 Mark Hill is Director of Photography for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. He travels a LOT. Nothing sets the tone for the day like my morning coffee. Dark and bitter, with a hint of creamy half-and-half, that first cup of coffee is my ritual of calm transition between sleep and activity. The smell wafting through the house is like a switch that turns on my brain; coaxing me gently - yet firmly - awake. This quiet time helps me mentally organize my day, prep my body for a shower and (hopefully) a healthy breakfast. At times, I'm forced to substitute inferior, hot brown dishwater that is sold under the "hot coffee" moniker, usually in quick food establishments, airport concessions, or truck stops. These peddlers of cheap, weakly brewed "coffee" are oblivious of their negative impact on me. Rather than bold taste, I'm slapped by blandness and the realization that settling for less is just fine for many. |
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I love a good cup of coffee. Charbucks is the antithesis of good coffee. It always tastes burnt to me. Their espresso drinks are tolerable, but barely.
I love Peet's Coffee, and liked Seattle's best before they were bought out.
But for my daily cup of java I brew only French Market Coffee with Chicory from New Orleans. You can get the medium dark roast (called Cajun roast in most grocery stores) but the infinitely better dark roast (City Roast) I have to order from their web site.
I usually use a french press to make it, but if i'm brewing for more than myself I'll go drip.
"Mourning" coffee? Check the headline. You drink it when somebody dies? Should be morning, not mourning.
shot of espresso plus steamed milk makes my morning routine go smoothly...I make it at home w/my nespresso machine.
Thanks Caroline! I'm slowly becoming more creative....
A tall plastic clear cup (well 2- one stuck in the other for insulation)
+
Pour 'freshly' brewed coffee until cup is about 30% full
+
Pour milk to the very top and add sugar
=
LATTE a la Deployed :P well its the closest i can get :P
Good coffee to me is something that is locally roasted (because i just don't have the time to take that project on myself) and ALWAYS freshly brewed. In Wisconsin (and Chicago!) Alterra is the best – in my opinion. Always, always fresh and they do all of the roasting at their Humboldt location in Milwaukee. They have dozens of organic, fair trade varieties and I have yet to try one that isn't delicious. Fav? Black and Tan. SO many levels of flavor.
There is a small shop on 1st avenue in NYC called the Choux Factory that brews beautiful Kona coffee. They also make fresh custard cream puffs to go along with their coffee. It's heaven. By the way...SPC G, thanks for all you are doing that enables myself and everyone else to enjoy our daily cups of joe. I raise my mug to you!
I am a deployed US soldier and DEVOTED coffee fan. We're lucky that the coffee out here is halfway decent (I've been places where its simply unbearable!) and can be freshly brewed. I cant have my french vanilla creamer or my big own personal mug, and, yes, I dream of ventii sugar free lattes every night, but I'm lucky for what I have. Its better than nothing
Embrace all tastes!!
And I'm so happy to be fighting for America and the freedoms that enable us to ALL be 'coffee snobs' once in awhile!!
A number of years ago I worked on a retail design project for Caribou Coffee.
Conducted as part of our research strategy, an independent blind taste-test showed that Starbucks was rated near the bottom (always tasting burnt), while Caribou consistently scored near the top.
But everyone loves Starbucks.
Go figure.
if it is any condolence, i don't think starbucks is any better than caribou. however, i have never had a plain cup of coffee from caribou that had a pleasant taste.
I am a huge fan of buying Tully's Coffee in Seattle. I think there are now some stores in California, Arizona, South Korea, and Japan. I buy it whole bean then grind it at home and use my french press. Their Sumatra blend is my favorite. Its a bold blend but not as strong as their French. Tully's is considered a competitor to Starbucks in Seattle and their baristas are awesome!
