Since at the moment I can't afford my favorite...

I buy Aldi's brand and re-grind it to get a fuller flavor when I make it.

Otherwise my favorite is the dark gourmet roast from Folgers.  I regrind that too to make it richer.  I like my coffee strong enough to defend itself.

OK, I'm not a woman, but I know coffee... I've owned 3 coffee shops (perhaps Marc or Bob P has been into Higher Groundz), and I have more coffee equipment than anyone I have ever met.  I used to drink about 8-10 double shots per day, but now I am down to 1 or 2 at most.

I could be called a coffee snob.  Almost all of my coffee is from Boca Java, which ships beans roasted to order so they're always quite fresh.

I could write a book on the proper way to make the perfect brew, and I practice what I preach.  I can turn coffee haters into coffee lovers because most coffee haters have never had good coffee.

Here's the thing... instant coffee tastes great.  They brew it perfectly, then they reduce it to those instant grounds, and it just tastes like coffee *should* taste.  Anyone who tells me they hate instant, I would bet $1000 I could serve them a cup of both in a blind taste test and they would pick the instant as better tasting at least 1/2 of the time.  It's MUCH harder to get the right flavor brewing it on your own, but you have a much wider spectrum of flavor possibilities. Plus, there is no such thing as instant espresso.  You can't fake the creme which holds 90% of the flavor after a proper extraction.

So, I like both.

   "Seattles Best"    hands down.   "Tullys" is a close second.  and I cannot imagine anyone ingesting instant coffee.  Yuck.

Linda, a coffee snob.

KJ wrote on Oct 30^th, 2008 at 6:56pm:



Easy, Folger's

You have to understand, coffee shops would serve an instant coffee if they could, it's just not economical.  It costs pennies to brew a cup from beans.  It costs a lot more to use instant.

As an experiment, I put a pot of Folger's in the coffee shop one week as a 'special' coffee.  I told nobody it was instant.  I went through a industrial sized tub of it (Costco) in that week, and the customer RAVED about it.  Most of those people were 'coffee snobs'.  I gave the coffee out for free (only in taster sized cups, the size of a dixie cup)

Some of these people were really pissed off that it was instant.  The truth hurts... the ones who reacted badly were the ones who liked it the most.  Their preconcieved notions that instant was bad coffee were proven false, and nobody likes to be proven wrong.

After that, I even thought about running a weekly special on it and calling it some exotic name like 'Astronaut Coffee', but I didn't do it because the stuff is expensive.

Thank you...I have a small jar of Folgers in my fridge.

I used to be a major coffee drinker.....a pot a day, ground my own beans, the whole catastrophe. Now I like tea. When I drink coffee at home, it's Folgers instant.

Well Chuckles, I like my coffee like I like my Wimminz.............


Strong, cold and bitter!

Actually before I began to brew real coffee, when I was younger I used to run the hot water tap, put a tsp of instant coffee in the cup and put it under the fawcet.  Now THAT is instant coffee!   I don't have the $ for the high end stuff but Chase & Sanborn special roast is pretty good.  It has a full flavor and isn't harsh or bitter.

And no, I was kidding about my Wimminz

-P.

It all tastes bad to me......

Racer1_NC wrote on Oct 30^th, 2008 at 8:06pm:



And I thought I was the only one who didn't like coffee!! My husband had to keep it in the freezer when I was pregnant the first time cause I'd throw up every morning when I smelled it.  He drinks Safeway brand, Mocha Java beans that are ground every morning. I love the smell now. I start my day with a diet coke for the caffeine rush.

Charlotte

Wawa coffee everyday.  Can't start the day without it

I prefer my own make, usually Folgers, but when I can find it and afford it I do like to grind my own Eight O'Clock coffee.  Forget all about Starbucks!  

However, after having ruined my taste buds with truck stop coffee I can drink about any except decaf!

I agree with Marc about instant IF it is made correctly.  Most of the time it is made with tepid water and mixed wrong.  then it is worse than none at all.

I like it hot and FRESH, not sitting in the pot for a couple of hours.

Jerry

BTW, if you are on the road and want a good cup, find a Love's or Pilot truck stop.  They have the best truck stop coffee in my opinion.

edit to add:  forget iced!  The only thing worse than cold coffee (or lukewarm) is wet toilet paper!

Gotta agree about the Pilot and Loves !! LOL !!

Starbucks is to coffee what toilet paper is to an elephant, and it's EXPENSIVE (as well as a long drive) around these parts, too !! And iced coffee is like warm sweet tea.....it's just WRONG !

I personally like the really dark oily beans from Puerto Rico, slightly rough ground and pressed in a French Press.  Love the Crema that come off the beans when the hot water hits the beans. also I add a nice shot of vanilla soy milk.  Yummy
                                                           John