392443 Mon Apr 16 20:37:08 -0700 2007 72 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2487438 I can't always afford to buy my favorite coffee (locally roasted), so I occasionally have to buy some store brand coffee. It's a poor substitute, but am wondering if any brands are better (folger's? maxwell house?) than average. Mon Apr 16 20:37:08 -0700 2007 72474 sophia519 1 2487451 Cooks Illustrated has, over the years, rated 8 o'clock beans, Starbucks houseblend beans and Millstone Columbian beans well. At my house, we drink a combination of Trader Joe's french roast decaf and Double Dark. Mon Apr 16 20:44:34 -0700 2007 2487438 80141 ccbweb 2 2487654 I add to the Trader Joe's coffee.....I drink Joe's decaf blend. Extra dark! Yum! Mon Apr 16 22:49:14 -0700 2007 2487451 11934 Kitchen Queen 3 2488520 I'm also a fan of TJs french Roast - but I've never tried the decaf - maybe I should get 1 regular and 1 decaf and mix them - I'm should cut down the caffeine - but the deep, rich taste of that particular blend just forces me to drink 3 mugs before I even leave the house every morning. Tue Apr 17 09:38:30 -0700 2007 2487654 12747 butterchicken2nan 3 3139715 I get Folger's when I dont get chance to make it to TJs to get their Bay Blend. Mon Nov 19 14:17:38 -0800 2007 2487654 29932 MIss G 1 2487457 If you're buying locally roasted from an indie coffeehouse, ask them to sell you a half pound instead of the pre-packed full pound. Most will do that for regular customers. However, if you only had $5 or so to your name and needed about a pound and there were no other options, I'd suggest getting as much of the 8 O'Clock morning blend whole bean as you can afford. That's almost always the best value and usually better than "gourmet" blends for $2-$3/lb. more. Mon Apr 16 20:48:12 -0700 2007 2487438 24421 Panini Guy 1 2487844 I add my voice to the chorus re: 8 o'clock coffee. (Shop Rite is having a sale on it this week - it's like $2/lb.) Tue Apr 17 04:52:45 -0700 2007 2487438 63569 flourgirl 1 2487855 I have a preference for Folgers over almost any other coffee beleive it or not. It may not be everyones cup of tea, pause for chuckle, but I like to mix half breakfast blend with half decaf hazelnut, brew, and enjoy! I am enjoying some as we speak with my morning caramel creme yogurt. Tue Apr 17 05:02:24 -0700 2007 2487438 82243 ArikaDawn 1 2488452 Folger's 100 percent Colombian is the least expensive arabica I know of, and has done well in some tastings by supposed experts. It's about 2 cents a cup more than standard market brands. Tue Apr 17 09:21:59 -0700 2007 2487438 55316 mpalmer6c 2 3141436 Another vote for Folgers Colombian! At our local Publix, the 34.5 oz. can goes on sale for $4.99, or about $2.31/lb. That's inexpensive. Tue Nov 20 06:18:00 -0800 2007 2488452 15712 cavandre 1 2488466 I rate them as follows 1 8 o'clock 2 Folgers Gourmet Supreme or Colombian dark 3 everything else (cheap only) Tue Apr 17 09:26:17 -0700 2007 2487438 71935 luniz 2 2493511 Folgers Gourmet Supreme Wed Apr 18 14:34:21 -0700 2007 2488466 92326 winburn543 1 2488499 Has anyone tried Costco's beans? They seem like a pretty good deal, but it ain't really a deal if it's too bad to drink. Tue Apr 17 09:34:44 -0700 2007 2487438 85878 stolenchange 2 2488779 I get Costco beans all the time. I'm a medium roast guy, and they often have a nice South American blend, or straight Colombian -- 3 lbs for $9-12. Their Kirkland Signature coffee is actually roasted for them by Starbucks, so if that is your thing, they have darker roast options, as well. For regular store coffee, the only one I like (again, as a medium roast guy) is Yuban. Tue Apr 17 10:44:13 -0700 2007 2488499 87055 gjagiello 2 2488781 I have and liked them. I have tried 100% Colombian, it tastes almost like the Kirkland Colombian ground coffee that comes in cans (when you just opened the can), but since it's beans of course it tastes fresher. I also had bought a small batch of locally roasted French Roast beans, and mixed them for some extra robust flavor. I also bought their Sumatran French Roast (from Costco), but haven't tried it yet, since I'm still working on my Colombian beans - cannot wait! Tue Apr 17 10:44:40 -0700 2007 2488499 12766 welle 3 2488900 cafe demonte and bustelo. Tue Apr 17 11:15:38 -0700 2007 2488781 48024 oystersallday 4 2488927 second Cafe Bustelo! It's nice and strong, but not too acidic like some