 Dunkin' Donuts' bid to tout their java exclusively as "Best coffee in America" has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the grounds that the desired trademark is "merely laudatory and descriptive of the alleged merit of applicant’s services and the goods featured therein," according to the Boston Globe. For those readers not in the habit of deeply perusing the USPTO's website as part of their leisure reading, "coffee" is defined as "a hot, slightly bitter drink made by pouring hot water over brown powder consisting of coffee beans that have been ground" and "best" as "used for referring to the person or thing that is the most satisfactory, appropriate, pleasant, effective, of the highest quality, etc." With all due respect to the Double-D (which got us through many an all-nighter in college and kept us from falling asleep at the wheel on innumerable, interminable road trips), the proliferation of fantastic local coffee places makes us think that there truly is an "America's best" somewhere out there, and we're looking to you to point the way. CNN Travel, Eatocracy and iReport are teaming up to find the best places around the globe to eat - and drink - like a local. Sing the praises of your favorite local coffee place in the comments below or share your favorite (complete with pictures, even) on iReport. We'll be rounding them up for a future feature, so grab your favorite barista and brew up a tribute. |
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The Daily Grind in Albany and Troy, NY, is an independent cafe that has been roasting its own coffee beans on the premises since 1976. They have on online coffee bean shop at http://dailygrind.com
I LOVe Mcdonalds McCafe
and 7-11 Coffee!!
Weasel poop coffee's the best in the world. At $100 a pop, most people can't afford to drink it.
Douwe Egberts, hands-down. Best coffee ever. I first had it at an ordinary little country cookin' kind of place in Branson, Missouri, and I literally sat up straighter and said, "WOW this coffee is great!" on the first sip. I couldn't get enough of it that day. Couldn't find it anywhere else and then happened to visit a local St. Louis area donut shop and they serve it. It's fantastic. There's just something about the roast that's wonderful. There's a complexity to the flavor. It's smooth, not bitter and just wonderful. I hear you can order it online, but I haven't done that yet.
Of course, I guess it's not American coffee (made in Netherlands). But it's a great cup no matter where you drink it, and I have only had it here in the US. Been lots of places around the world, but the best cup so far is Douwe Egberts.
The other day we ran out of coffee, so we drank some tea.
Being a very stingy person, I started doing the math on this. Coffee made at home costs about 22 cents a cup. Tea can run from 2 to 4 cents (!!).
If you drink two or three cups a day, times two people in a household, this could run about $300 to $400 a year in savings.
We drink tea, now. I am that cheap. Plus it is easier to clean up.
If you buy your coffee at a Starbucks or Doughnut shop every day, the costs escalate even furthrer – from hundreds to even thousands of dollars a year.
A $5-a-day Starbucks habit runs $1825 a year. And yet I know people who put less than that in their 401(k) every year.
Give us a break. So you're cheap- congrats.
Best Coffee?
Baby's Key West Coffee.
They have a website – order some. Wrecker's Roast!
Of course, this did not stop the USPTO from granting Fox News the "Fair and Balanced" mark – for entertainment services only, of course.....
I drink enough coffee for a couple people every day and I have to say Edgehill Cafe in Nashville is my favorite local spot and Stumptown when I'm in the Portland area.
I'm a local Portlander and Stumptown is THE coffee to drink around here. I love it.
I might consider DD coffee slightly better than store brands. For me, Costco's store brand French Roast is my go-to cup, although it's not as good as it used to be since they've now started sourcing out of Costa Rica.
I think that DD should have submitted "Our Claim of 'Best Coffee in America' is Not Just Mere Puffery"
Of course, mine is the best. :) Fresh Ground Parisi Bolivian Fair Trade. . . . .a medium roast with a nuance of chocolate and honeysuckle, brewed in a Cuisinart. Mmmmmmmmm.
