I buy whatever’s cheap. This has led me to the worst-tasting coffee in the hardest-to-open canister ever. Maxwell House something-or-other. It’s bitter and harsh and hurts my teeth.
So I’m looking to increase my coffee experience. I’ve found that Folger’s French Roast is pretty good. Got any other suggestions? Is it worth grinding my own beans? Is “gourmet” worth the cost? And what the heck does that mean when we’re talking about coffee?
I guess I could google it, but I’d much rather discuss it with you.
Filed under: Life
I like gourmet coffees, in general, better than out of the can. That being said, I’ve never had a problem with a potable cup of coffee, so I have no palate. I love the stronger smells and more robust flavors of the gourmet coffees, but a lot of those are really meant to be enjoyed with a splash of cream. So, I think a lot of what you decide is “better” will depend on what you want.
For me, the ol’ stand-by of Starbucks works. When we can’t afford that (which is a LOT of the time), we enjoyed Millstone, I’ve heard good things about Seattle’s Best, and other than a cup that was about two degrees below ionized vapor temperature which seared the inside of my mouth and cauterized my lips from Caribou’s once, I’ve got no experience.
Wasn’t that a long comment to say “Duh, I dunno, Tennessee.” *Shrug* Sorry, hon.
Love ya.
Hmm. Taste is so subjective. Do you put cream and/or sweetener in it? I like Folgers. The Starbucks is good but strong. You can make the Folgers stronger if you use more grounds though. Also, the water you use might make a difference. Try cleaning out your coffeemaker with the vinegar solution, and then try using distilled water or purified water. Grinding your own coffee is nice, but a pain. Some grocery stores have a grinder in them though, if you buy stuff like Millstone. You might also experiment - I mix caf and decaf, but you could mix 2 different kinds of caf to see what kind of taste you get - like half Folgers and half Millstone or something. But Folgers is almost worth it just for the cannister alone. I use them for leftovers! lol
Love and hugs!!
Starbucks Ground Columbia. It’s about $8 a bag (small bag), but I am hopelessly addicted to it. I make a tiny pot each morning (barely more than 2 cups) but after that I don’t need coffee for the rest of the day. I’ve had more expensive (!!) and less expensive coffee - I’ve ground my own beans - I’ve mixed and matched. Starbucks Ground Columbia is AWESOME and unequaled, IMHO.
On the rare occasions that I need to drink Coffee to get that wake up (which has just been proven to be less effective than a 2 hour nap for fighting the sleepies), I prefer to grind my own beans (takes like 30 seconds) and then use our french press.
French press is about $30 and a spice/coffee grinder MAY be $40 at the most. A little boiling water, a couple minutes, and whammo…good coffee that I still won’t drink.
For it to be palatable to me, I have to add; cream or milk, vanilla sugar, Jamaican Rum Cream (when we have it), Kahlua, and Baileys Irish Cream.
But thats me. I like a little bit of fun with my coffee. Love the french press though.
Benticore
Out
My favorite coffee comes from this local place here: http://www.boyerscoffee.com - they ship anywhere and have some outstanding blends. It is totally worth buying whole beans and grinding them yourself. Experiment with drip, percolated, and more exotic things like French press to see what you like. Coffee - it’s not just a caffeine delivery system, it’s a lifestyle. Take it from one who knows…
Ian
When you surrender your life to coffee, as I have, you see that it is a process and not an outcome. Every bit of it matters. Beans or ground? Beans of course. Percolate or drip? Drip of course. (We use the achingly purist Chemex method (glass decanter, freshly grind in an unbleached filter and boiling water poured in). As for beans, Starbucks really did get themselves in a twist with inconsistent and untasty blends, but their new Pike’s Roast is nice. Locally we find Peet’s coffee to be better.
Far more blather than you need, since this process, like a spiritual quest, is your own. And all this stink from a minimalist like me!