cheap brands can be. Much better (and cheaper) than brands like Folgers, Maxwell House, etc. Also Yuban has a decent dark roast (NOT the regular, it is gross) and they are doing some kind of fair trade campaign which seems nice. Tue Apr 17 11:20:50 -0700 2007 2488900 10473 melon 5 2493304 I agree on the Bustello, great budget choice... Wed Apr 18 13:55:48 -0700 2007 2488927 54744 rozz01 3 3136978 i like the kirkland costa rican better than the sumatran. tj's french roast is wonderful, but it is almost double the price of costco's.... Sun Nov 18 17:32:55 -0800 2007 2488781 105717 alkapal 1 2488923 We like the espresso roasts, and find some Latino brands a good cheap alternative to, say, Medaglia d'Oro. When we lived in Nashville we bought El Pico; out here in LA we get La Llave. I can usually find that at a discount for under $3 for a 12-oz. can, or sometimes the bricks are available at under $2. If we take a break from dark roast we like both Yuban and Chock Full O'Nuts. When I'm feeling extravagant I'll get some Peet's French Roast. It's been many years since I liked anything at all from either Folger's or Maxwell House, and I must say I've been disappointed by everything I've tried from Trader Joe's. Tue Apr 17 11:19:51 -0700 2007 2487438 11478 Will Owen 2 2488969 I haven't found any I like at Trader Joe's either, and I don't care for La Llave. But my regular coffee for many years has been Bustelo, which is available in Latin markets all over the country (also at Gelson's). I pay an extremely reasonable $4.00 a can. Tue Apr 17 11:30:23 -0700 2007 2488923 12460 Chowpatty 3 2493278 Matter of taste, then - I like La Llave and don't care at all for Bustelo. But yes, it is available everywhere. I had to laugh when I was checking out a Cuban market in North Hollywood, and there next to the Bustelo and La Llave was some El Pico that had somehow found its way west, but instead of the under-$3 price it goes for in Nashville, it was over $5! Wed Apr 18 13:50:46 -0700 2007 2488969 11478 Will Owen 1 2489002 my favorite go-to grocery-store cheapie is Melitta Traditional. Tue Apr 17 11:36:53 -0700 2007 2487438 14157 C70 2 2489142 For standard brands Maxwell House is pretty good, followed by Folgers. Yuban is pretty awful. I also agree with looking at the Latin brick coffees. While Bustelo is my least favorite of these, it still is good compared to the US supermarket brands at a significantly reduced price. Café do Ponto and Pilao are decent Latin coffees. Tue Apr 17 12:09:32 -0700 2007 2489002 10264 rworange 1 2489178 8 O'Clock Tue Apr 17 12:16:38 -0700 2007 2487438 18981 Jimmy Buffet 1 2489312 Henry's Blend by Seattle's Best. Available at Target! Tue Apr 17 12:55:00 -0700 2007 2487438 68586 alt11 1 2493293 I usually go with Sumatra, of whatever brnad the supermarket has. Usually Starbucks, but I've found them all to be pretty much (or exactly) the same. Sumatra the poor man's Kona. Wed Apr 18 13:54:08 -0700 2007 2487438 20529 Maddie 1 2493298 I enjoy 'choc full o nuts' (available in most groceries, and VERY cheap) and also TJ's Hazelnut Creme, also a steal. Both have very nice flavors. Wed Apr 18 13:55:09 -0700 2007 2487438 19980 kellydeez 2 2493492 I'm not sure but I don't think choc full o nuts is available in the midwest, south, or Texas. Also I don't know how anybody can call Starbucks cheap. Wed Apr 18 14:30:08 -0700 2007 2493298 71935 luniz 2 3139805 The chock full o nuts is good, and I can get it in NC. I think their decaf is probably the best among the cheaper brands. Mon Nov 19 14:43:39 -0800 2007 2493298 82797 itsrob 1 2493393 I like Trader Joe's espresso and French roasts, and Medaglia d'Oro. Wed Apr 18 14:11:51 -0700 2007 2487438 42513 Mawrter 1 2493437 I'm not usually one to make coffee for myself at home but I do like to keep a baggie of Kona Dark Roast on hand in the fridge for those mornings I have company. ;-) Wed Apr 18 14:20:26 -0700 2007 2487438 92512 DSan 2 2493452 Jesus! Don't store coffee in the fridge! Condensation forms on the beans. Wed Apr 18 14:24:13 -0700 2007 2493437 20529 Maddie 3 2493502 And how do you explain the condensation getting into an airtight baggie? Wed Apr 18 14:32:33 -0700 2007 2493452 92512 DSan 4 3136358 well, the moisture is already in bag and migrates to surface with the cold. unless u have a way to remove air/moisture (food saver etc)from bag Sun Nov 18 13:17:47 -0800 2007 2493502 143946 epicureandan 4 