Everyday Coffee Reviews – Coffees You May Find On Grocery Stores Shelves
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Walking into your local grocery store, you can find a multitude of coffee brands to be consumed on an everyday basis. So, how do they rate against each other? Are there any that give you a bang for not a lot of buck? Of course, there are some folks that will drink anything strong or with half and half, so for them, I present some guidelines for choosing a better coffee along with which ones fall into that category.
Picking a good coffee 101:
If you like your coffee black and with a robust flavor, you can be sure that any darker roast will do. Avoid ones with flavor. If you like your coffee with lots of cream, then you should also pick a darker roast. Lighter roasts are for coffee drinkers that want to taste the different bean varieties – this is easier to do with a lighter roast, though they are harder to find. Beans are always best when you can grind them as you go, if not, then the most airtight packaging around will do on already ground coffees.
A few of the common suspects:
MAXWELL HOUSE
This one offers sweet and mild tones for a mass produced blend. A bit of a bite at the finish of a sip and a good blend for those who like black coffee. Not overly bright and creamers can dull the overall taste.
FOLGERS
Awful and monotone in taste. It’s like the bean was somewhat dirty when it was processed. Unbalanced in aroma and taste. Unevenness may be masked with cream and sweeteners, but black coffee drinkers will not be satisfied; Almost burnt taste and slightly nutty at times.
YUBAN-Columbian
Sweet and tasty; light cocoa taste that is faint, but not lost; a good mild blend with a slightly roasted finish
Chock Full o’Nuts
A sweet blend of coffee from Sara Lee with a pleasant tone; distinctly mild and well balanced, but almost loses its aroma in the brewing process.
Eight O’Clock
Absolutely dreadful aroma – musty and mildewy; the tone is bland and distasteful; However, not all is lost, the Royal Signature Blend is a good of coffee showing brighter tones and flavor when sipped
Millstone Columbian
A blend of classic Latin American flavors; a mild roast with bright, fruity tones when it first hits the palate and finishes with a spicy and tangy taste; almost citrus-y tones
Starbucks French Roast
I personally find that Starbucks over-roasts most of their beans, and this one is no different. Slightly charred taste with chicory aftertaste, somewhat smoothed by cream and sweetener. But some folks love their coffee strong and this will certainly quench that desire.
Thanksgiving Coffee Fair Trade Light Roast
Smooth and bright flavored coffee with a flavor that is delightful; a good balance of acidity and roasted flavors while not overpowering the total effect
Although this list isn’t exhaustive by any means and everyone’s tastes differ, believe me when I say this: a good coffee is one that you should support. I’ve seen many good blends (although not in the grocery store necessarily) fade into oblivion because no one would buy the beans themselves. Support your blend!
December 1st, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I reside in Northern California and recently returned from a trip to Rome, Italy.
While there I had the best coffee ever and learned that it was Palombino.
Thus far, I have not even had the slightest luck in finding out where I can purchase
this coffee. Have you heard of it? Do you have any idea how I might go about
purchasing some? Thank you in advance.
January 1st, 2008 at 7:40 am
My local coffee shop has Torrefazione De Luca which is one grade better than Palombino. you can check them out at torrefazionedeluca.com
February 12th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Can someone who administers this site or at contributes try coffee from coffeefool.com and put their opinion of it on here? The best thing about their coffee is that their coffee, when you finally get it at your house, is only days old after roasting, not weeks or months old.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Thanks Eric, I checked out the torrefazione de luca website and ordered a case of their coffee de luca beens. They arrived in two days and really fresh and good. great tip.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 am
I agree with the reviews on this page. Every so often I will purchase supermarket coffees and conduct some informal tests. I have yet to drink more than a single cup each time. It’s a shame that the physics of coffee works so hard against store shelf coffees.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Where can I buy Chock Full of Nuts Coffee in Northern California?
November 12th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Was recently in southern Italy and they served a Sense Appeal coffee which is from Toronto. Sounds bizarre but the locals swore by it. The most ridiculous espresso i have ever had. Where can i get this i live in NYC.
December 6th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I do not particularly like the taste of bad coffee. I am kinda a coffee virgin looking to try some good coffee that will not scare me from coffee drinks. Any suggestions as far as cheap brands go? Based on the above reviews, Millstone and Maxwell House caught my eye.
December 6th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Freshness is always a concern with coffee and supermarket brands are notoriously stale. All that said, coffee is a matter of taste and even I have been known to pick up a tin of Chock Full of Nuts every now and then in a fit of nostalgia. My proffessional advice to every coffee newbie looking for an affordable first step is to establish a relationship with a local roaster or reputable online retailer. Many roasters (myself included) sell quite reasonably priced sample sizes (typically 8 oz – 4 oz) that allow you to cost effectively sample a variety of coffees until you find one that suits your tastes.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Does anyone know what brand or kind of coffee McDonald’s uses?
January 21st, 2009 at 1:54 am
If anyone has been to Key West, they may be familiar with Baby’s Coffee. Best. Coffee. Ever. Ever since vacation down there, I have ordered about a pound of various varieties of their roasts every month. They roast it and I recieve it in the mail a few days later. Every morning I have a few cups of it in my french press. For good coffee, definitely worth the price. Check it out!
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:04 am
It seems like a dependable rule with coffee (and other things too for that matter) that you get what you pay for… a ten dollar can of Folgers won’t taste as good as freshly ground beans
February 16th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Sue, in Canada, McD’s touted their new brand of coffee as from Higgins & Burke. That company is owned by Mother Parker’s and it is that name that is listed on the Canadian McD website. It may be how it is brewed, but i find my local McD’s coffee to be weak and very bland.
However, the US McD website lists Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, located in Southern California. Haven’t been stateside in a while and don’t remember McD coffee from way back then. Hope that helps…
March 3rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I came upon this website during a Google search about why fair trade coffee is so hard to find in local groceries. Does anyone know? I feel so much better drinking fair trade, but don’t like to go to an expensive organic store.
March 10th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Can someone recommend a good decaf coffee?
May 7th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
dunkin donuts has good decaf
May 8th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Thanks, Paula. Someone else recommended Eight O’Clock as a decaf, too.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:02 am
There is this new convenient affordable gourmet coffee called Brew in cup “French Press”. Basically, gourmet coffee at home without the clean up. Bought it at Costcos and is manufactured by a company called Solobrew in houston, texas. check out the product at http://www.solobrew.com.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Target has fair trade coffees, and Trader Joe’s might have it as well.
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 am
Love all World coffee!
July 27th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
If anybody knows how to get a power cord for GE percolator coffee pot please let me know.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Cindy, most power cords are universal. Sears Appliance, Tru-Value, K-Mart, and older hardware stores usually carry them.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:51 am
Community Coffee Brand which is every bit as good if not smoother than Starbucks best Dark and Medium regular grinds and is far superior to all the others listed. It is the most consistant in my opinion and cost less than Starbucks.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Hi, I just happen to love the coffee made by Dutch Bros. Does anyone know where to purchase the beans they use wholesale rather than retail?
Thanks
October 12th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
It’s interesting that I just tried to find reviews online for SAVARIN that I just bought at my local Pathmark and can’t find ANYTHING! The can has two other names on it: Rowland Coffee Roaster & javacabana…but those names just brought up methods for buying it. Seems like Tetley owns it now. No ingredients on the can…is it 100% coffee? is it part arabica, robusto, sawdust?