I, like many of you who have replied to this article, have a deep appreciation and love for all things coffee. I'm Eritrean (for those who don't know where Eritrea is located, it's next to Ethiopia and Sudan) and growing up, drinking coffee was as ubiquitious as watching the evening news or brushing your teeth. My mother used to roast her own beans and brew coffee with a pot we call a jebena, which is made of clay and ornately decorated. My love for making and serving (and drinking of'course) led to my working for Peet's Coffee during my undergraduate years and while working for Peet's, I was exposed to so many regional coffees and learned so much about the craft of roasting coffee. I no longer work for Peet's but I still believe that Peet's is by far one of the best brands on the market. I now live in NYC and have yet to find a place that compares. There are some local shops that offer pretty decent coffee but it's not the same. I know that other coffee enthusiasts will give me the stink eye for saying this but Dunkin Donuts surprisingly has decent coffee as well as McDonald's. If any of you have any recommendations, please share!!! =)
Believe it or not Pittsburgh has three micro roasters who buy FTO and Organic Arabica beans, and they each have their specialites, one does various roasts and just coffee flavored coffees, another does flavored coffees, and the third specializes in the espresso, and cappuccino beans. I am very spoiled, have access to Hawaiian Kona, to Kona Blends, Jamaican blue Mountain, Sumatra, Moka Java, and I have tried them all. once you try a fresh roast, fresh ground pot of coffee you can never go back to Maxwell House.
I used to travel to Denver frequently & got completely hooked on the local chain there called Dazbog. They have some of the darkest richest coffee I've ever had & I miss it like crazy. I always bought a pound to take home with me when I left Denver - guess I'll have to order it online now that I don't get there anymore.
I'll drink whatever, as long as it's black. No sugar, no cream, no milk, no nothing... just coffee. Work has Folgers and Starbucks (medium roast) for free. On the weekend, I think I've been drinking Tully's House Blend. For a reasonably priced pound of coffee,I like it a lot.
I drink my coffee black so the quality and freshness of the beans make all the difference in the world...Starbuck (Komodo Dragon or Sumatra) and Peet's (Ethiopian Blend) beans are good choices...I have a Grind N Brew machine and in about 10 minutes and $1 a pot I have the bean variety I want and a delicious eye opener for the long commute to work.
The local Whole Foods I go to roasts Allegro coffee beans in the store. For each variety there is a date on the bin, and usually the beans are roasted within the last day or two. Many of them are organic. They sell in bulk so I can just buy enough for the next few days and they are the best coffee to drink within a reasonable price. $ per lb they're comparable to Starbucks.
Starbucks and McD are not the best, but when you're on the go you can safely bet on a minimum quality. If you've travelled to unfamiliar cities, or worse, small towns in the middle of nowhere, and have had dishwater coffee at a gas station before, you'll know what I mean.
If you are ever in Santa Fe, be sure to stop by Ohori's (two locations). They have the freshest beans I've ever found.
coffee = liquid diarrhea for me. Drips down my leg every day. Much like coffee drips into a cup. So it's like my butt is a coffee maker for the toilet!
I fix me a cup of Columbian on the weekend early in the morning, sit on the back porch and watch the deer, and the squirrels and the birds in yard and field.
So relaxing.
Modern life is completely about choosing products to use. Everything we eat, drink, smell, see, hear, or use is a product purchased from some global corporation. One of the poses or roles that many people choose to assume or play is that of the gourmet or connoisseur of something: wine, electronic doodads, coffee, shoes, clothing, roses, scotch, whatever. Name a product in the catalog and there is a group of product aficionados who can place each brand name and model on a scale that ranges from "bumpkin" to "magnifico" on the other.
Manufacturers have learned that they can extract a lot of money from the wallets of connoisseurs. It is all marketing.
We're lucky here in Portland, OR with so many great coffee shops. Starbucks is fine, Pete's is good but nothing beats Stumptown Coffee. The dip coffee they serve is always French press and the latte art is great.
I make espresso only. I either use my Delonghi machine or an old fashioned stove top moka pot. The moka pot takes longer and is stronger. The Delonghi is quick and produces a great crema. I either grind my own beans or I buy Italian ground espresso beans online. It's hard to find variety in the stores near me.
