Roadhouse Joe from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich -- I get it via their mail order catalog which is a great source for all kinds of yummy treats.

My grocery store standby is Starbuck's Colombian - the only Starbucks coffee that I consitently like.

I thought this would be about favorite coffee colored paint. LOL

Acoreana, I find I get addicted to Starbucks Mocha Frap and I hate coffee. Go figure! I'm sure there is an evil plot in which Starbucks adds a secret addictive ingredient to make me want to come back for more.

Sky

I made a mistake and thought I put this on the "discussion" side...sorry...but thanks for all your input. My MIL swears by percolator, but coffee experts say it "boils" the coffee. The coffee press is supposed to be the best method these days. Anyone have one?

Starbucks dark french roast or Espresso. I buy whole bean and grind fresh daily.

I'll sometimes try one of the organic coffees at the open market. They are hit and miss, but still miles ahead of most of the dreck you buy in the grocery store.

Illy - we buy the beans and have a Jura Capresso for regular coffee, espresso or cappuchino. My DH is the coffee snob. I didn't start drinking coffee until 5 years ago when I married him.

Cameron

LOL! Exactly...maybe I should send D'n'D's caramel swirly goodness in for testing...it's like crack!

Well. . . I've recently made a major change in my coffee purchases--I now buy only fairly traded coffee (there's horrendous exploition in the international coffee market). I purchase my fairly traded,organic, shade grown coffee through Equal Exchange, which is a company in my area. It doesn't cost much more than what I was previously buying from the grocery store, and I feel that I'm making an positive impact on the lives of poor coffee farmers in developing countries every time I brew a pot. There are many fair trade coffee companies popping up around the country--if you google fair trade cofee you'll get an understanding of the hardship small coffee farmers have faced in the global corporate community and probably find a fair trade source close to you. I've found this is a really simple way to make a difference in the world, and I'm LOVING the coffee that I purchase (organic columbian whole beans, and as a treat organic hazelnut creme!). But prior to this, I LOVED dunkin donuts coffee!!

We buy our coffee from a local roaster- Badger Brothers. They have awesome coffee! They're originally from Alaska too so it's always a nice treat to chat with the owners (they learned how to roast coffee at one of my favorite coffee shop in Alaska- Kaladi Brothers).

I drink Pero, made from grains because of an esophageal problem. If I add enough creamer it tastes great. No coffee high, but it's hot, it's liquid, it's coffee-with-cream color, and somtimes I can fool myself with it!

I love the Baronet coffee I get online for my single serve machine that uses pods. I get the European Roast, Sumatra and for flavored I like the Creme Brulee. I also like to sometimes use a dollop of caramel topping in mine in place of sweetener, yummmmmm. I use a Bunn My Cafe that I got at amazon.com to brew single cups. I'm the only coffee drinker in the house so it works great for me to have the single serve brewer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Baronet Coffee

Fair Trade Costa Rican whole bean. It is so smooth, nothing else tastes good anymore. I have a Cuisinart coffee maker that grinds and brews.

I use a Bodum coffee press and (ducking head in shame) Starbucks house blend. I think it's pretty good, albeit a bit sludgy. I want to go back to using a regular coffee machine I just need to replace my carafe. One thing I have found is that if I drink the Starbucks French Cafe blend (available at costco) it consistently puts me over the edge, ie. makes me very angry. So I try to avoid that! I actually LOVE starbucks coffee from the store w/ 1/2 and 1/2 or 2%. Lately I've been a big fan of their lattes (just a latte, no flavor).

Wish they had a punch card. I usually only get it on the weekends.

I can no longer drink coffee thanks to reflux and caffeine hypersensitivity and unfortunately these days the budget doesn't often extend past whatever's on sale in cans (although most of the time DH doesn't care at 5:15 in the morning) but when I can I get an organic fair-trade coffee. Sometimes it's one of the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters organic fair-trade coffees - usually their House Blend - or Newman's Own (which is also Green Mountain). Melitta's organic coffees are sold in bulk at one of the local supermarkets and Sun & Moon is DH's favorite out of those. When out and about he prefers Dunkin' Donuts although it's been varying drastically from store to store, at some stores it's like diesel fuel, at some it's faintly brown water. When I still drank coffee, my favorites were Sumatran: Mandheling and Yirgacheffe.

If we go to Boston we always have to stop at Polcari's in the North End for a bag of Italian Roast. :-)

And yes, coffee is one of the most heavily pesticide-laden crops in the world, including pesticides that have been banned in the US for years; if you're only going to get one organic product ever, make it coffee. Traditionally grown coffee tends to be very expensive but is also normally pesticide-free.

