It started with an anecdote from a colleague: A relative had bought four bottles of cognac in anticipation of higher tariffs on imported goods. The story got us wondering. With inflation rising again in January (the latest available numbers) and the Trump administration’s implementation of tariffs, what might readers of The New York Times’ Food and Cooking sections be stocking up on?
More than 250 readers responded to our query, many mentioning the same products and expressing at least some anxiety about their long-term availability or cost. Here are the items that came up again and again.
COFFEE
“The day after Colombia was threatened with tariffs, I went to Costco and bought 16 pounds of coffee. I call it my strategic coffee reserve. I like looking at it. It makes me feel safe.”
— Mary Corbett, San Diego