In 1992 (over 20 years ago), I had super tasting coffee in Copenhagen (hotel breakfast, railway station, etc.)--I went back 3 years later, and the "greatness" was gone.
With rare exceptions (over the past 20 years), have I ever gotten "great" coffee. At home I use bottled water, and have tried many recommended brands (some based on the coffee Consumer Reports rated highly--in their tests several months ago)--just mediocre tasting coffee.
[PS: IMHO, Starbucks is overrated (the dark roasts of the Pacific NW are not all that good).]

Don't come down my way then...the coffee here is bloody awful.

The YVR Costco coffee we bought on our last holiday was sublime in comparison.

Are you buying ground coffee or beans?

Both. The bean coffee is generally better than the ground--but not "super".

It might not have been the coffee. It may have been your expectations.

Roast your own coffee beans.

Best coffee I have had recently - Lighthouse Roasters (out of Seattle) http://www.lighthouseroasters.com/. Also, Kauai Coffe has some really good blends ( http://www.kauaicoffee.com/ ). I agree with a previous poster that maybe your expectations are just too high?

The relaxing coffee break is my favorite. I enjoy the coffee to the last drop without any interruption. A cop of coffee with relaxing short break works wonder for me.

Or the method of making it.

A good machine can make a big difference to the taste.

Where are you located?

Do you prefer espresso drinks, or pour-over/drip?

I'd highly recommend doing a bit of research, based on whatever your preferences are. The coffeegeek.com forums are an outstanding place to begin. But be careful ... like FT, one can easily fall down the rabbit hole.

I'm sure that great tasting coffee exists, but it's a rather subjective proposition, IMHO. Something I think tastes great may not meet you expecations or vice versa.

Some people swear by Kopi Luwak, but I'm fine with Starbuck's Sumatra Dark Roast at home. Then again, I use local honey and half and half to flavor my coffee, which I'm sure a coffee purist would find to be repulsive.

Then, outside of the roast applied to the bean and its freshness, there is the vessel it's brewed in, the temperature of the water while it's being made, and of course the quality of the water itself. So many variables; so many different possible outcomes; so many individual tastes to suit to say without hesitation that a great tasting coffee exists according to your standards.

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I drink "unadulterated" coffee (nothing added); whatever I had in Copenhagen, they got it "right" from my perspective. One thing I have found is that the coffee slot hostesses bring to you while gambling is in general better than the coffee one gets in some of the (so called) gourmet restaurants in the casinos.

People get wrapped up in which beans to use and what roast (which is certainly of great importance, don't get me wrong), but just as important is the extraction method, and that it is done properly.

Again, I'm not sure where you are located, but look for a coffee shop that has knowledgeable baristas, and places that use various extraction methods so you can try the options. In particular, a great shop should offer Eva Solo, Chemex, Clover, and various other methodologies, to go along with a variety of beans and roasts.

I'd be shocked if you couldn't find something that suits you perfectly.

Hey guys. I read a lot more of the forum than I post but this thread caught my eye.

Have always been a huge coffee guy (My wife calls me a snob... ) and now I roast my own. Not always but it's a "hobby" I enjoy. 0

@op - Some general rules/characteristics I follow, and by all means, mean nothing. Different for everyone.

1) When buying coffee you have to realize that large corporations roast months ahead of time. Look at a timestamp of Starbucks or DD in store and you'll notice it is from months ago. My personal opinion: Coffee goes "bad" after two weeks max after being roasted. I always brew it within a week of roasting. If I don't roast my own I order from a true fresh roaster and get it withing a day or two of roasting-use it within the next 5-6.

2) After buying the beans, keep them stored in a air tight container. Never grind beans the night before, etc. After grinding beans the grounds "go bad" after about 30 seconds. Wait to grind until your water is properly heated and ready to go (Below).

3) If you can, purchase a manual grinder. The heat generated from a mechanical roaster will alter the taste of the beans before even making the coffee. While a mechanical grinder is nice and convenient, the "old fashioned" way is the way to go.

4) When grinding, different grounds for different drinks. For example, an espresso requires an extremely fine grind while a french press requires a very coarse grind.

5) Water temp varies for different recipes but i generally keep it around 182-188. Anything higher or lower doesn't produce the correct result.

6) I personally use a french press or chemex most of the time but if you do purchase or have a coffee maker, do some research on water temp settings. Most coffee makers don't heat enough or burn the coffee.

Just some thoughts. Again, different for everyone but what I have come up with after years. Haha. Enjoy.

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