Posted on 10/21/2012 7:26:51 PM PDT by randita
Eight O'Clock whole bean coffee has been my mainstay for years. Lately, it has been horrible. I can hardly drink it any more. Wonder why it's gotten so awful. Other family members have concurred.
I'm looking for recommendations on some other brands to try that would be similar to what Eight O'Clock used to be in a similar price range.
I'm not extremely picky but since I usually only have one cup of coffee per day, I would like it to be very good.
I live in a rural area so don't have the luxury of bopping into a gourmet coffee shop on a regular basis, unfortunately.
Thanks for your input.
You can order beans online. Just do a search for what you want (ie dark roast or organic or flavored, etc.). Here’s one site: http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/
Believe it or not, Dunkin Donuts isn’t bad. However...
If you want a GREAT cup of coffee check out Terroir. I think it is
www.Terroircoffee.com
The company is owned by George Howell. He started Coffee Connection and now has the most phenomenal coffee beans. They are not cheap but if you are a coffee addict they are the best. I get their fairly ‘low end’ Costa Rican La Minita peabeans.
It is really important to have a burr grinder and really good water with no chlorine. Also important - non-chlorine filters. The brown ones taste like paper bags (do a taste test, you’ll see) but the non-chlorine ones are good. I get them from Green Mountain Coffee. They used to have good coffee but their customer service was poor. Their coffee filters are good though.
If you like coffee but don’t want to spend a lot of money, at the very least get a burr grinder. It makes all the difference in the world.
We used to do mail order Dunkin Donuts, five pounds at a time. Best coffee on the planet, IMHO. We quit that when the shipping cost more than the beans. Now we use Member’s Mark from Sam’s Club. Pretty good stuff, and with a burr grinder we got at Bed Bath & Beyond we can make it the way we like (I like to use a percolator and make it strong, my wife uses a drip type machine and I can see through hers).
Try brewing a pot of Eight O’Clock using a good bottled water and see if the old flavor is still there. Your water quality/taste may have recently changed. Also check for your current package of beans to see if they are old or the package has been compromised and the beans have absorbed an oder or simply gotten stale.
I second the recommendation of Community if it is the Eight O’Clock that has changed, .
Well, you’re probably going to be deluged with information, but do look into a Chemex if you’re a drip fan. Best drip coffee I ever made and it is simplicity itself.
Also, have you cleaned your coffee maker lately? That can affect taste.
Hills Brothers
another good choice is MLB
Our choice: Italian Espresso Roast from coffeebeandirect.com It's the best value we've found and it's excellent. Also their best seller.
WE get the best price by purchasing 25 pound bag of roasted beans. At that quantity, they pay for the shipping.
When the bag arrives, we transfer beans into one-gallon zip-lock bags and pop 'em into the freezer, taking them out to replenish the coffee cannister in the kitchen as needed. Each morning, two coffee scoops of beans goes into the grinder, and then into the drip coffee maker. I've also used a french press to good results. Would still use it, but I broke it and haven't replaced it yet.
I didn’t realize you made that much. My fallback coffee is Dunkin Donuts whole bean. Reasonable, in most grocery stores and tasty.
My Food Lion carries “Discoveries” whole bean coffee. I like the Rainforest.
It’s a little more than 8 O’Clock but less than most ‘specialty’ coffees.
I Used to be very happy with 8 O’Clock too.
Saw some BEAN-BAG CHAIRS at Target a while back. Buy one, cut it open and try the beans. If they’re not too good, go to the back-up plan -——> cut the bag in strips and fry it up for bacon.
House roast Colombian Huila, but it may be an acquired taste. Still one of the consistently fine coffees I enjoy regularly. Then again, I roast my own.
What do you use to clean your coffee maker?
Oh heck, Randita - use a French press! They make the best coffee you’ve ever tasted no matter what the brand. It’s a minimal investment and deeply satisfying.
Vinegar should do fine. If you are worried about smell and taste, mix it half and half with water. I'd use full strength and then run hot water through the machine a couple of cycles.
Seattle’s Best is the best major brand, imho. It’s available at Target (lowest price) and every grocery chain in Arizona.
Seattle’s Best is the best major brand, imho. It’s available at Target (lowest price) and every grocery chain in Arizona.
Starbucks “Blonde” whole beans is actually very good; at Costco.
http://rangercoffee.com/
I can recommend everything there.
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