Has anyone tried 8'O Clock coffee and how is it?

[billjriv]

Has anyone tried 8'O Clock coffee and how is it?Ive heard its really good and was just wondering what others thought.

[Chillinmpls]

so it's 5.5 years later since I posted on this thread. here is an update:

1) don't see many coupons for eight o clock coffee.

2) prices are $4.99 + now. and My Wife and I switched to Trader Joe's Coffee. The Trader Joe's reg & Joe's Dark is better tasting coffee $4.99 for 13oz & 14oz whole beans in sealed cans.

My Dad many many decades ago as a young man used to live and work in NY at the A & P where they sold eight o clock coffee.

[coll]

They used to email me periodically and claim a coupon was attached, but you could never download. A glitch or on purpose I can't say.

There are often coupons inside the bag, on the silver lining, but of course you usually forget to cut it out.

[ScarletLark]

I'm guessing this is an East Coast thing? I've never heard of it.

[Bill Hunt]

Actually, for us, it was the Deep South, and Mississippi in particular. My mother was big 8'O clock coffee fan, at our local A&P.

Hunt

[coll]

It WAS an only at A&P thing, but now it's everywhere. At least in NY.

[Bill Hunt]

For many years, my mother would not drink anything but.

Have not tried it, in maybe 30 years, so cannot comment on it now. Back then, it WAS really good.

Hunt

[Florida Hound]

Quick 8 O'Clock story:
I was pressing the air out of a 2+1/2 lb bag of 8 O'Clock whole coffee beans this morning, and apparently didn't leave enough room for the air to actually escape as I rolled up the bag. The bag literally exploded from the bottom and beans went everywhere! Kitchen floor, and also 8 feet away onto the dining room floor, and even a some beans "around the corner" another few feet into the living room. Those little guys really flew! BTW, as I have posted before, 8 O'Clock Columbian is pretty decent.

[coll]

Must have been really fresh, sealed up that tight. Did you pick them up (I'm sure I would have)?

[Florida Hound]

Oh, the bag of beans had been "open" for about a month, and I would always dutifully seal it up, tight. Maybe not as tight as today's little performance. "Did you pick them up," as in, otherwise, did I leave them on the floor for someone in the family to slip on? We cleaned up, salvaged the handful of precious beans that happened to land on the kitchen table itself, and swept the others up and out they went. I think we put a few in the little "compost pail" for later dumping in the backyard compost, and my wife smiled and just knew we would soon have our own coffee growing out there.

[coll]

If only....

[ashihad]

8'O is not available where I live in Texas but reading some of the comments I am surprised some people hate french roast.....but for a real coffee lover french roast is the best.

[Panini Guy]

Nothing personal, but that comment couldn't be further from the truth.

French roast is how you roast inferior beans so that you can't taste the beans, only the roast. It's one of two proven ways for roasters who don't give two bits about taste to use cheap beans and be able to sell them. The other is to add flavors.

There is not a single specialty coffee in the entire world in North America (or Latin America) who prefers a french roast to a lighter roast style.

And there's a reason why coffee professionals are virtually unanimous in agreement that Paris has really bad coffee.

[Bacardi1]

Eight O' Clock was one of my favorite coffees back in the old A&P supermarket days, & remains so today - especially since I can now buy it in K-cups for my Keurig machine.

[skp48]

We have a coffee club at work, and some guy brought in a bag of this garbage. If he does it again, someone will slit his throat.

[njmarshall55]

Can't say I agree with your assessment, but the latest edition (April 2013?0 of Cook's Illustrated has 8 o'Clock as dead last in their taste test. I'm disappointed, but I'll keep it in the house.

[mpalmer6c]

I've tried two to hree dozen arabica coffees in the
past few years, and rate 8 O'Clock Colombian as
by far the best. After I formed this opinion, incidentally,
the tasters at Consumer Reports (coffee experts,
blind tasting) also gave it very high marks.

