I like Folgers! Ha Ha, sorry. I just hate to buy coffee out, when it is so easy to make at home. I also hate it that I have many Starbucks cards, but they do not accept them at the bookstores - even though they sell Starbucks.

I honestly do not know what one I would choose. I just needed to give my opinion.

Sammy

Its tough to beat Eight O'clocks brand of whole beans.Good coffee,great price.I have done a lot of silly things but I am not about to pay $1.35 for a nickle cuppa,said the canary.

Verona by Starbucks. I don't care what it costs, I have to have my good coffee, I don't drink alchohol anymore so...

Carla

All jesting and gesturing aside-if you haven't tried The Eight O'clock brand of whole beans,do so.You can get the 40 ounce size for about $10 at Walmart or Sam's club.Starbucks and other Gourmet brands will run twice as much or more but the 8 bells usually wins in blind taste testing.The big secret in the coffee world is there isn't any.There is absolutely nothing one company can do to make the coffee beans they buy to roast better than anyone else.The cost difference is in the marketing-the sales pitch.That doesn't mean some companies don't do a better job roasting than others but Eight O'clock is as good as any of the name brands.A lot of people make the mistake of thinking their lower price means lower quality-not in this case.

I still like Starbuck's better... something about how bold and the smell, maybe in the way they brew it I bet.

I do like 8 o'clock - it's what Dad gets. It's better than McDonald's. McDonald's isn't bad but Arby's is the best fast-food coffee, IMHO.

My favorites are expensive, and that s*cks.... I got hooked at the French restaurant I worked for in college, and a friend of the family makes the blend. At least my $$ goes to a pal, lol. Maria's in Winston-Salem if you are ever here.

Best coffee at work? For FREE the Sara Lee coffee bar for IT folks - Douwe Egbert's coffee ROCKS... owned by S.L., or was before the huge SL breakup recently. I loved that perk [bwaha].

DE makes Senseo, and Pete taught me they did [do?] cigars too!

Starbuck's is expensive so I only get a cup for a special occasion, not a whole bug. I would get a cup of coffee with McDonald's breakfast menu, but that is about it.

At home, we drink Folgers.

For a very special occasion, we use Peet's Coffee at home. Very strong and tasty.

Best fast food coffee-I would go for Dunkun Donuts.

What Pete said, DD first, then Wawa. McD's is way to burned for me, I just had a cup on Sunday, still not good. AND I'LL PUT MY OWN STUFF IN THANK YOU! I'll take Starbucks in a pinch, wish they would brew Arabian Mocha Sanani in the stores though. Not a big fan of iced coffee (well, I guess I am, I usually wait until the thing is stone cold before finishing...), but I do like the Light Mocha Frappuchino. The other two locals are good. We used to have a place here that roasted the beans in the shop, but they are sadly gone now.

Our DD is very very good at one place by a doc of mine... at another DD they must mistreat the beans horribly, haha.

Seriously, I like a cup done most any way with good beans but there is nothing like good beans processed very well and fresh. Ahhhh!!

But I also think you have to 'get addicted' first, or there's an inborn taste or something. I can spot burnt coffee hours before some folks I know, and they love coffee too. Maybe it's like familiarity with wine?

I trust Pete on coffee because his tips on wine did ring true. Who knew ;] ??

Pete, you are in Florida. My daughter lives in Key West where they have Baby's coffee. She brought us some once, and it was very good. I just haven't gotten around to ordering anymore. I think I will do that today. Have you ever heard of it, or is it only in Key West?

Sammy

Perhaps the drink I miss most from NOLA is the Community Coffee with Chicory, dark blend, au latte at the original Cafe du Monde people in back of Lakeside Center.
With the news stand next door, I could pick up any interesting newspaper, and have my beignets and Cafe. And the richest woman in the world could only occassionally equal the pleasure I got from those simple things.

I buy "fair trade" certified, organic, from a local company, and it HAS to be a dark roast (Italian or Espresso). Fresh brewed at home, one cup at a time. A cup from the store doesn't compare.

Wish I could brew y'all a cup. You'd be converted.

Cheers,
Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Sun Roasters

Here in South Louisiana, we drink Community coffee, without the chicory. Mello Joy is another good coffee. Both are local or regionally sold.
I prefer making coffee here, at home, instead of going out for coffee. It makes more sense, dollars and cents.

No bad cups of coffee, just some better than others. My favorites: Eight o colck- we buy the beans and grind them as we use them, CDM w/ chicory, French Market Brand and Community New Orleans Blend.
I agree with you Ann Cafe Du Monde is good--you have been away for a while. Morning Call ( another great New Orleans Coffee) is behind Lakeside (moved there from the Vieux Carre' in the Seventies) and Cafe Du Monde has a location near Clearview. I used to like driving out Chef Menteur, over the Danziger Bridge where all the Coffee Roasters were. Of course, onc you leave the New orleans/Southern Louisiana area the coffee starts to look like tea.