Starbucks is way over rated IMHO. No one can beat my coffee. Go to Kroger's and buy a can of Medaglia D'oro. I take one of those filter holders that are designed to sit on top of your coffee cup and use about 3 Tbl. spoons of coffee, depends on how strong you like it. You will need a hot water kettle because you want boiling water so you release the oils fast. I promise you won't buy Starcrap again. Don't use a coffee maker they don't heat the water near enough and takes far to long which will leech out the bitter oils.
Should you brew your starbucks the same way (very strong), you will probably find it equivalent or even better. My preference is to home roast (from Sweet Maria) two days at a time for a strong, never bitter brew that is delectable. I keep the roaster in the garage since it makes too much smoke for the house.
Southern Brews Coffee on Johns Island in Charleston, SC...best coffee ever (all varieties), and greatest staff!!! Excellent food as well.
Quit recommending your favorite local coffee joint. It's how you prepare the coffee that matters. Gold filters, French presses and other methods allow for better flavor. If you really want to get into the best check out "bulletproof coffee". Not local so I'm not a hypocrite for telling you folks to stop recommending local joints.
La Colombe Torrefaction, hands down
Stumptown Coffee in Portland, OR. None on the list could beat it!
I'm a Starbucks junkie but if there isn't one around I found that McDonald's has very good coffee too.
They shouldn't be allowed to call it "The best coffee in America" because it is the only coffee that I know of that is worse than McDonald's coffee
Denis Leary's rant on "coffee flavored coffee" is a classic.
The best coffee is the coffee that you grind yourself and share with your family and the Lord.
Bahahah How do you share coffee with this "lord" fella?
He tastes it through you. Is that too hard to believe!
@Lynn, Amen to that. I hope God is bringing you and your loved ones plenty to rejoice about this Holiday season!
Amen!! God bless!! :)
The best coffee that I've ever had is at COFFEE SLINGERS in Oklahoma City.
The best coffee is the one that you can buy any day, everyday and any time and affordable/cheap without hurting your wallet. So, QT is the one for me. Starbuck is good but it is way of out my league to buy it on everyday basis.
Peet's coffee, there is no other worthy of the title best coffee in America, all others are laughable by comparison.
The Midnight Rooster. Hartsville, SC
This little gem makes the best coffee and frozen coffee drinks EVER, and has such a unique atmosphere, you almost don't believe you're in a tiny town in the middle-of-nowhere, South Carolina. The deserts are good too :-)
Check it out- you won't be disappointed.
Cafe Moxo in Springfield Illinois. Abe would if he could-Honest!
Ground Support in SoHo is the BEST in NYC hands down
Believe it or not...there is a lot of America outside of NYC. I know that is hard to believe. At least we know that Dunkin won't get a patent for the "Best" coffee in SoHo.
I agree about Pierce Brother's Fogbuster. There are two other good ones from the Pioneer Valley here in Massachusetts- Rao's Coffee from Amherst and Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters.
Is Rao's still grinding those beans fresh every morning out back?
(p.s. I'll bet you can figure out which state school I went to:)
I was thinking about Rao's as I was scrolling through the comments. I was happy to see someone mentioned it. Go Minutemen!
Not a coffee drinker, but go Lord Jeffs!
Best coffee hands down is Cafe Du Monde and Morning Call coffee and chicory.
I love their beignets but I believe QT coffee is the best....by the way, QT is not only in Okie but it is expanding to neighborhood states. Try their coffee, you cant go wrong with it.
I make fresh coffee every day and put it into my Stanley stainless steel thermos.
And the BBB doesn't like you to use the word "best". They prefer "better". Go figure.
what BBB stands for? better, better, better?
The BBB is basically an advertising group that wants you to join and pay a fee. They mean nothing. They call me all the time wanting me to "join" -pay them money.
I hear you. After you have signed up with BBB all you got is brochure and poster.
I love QT (Quick Trip) as they make a very good coffee and the price is reasonable, affordable aka cheap down to earth.