[dibribac]

This review is for the Arabica type. It's great coffee for the price. You can have eight o clock and never feel disappointed.

[woodleyparkhound]

I think the French Roast is undrinkably horrible. I haven't tried the other types. Interesting to read here that the consensus seems to be that the French Roast is the worst. Maybe I should give the dark roast a try someday. The price is certainly appealing.

[LadyCook61]

My son likes it but I don't , seems to acidic for me.

[cindysizer]

I was a Starbucks fan but since trying 8 o'clock, it is now my favorite. I have recently moved to California and have been drinking Peet's which is good, but I miss my 8 o'clock and have just ordered some since it is not availbable in local stores. I was pregnant and now nursing, so I drink the decaf which is the best decaf I have tasted. I had some beans left after moving and I truly enjoyed the last few cups. There is a special taste that stays in the back of your mouth. Friends always raved about our coffee when they visited and I looking forward to receiving our coffee order. We always buy the beans and grind fresh then prepare by adding hot water through a filter. I'm sure it would be just as good prepared with a coffee maker. So far, it's my favorite!

[DCJason]

I'm a mild coffee snob but I'm also budget conscious. I've been drinking EOC Columbian for about a year now and it is a considerable bargain. Pleasant, smooth, and (as other commentators suggested) not overroasted. This week my girlfriend bought a bag of EOC Original and I could tell it wasn't the same, even before drinking. The smell and the foam when the water is poured into the French Press was immediately subpar. Upon tasting it I found to be barely drinkable. One point to note is that I understand that all EOC is roasted in suburban DC (where I live), and I buy it at a grocery store that turns over product very rapidly. I still like to treat myself to a higher quality bean every few weeks, but for everyday, the Columbian is really quite a deal. Also, in my estimation if you are buying pre-ground coffee, it's all bad.

[KristieB]

I like their Colombian. The French roast tasts sour to me. Never have tried the original.

[RonaSue]

I remember this coffee from when I was a little child. Now that I am grown up and have used tried almost every coffee out there, I picked up a bag because it was reasonably priced. I was amazed at how good it tasted. On the rare occasions I shop at BJ's, I'll pick up another inexpensive brand and they are ok too. I've recently tried the BOKAR Blend which is my favorite...when I can't get that I use the REGULAR Blend...however, I will only buy the WHOLE BEAN, freshly ground for each pot is the tastiest. I use the Magic Bullet which works great and one day I'll pick up an inexpensive coffee grinder. Store the whole bean coffee in an air tight canister for best results. :-)

[Jstick]

hey i joined chow.com just to post this unless its already been posted.

http://247wallst.com/2009/02/02/cheap...

to sum it up, 8 o clock 100% columbian won consumer reports blind taste test over brands such as folgers maxwell....and starbucks

[Diane in Bexley]

Tried some Hazelnut 8OC coffee last week - it was $5.50 for 12 oz. Much prefer the Costco house roast (actually packed by Starbucks), which I believe is a little cheaper too. Perhaps I just like a much stronger coffee.

[sameguy]

Bleh. I've got to say its just ok. I'm pretty much what you would call a coffee snob. I have one BIG cup a day and figure spending $12-18 a pound on good, fresh roasted coffee isn't really that insane. My mom said she read that it won a taste test in Consumer Reports. Not wanting to call my mom a liar I bought a bag of EOC Columbian for around $4.50. I bought whole bean and ground it myself. Upon opening the bag I noticed that the beans looked dry and lighter than I am used to. The smell was weak and I could notice a bit of a plasticky smell, probably the bag. I brew my coffee in a drip filter placed on top of my cup, filtered water from a whistling teapot at 198-200 degrees. The color was pale in comparison to say Starbucks Cafe Verona and the taste was bitter and bland, there was little aroma. If you like it that's fine, I wouldn't argue with you. As someone who savors one good cup of coffee in the morning I will be tossing out the balance of my 12 oz mistake and placing an order to Intelligentsia coffee. If anyone in interested in learning more about what it takes to make a really good cup of coffee read the forums at coffeegeek.com and just about everything written at Sweetmarias.com. Caution: With a little knowledge you will soon scoff at supermarket coffee and turn your nose up at most festering pots of joe everywhere and be on an eternal quest for the ultimate cup. You will bore your friends and talk about coffee like it was wine, saying things like "Did you notice the candy-like sweetness, notes of passion fruit and cherry burst forward hand in hand with a juicy, plush mouthfeel," People will think you are a pretentious snob, but come on people, coffee is food and isn't that why we are here?

