durberville

I often read FT and see folks admiring Starbucks, Illy, etc., and I get very sad. Those are not quality coffees. I am a home roaster, use to Terroir coffees, and only drink coffee from fresh beans. I treat coffee just as well as I treat my points hobby (and am active in a coffee forum to that effect!)

Anybody else?

BamaVol

I guess I'm in a differrent category.

I don't roast or grind beans, but I hate awful coffee. I will not drink gas station, hotel or most restaurant coffee. I will not drink what is provided free by any of my employers. I will drink Starbucks. I prefer coffee from independent coffee shops. I have a Keurig in my office and fill my own k-cups.

So, I hate bad coffee but don't need to drink the best.

kvolvo

Yes, absolutely. We buy Grumpy coffee, roasted here in Brooklyn and have a grinder and manual espresso machine from 1976 at home (Olympia Cremina).

durberville

I had a Rocket and a Mazzer Mini ETL. The Rocket died, so I replaced that with a cheaper, though honestly, higher quality Breville Dual Boiler (the one good thing Breville makes...), and swapped the Mazzer Mini ETL with a Vario. The Vario, though more plastic, produces a far higher quality grind with more precision.

Also using a Behmor roaster, but will be swapping that for a Hottop this holiday season.

VivoPerLei

I bought some Jamaican Blue (Flamstead Estate) awhile back just because I have always heard such great things and wanted to try. I was fully prepared to think, meh, not worth the price - but it absolutely blew me away. There is variety in Jamaican Blue, however, and I've since bought Clifton Mount Estate and didn't care for it.

KevinDTW

My favorite is Beantrees Coffee -- I've experimented with many different brands and varieties and to me their coffee is the best. All organic and a good selection of roasts and a few excellent flavored choices. Best French Roast I've ever had. All varieties are available whole-bean and some are also offered pre-ground, and shipping is free if you order 5 bags or more. Reminds me that I need to place another order soon; I can't risk running out!

gfunkdave

I'm with BamaVol. I like good coffee but am not a connoisseur. I generally won't drink "coffee" (that is, brown water) from fast food places, Dunkin Donuts, or hotel lounges unless I have no choice. Starbucks is fine. Peet's is one of my favorites. I also like the usual suspects - Intelligentsia and Metropolis in Chicago, Grumpy and Toby's Estate in NYC, etc.

rjque

I'm sort of all over the place on this. Growing up in Portland, I was started on good (but not great) coffee by middle school. I went through a period of absolutely hating Starbucks, but then later came around when I realized that there is consistency in Starbucks that just doesn't exist with a lot of the little independent places. Starbucks serves its purpose there, particularly when I'm in the middle of rural Ohio and am looking for a palatable cup of coffee.

I'm think a lot of the specialty roasters are producing coffees that are getting more praise than they deserve. I despised Blue Bottle when I lived in San Francisco, which seemed to be riding on its hipster credentials and self-created lines. Now that I'm in Chicago, Intelligentsia is fine (I'm drinking a cup of it as I write this), but I sometimes find the beans to be a bit too under roasted. The small independent coffee shop across the street from me roasts their own beans, and they produce a nice cup in my home coffee maker.

I guess I've gone from being very particular about my coffee, to being much less so as I've grown older. I won't drink swill (and that includes pretty much everything that comes out of one of the many varieties of single cup automatic machines that are out there), but I'm also not going to wait in line for coffee.

mickeydfly13

Dunkin Donuts! Hate Starbucks.

Kagehitokiri

thoughts on Antica Tostatura Triestina ?

rjque

Dunkin definitely qualifies as dishwater.

gfunkdave

Agreed a million percent. At least Starbucks has taste.

USA_flyer

I avoid bad coffee - anything by Nestle or similar. My coffee at home is better than average but I long for affordable single estate blue mountaun coffee. I had some in the US, it was smooth as silk and the best coffee I've ever drunk.

In terms of Starbucks and Costa Coffee et al - they're an average, middle of the road mass produced coffee vendor. Their coffee isn't bad, it just isn't very good either.

At the moment I am drinking Lavazza and hating it. Next up is Taylor of Harrogate Columbian blend for cafetiere.

Fragola

I appreciate quality over quantity as I only drink a cup or two in the morning, max. My hardware is a Technivorm Moccamaster drip machine and Baratza Virtuoso bur grinder.

I've been tempted to try home roasting but didn't feel like breaking multiple hot air popcorn poppers. Sometimes I buy beans from a local independent roaster. Until recently I was ordering Kona beans from the Big Island but shipping to Canada has skyrocketed. I switched to mail order from Cafe Volcanik and have some Jamaican Blue Mountain beans on the way to try for the first time....however they aren't single estate.

In terms of coffee chains, I accumulate gift cards from Sbux, Tim Horton's and Second Cup because they are the easy gift for many people but I'm not crazy about any of the chains. The cards get used up on road trips and airport stops. Peet's I've tried and just thought was okay.

work2fly

I am currently in love with Lavazza crema e gusto 'cooked' with my moka.