Stick to Arabica. Robusta can't tip that. Columbian coffee is my personal favorite.
Coffee is the one addiction I'll never give up and I don't care what anyone says!!!
Starbucks' White Chocolate Mocha is the greatest drink ever.
I enjoy both coffee and tea - life is too short to avoid pleasures from any source.
I held my nose about Starbucks for the longest time, but I concede that it has its place - especially buying their varietal beans rather than their blends, and grinding them at home just before brewing. They're the equivalent of McDonald's: they're available everywhere when you need a quick fix, and - if you order carefully - the quality is as good as any and better than most. (I do NOT include their flavored-milk extravagances; those are a waste of time and calories. When I want coffee, I want coffee. Period.)
But I also enjoy Irish breakfast tea and oolong tea as a change of pace!
FRENCH PRESS IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE COFFEE.
Where I used to live in Orange County, CA, Diedrich coffee was a family chain (much better before they went public), which roasted their beans on site at one of their locations in irvine. the burnt, smoky aroma, thick in the air, was a literal experience I have not had since. I miss the many visits there.
Of course, once public, they pulled the roaster in favor of a more financially approved method, somewhere in a warehouse where no one could find it.
My local Whole Foods market has a roaster in the store, and their beans (mostly organic and fair trade) are always roasted in small batches every few days. It is always less than 5 days from when I purchase them. I keep the fresh roasted beans in a steel airtight canister in a cool dark spot. In the morning I grind the appropriate amount of 2Tbs per 6oz cup extra fine, and use a Milita unbleached filter on top of the cup. Water temperature is 195F. This makes the perfect cup for me, fresh and full of complex flavors. When I run out, I try a different variety. Sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. Takes more time to make my lunch. Sometimes, I still need a little more coffe after arriving at work, and the coffee mess stuff is pretty bad in comparison.
Get a percolater before America is forced to use nothing at home but those damned drip makers that make the afore mentioned brown water, never hot cup of Joe. UGH!
many percolator memories from growing up. the sound you could hear from your bed as your parents were getting the day ready. good memories.
not so good memories were when the perc broke, and they boiled the coffee in a pan with the water and you had to strain it out yourself.
Solution: Brew up some Folger's Gourmet Supreme (Dark Roasted Nirvana) pop it into a travel mug, and thumb your nose at brown dishwater!
There's a restaurant in Austin, TX called Curra's Grill that serves a Oaxacan blend... probably my all time favorite coffee. So good. You can even order it online.
Love the photo accompanied with this article. Tupelo Honey Cafe is our favorite breakfast spot when visiting Asheville, NC and the coffee is great.
Tim Horton's is great. It's from North of the border, but some states do have shops. Their coffee and tea is wonderful.
Tim Hortons is awesome. I visit Canada at least once a year (I have friends up there), and I always make it a point to visit a Tim's at least once during my stay. I was thrilled to see then in New York's Penn Station!
Since taste is such a subjective thing, I will refrain from casting aspersions and simply state my own opinion. That is that Tim Horton's should be treated as hazardous material and that it should be a felony to sell, serve, or otherwise inflict it upon the world in any way, shape or form. Camping around Cape Breton Island for 2 weeks several years ago, we asked where we could get some decent coffee and everyone waxed eloquent about Tim Horton's. We gave it a try with great expectations and were left wondering why they used a dirty gym sock and potting soil to brew what they inexplicably called "coffee". I just noticed TH beans for sale in Wegmans. If it weren't for the great cheese and wine shop there, I'd boycott Wegmans on principle.
Fred, you are right. Taste is very subjective. What kind makes your tastebuds happy?
Well said Fred. Timmies (as it's known here) is brewed I'm guessing from slightly under roasted robusta beans. Big kick of bitter dreadful waste of water.
It says a lot that the most popular order for Tim Hortons coffee is "double double". (two scoops of sugar and two hits of cream)
Any coffee that needs that much fat and sugar (masking agent) to make it palatable hasn't got a lot to offer.
