What's your favorite coffee?

[Finn]

When I was a kid, I tried the coffee Dad drank (and still drinks to this day) and found it horrible and it made me swear I'd never drink coffee. It was Maxwell House. Years went by and I got myself a woman. Even though it has been 20 years since they lived in the deepest part of the Deep South, they still always have Community Coffee shipped through mail when they lived in Virginia and now in DC. I tried it and fell in love with it. I really like the taste.

In the first weeks I dated my fiancee, I figured my taste had changed with age. But when I went up to my beloved native New England for the spring break last March and decided to drink a cup of Dad's same old Maxwell House coffee expecting my taste for it to have improved. But I found that coffee Dad likes exactly the same as I found it as a child. I just don't like the coffee Dad drinks.

 

[SeerSGB]

Those big name brand coffees (Maxwell House, Folgers, etc) are selling the name, the "expectation" or "culture" of coffee, flavor is the last thing on the least. Not saying you can't get a alright cup of coffee out of the vacubricks or jars of instashit, I'm just saying don't expect it to taste like real coffee. And for most people, it's enough, it's what they're used to.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

No, Folger's is what school janitors use to clean up puke.

Yum, coffee

<snip>

Though there was this MAGNIFICENT blend sent to me by my aunt in Hawaii... I will have to find out what it was. It tasted like sunshine.

What a lovely thought!

I buy the industrial sized vat of Chock Full O Nuts at Costco. I love it. But then, I add a truckload of half and half and sugar to my coffee.

 

[Holdfast]

I'm not a big coffee person (I usually order lattes when out and about and rarely drink it at home), but even I can taste that there's something wacky about Starbucks coffee...

On the rare occasions I do drink it at home, I usually buy one of the niche/premium bags of ready-ground stuff. It's a rare enough occasion that paying the extra for something tasty is worth it. Mind you, I then store it for ages (albeit in an airtight jar) so I guess I'm wasting money really.

 

[Amaris]

I don't know any names, but I like my coffee strong, with a hint of Irish Creme and sweetened to taste.

Usually, though, I just drink it black.

J.

 

[melancholymecha]

Ive only ever drank two brands of coffee, Starbucks and a Cuban brand called Pilon cuz thats what my mom drinks. I cant really tell the difference, maybe b/c I drink it with lots milk and sugar.

 

[Kirby]

I drink Starbucks only because they're fucking everywhere and I hate 7-11 and McDonalds coffee. We had a great local chain called Peaberry Coffee that just went out of business that had great coffee.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Caffeine makes me feel funny.

Same here. I often end up with ectopic heartbeats on some coffees nowadays, and on one previously documented occasion with a Costa Americano, I think I ended up going into some unusual ventricular bradycardia during which I endured a prolonged bout of uncontrolled laughing.

 

[Jadzia]

Nescafe original.

I've found that instant coffees all taste different in different countries. Even with the same manufacturer/blend. Some are tasteless, and some are unpleasant. I like the English versions best.

Ground coffees are a nice change but I soon get sick of them after a couple of cups; It's not the drink I want.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

WEEEEEEEEE! Coffee: one of my favorite things (cue Julie Andrews.)

I drink Starbucks only because they're fucking everywhere and I hate 7-11 and McDonalds coffee. We had a great local chain called Peaberry Coffee that just went out of business that had great coffee.

I'm sorta like this, too. I drink Starbucks most often, because it's relatively decent and consistent and because I can't stand the local favorite, Dunkin Donuts. My favorite Starbucks is Kenyan, though I also like to dabble a bit in the Sumatran, Ethiopian Sidomo, and occasionally a little Italian blend. Not a big fan of this year's Christmas blend, though.

If you have a Peet's Coffee near you, I highly recommend that. But there aren't a whole lot of them around outside the PNW and California Bay Area, unfortunately.

I loved the conversation about your parents' coffee. My mom has always made whatever was on sale at the store: Folgers, Maxwell House, Chock Full o' Nuts, whatever. And she brews it so that you can see through it. I kid you not. It looks sort of like strong tea. Growing up, I thought that's how coffee was supposed to be brewed. Then I went to college ... and started working at a local coffee shop (before anyone in the States had ever heard of a Barrista). It was like an epiphany: angels sang and the clouds parted. Ever since then it's been dark roasts for me. Though, when I visit my folks there's something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside that first morning home when I have a cup of my mom's "crayon water" (we used to tease her that it looked like she'd dipped a brown crayon in hot water). And then I got out and grab a Starbucks.