It's that time again to talk cofee. I grew up on Maxwell House I even lived across the street from their old plant in Hoboken for 10 years it was good enough. About 13 years ago I started drinking Italian or Brazillian Espresso roasts because thats what EDD bought and I wasn't particular. It's from a Brooklyn roaster Porto Rico they have several stores in NYC and sell beans from all over the world havent tried half of them. Ran out 1 day and bought the old Maxwell House tasted like dishwater. So it's a matter of taste roast and the bean for me. If I had the cash I'd always Drink Jamaican Blue Mountain and boy thats a flavor I like but very expensive. I don't like the taste of Java or Sumatran and most of the South East asian beans it has a very distinctive flavor that just does'nt do it for me. I just don't get Starbucks at all it has to my taste a burnt overoasted almost chemical flavor but everyone at work is gaga for it. Kenya AA has a nice flavor often described a winey and I like Costa Rican the flavors described as citrusy. If your not interested in trying lots of different whole beans from lots of different places thats fine but there are very distinct taste differances from country to country. On a good sale I can get a good Italian roast for $3.99 a pound rare I would spend more than $5.99 a pound but I will stand in line for 30 minutes for it.
I tried the MacDonalds not bad not bad but I would'nt want it very day!
I think I would pass on Kopi Luwak ...look it up a real taste treat.......not my idea of a gourmet experience.

Yes, what Joe said is along the lines of what I was thinking... don't go expensive and you'll never notice but if you do habitually, watch out later.

I forgot my old favorite - Costa Rican in the non-export bag, same stuff as the fancy export bag but 88 centimos[less than 88 cents]. I put bags and bags in my suitcase and then had my aunt and uncle bring them back when they visited the US the years they lived in Costa Rica. Mmmmm and great price, lol! Now they live in Winston-Salem, too... bummer.

Just noticed I was almost out so maybe I'll get some Costa Rican along with whatever Espresso is on sale. Ready ground coffee has a really short shelf life is usually made from the lowest grade Robusta and Arabica beans that can be bought in bulk for the lowest price fetching the highest price (for quality) and controlling 40% of the worlds coffee consumption. It's just away of having some caffeine in the morning the way cheap twist cap wine is a way of getting alcohol into your system! Petes right it is marketing Proctor and Gamble Nestle and Kraft. They would never sell milk without a freshness date on it but cofee is sold without roast dates!

I am a Starbucks girl all the way, at home or at Starbucks. I guess I can relate it to cigarettes (have not smoked for 20yrs), you just hve to have your own brand. I never drink coffee anywhere else, when I have, I cannot stand the flavour and would drink water over it. I know some people HATE Starbucks coffee, not me! :smile We always served it when we B&Bd.
Pauline

I like Peet's Major Dickason's blend...or one of many I can buy at A Southern Season. I just ask my friend Paige (who works the coffee counter there) what I should buy...

melanie

One thing we won't cheap-out on is coffee. And steak.

Yes, Labrea, Porto Rico! We go down once or twice a year and come back with 10 pounds. The rest of the time we order from them online. It's heaven to walk in there, but it sure is popular; the lines are quite long, especially when they have their sales. We're not big flavored coffee fans, but we like the ones that we've tried from Porto Rico. Hint: buy a pound of their French Roast Vanilla...when you make a pot of unflavored coffee, remove a tablespoon or two, then replace the 1 or 2 tablespoons with their FR vanilla. Very smooth, with just a touch of sweetness and a hint of vanilla.

Starbucks is wonderful, and you can always find one around. Plus, you can walk out with 40 pound bags of coffee grounds for the compost pile.

We prefer the African coffees primarily, with the Indonesians a close second. But a well-roasted Central or South American coffee can be a nice treat. Starbucks does an excellent job with the Guatemalan Antigua, which is not a coffee I liked before trying Starbucks.

Can't drink DD anymore; too bitter and weak. The same with Green Mountain (which was very good when it first came out) and the packaged Paul de Lima coffees. They leave too many of the bad, bitter beans in, which completely spoils the taste of the coffee. I rarely sweeten my coffee but, with these, no matter how much sugar you add it doesn't remove the bitterness.

Ann, I've never tried coffee with chicory, let alone when it's had all the extra touches added. Sounds delightful.

Melanie, I like Peet's too. There was a coffee shop in a neighboring city that sold it. Major Dickason's was great. I used to buy a pound of Peet's here and there when I worked nearby. We've never been disappointed with Peet's coffee. Now it's too far away, but every once in a while I think about going back to pick some up. Thanks for reminding me.

Carla, Verona rocks! I agree.

Here is a link that might be useful: Porto Rico Coffee