3145775 Uhhh... The condensation forms when the cold beans are taken out of the refrigerator and exposed to the air. So when you put them back they're a little bit wet. Wed Nov 21 11:00:57 -0800 2007 2493502 25310 Chuckles the Clone 1 3136370 i like making my own blend of dark roast and latino expresso roasts.try your own blend/mix! i think a lot of good coffee is ruined by filters and drip coffee makers....they should be banned! try a french press, or find a percolator style electric. i plug mine into a $7 electric timer and wake up to that great aroma at 5 am! Sun Nov 18 13:22:26 -0800 2007 2487438 143946 epicureandan 1 3137019 Community Coffee's In-Between Roast works for me! In fact, that is what I drink all the time, even when I have some change in my pocket... Sun Nov 18 17:46:55 -0800 2007 2487438 96658 Clarkafella 1 3137073 We tried IKEA brand last year and never looked back - it's rich and delicious! Sun Nov 18 18:08:01 -0800 2007 2487438 33866 GIAD 1 3137105 You can now buy Dunkin Donuts brand coffee beans & ground coffee in some grocery stores (and at BJ's). I bought a large bag at BJ's the other week, and I found that it's really smooth tasting, not bitter at all. Sun Nov 18 18:21:39 -0800 2007 2487438 131124 ctflowers 1 3137222 Any of the bolder roasts from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters...not burnt like Starbucks taste Sun Nov 18 19:11:39 -0800 2007 2487438 12296 steakman55 2 3137231 Thank you!! The first time I had Starbucks I thought, "Whoops they over roasted this batch" then the second and third...last time I said, "Oh, they intended for it to taste burnt". Ick! I simply do not like their coffee but I loves me some Dunkin Donuts coffee. Sun Nov 18 19:16:07 -0800 2007 3137222 96905 bubbles4me 3 3137249 Here in Toronto, I would pick Nabob, as well as Tim Horton's. Sun Nov 18 19:23:04 -0800 2007 3137231 54222 ekammin 4 3137718 I'm in the minority, but I like neither "Charbucks" nor Dunk'n Donuts coffee. I do like trader Joe's San Fran blend and French Roast, but they're not much less expensive than the coffee I can get from my local roaster. We can get the giant size Folgers at Walmart (someone else gets it since I won't shop there on principle). for under $6.00. Mon Nov 19 01:08:14 -0800 2007 3137249 64459 jnk 5 3139171 jnk, I've also heard that Walmart has good buys on Folgers coffee...however, I also don't shop there (based on principle!) My best friend belongs to Sam's Club, and she took me with her last week...we now call it the "S" store in code, because if my husband knew I was there, he would have a fit. (He's on our town's inland wetlands commission, need I say more?) Anyway, I go to BJ's for giant sizes of coffee, if I'm having a huge crowd over. We don't have a Trader Joe's in my area that I know of (in CT). Mon Nov 19 11:54:47 -0800 2007 3137718 131124 ctflowers 6 3141146 sam's club IS wal-mart, ctflowers. (which you probably know, anyway...) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart guess you can't go anymore.... Tue Nov 20 01:13:30 -0800 2007 3141047 105717 alkapal 7 3147212 I only went once to Sam's Club...my friend took me, but I didn't buy anything, lol. Wed Nov 21 22:25:30 -0800 2007 3141146 131124 ctflowers 7 3148149 Sam's is owned by WalMart, but other than pre-ground commercial coffee brands, they don't handle the same brands of whole bean coffees. I do like WalMart's whole bean coffees. But the recent coffee "shortage" has impacted on the quality. But when I bought a more upscale brand somewhere else, I wasn't impressed with its quality either. However, if you grind the beans fresh AFTER the kettle boils, you'll always get good drinkable coffee. With the right beans, you'll get GREAT coffee! Thu Nov 22 14:05:27 -0800 2007 3141146 112096 Caroline1 3 3141160 starbucks is known for burning/over-roasting their beans. i can't stand most of their coffees. peet's is the only way to go in terms of a chain coffeehouse. their stuff is on par with small, independent roasters. Tue Nov 20 01:51:14 -0800 2007 3137231 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 3141328 peet's is good. Tue Nov 20 05:19:06 -0800 2007 3141160 105717 alkapal 5 3145013 yup my preferred cup of joe. Wed Nov 21 07:20:38 -0800 2007 3141328 50431 chef chicklet 1 3139360 One day while my husband and I were at a local greasy spoon in Milford, PA, we had the best "resturant" coffee that we had ever