&
F EXPERT
B
TESTED
Perk up!
Treat yourself to a better cup of joe
W
PHOTO: LAURA JOHANSEN; FOOD STYLING: BRIAN PRESTON-CAMPBELL; PROP STYLING: KIM FIELD
hen it comes to coffee,
big names don’t guarantee
great flavor. Brands like
Folgers and Maxwell House
didn’t stand up to specialty brands such as
Allegro and Stumptown in our latest taste
test of coffee blends. Even money-saving
store brands such as Trader Joe’s Joe
and Kirkland Signature House Blend
from Costco beat out the old supermarket
standbys, which is a good thing because
coffee prices are skyrocketing. Turn the
page for the winners in our test, which
included whole beans, ground beans,
and single-serve pods.
39-41 COFFEE 11-14.indd 39
SATISFYING SIPS
Allegro Organic
Continental Blend
was our top
ground blend.
9/12/14 10:26:12 AM
B EXPERT
TESTED
Best whole-bean coffees
Price per pound/cup
$19/65 cents
Tasters’ notes Makes a
cup with big flavor, medium
body, and a bit of tang.
It has citrus, floral, berry,
and grassy notes.
Where to get it
bluebottlecoffee.com,
branded cafés in California
and New York
INTELLIGENTSIA
HOUSE BLEND
Price per pound/cup
$18.66/42 cents
Tasters’ notes This medium
brew also makes a tangy cup,
with notes of citrus and honey;
it’s a trace green (coffeespeak
for underripe).
Where to get it
intelligentsiacoffee.com,
branded coffee bars,
specialty stores
Best ground coffees
14 TESTED B 2 SMART PICKS
ALLEGRO ORGANIC
CONTINENTAL BLEND
Price per pound/cup
$12/25 cents
Tasters’ notes This
darker-roast blend makes
a bold cup with a strong
aroma. It has tasty notes
of fruit and chocolate.
Where to get it Whole
Foods Markets
40 |
STARBUCKS
HOUSE BLEND
Price per pound/cup
$10.80/25 cents
Tasters’ notes The overall
flavor is strong, with hints of
chocolate and fruit. Like most
very dark roasts, this blend
has a characteristic burnt
note and some bitterness.
Where to get it Starbucks
stores, supermarkets, online
ALLEGRO ORGANIC
CONTINENTAL BLEND
Price per pound/cup
$12/28 cents
Tasters’ notes This is
a darker roast with a bold
flavor and berry and citrus
flavors. Bonus: It’s made with
organic beans, and it has the
lowest cost per cup among
the whole-bean Smart Picks.
Where to get it Whole
Foods Markets
STUMPTOWN
HOUSE BLEND
Price per pound/cup
$19/44 cents
Tasters’ notes This flavorful
blend has citrus notes and
a trace of fruit. It’s also a bit
woody and green.
Where to get it
stumptowncoffee.com; coffee
bars in Seattle, New York, Los
Angeles, and Portland, Ore.
Also tested
■ Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend whole bean, $10.47
■ Trader Joe’s Joe whole bean, $5.71
■ Green Mountain Coffee Nantucket Blend ground, $11.33
■ Newman’s Own Organics Newman’s Special Blend, $13.60
■ Peet’s House Blend whole bean, $13
■ Starbucks House Blend whole bean, $11.33
■ Peet’s House Blend ground, $13
■ Gevalia Traditional Roast ground, $9
■ Caribou Blend, $11.33
■ Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend ground, $10.67
■ Gevalia Traditional Roast whole bean, $9.67
■ Eight O’Clock The Original whole bean, $7.33
■ Eight O’Clock The Original ground, $7.33
■ Kirkland Signature House Blend, $5
F NOTSO HOT
C
These brews tended to be flat and, well, boring—they lacked
the complexity and taste-bud-tickling notes of the others.
■ FOLGERS
CLASSIC ROAST
■ MAXWELL HOUSE
ORIGINAL ROAST
■ YUBAN TRADITIONAL
■ MAXWELL HOUSE
HOUSE BLEND
■ MARKET PANTRY
CLASSIC ROAST (Target)
■ GREAT VALUE CLASSIC
ROAST (Walmart)
CONSUMER REPORTS SHOPSMART
39-41 COFFEE 11-14.indd 40
9/12/14 10:26:21 AM
TOP RIGHT: MBONGO/VEER
BLUE BOTTLE
THREE AFRICANS
12 TESTED B 4 SMART PICKS
&
Best pod coffee
11 TESTED B 1 SMART PICK
None of the tested pods matched our whole-bean- and groundcoffee winners; most deliver a quick but not very tasty brew.
PEET’S HOUSE BLEND
Price per package/cup
$8.58/85 cents
Tasters’ notes A darker roast with
some sweetness, it has a fuller body
than other pods sampled, with flavor
notes of caramel and a trace of fruit.
Where to get it Supermarkets,
Peet’s Coffee stores, online
Also tested
■ Starbucks House Blend
■ Caribou Blend
■ Dunkin’ Donuts
Original Blend
■ Newman’s Own Organics
Newman’s Special Blend
■ Green Mountain Coffee
Nantucket Blend
F NOTSO HOT
C
FOLGERS GOURMET
SELECTIONS CLASSIC ROAST
Sorry, Folgers fans, the blah
flavor and grainy notes of this
pod blend put it dead last in
this test.
■ Maxwell House Café
The secret
to great joe
Even the best
coffee can pick
up funky flavors
from your tap
water. So always
use bottled or
filtered water
when brewing.
Collection House Blend
■ Eight O’Clock Original
■ Gevalia Signature Blend
■ Trader Joe’s Coffee Cups
Best bargain brewers
Whether you prefer traditional brewing or the
speed and convenience of a pod, you’ll need
a good coffeemaker. These are both great buys.
CUISINART PERFEC TEMP DCC-2800, $100 (left)
TOP RIGHT: MBONGO/VEER
This 14-cup drip model beat out about six dozen
coffeemakers, some costing twice as much. It can be
set to make smaller batches. You can also adjust the
brew strength to make stronger cups.
MR. COFFEE BVMC-KG5, $80 (right)
It’s speedy and easy to use, and performed as well as or
better than models costing more than twice as much. Plus
it uses K-Cup packets, which give you hundreds of coffeebrand options, including Peet’s House Blend, our top pod.
ShopSmart.org NOVEMBER 2014 |
39-41 COFFEE 11-14.indd 41
41
9/12/14 10:26:24 AM