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Where do you like your coffee from?

E

ethical

macrumors 68000
Original poster
I've recently started drinking more 'to-go' coffee from places, and some of them are really different.

So far, this is my conclusion:

Starbucks: Good
Greggs (UK Bakery): Good
Costa: Meh
McDonalds: Bad!!
Subway: Good

So, where do you like to buy your to-go coffee from? Or don't you care?
 
I make my own and take it with me :-\

Haven't really found store-bought coffee that I like enough to buy every day, yet.
 
Mainly cafès. The chain store coffee houses haven't really caught on here. We mainly drink espresso in little cafès.
 
Are we talking about brewed coffee or espresso drinks?

In the US, at least, my experience is that large chains like Starbucks are consistently mediocre, but rarely great. The upside is that one knows what one will get, and it's passably drinkable. The best coffee drinks come from a subset of independents and small / local chains. Some independents and local chains are awful, too, but some of them are true gems.

For brewed coffee, I tend to agree with Miles -- best to buy the beans one really likes and make it oneself.
 
My Keurig. If I'm out then I prefer Pete's and if there's no Pete's then Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Starbucks is las choice as far as coffee houses go but it'll do in a pinch.
 
In Australia, the majority of coffee places are going to be non-chain, small cafés. Also, most places will only sell you espresso-based coffees like lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, etc. Don't bother asking for a brewed coffee.

For espresso-based coffee, there are a number of good places. Overall, most places are pretty average, but Australians think it's world class. 😛 In fact, I'd say most of these cafes are only slightly better than Starbucks, but ALWAYS significantly cheaper, so that's a plus. They're still far better than Canada though.

If I want normal brewed coffee, I go to Starbucks. Unfortnately, they're my best, and only, option for brewed coffee if I'm not home. 😱 There are a few other boutique coffee places that I go to for "brewed" (i.e. plunged, siphoned, etc) coffee, but these are SERIOUS coffee places, where you either need to dress up in a sweater and dress pants (with work in hand) to get in through the door, or perhaps skinny jeans and a dumb haircut and pretend you're doing something artistic. This implies, of course, that I pay out the ass for a cup of the black stuff, but it's something you need to live with when you're here. 😱

In fact, brewed coffee here costs almost as much as a latte/cappuccino, and I'm so used to $1.60 coffee (Tim Hortons....) in Canada that I now find myself more and more unwilling to buy.


At work, I'll use my plunger and make my own. 🙂
 
jessica. said:
My Keurig...
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Indeed. A huge time saver.

When I'm out, I lack patience for the "soup kitchen" lines at most Starbucks. I prefer less popular places. Nordstrom is excellent: good coffee, professional staff and minimal wait.
 
i roast my own. best coffee i've ever had...and cheap, too.

use a behmor for roasting, mazzer mini for grinding, and a variety of brewing methods including french presses, a newco drip brewer, and pulling shots on a home espresso machine.

see sweetmarias.com for more on home roasting...and greencoffeebuyingclub.com for beans.
 
I used to grind my own but now I don't seem to care as long as it is strong and hot--I just use whatever is on sale--usually buy Columbian.
 
Seems a lot of people make/grind their own! I'd probably say I don't care enough to bother doing that, plus I'm too lazy! Probably because I've only really started drinking coffee regularly (somewhat) recently. Maybe as I start to drink it more I'll experiment with making my own.
 
Can't see paying a couple dollars for bitter coffee at Starbucks et al. Rather prepare it myself the way I like it. If I'm on the road and need a cafeine fix, I get it at McD's, which isn't that bad for the price. I brew with a French press usually, which suits my taste better than coffee made by other methods.
 
mkrishnan said:
Are we talking about brewed coffee or espresso drinks?

In the US, at least, my experience is that large chains like Starbucks are consistently mediocre, but rarely great. The upside is that one knows what one will get, and it's passably drinkable. The best coffee drinks come from a subset of independents and small / local chains. Some independents and local chains are awful, too, but some of them are true gems.

For brewed coffee, I tend to agree with Miles -- best to buy the beans one really likes and make it oneself.
Click to expand...

Very true on that.

Starbucks is mediocre but it still taste fairly good. Now my favorite places to get coffee is a small local joint in Lubbock Texas call Sugar Browns. Day Breaks is another place in Lubbock I would like to Visit.

Sugar Brown I like for their coffee. Now if I wanted to say at the coffee house and drink coffee I would choose Day Breaks because it was quite not as crowded.
 
I drink most coffee at home. Espresso from Peeze. I grind it using a trusty old Gaggia MDF.
Coffee to go is not that common here, although I sometime buy yucky coffee at the trainstation, to start the day when I have to catch an early train.
 
Blue Bottle. Only coffee I've had that really is better than you can make yourself, and it is far, FAR better, and it apparently takes a $20,000 machine that looks like it belongs in a mad scientist's laboratory to make it happen.

In fact, I'm going to be in that part of town later, come to think of it. Yay.
 
Gelfin said:
Blue Bottle. Only coffee I've had that really is better than you can make yourself, and it is far, FAR better, and it apparently takes a $20,000 machine that looks like it belongs in a mad scientist's laboratory to make it happen.

In fact, I'm going to be in that part of town later, come to think of it. Yay.
Click to expand...

Even the low-tech, single-serving drip coffee they serve is pretty amazing. I haven't had a chance to try a shot from that fancy Japanese contraption yet.

But I have to say that Ritual Roasters roasts a better bean than Blue Bottle. They just barely shade it, though. We're so lucky to have them both in town (in addition to the also outstanding Four Barrel).
 
FYI: Subway's coffee is Seattle's Best, which is owned by Starbucks.


I don't typically buy brewed coffee by the cup. I make my own with my Bodum Coffee Press using fresh beans that I buy at Trader Joe's (I've been drinking their Peaberry Papua New Guinea lately.... so good).

I do like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's brewed coffee, but don't like what Starbucks has on tap. If I'm at a Starbucks, I'll order an Americano (espresso shots with hot water to the top) over a brewed coffee, or an iced coffee. I find Peet's Coffee overroasts their beans, so I don't like their brews.

Here in LA, Urth Cafe makes a good cup of coffee, and their cafés are a nice place to hang out while enjoying it.

When I lived in Canada, I loved Tim Hortons (large double milk, double sugar), but I find that the stuff I drink now is much, much better.
 
When I have time I roast my own. I second the recommendation for Sweet Marias. As well as equipment, they have a great selection of green coffees. I lived in Panama for a year and got addicted to their coffee while there - they grow some of the best in the world. I use a French press for brewing - makes the best cup of coffee you can get, and it's really simple and easy.
 
I live in Wellington, New Zealand, and there are a load of amazing independent cafe's here. Actually too many and more open up every year!!!

The coffee here is so good that I do get withdrawals when abroad, as I always end up in a chain cafe and it never is the same.

However, my favourite chain, if I have to have one would be Coffee Bean in the US.

mmmmm, coffee. will make one right now I think 🙂
 
i rarely drink/purchase coffee. when i do it's usually Starbucks.
we have a small local place here called coffee bean that's different from the coffee bean chain.
they make really good espresso shakes, but that's about it.
 
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