[pgmrdan]

Been drinking 8 O'clock coffee for years. My parents always bought it at the A&P and ran it through the store's coffee grinder.

It's been the only coffee we've bought for years until we buy coffee again. Someone gave us a bag of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. It's great.

COSTCO sells 2 1/2 pound bags for just under $15. That's less (barely) than $6/lb.

It's really smooth.

[bookiethe rookie]

I have been an EOC drinker since 1954. the 1st in fresh roasted whole coffee beans with twice weekly deliveries to A&P stores in Seattle way before Starbucks. At that time they had 3 brands,Eight Oclock,Red Circle and Bokar.The A&P stores pulled out of Seattle in 1968 leaving me with no coffee except when travelling to the East Coast or Eastern Canada until the advent of internet shopping.Now Sams Club and Walmart. carry it. Still an excellent coffee.

[meagan]

I can't find the Dark Roast in the beige bags any more. Did they stop making it? Is the Italian Dark Roast the same?
Meagan

[TerriHamel.myzrii.]

The March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports has just rated Eight O'Clock coffee at the top of the heap. You can contact me on the net at TerriHamel.myzrii. (dot calm... got that?) I just ordered a four pack of it from Amazon dot calm...

[Will Owen]

Yup, saw that on my Yahoo news today. The 100% Colombian of each brand was what they tried, and they claimed it beat everyone from Chock Full 'O Nuts to Peet's, which I have a hard time believing. Of course I get only either French Roast or Major Dickason's Blend from Peet's, and the EOC French roast has been trashed here by just about everyone who mentioned it, so I'm in no immediate danger of switching.

As for cheap coffee, I always liked El Pico when we lived in the eastern half of the country, and out here on the western edge I find La Llave to be a close equivalent, selling for as little as $5 for two 10-oz. bricks, or $3.49 for a can. I've never been able to make a decent pot from Bustelo, however hard I tried. Just nasty.

[NeverWillCook]

Hello! Eight O'Clock Coffee just named BEST COFFEE by Chicago Tribune! Here is the link - read and enjoy (and drink).

http://www.news-tribune.net/features/...

[Leafs]

BETTER THAN Tim Hortons and Starbucks
Tastes smooth

[Kinnexa]

Not bad at all for the price. I don't drink coffee much anymore, but when I do and I can't find any fair trade stuff in the supermarket, 8 O'Clock is fine. I grind it coarsely and brew it in my French press.

[Judith]

Is this the same 8 O'clock coffee that they used to have at the A&P in New York when i was a kid, which is to say, more than 50 years ago?

[mtngonzo]

The dark roast, if you like a full bodied, strong brew without a bitter aftertaste, is better than Starbucks, hands down. I like a stronger brew, and grind mine ultrafine ("Espresso" or "Turkish" grind if you're using the store machine) and brew it in a cone-filtered machine using filtered water. I find it to be a strong,smooth coffee with just a hint of sweet (Berry?) undertaste.
However, the dark roast is probably the hardest to find. I agree with everyone else . . . the French Roast is rank - very bitter.

[johnb]

This topic brings back memories. 8 O'Clock started out as the house brand of A&P. I remember fondly as a small boy going into our local A&P store in my tiny town and literally smelling the coffee (we're talking the late 1940's here). It was a wonderful heady aroma that I always associated with the A&P, and always missed with any other food store. I also remember the big red coffee grinders right there in the store. I think that coffee memory may have contributed to my evolving into a chowhound in later life.