When I was a child when you walked into DD it smelled like heaven, I always loved coffee and my parents would let me take sips from their cups. DD served coffee in real mugs if you sat at the counter. It was the best coffee ever. Back Then. Now I don't drink it, I live in RI were there is a DD on literally every corner. Through the years they have obviously and without notifying their customers changed the quality of their coffee beans. The ones that can't tell don't judge their cup of coffee by the quality of the taste of the actual coffee. They judge the coffee by if the worker "got it right" meaniing did they put the right amount of sugar and cream and flavor shots. I would rather get my coffee at McD's, it tastes like real coffee, doesn't have that weird celery aftertaste that DD has now.
DD coffee tastes like dishwater to me. Seriously. I drink Starbucks every day, but I'm sure there's better coffee. It just isn't DD. That stuff is awful.
Pierce Bros – FOGBUSTER.
As good as the coffee is this is a good thing. Seattle's Best or Starbucks should have the title. It just wouldn't be right if a company with donuts in their name had that title. It would be like Home Depot having the best stuffed animals. Just not right
so your saying even if they do make the best coffee they should not be awarded the title just because they sell donuts and coffee at reasonable price? Unlike the brands you mentioned who sell overpriced cup of coffee to clients who for the better term are leamers willing to plunk down a higher price just because they are following the fog headed leaders???
Coffee Bean
metropolis coffee. the red line espresso blend is amazing.
I don't just drink Moose Poop coffee, I'm also a client.
I've had coffee on Earth and several other planets and no one can top Moose Poops "Sea Urchin Breakfast Blende".
I've had coffee in all fifty states and over a hundred countries and territories, and no one beats Moose Poop(tm) coffee.
Moose poop coffee is the best.
Personally, I prefer Quick Trip's coffee and it's priced right!
QT (Quick Trip) has good selections of coffee...very flavor flav, except no large/big clock...also, they have a good combo donut and coffee of 24 Oz for very low...low price below $1.50.
I have had coffee in all 50 states, DD is now where near the best, in fact, I would say that it is just about the worst, But their everything Bagel is a differant story, alway have mine with OJ, or coffee from another place.
I've had coffee in all four corners of the U.S. and nothing beats Stonehose Roastery in Nisswa, MN. http://www.stonehousecoffee.com/ From the conscientious bean supply to the meticulous roasting and customized attention to every batch, there is no coffee better! The place has become a destination. People drive 140 miles from Minneapolis just to get a cup. I know – I'm one of them. Oh – did I mention that the owner measures water hardness for maximum extraction? And don't forget a famous mixed berry white chocolate scone! This place is crazy good!
Thanks for the nice commercial. I'm sure your friends (or relatives) at Stonehouse will be very happy
i agree with jim. stonehousedbagcoffee is awesome. i am actually his uncle and also a co-investor or this one table, two-foot counter coffee "house"
Yeah, nice ad goober. Lets hear how you've traveled the four corners of the world and never had any better. Talk about puffery, it must be good, I'm his uncle.
Well let's see – I've had Peet's in Seattle, and Seattle's Best, and of course Starbucks. They're all good, but not always consistent. In LA I've had Intelligentsia in numerous locations, In Tampa St. Pete I've had Kahwa and Cafe Bohemia, and in the Philly the Fair Trade Roasters. I live in Minneapolis and drink Caribou almost daily. I love all these coffees. But call it Minnesota Lake Country ambience, or call it the custom attention the owner gives to each batch, and to the hardness count of the water for maximum extraction, I've had nothing like the coffee drinking experience at Stonehouse. I'm nobody's uncle or marketer. I just know greatness when I taste it.
Not sure where one table and two foot counter came from. That describes the shop a few years ago. They've grown quite a bit and now have a nice sized cafe, and they supply beans to several other shops in the region.
There;s lot's of differenttastes of coffee. French Roast, light roast, different types of coffee beans. There is a coffee for everyone. That's why there isn't only one brand of beer either. There is plenty of room for everyone, but I agree DD isn't near the best. Nor Tim Hortons, but that's my taste
I love Trader Joe's Dark Sumatra Coffee Beans – ground at home. YUM.
