El Cheapo Coffee

[Sousaphil]

I'll cast another vote for the Costco house blend by Starbucks.
I use my Cuisinart coffee maker with attached burr-grinder. The aromas are strong enough to wake you up without a sip!

[JerseyJohn]

Dunkin Donuts whole bean - I think it's $13 for two pounds on sale, and it's always on sale.

[Piscator]

Gotta go with Community Coffee...

[AscotWithShortSleeves]

I drink about six cups a day. I sometimes use the French press (which is actually faster and easier than the Cuisinart coffee maker we have).

I LOVE this vanilla-flavored coffee they sell at Marshall's. Can't remember the name, but it's some generic thing like "Flavored Coffee Company" and in a silver bag.

To my great shock, Folger's also has a really great pre-ground French vanilla. I know--you guys are doubting me. Well, give it a try first. You'll be stunned.

New England Coffee Company is also very good and frequently on sale.

I've had 8:00 Coffee and found it to be just fine for my tastes.

I'll be the first to admit, however, that my coffee standards are ridiculously low. I just can't stand anything sweet.

[Pentheos]

I find that the French Roast from Trader's Joes is very good and relatively inexpensive. It's our daily drinking coffee.

[DCLawyer68]

"Consumer Reports," in their March 2009 issue, ranked Eight O'Clock 100% Columbian as the best. And among the cheapest, at $6.28/lb. Beat out Caribou, the previous winner.

My wife and I went out and got some right after they came out. We didn't like it one bit, making me wondering how discerning their tastes are.

One source that hasn't been mentioned is the Trader Joe's house brands.

[VictoryGin]

I buy green coffee beans and roast a small batch every week. It costs me $3.47 / pound. Does this count as "el cheapo"?

I'm not a barista or a connoisseur, but my wife and I like one good cup of coffee in the morning and this is how we do it. It takes me about 30 minutes per week to roast, then a couple seconds per morning to switch on the grinder. We use a 4 cup automatic drip machine - hotel room size.

Here's a good link to learn the basics --> http://www.roastingrevolution.com/ab...eginners-guide

-Greg

[Piscator]

I buy green coffee beans and roast a small batch every week. It costs me $3.47 / pound. Does this count as "el cheapo"?

I'm not a barista or a connoisseur, but my wife and I like one good cup of coffee in the morning and this is how we do it. It takes me about 30 minutes per week to roast, then a couple seconds per morning to switch on the grinder. We use a 4 cup automatic drip machine - hotel room size.

Here's a good link to learn the basics --> http://www.roastingrevolution.com/ab...eginners-guide

-Greg

Do you have a dedicated roasting appliance, or do you use the hot-air-popcorn popper method? I've been thinking about getting into home roasting, but my home-beer-brewing setup had to get going first

[Jovan]

Eight O'Clock Coffee. "End of thread."

However, Panera Bread is a great value if you don't make coffee at home. 89 cents for a "travel refill" -- basically, bring in your own travel mug (or just any container really) and get as many refills as you need while you're there. Did I mention it's higher quality than Starbucks and there's four flavours available?

[VictoryGin]

Do you have a dedicated roasting appliance, or do you use the hot-air-popcorn popper method? I've been thinking about getting into home roasting, but my home-beer-brewing setup had to get going first

No special equipment is needed. I use an ordinary skillet (frying pan?) and roast about 12 ounces at a time, using a wooden spoon to keep the beans moving for an even roast. We like dark roast, so I do it outside on a propane burner because it starts to smoke a bit near the end. Twelve to fifteen minutes on med-high flame, or until you like the color. About ten minutes to cool in a separate bowl, and that's about it.

I've also been home brewing for >10 years. Got a cherry pale and Canadian ale in bottles now. -Greg

[Corcovado]

I took my home coffee machine and bean grinder in to my office, and I make coffee one of the pleasures that I don't mind splurging on. On the weekends I make coffee at home with a Keurig machine. There are all sorts of blends available in "K cups," but they all taste about 99% the same, and they are all inferior to what I brew at work. An unintended consequence has been that I find myself looking forward to Monday mornings when I can get the good stuff.

I don't stick to any one bean. I like exploring the different varieties of coffee. The 8 O'clock Colombian is very good and is my favorite inexpensive bean. The most insanely delicious bean I have had was a particular bag of Kenya coffee from Starbucks. Those beans were roasted very dark and had a fruity, winey aroma that made even the non-coffee drinkers remark on the nice smell. Subsequent bags of the same product from Starbucks lacked that extra special oomph. I have splurged on Kona coffee but it wasn't that great IMO. Tanzanian peaberry coffee was another I tried. Lately I have been using Peruvian dark roast which has a very earthy flavor. At first I didn't like it, but then I tried it again and got hooked. Right now my bean jar is filled with a mix of half Peruvian and half Starbucks Kenyan.