Thanks for the memories.

[coffeemaniac]

I used to buy Gevalia as I am very picky about my coffee, but with the high cost of shipping added to the price of the required four boxes at a time, it became much too expensive. I found eight o'clock whole bean 100% columbian to be as good as the high dollar Gevalia. I save a lot of money and still have an excellent cup of coffee. Something to consider is that your water can have a huge affect on how your coffee will taste. Using the same coffee bean (freshly ground), the same coffee maker, but changing the water from filtered to tap will give me two very differing cups of coffee. The fresh filtered water is much better. For another example, McDonald's has a very specialized filtering system specifically for the water for their coffee and theirs always taste the same no matter what city you purchase it. Here's to good coffee - may it ever perk! Coffeemaniac

[Gr8tgames]

The 8 O'clock Dark Roast will stand on its own in blind taste tests when put up against any of the Starbucks Dark Roasts. (I tried this in my own kitchen with some gourmand friends - they were amazed!) Always great to find excellence with a good price!

French Roast is very good, too.

[Chillinmpls]

We always buy 8 O'clock coffee.
Most grocery stores sell it for $4.39 for the small bag. (Mpls, MN) but they have it on sale often.
But best everyday price is at SuperTarget! $3.39 everyday! in fact, they just had it for $3.05 on sale! and there were some $1 off coupons in the Sunday paper about a month ago.
We usually buy the Red bag - original. Whole beans.
We grind it with a $20 grinder - works great.
Then here is the trick for the best coffee in the world. Make it in a Coffee Press. (aka French Press) also only $20.

We have heard the French roast is not that good.

The Dark roast is for superb for espresso and cappuccino.

here is their website tells you the differences:
http://www.eightoclock.com/products/w...

Remember, the trick to coffee is how you make it - as in use a coffee press. A coffee press makes the cheapest or worst beans taste like the best coffee in the world. and expensive beans are not any better. it's the process not the beans.

[Sinicle]

More so than most food subjects, coffee "preferences" are all over the map. I roast my own coffee and feel many of the "popular" coffees are so over roasted that it doesn't really matter what the original quality of the bean...almost the same as judging the quality of steak based on "well-done." Having ranted on that, I do find EOC regular quite good and,relatively speaking, the decaf is even better. Buying whole beans and grinding your own adds a magnitude of quality.

[Chew on That]

I had this at my job last summer. The people I worked with raved about it but I couldn't tell why it was so special. It was fine, don't get me wrong but I wouldn't prioritize it over another brand. It is however, pretty cheap!

[vicci1313]

here's the consumer reports quick picks, I hope this gives you some insights!
CAFFEINATED

If price and convenience are no object:
1 Caribou whole bean, $11.25

The only excellent coffee in the Ratings, this is complex and well-balanced. It’s available at Caribou stores, by mail order, or over the Internet. The quality of Caribou’s already ground coffee was too variable for us to rate.

Best combination of taste and price; both are CR Best Buys:
2 Eight O’Clock whole bean, $5
3 Dunkin’ Donuts ground, $7.66

Both make very good coffee for less than 20 cents per cup. Eight O’Clock (2) is available at supermarkets. Dunkin’ Donuts (3), sold at the company’s outlets, is the best-tasting ground coffee we tried. The whole-bean version is not quite as good.

Inexpensive; OK with milk or sugar:
9 Berkley & Jensen ground, $1.80
10 Kirkland Signature ground, $1.76

Both cost pennies per cup and taste good. Kirkland (10) seems a bit darker-roasted than Berkley & Jensen (9) and is more
astringent. Berkley & Jensen is sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club; Kirkland, at Costco.

DECAFFEINATED

Best combination of taste and price:
26 Eight O’Clock whole bean, $5.85, CR Best Buy

This very good coffee costs less than 20 cents per cup.