Green. Mountain. Coffee. Roasters.
that is all.
I never understood how coffee is like a drug to so many people. Not being sarcastic. Just curious.
Caffeine IS a drug.
Um... don't think you can claim to be the best of anything when you don't even have stores in California.
No one gives a sh!t about California. Hurry up and slide off into the f*****g Pacific.
. . . . talk about 'd0uches' . . . .
I roast coffee in my kitchen. Fresh roasted coffee kicks the snot out of DD. I've had all of the commercial products, and nothing beats coffee a day or two after roasting. You can only get that freshness by roasting at home. The coffee is cheaper that was as well, but you do need to buy a roaster. My roaster is 3 years old and cost 120 (and that included 10 pounds of coffee).
For commercial coffee from a donut chain, Tim Hortons spanks DD's coffee. Puffery is one thing. Baloney is another.
IKEA has the best brew coffee.
JFG instant coffee is quite tasty and better than a lot of obscenely over-priced 'boutique' coffee. Even better, by using it you'll easily save $500 a year and it's not like you're going to break a nail or run out of time from heating a cup of water in your microwave for 1 1/2 minutes before you head off to work. Be a rebel.
Tim Hortons is the best coffee on the planet. Puts dunkin donuts to shame!
Dunkin's is p!ss, sure – but Tim Hurtins' is nothing special either.
We'll have to take your word for it, Jo. Down in the South we don't have Tim Hortons or any of his coffee...but we do have Starbucks and Dunkin.
Yuck. Tim Horton coffee it the worst coffee ever made. Their donuts are just as bad or worse than DD as well.
Best for what? Scrubbing the floor? Degreasing the engine of my car? Dying cloth brown? Because – like any other coffee, no matter who sells it – it isn't fit for drinking. Coffee, IMHO, is a waste of good water.
Community Coffee – Breakfast Blend – made in my kitchen.
Drink Caribou every morning, hard to beat
Is Caribou Coffee that good? Two people have mentioned it in this article and I'm looking for a go-to, amazing cup of coffee. What roast do you get and how do you like to prepare it? Thanks!
I drink Caribou p!ss every day and nibble on Caribou balls every night. Yum.
. . . . talk about 'd0uches' . . .
Not a big fan of Caribou. Used to be a Starbucks regular, now I go to a local shop in the Denver Tech Center called Milano Coffee.
Brace yourselves....here come the Coffee Snobs. Rather being a competition where people name "The best", it's going to turn into a Hipster Hootenanny of who can name the most Obscure Coffee Shop. "Oh, you've never heard of it"
Coffee Klatch in southern California has the best coffee and espresso within my 20 mile radius. The owner roast and trains his own. Kind of a mom and pop type of place. Check it out!
Caribou Coffee is the best
Maybe out of the bigger national chains, that could probably be said. But really, there should be no "best", especially food or beverage related, as everyone has their own tastes and ideas. I'm sure there's someone who thinks the gas station down the road has the best coffee...whatever makes you happy...
http://www.hermansboy.com Drive there once a month or so just to get some fresh ground beans. Always get a roast called, "Red's Premium" & then get something else to try. Tryed Bolivian shade grown last time, what a good cup of coffee to wake up to on a Sun am. Did I mention their pecan sticky rolls?
"The reviewing board found Dunkin's claims to be "mere 'puffery'..."
This made my day! Puffery!! I love it!!
Dunkin does make good coffee, good donuts (better than KK if you ask me), but yeah, I don't know if they can really get away with what they're trying to trademark here. I don't have a big stake in it, or a particular coffee shop that I'd be willing to nominate, but still.... I guess it was worth a try.
cheers! -al
Actually, "puffery" is a term of art. My contract law professor used to use it all the time.
If a salesman says, "this car is the best!" that is mere puffery, not a binding contract or warranty.
Most people buy into puffery, however.
Heck, I make the "best" beer ever in my homebrew! But don't accuse me of puffery... perhaps accuse me of being drunk though!
catsasscoffee.com has the best coffee