I've been calling Starbucks "Charbucks" for years because their coffee smells and tastes burnt. I used to like their Chai Tea Latte but it gives me heartburn these days, which is fine because (like everything there) it's hideously overpriced. It's just Tazo Chai which is available in the exact same concentrate (aseptic boxes) at most supermarkets; I prefer Oregon Chai concentrate if I'm going to go that route, but it still has too much cinnamon although the Vanilla version is not quite as strong IMO.

If you use s French Press coffeemaker, make sure you get the right grind for it, which is coarser than drip or espresso grinds. A conventional drip grind is often too fine and gums up the screen, and if you then press just a hair too hard or the screen tilts a tad scalding hot water can come shooting out of the top of the carafe because it can't get through the screen. Because of the position of your arm and hand when you are pressing the plunger, this is an excellent way to get some nasty burns on said appendages. (Ask me how I know.) This is why our French Press currently occupies a high shelf in a top cabinet and is only taken out for loose herb teas or chai. (Also, you can get nasty sediment in the coffee if the grind is too fine, because it will go right through the screen.)

Okay, now that others have mentioned their 'problems' with Starbuck's i'll bite. I started having *bad* gas whenever I would drink it. One thing led to another, and it became worse than just the gas. Sometimes I would have to run to make it to the bathroom. Since I stopped drinking it, no problemo. I don't know how they've changed it, but it's obvious, at least to my 'well oiled machine' that it's not the same stuff. ;o)

Stewarts coffee, having one now as a matter of fact! LOL
Of course you'd have to be a New Yorker(not NYC)but from Westchester up to Canada to know what that is!

At home it's Tully's Sumatra blend.

At Starbucks, it's a triple tall nonfat latte. (Except around the holidays, I treat myself to a eggnog latte with regular milk)

I don't drink coffee very often, but I serve World Market's Costa Rican Tarrazu whole beans.

Eight O'Clock Colombian Bean, ground right before brewing and brewed strong (with filtered water!!). We think this is as good as the many gourmet coffees we've had and have been using it for years. We always get compliments on the coffee.

When we were in Jamaica I brought back twenty pounds of the true mountain bean but we still thought the eight o'clock was as good.
Sort of like the difference between shrimp and steak. Different, but equal.
Half and half and super fine sugar for me.

Oooohhhh. I love dark, burnt coffee from Starbucks. French roast - the darker the better.

I love coffee and especially the smell of it. I don't need lots of it all day, but one or two cups in the morning helps me face the day.

I like Illy brand coffee. I usually get it at William's Sonoma or World Market. I discovered it on accident when I purchaed a bialetti cappuccino machine on vacation. I purchased it at WS because I am use to making lattes in the morning because we have a home machine. I picked this up at WS and also a can of the ground Illy to use in it for the week since we had no bean grinder at the beach. We really liked it and have bought it ever since. I also like any stong coffee. I like Starbucks Ethopia blens and their Christmas blends and anniversary blends. I cannot stomach Carribou. It is too bitter IMO.

I try fair trade brands as often as I can - they taste pretty good as well. My favorite is a "flavor" by the name of Ethiopian City - smells to high-heaven like a real-life garbage can, but it really tastes great. I recently purchased a Keurig machine because I enjoy coffee at night sometimes and it's pretty convenient. I'm still experimenting with the flavors but so far I like the Green Mountain. But I loved Green Mountain from years ago when they started selling it at the gas station I usually go to. At night, Timothy's decaf in the K-cup isn't bad at all - and I don't like decaf! After these two, I'd have to say Gevalia. However, I'm going to try some of the brands mentioned here. One of the reasons I chose the Keurig is because I can use my own home-ground brand so it's easier to do the experimenting.

ole' all!

DH loves 8 oclock bean and I love Stewarts (never been to NY though) All coffee is better with our new machine though. We got a technivorm for my birthday. Love it! Carafe is on the small side and I need more and have to make a second pot.

On a side note: I went to a little Amish discount grocery and they had large bags of 8 OClock bean for $2.00, I now have a freezer full of coffee beans. I think I got 8 bags.

Whenever we have friends traveling to Jamaica, we ask them to bring us as much Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee as they can fit into their suitcase. It's absolutely the best coffee ever. When we run out of that I like Green Mountain's Fair Trade Organic Breakfast Blend. I don't like super-strong coffee and hate Starbucks, but when there's no other coffee around I cut it almost in half with hot water. It's the only way I can stomach it.

8 O'Clock whole bean - the original and for the money, still the best. I have friends who mail order Peets; wonderful, wonderful stuff, but way over budget for me. Still, I get compliments along the lines of "My coffee NEVER tastes this good." Just start with nice, fresh, oily beans and be liberal figuring portions.