Inexpensive; OK with milk or sugar:
27 Great Value ground, $2.44

This good coffee is sold at Wal-Mart.

[vicci1313]

I get the colimbian whole bean and grind a pot at a time. I keep the beans in the freezer well sealed ( it can't get other smells or tastes in the bag). I get consumer reports and the #1 coffee thats harder to get, more expensive etc. was Karibou coffee, the whole bean choice for the best taste for the money is 8 o clock colombian coffee and for ground is dunkin donuts, 8 o clock is the cr best pick. I love it. I've tried a lot of different coffee and 8 o clock is the best!!

[kleinfortlee]

(for the sake of this blog)

Eight O'Clock Taste Test May 17,2007, 6:00 AM

Procedure:
bought a bag of EOC Original (red bag) whole beans-$4.99/lb.
coffee prices ranged from $4.99-$18.99/lb.at large chain store
ground right before brewing, followed bag directions to a T
used tap water

Results:
I drink my coffee black
bouquet: fine
body: medium/full
taste: very good, slightly bitter, long-lasting flavor

Opinion:
EOC makes a very good cup of coffee...getting my day off to a sparkling start
Highly recommended for the price...a good everyday brew!

Ahhhh...to suffer for one's art.

Buy some when you run out of your present joe. I was nicely surprised, because I haven't had it in years. Will take the rest of the pot to work in my thermos...no Starbucks today. Ye$$$$$$$$!

Bill

[PhoebeB]

It's the best inexpensive coffee I know of, and if you blend it half & half with your favorite pricey French Roast or other assertive beans it's a fine dollar-stretcher.

[embee]

After reading some surprisingly good things about it, we tried the one in the black bag. Purchased at Dominion in Toronto (partially owned by A&P) and imported from New Jersey in one of those one-way valve sealed bags.

The beans smelled great on opening, but the bag contained dozens of those immature light yellowish beans that never roast properly. It tasted REALLY BAD. Never again.

[shopgirlto]

my cousin and i both tried all the coffees available and narrowed it down to 8 oclock as the best and not just because it's cheaper than the high cost brands.
if you grind it yourself it's the best.

[Chadster]

I was lucky enough to come across, very unexpectedly, 3 types of EOC at my local BigLots, a tacky discount chain. I got it because I grew up with it on the East Coast,
and hadn't had a cup of EOC for over 25 years. The bag was 10.6 ounces, cost $3 (!)
and may have been by way of Canada, because the packaging was in English & French. I chose "Original" because it was in a red bag, which used to mean regular roast. And I've got to say that it was GREAT. (I tell everyone, btw, that the water you make coffee with is every bit as important as the coffee.)

[Panini Guy]

FYI, murky coffee in DC did a blind coffee cupping with some food writers and restauranteurs. Eight O'Clock coffee (Colombian) and Starbucks (Colombia Narino Supreme) finished at the bottom out of seven coffees sampled.

The article was called "Wake Up and Cup the Coffee" and appeared about a week ago in the Washington Post. You can find the article thru Google.

[Atomica]

Could not find all the names of the coffees tested and how they all ranked. I wondered if they tasted the dreaded and ubiquitous Farmer Bros.

[Panini Guy]

Atomica,
There was a link in a sidebar to "Grounds for Victory" that gave the winning order (more or less).
I've included price per pound so you can see relative value:
Top Roasts:
Murky (El Salvador Malacara - roasted by Counter Culture, $18), Caribou (Costa Rica Sombra de Oro, $12), Mayorga (Panama Hartmann Estate, $12).
Middle Roasts:
Dean & DeLuca (Costa Rica Terrazu - roasted by Ornico Bros., $12), Santa Lucia (Nicaraguan Classic Roast, $9.67)
Bottom Roasts:
Eight O'Clock (Colombian, $6.25), Starbucks Colombian Narino Supremo, $11)

[Atomica]

I tried to link to that, but it wanted a password and I couldn't be bothered. Thank you very much for listing the rankings. It seems odd to group Eight O'Clock for ranking with the other brands listed.