Nescafe original.

I've found that instant coffees all taste different in different countries. Even with the same manufacturer/blend. Some are tasteless, and some are unpleasant. I like the English versions best.

Ground coffees are a nice change but I soon get sick of them after a couple of cups; It's not the drink I want.

YES!!! I always hated instant coffee. Then we went to Greece for the first time, and there was Nescafe everywhere! And it was good. Who knew? I especially liked the Nescafe frappes. Yummy!

 

[nevermore]

Starbucks is over-roasted swill. They buy shitty beans and then roast them to a crisp. I strongly recommend finding a local artisanal coffee roaster (of which I found a ton by searching "Chicago area coffee roasters") and getting a decent grinder so you can buy whole beans, which are going to produce a much brighter and fresher cup than pre-ground coffee. I'm partial to full-bodied dark and medium-dark roasts myself. Some varietals to look for are Chiapas (Mexico), Sumatra (Indonesia), Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Costa Rican, or an Arabian Mocha Java. For something more medium-bodied, go with a Columbian Excelso or a Guatemalan Finca Ceylan or Huehuetenango.

Obviously, I encourage you to get organic, fair trade and/or Rainforest Alliance coffees as well. For national brands that are acceptable, Peets coffee is decent, Major Dickason's Blend or Gaia Organic Blend are nice.

 

[RoJoHen]

I forgot that I own a coffee grinder! I might need to buy some beans.

 

[Capn Flukie]

Starbucks is over-roasted swill.

Agreed, the cafeteria at the college was selling Stabuck's and had to switch to Dunkin' Donuts because of all the complaints.

Huehuetenango.

Gesundheit!

 

[Colonel Green]

I have never liked Starbucks coffee. I think it tastes like ashes from their need to over-roast. (There are a lot of folks who would disagree though. )

Blasphemy!

Starbucks has a blend that they get about once a year called New Guinea Peaberry, if memory serves. I'm particularly fond of it. Verona is my next favourite.

There was a recent study (I'll try to find a link when I get home) that found that in a blind taste test most consumers prefered (IIRC) the taste of Tim Hortons', Dunkin Donuts' and McDonalds' coffee to that of Starbucks. McDonalds actually placed first

Not that I'd ever buy coffee (or any other prepared food or beverage) from a chain.

 

[Warp Coil]

I'm not a coffee drinker. However, I love Starbuck's vanilla latte.

 

[Captain Ice]

I looooove a good cup of coffee.

Don't order straight coffee from Starbucks and don't buy their beans. The coffee tastes charred.

For brands that are available in your local grocery, I've found I like Millstone, Tully's, and (of all things) Kroger's store brand of gourmet coffee.

If you need to buy canned coffee for any reason, Maxwell House Master Blend is pretty good. Stay away from any Maxwell House if it doesn't say "Master Blend" on the can though. Their other varieties are worse than instant coffee.

 

[Capn Flukie]

I used to like "Chock full o' nuts" coffee, but now I think it's awful.

 

[thestrangequark]

I looooove a good cup of coffee.

Don't order straight coffee from Starbucks and don't buy their beans. The coffee tastes charred.

For brands that are available in your local grocery, I've found I like Millstone, Tully's, and (of all things) Kroger's store brand of gourmet coffee.

Tully's is good -- definitely the best of the Seattle coffees. Avoid Seattle's Best, it's awful.

I actually like Starbucks, and only find the French and Italian roasts to taste burned. I also dislike their Pike Place blend, but their Sumatra is lovely, as are their Komodo Dragon and Gazebo blends. The natural grocery near my place has Jim's Organic coffee, and I really like that.

 

[Amaris]

I looooove a good cup of coffee.

Don't order straight coffee from Starbucks and don't buy their beans. The coffee tastes charred.

For brands that are available in your local grocery, I've found I like Millstone, Tully's, and (of all things) Kroger's store brand of gourmet coffee.

If you need to buy canned coffee for any reason, Maxwell House Master Blend is pretty good. Stay away from any Maxwell House if it doesn't say "Master Blend" on the can though. Their other varieties are worse than instant coffee.

Yes on all counts, but most emphatically on Maxwell House Master Blend. I bought the decaf version and it was so smooth, not bitter, and I enjoyed it very much. I am very particular about my coffee, too.

J.

 

[ChaosAngel]

Just about any thing strong and without milk. I love coffee!