I *could* be wrong on the robusta, perhaps it's a blend of robusta with a little arabica thrown in, but my second guess would be that it's actually brewed from used bandaids and cigarette butts.
Bottom line is good coffee is still very hard to find. Bridgehead in Ottawa is pretty good usually but otherwise if you want good coffee go get some Lavazza super crema a burr grinder and a press pot or a decent espresso machine.
I find it a bit ironic to say, but for "road coffee" McDonalds is light years better than Tims and I'm no fan of McDonalds.
I love coffee, and a really good quality coffee, I love even more. But by the time I add creamer and sweetener, most of it tastes pretty much the same. However, the best I've had is from Gloria Jean's, and Gevalia. I can actually taste how good the coffee itself it. I usually brew a full pot of coffee on the weekend and will warm it up for a couple of days until most of it's gone, or make large glasses of half coffee, half cold milk and sweetener for a great iced coffee. Yum.
Where does one buy Peets coffee? I'd like to try it.
Reheat it? Why not just leave it on the burner for the two days it waits.. I'm sure it'll be just as good.
Without my coffee you would all be dead.
AMEN! My wife says Im an addict.... No Im NOT! I just REALY REALY REALY like coffee!
Have any of you tried Gevalia Kaffe? Quite delicious, reasonably priced and available in several roast strengths.
I love 'regular' coffee. Bold is great for those who like it, but give me a nice smooth coffee that won't eat up my insides. To me, "acid" is not a good flavor. I am happy that these days most places give you a choice.
I don't understand why my fellow Americans are so anti-tea. I love it, but you can't find any decent varieties at Starbucks or any similar store. I don't think this undermines my manhood in any way, I'm just averse to mountains of caffeine. But, when I do drink coffee, I prefer a cortado (Spanish-style light miniature latte) or with partially caramelized boiled sugary milk.
I don't drink coffee at all. I don't like the flavor – not even in its iced or gourmet versions.
I do, however, really enjoy a good cup of tea, especially on cold mornings. And I find that finding a good quality is just as tricky, if not more, than finding quality coffee.
While good, robust coffee is more widely available than before, I'm still shocked when a colleague who proselytizes the virtues of great coffee then shuffles to a place like Dunkin' Donuts for their 'regular' coffee, which amounts to little more than melted/heated coffee ice cream. Who do I need to make out with to get this and other ubiquitous early-morning coffee purveyors to understand 1) that 'normal' coffee is black (cream/sugar are additions) and 2) the base of their coffee needs to be of a certain standard, otherwise all is for naught and the black coffee drinker leaves underwhelmed and undercaffeinated.
I can't believe how many coffee snobs there are. I love a good cup of coffee, don't get me wrong. On weekends I grind my own Costa Rican co-op beans I discovered last year. No drip- French press only. That said, Folders Mon-Fri does just fine. Always drip, always black; never cream or sugar.
What is Folders?
Folgers I hope
If you ever had a cup of freshly made ILLY Cappucino, you wouldn't settle for any other brand. But bear in mind that ILLY is a higher end, premium coffee and so, costs more.
The brand New England Coffee is amazing!!!!!!!!!
I don't quite understand the aversion people have to Starbucks. I'm no coffee connoisseur, but I can tell good coffee from bad, and in most cases Starbucks is consistently better than any of the available alternatives.
When I used to live in Tampa, there was a very neat little coffee shop I'd frequent that was an advocate against "corporate coffee." As often as I'd go there to hang out with my friends, I never went for the overpriced (and often burnt) Joe. I'd usually stick with a $3 cup of tea to take care of my one drink minimum while I conversed with my friends.
Starbucks' coffee, on the other hand, is not quite "gourmet", but is usually fresh and almost never burnt. And so what if it is? They will gladly brew an entirely new pot for you (as per corporate policy) if you complain to better suit your taste, and will even give you a refund if you'd like. Oh, and there are no "one drink minimums" to hang out and converse with your friends in the lobby.