[Kelli2006]

I buy the 8 O'Clock whole bean Columbian coffee, and grind it myself. I think it very good coffee for the price.

[Florida Hound]

This thread has re-appeared in 2012, and Eight O'Clock Coffee is always a noteworthy topic! It was comments on other Chowhound threads about Eight O'Clock that got me curious enough to try it about a year ago, and I'm glad I did.
I rotate among my morning combinations, always grinding the beans (except for Folgers):
>Eight O'Clock 100% Columbian whole bean, mix with some Folgers
>Folgers, mix with some Peet's Major Dickason's Blend
> Peet's Major Dickason's mix with Eight O'Clock
Proportions may vary from morning to morning. And some mornings its straight Eight O'Clock 100% Columbian, maybe extra beans from what the label directions recommend, etc.
I bought in to the PR hype on the Peets Coffee web site about buying in small batches, and I have "too much" coffee on hand in the cabinets right now, so I am slowly whittling down the supply before I include my old standby of Dunkin Donuts on this merry go round.

My point is I am a fan of Eight O'Clock 100% whole bean, but playing around with a few brands keeps it interesting, too.

Many posters over the past 6 years on this thread have jumped on the nostalgia bandwagon with stories of A&P, Mom or Dad grinding their Eight O'Clock at those wonderful smelling grinders at A&P. Not much I can add, except that I share in that delightful memory.

While Eight O'Clock brands' varieties want to have something-for-everybody in their marketing, it is interesting to read up and down this thread and see how people love 8 O'Clock or slam it like nobody's business. Our tastebuds and personal likes and dislikes never cease to amaze.

[coll]

I laughed the other day to see that Eight O'clock is now making K-cups! Thanks but I'm sticking with whole bean.

[HillJ]

The trick is grabbing 8 o'clock when the beans are shiny and recently roasted. When they aren't the coffee tastes stale and flat.

[coll]

But what do you do, open several bags and examine them first? I've never seen them loose.

[HillJ]

Right on cue...I should have clarified immediately.
Actually when the clerk asks me if I want the beans ground I say, yes open the bag and if the bag is drab I don't buy it. Mean I know, but how I roll. More times than not the beans are fine.

[coll]

Oh OK. Our grinder has been moved to the back of the coffee aisle so you're on your own.

[Kelli2006]

Lately the shelves have been bare of brown bag whole bean 8 O'Clock so I have to find a clerk to open a box from the storeroom. I assume that if it is selling that brisk that the beans are fresh.

I grind my beans every other night and keep them in an air-tight mason jar.

[HillJ]

You're lucky, Kelli2006. What moves in a store based on itemand price can vary from place to place...but at any price I will not buy coffee beans that I know won't satisfy me brewed. I love coffee, I dislike lousy stale coffee.

[Panini Guy]

I've never seen "shiny" 8 O'Clock Coffee beans as they're usually a medium roast. "Shiny" (as in an oily sheen) would indicate a french roast or a very stale dark roast.

[HillJ]

Sorry you haven't seen a sheen on your bag of 8 o'clock. While the french or dark roast will also have a sheen on a dark bean, the medium roast should have a freshness that I am describing as "shiny" too. I am referring to the 8 o'clock in the brown bag.

http://www.amazon.com/Eight-OClock-Co...
here's the version (although shown as ground).

[Panini Guy]

No need to be sorry. I don't ever want a sheen on my coffee.

[HillJ]

;0)

[butterfieldsofvermont]

it is ok with a little maple syrup in it

[MsDiPesto]

I have a bag of Eight O'Clock French Roast, and by itself, it is pretty bad. I think I bought it due to being A)Feeling frugal that day, and B)my nostalgia for the way EOC smelled when I went to the A&P with my mom, and every checkout counter had a coffee grinder at the end of it that the checker ground it in...I was in love with the aroma!
I'm throwing a spoonful in the Press with my Starbucks Italian Roast every morning to slowly use it up.