8 O'Clock whole bean Columbian

A friend sends me coffee from Costa Rico, where he relocated a few years ago to become a coffee "farmer." I think it is a profitable business and the coffee he sends from his "coffee" farm is delicious.

Just read an article on the msn home page stating McDonald's coffee is rated higher than Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. McD's will also be bringing out a few new latte's over the next two years. Apparently a few of the McD's have already 'unveiled' the new drinks.

I love Stewarts (never been to NY though)

Oops forgot they are in Vermont too. LOL

too. I recenty purchased a coffee holder and filter made for the Keurig (purchased from Keurig.com), so that I can use other coffees. It works wonderfully well.

I really like the coffee at Nordstrom's Cafe. I get a Caramel Latte w/soymilk. It's just right. Starbuck's same product is way too sweet, they go heavy on the syrup. I agree that their beans taste burnt.
@home it's a potluck, as I'll try anything once. I got some 100% Kona at Trader Joes that's nice. I like their columbian too. I usually blend in decaf to make half-caff, currently it's decaf Verona from starbux.
I like the flavor of mocca java, but it seems to be one of the most caffeine-rich types, as it always makes me wired.
The old Gevalia "european coffeehouse" series had some terrific varieties- I loved the one from Vienna, whatever that one was; Cafe Sperl, perhaps?
great topic; don't know that it belongs here exactly, but, whatever.
Casey

Martinson's..blue can.

Give me a cup of Yerba Mate any time. No, it's not coffee; it's tea, but it's not wimpy like a lot of teas. It's loaded with anti-oxidants and is actually good for you. It can help with weight loss and also regularity.

It has caffeine, but it doesn't make you feel jittery or keep you awake like coffee does. You can drink a cup shortly before bed and still sleep fine, but it gives you lots of energy during the day.

Lastly, it's eco-friendly and some of the South American native tribes who would otherwise be dirt poor make a decent living harvesting it.

Peets Houseblend - ground right before brewing. You can make it really strong and it doesn't taste burned like Charbucks. (I drink my coffee black.)

Sumatran, Rio Grande Roaster's Outlaw Blend, or Equal Exchange Ethiopian. I used to buy 8 O'Clock's bokar bean, but after Pick N Save went out of business I couldn't find it anymore. Like several above, I love Yuban and especially real diner coffee served in one of those utilitarian diner coffee cups. I've also had problems with Starbuck's. It tastes burned to me and after drinking a couple large cups one night I had some kind of strange and uncomfortable reaction to all the caffeine.

I had a McDonald's latte a couple weekends ago, did not even know they had it. It was great, so I went back the following day for one and it was yuk. Wonder what made the difference? The preparer? The water? Shrugs shoulders.

Oceanna, where do you get your Yerba Mate tea? I also remember loving that Chicory flavored coffee from Louisiana. Don't remember the brand, but I came home with it!

I'm probably the worst one here -- Starbucks Classic Coffee Ice Cream is my morning coffee! Yummmmm.

Squirrel, it was probably Cafe du Monde, very famous for its chickory coffee and beignets.

I've always just gotten mine at the grocery store, but I've been looking at some sites on the web lately that look interesting and thinking of ordering from one of them.

I never tasted the Chicory flavored coffee from Louisiana. Starbucks has some great stuff. I could gain weight just thinking about it!

I think that was the one, Patricia, rings a bell. Heaven. That's amazing the tea is just at the supermarket! I was just roaming around some special website, lol. I'll have to try it to get away from the coffee, which is bad for me, and if it actually helps the normal person (who doesn't indulge in ice cream like I do!) to lose some weight, that would be such a bonus!

DH is addicted to Don Francisco coffee and orders many of its types. It's not cheap, and I am going to check into 8 O'Clock and Yuban as more economical alternatives. When I do the buying I look for fair trade and organically grown. We also make our coffee half caf. Starbucks is much too bitter for me, although I do cave every year for their Christmas eggnog drinks.

If Caribou Coffee were the only company on earth selling coffee, I would give up my beloved favorite drink and switch to tea (which makes me sick to my stomach, some weird allergy). CC is almost wholly owned by the First Islamic Investment Bank of Bahrain - disguised on CC's website as "Arcapita", a cover company. CC's original statements (after they bought the company from its founders) explicitly state a devotion to and support of the adherence to Sharia Law. Sharia is the law that, among other things, upholds the ghastly treatment of women in the Muslim world, including honor killings. CC has redesigned its website so that all of this information is hidden - you the buyer, e.g., are invited to support their listed charities, such as battle against breast cancer. Digging through the Internet, however, one discovers the real story and the fact that the FIIBoB spreads its money around to help the upholding of Sharia and has propagandized as well. Not one penny of our money will go willingly to aid a system which is so deeply anti-humane and anti-woman. Yet we do buy gas for our car. No choice there!

