at a premium price. Café Britt was started in 1985 by a New Yorker who wanted to tap into the domestic market. At that time, the coffee regulations of Costa Rica were that all premium coffee beans had to be exported and unroasted. Café Britt was the first to market this premium coffee to Costa Rican hotels, restaurant and supermarkets. Like many other Costa Rican coffees, Britt only uses Strictly Hard Beans (SHB) usually from altitudes of 1,200 to 1,700 meters.

 

I do understand why 1820 is popular in Costa Rica, they were the least inexpensive in the grocery stores we visited.

 

I did make a silly mistake at the dock, where I picked up two more packages of beans before jumping back on the Zuiderdam. Some of the coffee bags from Costa Rica had white stickers with freshness dates on them, and others were imprinted on the bag. The two I grabbed had two white stickers with "freshness" dates and when I pulled the stickers off, the imprinted dates were six months old. When I tried that coffee, it had absolutely no taste.

 

Like food, coffee is subjective, but has been my passion for over 35 years.

 

I also speak Spanish (I had to as I grew up in Arizona, moved to Southern California and lived in Mexico for awhile!)

Edited October 11, 2014 by kjw869

[St. Louis Sal]

You all have me worried - I always buy coffee when I travel and I have never listed it (except for its cost) on my customs declaration because I don't consider it a food. I guess it is an agricultural product but it has been roasted (I don't buy green coffee beans) so there should not be any danger to our crops. I looked online but I can't find any mention of coffee under the agricultural listings. I guess I'll list it as food next time but it just seems strange.

 

St. Louis Sal

[hrhdhd]

Coffee is listed on this page from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about bringing in food for personal use:

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/82/kw/what%20to%20declare%20coffee/session/L3RpbWUvMTQxMzAzMTc2NC9zaWQva2o1bUVCNG0%3D/suggested/1