[njmarshall55]

I, too, remember the big red grinders at the cash register in A&P in NJ growing up. LOVED that smell. 8'OC is the only coffee in the house. I buy the regular beans and have the Cuisinart G&B every morning. Nothing but half and half in mine.

[obxspiritdreamer]

8 0'clock is certainly an old stand by in the retail coffee world. I can remember my Mom buying it over 40 years ago. As cheap coffees go it is one of the better ones. But as a former owner of a coffee house, I will tell you that it is not one of the best. But also I strongly believe that a lot of the "gourmet" coffees on the market that you pay close to $15.00 a pound for are really not any better than 8 o'clock.

[namreb]

Eight O'clock Coffee is great if you get the beans and grind at home although the grinding machine at A&P where this brand orginated is heavenly.

The coffee is at good as it gets for a store bought coffee.

Great in the perk....old school

[billjriv]

I love perked coffee,great stuff.I dont know why they can't make regular coffee makers heat the water up hotter,probably afraid the plastic will melt lol.

Just found this recipe sounds pretty good never thought of using a microwave to make coffee before,thought I'd share.

1. Avoid heating the coffee for too long. Coffee is best if not heated over 170 degrees F. Otherwise acids form which are (1) distasteful (2) bad for the teeth and (3) bad for the stomach.
2. Procure a large Pyrex(TM) measuring cup and a cooking thermometer.
3. Place the desired amount of water in the Pyrex cup for testing. Place the Pyrex cup of cold water in the microwave and run for various times. Quickly remove the Pyrex cup of now-heated water and measure the temperature. Find the correct cooking time to achieve 170 degrees F. but not higher.
4. Always use freshly ground coffee. It tastes much better. (This is the secret of all restaurant coffee.) You may grind your own coffee at the grocery.
5. Place a large coffee filter in a Pyrex measuring cup.
6. Place the desired amount of freshly-ground coffee in the coffee filter and the measuring cup. Add the previously measured amount of water for 170 degrees.
7. Heat the coffee and water in the microwave for the proper time for 170 degrees. The coffee may be steeped for 5 minutes to increase brewing.
8. Pour brewed coffee from Pyrex cup into a coffee-filter holder on top of a coffee cup.
9. Remove coffee grounds using the filter in the Pyrex cup and discard.

[Panini Guy]

I missed this post first time around.

The proper brewing temperature for drip, as created by Ted Lingle and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), is 200F. There are only a couple of machines that have been certified by the SCAA as being able to brew a proper cup. Probably the most notable of these is the Technivorm Moccamaster, which, in addition to delivering 200F water to the grounds, features a stainless steel thermos carafe that does NOT sit on a heating element.

Keep in mind that even when brewed at the proper temp, brewed coffee flavor and quality diminishes rapidly. Top shops routinely toss their drip within 20-30 minutes after brewing, 60 minutes on the outside. For maintaining optimum flavor, consumers are advised to go the thermos route instead of a pyrex pot sitting on a heating element.

[katzparov]

I do a very similar thing with the Large Melitta Portable Coffee Maker.

I simply PLUG THE HOLE from underneath...........You can find many ideas to temporarily :PLUG THE HOLE.

1. Plug the bottom of the basket
2. Insert you large filter
3. Add your Coffee grounds (Freshly ground if possible)
4. Boil your filtered water in a pyrex measuring cup.
5.Let the water sit just long enough so that it's no longer boiling....Just under 200 degrees
6.Pour your water into the basket which is sitting on top of the carafe
7.Let it STEEP for approx. 5 minutes...........Or less if you prefer.
8.Lift the basket by the handle and carefully pull the plug and let the coffee drain.

That's it.........Simple........Combination of Drip Coffee and French Press Coffee.

I enlarged the drain hole so that after it steeps for 5 minutes, I can quickly drain the basket just to more easily regulate the brewing time.
It's not necessary though.