There is truth in what sable has written about the bank ownership of Caribou, but there is more to the story. The bank has severed all ties with the person who promoted the adherence to Shari'ah. Here is the whole story as presented on snopes.com - pay particular attention to the updated last paragraph.

caribou story

Go to their new and "benign" website and click on Arcapita. They support Sharia and they give examples of those aspects of it which are not liable to offend anyone. Not mentioned is the remaining 99% of Sharia, some of which is unbelievably abusive of human rights, right now, today. They removed one "bad guy", took the name of Arcapita, and re-designed the website in order to appear completely inoffensive. That is for appearance only. Just because they seem not to contribute to organizations forbidden by the U.S. does not mean that they don't support the beating and killing of women and the total erasure of freedom for women, among their various complicities in what we would all term criminal inhumanity. Sharia supports slavery, which exists today in the Gulf States. The buying and selling of human beings. Etc., etc.

If one buys fair trade, one should also consider that CC represents a belief system and practices that far outstrip anything done by "unfair" trade.

Snopes is usually okay, but in this case it doesn't tell a quarter of the story.

Sable, you obviously have some information on this that is not easily found. I am a fan of Caribou, and would like to be able to learn more about what you say is happening.

I agree that the Arcapita website does not give any indication of their following Shari'ah, and the fact that they have so many women employed on their teams as shown on the website, makes it harder to understand that they would have such a horrible stance on women.

I would really appreciate any sources you can provide so that I may better educate myself on this. I certainly don't want to support a company with positions and practices like those you suggest they follow.

Les - It's 3 am out here, and whereas you have probably awakened for the day, I've not yet gone to sleep! Which I'm going to do right now.

If you like, I'll email you at the addy in your profile, as I'm not sure that this subject is suitable for the forum. There are many places to go on the Net for information. E.g. http://www.hrc.arg/doc/?t=mideast&c=bahrai -- I'm not saying that CC itself, as a company operating in the US, torments women. It fully complies with our laws, and therefore has at least the legally mandated number of WESTERN women in the company, here. However, anyone proclaming adherence to Sharia acquiesces in the prevailing conditions in countries of that religion, and those conditions are intolerable. Arcapita states on CC's website that it fully complies with Sharia in the running of the company, under the FAQ section. Beyond that I don't want to go on this forum, as it's completely off-topic. If this were moved to Conversations, we could.

If you don't mind my emailing you, let me know, and I'll do it tomorrow. My brain must now get some sleep.

Threegrad - So sorry! This is such an informative thread. I'm afraid that when I saw fair-trade and CC both mentioned here, the irony simply hit me. Nighty-night...

Thanks, Sable. It is 5:44 AM here, and I have not yet been to bed. I will be doing that shortly as well.

I would appreciate your e-mail, and any info links you can provide. I realize that CC doesn't torment women (except by the calories in the drinks, perhaps). I fully understand that we are talking about the parent company. It was their website to which I was referring regarding so many women on their management teams, etc.

Just as I stopped buying Domino's pizza years ago when I found out the owner was using his profits to fund anti-choice groups, I would certainly give up Caribou if it meant I was contributing dollars to a company that abused human beings.

My e-mail in my profile is the one to use. No rush on this, by the way. I don't get to Caribou too often (maybe once every three months or so) and so it is something that can wait for your convenience. Thanks.

Just sort of skimmed the posts here, but didn't see this one mentioned: best cup of hot coffee I ever had was my MIL's Gevalia made in her older but primo condition Bunn machine. I prefer iced coffee over hot, but she sure did make a great cup 'o coffee.

Ristretto Roasters in Portland is the best coffee in the country, I think. Beaumont Blend Espresso

With deep dark chocolate and ripe berry, this blend makes a superb straight espresso that also stands up beautifully to milk. Ideal for French press and other brewing methods.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ristretto Roasters

At least in the Northeast, McDonald's has been using Green Mountain Coffee Roasters/Newman's Own coffee for more than a year now. Unfortunately, they still too often somehow manage to screw it up, which is why DH goes to certain Dunkin' Doorknobs ;-) that are better than others. They don't have actual espresso machines except for in a very few test markets - "McCafes" - in most stores those "lattes" and "cappucinos" are coming from push-button machines filled with a prefab mix. (I have a friend who works there.)

"Henry's Blend" by Seattle Coffee (?)

And I second Stewart's coffee. I usually stop for a cup at our local one in the AM. And they make the best ice cream, too.

Stewarts makes ice cream? It's probably best I've never seen it. mmmmmmmmmmmmm