May I just say that I prefer instant coffee, that type that I prepare at home, that won't even reach a dollar's worth? I mean, I only drink coffee for one purpose - and that's to stay awake during class. We have 4-6 hour straight lectures and I certainly do need the pick-me-up. I see going to Starbucks as a status in our country - i.e. you drink in Starbucks, you're high class and stuff. Bah! You don't need to spend so much for a cup of coffee, in my opinion.
I don't go by the brand, I go by the variety of coffee beans. If I find generic Walmart coffee that has Arabica coffee beans, I buy it and it tastes good. No matter what brand I buy, I look for 100 % Arabica beans. If I look at a brand name can of coffee and it has Robusta beans, I won't buy it even if it's brand name coffee because Robusta beans are bitter, cheap and acidic.
Starbucks is not at all high class around these parts, haha! Starbucks is where my husband and I used to go on dates before we were married, because it's cheap (if you do it correctly, meaning order a Venti coffee and two small cups and just keep refilling them for free or order a tea bag and a cup of hot water seperately and just keep refilling that for free), you can sit there forever, and there's free wifi. Starbucks around here attracts all kinds of shady characters for that reason, haha!
I personally prefer to just buy a big container of Maxwell House at Sam's Club for $11 and brew my own! I've never had Tim Hortons before as that's not available in Mississippi, but I do love a nice Starbucks!
I don't know about you, but here in Australia we have locally owned, small business coffee shops. Starbucks and other chain/commercial shops tend to have worse coffee all round (trust me, try something more independent with organic or fairtrade coffee, you can really taste the difference). Personally, if I had to chose between the two it would be Starbucks, I'd rather pay a little more for better coffee. Although it does depend on my current financial state at the time.
I don't buy dollar store coffee or anything like that, since some of them use a different kind of coffee bean blended in (I can't remember the name of it off the top off my head). But I have no problem with buying a bag of Eight O Clock coffee beans over a bag of Starbucks coffee beans and saving a few bucks. You're mostly just paying for branding anyhow. They're both good coffee beans and if you grind and brew them fresh, they'll both be equally good.
I'm not a big coffee drinker myself but I do drink it occasionally. When I buy coffee I buy organic because the coffee plant is one of the most heavily sprayed crops on the planet. I would rather pay extra and drink coffee free from loads of pesticides.
"Arabica typically produce higher quality coffees, while Robusta are more economically favorable for their heartiness. Because environmental factors deeply affect the flavor of the beans, they are usually identified not by type but by geographic location." That being said, I buy the cheapest store brand that is 100% Columbian. It costs about $2.50 to $3.00 for 11 ounces. It used to be one pound but those days are gone. By brand names, Yuban is good and Chock ful o' nuts is OK. Old New York City coffee shop that still sells coffee, sort of like Dunkin Donuts brand.
Well, it really depends on the preference of a person, some want to drink only expensive coffee, while others are just content with drinking cheap coffee. As for me I'm not really particular in what type of coffee I should drink, but I sometimes treat myself to some Starbucks coffee when the mood hits me.
I thought Dunkin Donuts coffee was chosen over Starbucks in taste tests? Dunkin isn't really cheap but less than Starbucks. I don't mind McDonald's. My favorite is actually Green Mountain for the Keurig. Every variety I've had has been good.
I don't really like generic coffee because it just don't always taste as good. Although if there is a cheaper coffee that taste really good, I might consider it.
Where I live there is no Tim Horton, we do have Starbucks which is very popular. I don't care for Starbucks coffee it is too strong and too expensive for me. We have 7-11 which has good coffee as far as I am concerned, which I do prefer over Starbucks.