[lt114]

My wife and I usually drink Dunkin, Folgers Gourmet or Kona. Neither of those will cost you more than about $6-$7.

[Padme]

My husband also like the Costco house brand. He grinds the beans in a Krupps electric mill for either his Mr. Coffee, or his french press.

[tasteful one]

Ditch Starbucks, which is simply (or not so simply) overpriced, overroasted, precious, and prententious, and get a good coffee maker and call either the Calistoga Coffee Company or the Redding Roasters and get a some of their small batch roasted delights (Costa Rican is my fave), and get up 30 mins. earlier to enjoy it. It's simply amazing how really good coffee can start the day off well, and not that expensively, either.

[WouldaShoulda]

I've been all around this great big world and I've drank all kinds of coffee, but for every day its' Melitta regular decaf.

On the weekend it's French Vanilla Melitta decaf!!

[philidor]

Gloria Jeans has a great coffee place. They are far better than Starbucks with its frappuchinos and lattes (Starbucks target market used to be just the aspirational middle class with it's sizing name gimmick, now they are so famous even blue collar people may drink the stuff now) . Since Starbucks is everywhere and less expensive than Gloria's I'd recommend you to Starbucks. Avoid Dunking Donuts as, though I've personally never tried them, can tell by looking at them they aren't made correctly and made rather cheaply (you get what you pay for)

[Padme]

My husband is trying this from Costco. The beans are oiler than the Kirkland house brand, and the flavor is milder.

He says he likes the Kirkland Starbucks better, but this is not bad. (I'm just not a big coffee drinker.)


PS: The New Guinea is not bad if you like to crunch the roasted coffee beans from the bag. (Goofy guy.)

[tocqueville]

I recommend trying the hispanic coffees for sale in the latino sections of supermarkets. Cafe Bustelo, for example. It's good, cheap coffee (ie much better than its similarly priced competitors of the Folgers ilk). The problem with the Costco coffee is the volume. I don't like to buy that much coffee at one time since a) it sits for a while and b) I like buying more often to have different kinds/varieties.

[Realalefan]

Another vote for Eight O-Clock Columbian.

[Peak and Pine]

Avoid Dunking Donuts as, though I've personally never tried them, can tell by looking at them they aren't made correctly and made rather cheaply (you get what you pay for)

Yeah, that sounds about right. I think Pfiizer uses that method in evaluating new drugs. Am surprised Eagle hasn't put down his own Double D long enough to weigh in on that one. Btw, if you likes your coffee extra strong, as does The Peak, the test for this is to knock the cup completely on its side. If the coffee stays put, then yoweeeee!, it's at peak (and Peak's) strength.

[raincoat]

One that hasn't been mentioned is the Cafe du Monde coffee + chicory - one of my favorites.

That's good stuff. I drink French Market though. It's a little less expensive though neither are too much.

[Jovan]

Ditch Starbucks, which is simply (or not so simply) overpriced, overroasted, precious, and prententious, and get a good coffee maker and call either the Calistoga Coffee Company or the Redding Roasters and get a some of their small batch roasted delights (Costa Rican is my fave), and get up 30 mins. earlier to enjoy it. It's simply amazing how really good coffee can start the day off well, and not that expensively, either.

Oh, I agree. Starbucks apparently does use arabica beans... but it's hard to tell because it's been reduced to carbon. From what I've heard, they were better when they were a smaller company and didn't care about nipples being in their logo.

[ZachGranstrom]

Since I'm from Washington,I know a good cup of coffee. So then, the best coffee is Dancing Goat coffee By Batdorf & Bronson.

http://www.dancinggoats.com/Dancing_..._P854C4397.cfm

[Cruiser]

A Flight Attendant friend recently brought me some of this back from a flight to Costa Rica. I have no idea if it is expensive, cheap, or what; I just know that it tastes good.



Cruiser

[VictorRomeo]

I limit myself to one coffee a day so I usually make it a good one - In other words, I don't really do cheap coffee.

One of these days I'll get around to roasting my own but for now my favourite daily cup comes from Harrods of London.

They will roast fresh on premise if you ask and I go for their house blend.

About £2.50 per 100g. Since I frequently visit the city, getting beans roasted fresh for me is not an issue.

On the odd chance I run out I fall back to freshly roasted beans from a small roasting company in Dublin called Fixx.

http://fixxcoffee.com/fixx_friends.html