Big House Beans

Love this coffee! John and his staff are very helpful. You get a lesson in coffee and a sample too.

We love Big House Beans; their coffee, their mission and everything they’re about! John Krause & his team are awesome for doing what they do to give back to the community.

This isn’t the place to go and grab a cup every morning, but is really based around their subscriptions. I’ve received two lbs of coffee for about $ 32 a month for a few months now, and the price and convenience can’t be beaten. The beans are fresh and delicious always. I highly recommend signing up and trying their subscription with their sampler pack.

My experience today: showed up just before noon, doors were locked and no business hours were posted that I could see. I found hours online and had less than ten minutes till opening time, so I went shopping until about a quarter after noon (noon is the opening time on Sundays), and when I came back the doors were still locked.
I don’t even feel safe coming to this area but after hearing the coffee was really good I wanted to give it a chance.
Super disappointed.

Came by around 11AM on a Saturday to see the place, sniff beans and sample coffee. Was hoping to switch my monthly subscription from Blue Bottle to these guys, but it wasn’t meant to be. Doors were locked up tight and most of the lights were off. No note on the door, nothing. So I am giving stars based on a relevant scale to today’s experience.
They get 1 star for existing. I love good coffee. So it goes without saying that any awesome coffee roaster that does a decent job at what they do, utilizes fair trade goods and gives back to the community gets a stars. Not sure what they give back to (website said SOMA, but that is in San Francisco, not Antioch, Ca), but giving back is a good thing and I am happy to see a small business in my town that cares about their community. They get another star for being in Antioch, Ca. This community is in sore need of small businesses that are good citizens to a community starved for diversity and quality.
I regret that I cant give more stars than this, however, because I can neither taste, nor see, nor smell their freshly roasted coffee. Closed is closed and my hopes of becoming a subscribing patron today were dashed. I’ll update my review (hopefully to a nice 5-​star rating like all these other good folks), if they are open and doing business when I return next month.

We are excited to have a local coffee roaster in our community! John explained the different roasts, and we sample some of their coffee during our visit. We use both a pour over method as well a super automatic machine, and fresh roasted beans make either an even better experience. I do recommend double checking the hours of operation, since they more typically sell via their website than at their location next to Costco.

This coffee is very good tasting and gives you a «feeling good to help support» that no other coffee can!
The coffee is reasonably priced and it is delivered right to my door! I tried the French Roast since that is what we use in the house on a daily basis and it is very good — better than the Costco brand we were getting because it doesn’t have that bitter taste to it.
I watched the videos on their web page and was impressed that the owner had been through — and yet how much he has accomplished! It’s amazing that he is paying it forward! This is what makes me feel so good about ordering my daily coffee here. I’d probably order it anyway, but buying from Big House Beans is doing so much more than just buying coffee. It motivates me to spread the word too!
PS: I ordered a year and got 2 free bags of coffee and 2 mugs! I have shared my free bags… I brought some into the office and asked if everyone liked it. Of course they did! So my office is now buying from Big House Beans. :)

This place ROCKS!!! Great people, making great coffee. Nothing like freshly roasted to perfection coffee! Like that’s not enough, the story behind Big House Bean is nothing short of inspirational. On top of all of that you can customize your coffee and have it shipped to your door step, saving time & money! Thank you for allowing us sample your coffee yesterday John & cheers to Coffee!!!

Let me start by saying I’m not a huge coffee snob, but I do like a good tasting cup. There are a couple of local companies that make really good stuff obviously. I routinely look for blue bottle and ritual if I can find it in the east bay. I’ve even ordered Jamaican blue mountain beans online for $ 50 a half pound. So as far as my coffee palate is concerned, not completely uninitiated but no expert.
That being said, I will stack Big House up against any I’ve tasted. John and his crew have created some great roasts that work well in my espresso machine or with the cool looking gravity system that I also purchases from them.
I think the biggest difference in taste comes from fresh roasts. I’ve had it explained to me that coffee has a half-​life after roasting and if not consumed quickly after roasting it will lose a lot of the aroma and flavors that make it delicious. Because these guys roast in small batches and there is no delay in getting it to the consumer, the cups I brew benefit from maximum freshness.
The story behind the company is even more compelling. The purpose behind Big House is to give people who have spent time in the actual «Big House» a second chance. John hires people who would otherwise have a difficult time getting work due to their past. With a small crew, active management by the owner who is directly involved in the operation and committed to making a quality product, I think this company will do well.
I enjoy the beans and the fact that supporting this local business gives people a second chance. Big House even has a subscription service so I can set up an automatic shipment and NEVER run out of great coffee, which is extremely important for me to not become a homicidal zombie in the morning. Give this stuff a try and see if you like it as much as I do.