I love coffee. I used to just drink the bargain brands, and I remember when I couldn't even really tell the difference between, say, Folgers or Maxwell House, and the more fancy, premium brands or lines. But, oh, how times have changed. I can still drink Folgers / Maxwell if there's nothing else around, but I definitely notice how acidic and bitter it tastes compared to the better stuff. And I'm not talking about stuff that costs $20 a pound, and that can only be bought in Seattle in February every other year. I mean just the stuff you can go to your grocery store and grab. To this, I can say that I've sampled a sizeable handful of brands, and I like Don Francisco's stuff. They have, to my knowledge, two tiers: the stuff they sell in a can and the stuff they sell in a bag. The bagged coffee is higher-line stuff, and is more expensive. But both are really good. What do you guys think? What are you drinking and why?
Hi Trex ^_^. I also love coffee but I mostly prefer those that doesn't require brewing or the use of a coffee maker. And among the instant coffee that's readily available in our local groceries, my most favorite is Nescafe Taster's Choice French Roast. It's really strong and a bit expensive compared to regular instant coffee. But lately I've been drinking more of the 3-in-1 coffee types (coffee, cream and sugar) because I find it more convenient to make. I only prepare fresh cups of my favorite coffee when I have guest friends who are also coffee lovers.
My favorite coffee brands at the grocery store are Peet's or Allegro. They have my favorite roasts. I've tried out a few Starbucks varieties but they didn't have the most flavor. I don't recommend them for the price. I drink coffee every morning and have tried many different kinds! My favorite brewing method is to use a french press. It's easy in itself but if I'm in a pinch for time I'll use my ol' regular coffee maker.
I can only drink Folger's or Maxwell House in times of desperation. I love Allegro but can rarely afford it. I like Caribou coffee much better than Starbucks. Lately, the stores around here have been running promotions for Gevalia coffee. It's grown on me- especially for the price.
I don't like Nescafe at all. But I like kenco millicano and at the moment I am on douwe Egberts, which is slightly bitter. Much prefer a Costa's Mocha not a big Starbucks fan. I would say Costa Mocha Italia slow roasted coffee beans are my favourite. Overall I love the perk of coffee and the smell more than the taste. I prefer a nice cup of tea.
I usually buy the cheaper brands, but when I can afford it; I like to get the flavored coffee beans that some stores keep in the bins, and then you just scoop out what you want, or sometimes they have a little dispenser that you pull the handle and the coffee comes out. Then you can either grind it in the store, or take it home and grind it as you use it. My favorite flavor is the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, and just the rich smell of the chocolate and raspberry make my car smell awesome ! As far as the bagged coffee goes, I really like Seattle's Best, probably because I used to live in that area, and it has a nostalgic meaning to me.
I like to buy my coffee in bulk. There are quite a few really good organic brands available at the stores where I shop and they are in the $9-12 range, which I think is pretty affordable when you compare unit price with say, Peets, Starbucks, ect. One store I go to has Buckmaster's coffee in bulk and they are quite good. The other store has a whole bunch of different ones. They try to buy coffee from smaller growers to support family farms in the countries where coffee is grown, rather than just going to a huge supplier. I can't remember many names, but I know one was called 5 Sisters, and had their pictures on the label.
Coffee prices are getting way to expensive for me, so I usually stick with Maxwell House or Folgers. If however, I can purchase a more expensive quality of coffee, I choose Hawaii Kona Coffee due to where it's grown, quality in flavor and taste, and not too bad of a price for a premium brand of coffee.
These days I typically end up sticking with Folgers, occasionally Maxwell- just don't have the extra room in our budget right now for the more expensive stuff. ^Kona is fantastic though, I was very impressed with it. I like the chicory stuff from New Orleans, too.
Hey! But I would assume that instant coffee is the lowest of the low! You know? Like, even more dredge than the really cheap, gnarly stuff you buy in the bigger bins. Thanks for the recommendation, though. I'll give it a shot the next time I've got the cash. By three-in-one, do you mean instant coffee that has cream, sugar, and coffee all in one powder? Hey. That would be quicker and easier. Do you boil your water on the stove or in the microwave? I hear you. When I first started drinking coffee, it all tasted the same to me. But after god knows how many years, the bottom tier brands taste pretty awful. And extremely strong, almost bitter taste, with little flavor. It almost tastes like it was cut with walnut shells. That does sound good. For awhile I was really into flavored coffees as well. I really liked Don Francisco's butterscotch coffee. But after awhile, I really did get sick of it. I don't know why, but I just did get tired of the flavored coffee. It's probably cheaper that way, but I've read that coffee beans do decrease in quality the longer they sit after roasting. And this does seem to be the case with the coffees that I've kept. When I have them around for more than a month or so, they do lose that intense aroma that they initially had when I opened the packaging. They do smell kind of stale.
There's nothing wrong with Folger's. They make some high quality coffee. I typically go with Starbucks though. I think they make some fantastic coffee, especially when you brew it yourself. Have a good selection of different flavors to choose from. I also enjoy trying out different coffees from "The Fresh Market" brand .Really have a wide variety to choose from.
I never buy commercial coffee brands. I am quite a coffee connoisseur, and that's why I don't mind spending a little extra on the coffee that I prefer. i am very fond of a small coffee enterprise in Papua New Guinea that produces organic coffee that tastes like paradise (to me). I visited the coffee farm while I lived in PNG, and have been supporting and promoting the farmers ever since. All the local health food stores in my area now sell it.
Now days I have to settle for cheap. I used to like "Chock full-o-nuts" but now I am on a very limited budget so out with the good stuff and in with the not so good. I really love a nice Americano Grande with an extra shot from Starbucks but again.....No mas money. O'Bama needs it for golf lessons.
I also used to drink "Chock full-o-nuts" (it's coffee; there's no nuts involved). Wasn't bad at all. I definitely noticed, though, that the product-lines of coffee one tier up (from the stuff that's sold in tins) was more flavorful, and smoother. ChockFull does't have any lines marketed at that level, so I switched to the brand I mentioned in the first post: Don Francisco. But DonF does have products marketed at the same tier as Chock full-o-nuts (jesus. you miss one h there and it's a disaster); they have stuff sold in 12oz tins. I'll have to compare the products and see which is better.
I can drink a great quality cup of coffee any time of the day.I just found a great brand of coffee that I like called "Seattle's Best" and it really has good flavor quality.My favorite coffee brand comes straight from Africa which is Buna Kush Coffee.I fell in love with coffee after I realized how awesome it tasted!I also like fair trade coffee brands as well.