Also, if I wish to make a larger amount of coffee than the amount of water that will fit in the basket....................I'll use the same instructions mention up above............The only difference is that once I drain the brewed coffee, I'll pour the remaining water into the basket, going around the sides of the filter to get all of the grounds off of the side of the filter.

The only difference is that I may shorten the STEEPING time since the additional water will still count as Brewing time.

It's actually quite good and easy this way.

If you wish to use more Coffee and water for a larger yeild.......................

[coll]

At the moment I'm only drinking 8 O'Clock, I like the Boka blend, it's a little milder than the others, otherwise I get the red original. It goes for $6.99 for a 2 lb bag which is great as I'm watching my budget. I get the whole beans and grind some every morning, just like my grandmother used to do. It tastes better than most generic deli coffee that I've had.

[HillJ]

I also buy the 8 o'clock Boka blend beans (brown bag). For a large crowd/party freshly ground Boka beans are fine and a good value.

I don't let anyone grind beans for me anymore. It's simple to do at home and you have a better shot at good results per pot. A whole lb of ground coffee loses that "oh my" too fast.

[amyvc]

It may be great in the perk. I wouldn't know. However, I always grind my beans at home and 8 o'clock is never great. It's drinkable and ok, but in no way could it ever be called great. Sorry, but there's better coffee out there. The $3 spent on "better" coffee at the supermarket gets you better coffee. Although I agree with the bottom ranking of starbucks too. Just not that big a fan of their regular coffee...

[PhoebeB]

My opinion exactly:"good as it gets for a store bought coffee".

I'm interested to hear there's both a Dark Roast and a French Roast, right? I've never seen the Dark Roast: just reg., Columbian, French.

How does it differ from the French Roast?

[amyvc]

Yes, it's definitely drinkable. It's just not "really good."

[hilltowner]

I drink it daily. I used to shell out the bucks for good coffee, but finally realised that I was spending far more than I should, given my budget at the time. So I switched to 8 O'Clock dark roast. It was really pretty darned good. Unfortunately, I cannot find the dark roast anywhere where I currently live, so I now drink either Colombian or regular, both of which are just "fine". If you can find dark roast, but it. Everything else is just so-so. Oh, and the french roast is really pretty bad.

[Atomica]

I see it's on Amazon for $5.99 for a 12-oz bag. That doesn't seem a lot cheaper than better stuff. I regularly see beans on sale in grocery stores for $4.99, $5.99, and $6.99 per pound. Enlighten me.

[coll]

You have to buy it in the grocery store on sale (which is every other week) not online. Then it costs about $3 lb.

[Atomica]

Thanks for replying. I really was curious.

[coll]

It's on sale as often as not, either half price or 2 for the price of one. I don't think I've ever paid full price; if it's not on sale, just wait a week or two.

[amyvc]

It's ok. It's the kind that you buy when you don't want to spend $7-12 per lb for the good stuff. It's $3.99 here in FL. Of course, it's much better than pre-ground crap that they sell for cheaper and pass off as coffee. But, as a 'hound, you will in no way call it great.

[Atomica]

Is it better than the horrendous Cafe Bustelo that my husband insisted on buying recently? Man, was that rank.

[bkhuna]

Cafe Busteo isn't all that bad if your going to use if for Cafe Cubano. It's ground for use in making Cafe Cubano and needs to brewed in an espresso machine.

I buy Eight O'Clock Columbian and grind it fresh. It's just fine for caffeine swilling. If you go to their web site, you can download a couple of coupons for $2.00 off. Combine that with the sale price and you can get a bag for like almost nothing.

[amandaqtpie]

I don't drink coffee daily anymore, but I have always bought Busteo, Eight O'Clock, or Chock Full O' Nuts. Chock is, by far, my favorite. Remember that it's all in how you brew it and what your taste is.

[revsharkie]

It's okay. Not too bad for no more than it costs.

The French Roast isn't real good.