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1: IQ house mix
Modern Intelligentsia coffee is not worth the high price.
Intelligentsia is a roasting company founded in Chicago that has become a specialty coffee brand widely available in grocery stores from coast to coast. At $20 for a 12-ounce bag of whole beans at your local Brooklyn grocery store, Intelligentsia House Blend coffee can be considered an investment. However, the lack of a “roasted” date on the bag means freshness is a gamble. This tester finished with a touch of flavor with three months left until the “best by” date. It lacked any noticeable tasting notes, perhaps due to its long residence in the grocery aisle. The Intelligentsia House Blend also lacks any tasting note descriptions or instructions at all on the packaging.
Even with the low expectations, the beans still produced a nice cup of coffee, which puts it firmly in the “low” category. If you are interested in drinking Intelligentsia coffee, I recommend you head to the brand’s cafés or buy a fresh bag directly from the roaster.
What to try instead: Foundation
Groundwork’s organic bitches blend was notable for its deep flavor and notes of dark chocolate and caramel.
For specialty coffee from the grocery store, look instead for brands that include a “roast by” date, such as Verve or Partners coffee. The closer to the roasting date, the better, but because packaging helps protect the coffee, it can take three to six months before flavor deterioration results in a dull brew. Otherwise, Essential Organic Bitches Drink It had deep flavor and notes of dark chocolate and caramel even without the toasted dates. It also includes the coffee to water ratio on the bag for those who want a starting point.
2: Maxwell House Blend
I suggest you politely decline your invitation to Maxwell House.
The first sip of the Maxwell House House Blend was bitter, and gradual sips did not improve. Like other value blends, this one tastes as if the manufacturer never expected anyone to drink it without copious amounts of cream and sugar. I don’t think you have to get rid of the burnt bean ingredients and organic fillers to make it drinkable.
Maxwell House’s instructions recommend using only 1 tablespoon for 6 ounces of water. Once the Maxwell House started to cool, the flavor became milder and less offensive, but I didn’t find it more enticing since any real tasting flavors weren’t consistent. I also noticed acidity which made me nervous due to stomach pain. For a household brand, I would have liked a better offering.
What to try instead: Chock Full O’ Nuts Original
The original mix of Chock Full o’ Nuts was a surprise hit among the budget set.
Avoid the kind of coffee that makes people say, “Bean juice is not for them.” If you want an affordable and accessible can of coffee, go for the original Full throttle ya nuts For a slightly sweet variety. You can also reach for Lavazza Tierra Organic for a medium roast at the same price or Café Bustelo for a more robust roast in a familiar canned package.
3: Great value classic roast from Walmart
Walmart’s Great Value coffee is cheap for a reason.
The Great Value Classic Roast brand is a generic offering similar to Folgers, where value and quantity are the top priorities. I wanted to test this option since Walmart is one of the largest grocery store chains in the US and is a staple in my parents’ house. However, I would probably equate the flavor of this blend with church cellar coffee or airplane coffee. The beans offer a burnt but pleasant flavor that calls for more cream. However, it’s hard to beat the sheer size of 25.4 ounces per can. When it comes to coffee, I’m a practical person, not a purist, so I understand that some of us treat it as fuel rather than a specialty beverage. I’m here to say there is a better way forward.
What to try instead: Whole Foods Early Bird mix
Early Bird is one of the best coffees I’ve tested.
Anyone looking for value should consider subscribing to it Whole Foods Market Coffee Deliveries for an extra discount and save on time and gas. The Great Value Classic Roast is not 100% Arabica, so it probably contains the cheaper, higher-caffeine Robusta beans. Another option is Café Bustelo espresso for a rich cup that still has plenty of kick thanks to its robusta blend.
4: A whole forkful of French roasted nuts
Chock Full o’ Nut’s French roast left something to be desired.
Chock Full o’ Nuts is, for many, a popular coffee brand in grocery stores, yet it doesn’t have the ubiquity of Folgers or Maxwell House. My taste test revealed a slightly sweet finish and a very mild flavour. I expected a stronger cup of coffee. However, this was not the case, despite the French roast descriptor. The “best by” date on the box I purchased had five months left. Based on that alone, I can’t recommend purchasing this product if you’re expecting something as flavorful and deeply roasted as the packaging indicates. The fact that it’s still drinkable means it’s a safer option than the others on this list.
What to try instead: Café Bustelo
Cafe Bustelo is versatile and smooth – a true dark roast.
If you’re looking to try dark roast, grab a can of it Bustelo Cafewhich I’ve detailed in full in my grocery store “best” coffee list above. It is versatile, smooth and a true dark roast as an espresso blend. Of course, you can also stick to the original Chock Full O’ Nuts blend for a sweet, nutty flavor in grocery store canned coffee, too.
5: Original 8 o’clock mix
I found Eight O’clock’s signature blend flat and acidic.
The Eight O’Clock Original Blend ground coffee was acceptable, though uninspiring. Medium roast shares a certain sweetness with Chock Full O’ Nuts but offers a more robust finish. I started with a small half batch because the bag recommends two to three tablespoons of coffee to 12 ounces of water. I then tried the full 2.5:12 oz ratio. The resulting drink was flat and somewhat acidic, with a delicate body and a flavor that was instantly forgettable after every sip. The “best by” date on the bag was eight months out, indicating that despite the manufacturer’s optimistic shelf life predictions, quality had not held up.
What to try instead: Lavazza Tierra Organic
Lavazza’s Tierra blend provided a robust flavor without too much bitterness.
Try something affordable and available in supermarkets Organic Lavazza Tierra coffee. The ratio of 1 tablespoon of coffee to 6 ounces of water provides robust flavor without bitterness, and maintains a heavier roast profile than light roasts, with full-bodied descriptions indicated on the bag. Alternatively, you can rely on Caribou Coffee Daybreak Blend in the Midwest or Peet’s Coffee House Blend in most large grocery stores.