tasted. When we asked the server what it was she said it was the Walmart brand coffee--in the green can. We tried to buy a can that weekend but the giant Walmart near us was completely sold out. Mon Nov 19 12:45:09 -0800 2007 2487438 11701 MrsT 1 3139904 Don Fransisco french roast for carry over. Mon Nov 19 15:11:45 -0800 2007 2487438 50431 chef chicklet 2 3141470 No Trader Joe's here in Florida :( I like Chock Full Of Nuts but I usually buy Wal-Mart's brand of Arabica coffee. I haven't had Folgers in years because I aways found it weak and wishy-washy. Maybe it's changed? Tue Nov 20 06:28:09 -0800 2007 3139904 119816 MysticYoYo 3 4431016 I really believe that Folger's lost a lot of aroma and flavor following P&G's purchase of the company resulting in the loss of the influence of the Atha's of Kansas City upon the buying and roasting. Bob Wed Feb 18 21:13:30 -0800 2009 3141470 107452 SonyBob 1 3141533 we have a friend that's a rep for Counter culture and he sometimes gives us bags of yummy stuff... but otherwise, we buy, Bustelo, El Pico, Pilon. I much prefer the nutty almost chocolaty flavor of the cheap-o latin expresso roasts that i grew up with, to the highly acidic high end coffees that are out there.... Tue Nov 20 06:48:54 -0800 2007 2487438 135178 TSQ75 2 4453025 I really like those, too. And Medaglia d'Oro (cheapo already ground Italian-American espresso). Availability varies by neighborhood around here, even with the big chain grocery stores. Wed Feb 25 21:11:27 -0800 2009 3141533 42513 Mawrter 1 3142438 I'm partial to Cafe du Monde (the coffee with chickory in it). Every Asian market in the universe seems to have it. Tue Nov 20 10:40:18 -0800 2007 2487438 27844 sistinas 2 3143102 most run-of-the-mill groceries have them now too.. Tue Nov 20 13:13:18 -0800 2007 3142438 135178 TSQ75 1 3143982 I happened on the Folgers Gourmet Columbian just last week, $2.95 for 13 oz. I was amazed at how good it was Tue Nov 20 18:08:27 -0800 2007 2487438 96003 sarge 1 3144594 Marques de Paiva, whole bean, organic, med. roast @ Sams, about $11.50 for 2.5 lbs. Tue Nov 20 23:45:03 -0800 2007 2487438 111267 meatn3 1 3145520 I love Seattle's Best French Roast for supermarket coffee. It's by no means the cheapest, but it's strong without being bitter. Wed Nov 21 09:45:27 -0800 2007 2487438 21252 CookingGirl 1 3145790 The thing to do when you're stuck using canned coffee is to brew it at least double strength and then add condensed milk. Or if that's not available lots of cream and sugar. They're all pretty much uniform taste (except for the ethnic brands) so creative preparation is key. Wed Nov 21 11:06:32 -0800 2007 2487438 25310 Chuckles the Clone 2 3145817 Has anyone ever tried CDM w/ chickory or Luzziane w/ chickory they are both coffee out of Louisiana! Wed Nov 21 11:15:26 -0800 2007 3145790 141683 louis evans IV 3 3147271 i've tried it. interesting. i think some indian restos i've been in also serve chicory coffee. or is it something similar, hounds? Thu Nov 22 00:11:06 -0800 2007 3145817 105717 alkapal 4 3147301 probably was. the traditional coffee of south india is a mix of coffee beans and chicory. Thu Nov 22 01:16:00 -0800 2007 3147271 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 3147270 chuckles, "at least double strength" would be undrinkable, imo, for something like a premium maxwell house, like the 100% columbian. and yes, "premium" in their line of products....visiting my mom's house, i just make it strong! Thu Nov 22 00:09:34 -0800 2007 3145790 105717 alkapal 1 3148077 Seattle's Best coffees are great with a reasonable price. By the way, they are owned by Starbucks, but make better coffee in my view Thu Nov 22 13:28:41 -0800 2007 2487438 12296 steakman55 2 3148118 they started out with starbucks copying them, didn't they -- or the ceo mentoring the starbucks guy? did starbucks buy them out? Thu Nov 22 13:52:09 -0800 2007 3148077 105717 alkapal 1 3153223 I sorta like Red Eye by Stewart Bros... The can is cool too. Sun Nov 25 12:14:37 -0800 2007 2487438 54744 rozz01 1 3155032 Cafe Goya. I like it better than the premium folgers. Mon Nov 26 08:36:43 -0800 2007 2487438 76833 dishchrista 1 3155160 Eight O'Clock! Mon Nov 26 09:13:22 -0800 2007 2487438 123480 scuzzo 1 4449386 I just found Stewart's Red Eye Brew. It's pretty good for canned ground coffee, pretty reasonable price to boot. Tue Feb 24 18:14:29 -0800 2009 2487438 54744 rozz01