Compared to grinding and brewing your own beans (or finding that very rare independent coffee shop that actually /does/ make really good coffee), Starbucks is not all that bad! If you can force yourself to lower your nose a bit, you might just find the aroma slightly appetizing.
Many of us find Starbucks coffee to be a bit more bitter than we consider acceptable. Some people say the company's beans are over roasted and that certainly seems true to me. Still, I like the company (in part because they give away used coffee grounds to gardeners).
I had that aversion for some nebulous reason. I resisted Starbucks. It is great brewed at home and at Starbucks. I am picky and would expect it to satisfy most people. Thank goodness for the ubiquity of Starbucks!
Doesn't matter if they will brew another pot. If the beans are over-roasted (burned) before the coffee is even brewed, it's too late. Some like it, some don't, but the excessively roasted coffee beans are an unmistakeable trademark of this chain.
Only recently has Starbucks been roasting beans according to individual flavor profiles, rather than just scorching every batch. Some coffees are grown at lower elevations, they have amazing flavor nuances but they're not as dense, so they go from delicious to charcoal in a matter of seconds in a roaster. When you dark roast everything you lose what is unique about each varietal.
The other issue with Starbucks is they're mass produced, and while they have a decent training program, they're expansion means more likelihood of employees who don't give a crap about how you like your latte. Burger connoisseurs don't eat at Burger King or McD's. If you want really good coffee, look for a small, independent roaster in your area. Support your local roasters!
Agreed. I got my first visit to Europe this year. Let me just say that American coffee doesn't hold a candle to European coffee. Strong, bold coffee that will knock your socks off and wake you up. Even the coffee with creamers or other mixins is still stronger and more flavorful than the most darkly-roasted stuff available in American stores, which tastes like water in comparison.
morning cup is always at home... and it's always good :)
There is only one coffee in this world I will drink, Peets! I have found no other in 30 years that holds a candle to it.
Peet's is downright amazing.
Try Capulin. Grown on a small collective farm in Mexico, hand picked, hand hulled, never touched by water, and roasted right there on the farm when you place your order. Truly the best coffee in the world, bar none! Rich, dark, full flavor. The only US distributor is a guy named Daniel Fourwinds based in Arizona. Pretty sketchy business, but you can find him online if you google Capulin Jungle Coffee.
It's Sanka instant for me. I use hot water right out of the faucet along with a spoonful of powdered milk and a packet of sweet-n-low. oh boy.
If you mean Peets in Berkely, yes. If you mean Peets in a bag from the grocery store... not so much. Seattle's Best from the grocery store is a better bet.
I buy the bags of the 7-11 coffe.
I will go without my morning cup if it isnt strong and well brewed.
Agreed.
It seems coffee had become so ruined by the "Starbuck's" mentality that I started to roast my own beans. Now that my palate has adjusted to the wonder of really FRESH coffee, nothing else will do.
I totally agree. I don't roast my own beans, but I have a friend at work that does and then sells to me for $7/lb. Fresh, Organic, and Delicious. I've been ruined as well.
While there are still places selling dishwater as coffee, the average quality has improved greatly. When I first came to the US (pre-Starbucks) it was almost impossible to get good coffee anywhere, now I expect most places to have something that is acceptable, even if not memorable
Righto .. as long as you don't mean getting a good cup at Starbucks. If that's your idea of good coffee, your tastebuds are horribly broken.
then what do you drink?? dont tell me, DUNKIN DONUTS????? eechkkkkkk !
Starbucks... the king of disgustingly over-roasted coffee. A perfect example of how even good coffee beans can be utterly ruined. And I'm only assuming they start with good beans since there really is no way of knowing.
Quality shmality. A slug of Bailey's makes any coffee more than good.
Amen! Alcoholics UNITE!
Very true! I usually suffice with the .50 AVI coffee from the machine at work because I'm usually running late...if only I had a bottle of Baileys in my desk! It would make my work day much more pleasant.