Taking the High Grounds -- The Story of Coffee

What We Eat -- WKNO - PBS ^ | Burt Wolf / ConAgra

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I did enjoy the story. Thanks!

[dwilli]

Most of the times during yard periods, the civilians just stole stuff like that.

[djf]

Try the Millstone beans, esp the "Bed and Breakfast" blend.
Very good balance, not charcoal!
IMHO, just about the best I've ever had, and I have 3 regular drip machines, two espresso machines, two electric grinders, and an old-fashioned hand crank manual grinder.

[Carolina]

I had an MRE ration, so I just ripped open the package - "Coffee Instant Type I"

I love chocolate-covered coffee beans!

[dwilli]

If you mean "buzz" coffees like expresso, I agree but for just siping coffee, I have to go with Dunkin'

[dwilli]

7-11 used to have coffee almost as good as Dunkin' but several years back they went to a brand of coffee with a burnt taste to compete with Starbucks and other coffee shops.

I would pass on Starbucks anytime for Maxwell House or Folgers and especially Taster's Choice. Starbucks is for fad coffee drinkers, not addicts like me.

[holyscroller]

"Starbucks coffee sucks to me. Every time I taste it, it seems to have a burnt undertaste; very disappointing."

What Starbucks really introduced was the $4.00 cup of 5 cent coffee. I live in "Coffee Central" (Seattle) and the BEST coffee is "Seattle's Best," followed by Tullys. The best deal around is at McDonalds, who sells a good cup of Seattle's Best "Senior Coffee" for those over 55 is only 35 cents.

[LibKill]

A good cup (OK, who am I kidding?) or 6 cups of coffee really make the morning better.

[Wonder Warthog]

This article overlooks completely the history of coffee in New Orleans. The importation, roasting and brewing of coffee in that city dates back at least 200 years (and probably longer). South Louisiana still roasts (and consumes) some of the best coffee in the world---Starbucks is horse urine by comparison.

[djf]

Seattle's Best used to be Seattle's Best. As of last week, they were purchased by Starbucks.

[SamAdams76]

This is a good article that I have been forced to bookmark.

To me, the best cup of coffee is to be had at Dunkin' Donuts. Whenever I journey to an area where the franchise has not yet penetrated (such as Alabama), I really miss it. I've had the Starbucks coffee but have not yet acquired a taste for it. It tastes very bitter to me. I also don't like the sugar they have there (in those little brown bags) and they don't have real cream, just that "half and half" stuff along with skim milk or milk. Real cream and sugar makes all the difference. (Can't drink the stuff black.)

I own a copy of Bach's "Coffee Cantata" along with most of his other works. In fact, I'll be drinking coffee and listening to a Bach cantata tomorrow morning - it's a Sunday morning tradition for me as one of the local classical stations plays a Bach cantata every Sunday at 8AM.

[Dog Gone]

Great post. I learned something new.

[brityank]

I make maybe one pot of coffe a month at home, mostly I dring tea. Cross & Blackwell Black if I have time; Red Rose in a hurry, and I leave the bag in my 16oz mug. Can't stand weak tea, or with milk/cream.

[dwilli]

Down south we drink tea (usually Liptons) over ice cubes
in a tall glass with sugar and lemon, usually beside a plate
of ribs, seafood, barbecue during suppertime.

[mollynme]

Starbucks coffee sucks to me. Every time I taste it, it seems to have a burnt undertaste; very disappointing.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a gentleman who used to be a coffee buyer. He told me that Starbucks is known throughout the business for their marketing ability. He maintains that they bought the (mostly Vietnamese) beans that no other brokers would touch then turned around & sold them as premium (at more than premium prices). They made huge profits but at the expense of taste. This man told me that when Starbucks first became available at your local grocery store they were labeled as "premium" but they were forced to remove this from the labels.

[tet68]

Everyone talks of Cafe du monde,
but I remember, Morning Call.
Just around the corner from Buster Holmes.
Across from the French market.
Marble tables, mirrored walls,
100 watt bulbs in open fixtures,
open 24hrs.

Gone for many years now.

[Comus]

Absolutely! I have hauled more Community Dark Roast and Between Roast to culturally blighted parts of the world than you can imagine. Caffiene and attitude will get you through most anything.

[Bigg Red]

Thanks. Long but well worth the read. I heard Pendergrast on C-SPAN (radio) Book Notes about 2 years ago talking about this book. It was fascinating.

[holyscroller]

"Seattle's Best used to be Seattle's Best. As of last week, they were purchased by Starbucks."

Oh bummer! I hadn't heard. Sure hope they don't ruin it. Starbucks is so strong it will put hair on your chest.

[drdemars]

Wal Mart has free coffee in the morning here in Cottonwood, AZ. It is good and strong.