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As I previously mentioned, I am in the process of trying to determine the best inexpensive, pre-ground, mass-produced coffee on the market. A few weeks ago, when I reviewed Cafe Bustelo, my post generated a fair bit of commentary, from both Bustelo's supporters and its detractors. As ever, the incredibly generous Slashfood community was quick to weigh in with its suggestions for the best bargain-priced coffee on the market. While I might not get to all the brands that my readers proposed, I'm definitely going to give it a try.
I should point out, in the interests of total disclosure, that I am not a true beanhead. To begin with, I take my morning brew with milk and sugar, which counts as a major faux pas among the coffee cognoscenti. Additionally, while my palate is pretty solid, I am not one of those people who sips a cup of coffee, makes a pinched face and notes that "Fernando wasn't wearing his shoes when he mashed these ones." I don't detect notes of sunshine in my morning joe, and I'm not inclined to get effusive about the rich, rounded tones and terroir of this or that organic Hawaiian blend.
Then again, those people don't drink preground drip coffee. Let's face it, the quest for the best cheap coffee is the kind of thing that self-selects for a guy who is willing to put price on a par with flavor. That having been said, I can tell a good cup of coffee from a bad one, and I am willing to drink a lot of bad coffee in my quest for the ultimate morning brew.
Speaking of which, I recently tried Medaglia d'Oro. Produced by Java Cabana, the company that makes Cafe Bustelo, the coffee costs about twice as much as Bustelo, and is billed as an "authentic Italian-style espresso coffee." Aimed at a more upscale clientele, it claims to be America's top-selling espresso.
When I opened the can, I was immediately excited. Medaglia d'Oro is dark-roasted and finely ground, and the coffee that it produces is rich, dark and aromatic. Unfortunately, however, the flavor was horrific. The best way that I can describe it is to say that it tasted much like a chemistry classroom smells, with an aftertaste that was very artificial and alarmingly reminiscent of melted plastic. In fact, given how awful it tasted, I wondered if I somehow got a bad batch. Still, the container was vacuum-packed and completely intact, which suggests that the problem may have been on Medaglia d'Oro's production line. After making a couple of cups, I ended up throwing out most of the can. Even for a cheapskate, life is too short to drink horrendously bad coffee.
Regardless of the reason for its disappointing performance, at more than $7 a can, Medaglia d'Oro is a little too pricey to warrant a second shot. While most of my reviews will be paced a few weeks apart (as I work through each can of coffee), you can expect the next one shortly!
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3-19-2009 @6:49PM Lorenzo said... Medaglia d'Oro was my parents' espresso of choice when I was a kid. I don't know if it coincided with a change of ownership, but the quality took a steep dive downhill at some point. I don't know if it is still available, but Cafe Pilon was one of their go-to coffees for a while.
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3-19-2009 @6:57PM Joe said... Lorenzo: I think you're thinking of Lavazza Medaglia D'Oro, which is a WHOLE different fish.
I have to wonder, however, if the Java Cabana sort is meant to be brewed as espresso (especially since it's finely ground) and whether Bruce brewed it as espresso or perca/drip coffee. It's a little vague.
For giggles I onces took espresso roast and brewed it in a drop machine and it was /GOD AWFUL/. Tasted like a million bucks as espresso though.
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3-19-2009 @7:05PM Joe said... Oop, my bad. Looks like the Lavazza blend is "Qualita Oro".
Still curious how Bruce brewed his coffee.
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3-19-2009 @7:19PM Adrian said... You don't necessarily have to sacrifice quality for price. With an initial investment of about $100 for a home coffee roaster, you could enjoy fair-trade single-origin organic coffee for $6 (Canadian) a pound from here http://www.greenbeanery.ca/bean/catalog/index.php?cPath=21 among other places. And fresh roasted to boot.
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3-19-2009 @9:23PM Kate said... You know, it's not preground, but I really like Trader Joe's coffee, and at $4.99 a lb, it's pretty darn cheap. I'm a dark roast girl, and their Ultra Dark French Roast is terrific. Plus you can grind it in store.
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3-19-2009 @8:57PM Dr. Electro said... I've never particularly cared for espresso. I'm not into dark roast. My coffee of choice is just about anybody's breakfast blend. The coffee I miss most is Brothers' Fog Lifter. I hate whoever bought that company and promptly killed it off.
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3-19-2009 @9:27PM badfrog said... If you're just looking for a good morning buzz, tea is a lot cheaper per cup than coffee. Also after two weeks of tea, you will feel brighter and more coherent.
Personally, I consider myself both a coffee snob and a tea snob. Life is too short to drink unpleasant drinks.
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3-19-2009 @10:20PM Monty Harris said... My latest "maintenance coffee" (everyday if you wish) is from Aldi's Market. They sell a German Roast 100% Arabica in ground half kilo bricks. There is a Regular and a Mild Taste. I like the Regular a lot. It is smooth and flavorful.
I find a good test of coffee is how it tastes as you make it stronger. If it gets bitter than it move on. I find this coffee get stronger but retains a good flavor.
I have been down the roast your own road and still do that once in a while. It takes a lot of practice to get a consistent roast with the less expensive home roasters. It can be done but it is a learned and sometimes rewarding adventure. It is also a very smelly hobby. You really need an outside place to roast coffee. It is nothing like the wonderful smell that comes from the end result. Getting to roasted means passing through a very stinky phase first.
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3-19-2009 @11:07PM Rachael W said... I had the same experience with that coffee. It was so vile I couldn't drink a second cup and tossed the can. And I DID brew it correctly.
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3-19-2009 @11:18PM Bruce Watson said... Joe-
The can suggests brewing it "as usual," and the grind wasn't as fine as a traditional espresso. However, I have to admit that I brewed it in my basic way, which is by steeping the grinds in boiling hot water for 3-5 minutes, then straining the coffee through a filter into a glass container.
Incidentally, my reason for using this method is that it keeps the coffee out of contact with plastic and allows me to adjust every step of the brewing process. Mildly obsessive, but some coffees are great with a 3-minute steep but horrifying with a 5-minute one.
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3-19-2009 @11:33PM Sarah said... Ah, yes... that crap is my stepbrother's brew of choice - makes the house reek of rancid beans every time he sets it to brew.
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3-20-2009 @6:27AM Bernie B said... A few years back Cook's Illustrated did a similar test and had great things to say about Chock Full o' Nuts coffee.
http://www.chockfullonuts.com/
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3-20-2009 @1:20PM Sarah said... The instant espresso powder they make though is good - if you are a backpacker ;-)
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3-20-2009 @4:44PM jason said... I have not had any Medaglie d'Oro in five years or so, but it was great last time I used it. I was using one of those Italian metal stove top thingies (you know, water in the bottom, coffee in the middle, let the coffee perk up through as it boils.) Maybe the Aluminum counteracted the chemical taste.
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3-20-2009 @5:16PM jinko jones said... DUNKIN DONUTS TAKES THE CAKE FOR THIS COMPETITION
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3-20-2009 @10:20PM Cory said... jinko jones - Two things: first we're discussing coffee, not cake. Second, your caps lock appears to be stuck.
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3-23-2009 @2:06AM Johnny ComeLately said... Dunkin Donuts, when made at home, is *terrible*. I don't understand what it is that makes the difference, but if you follow the package directions, it makes horrid coffee. it's also 8.99 a pound if not bought in two pound batches.
Honestly, the best I've had, while not so cheap, is Seattle's Best Vanilla Bean. Real smooth. Judging from the prices of coffee here in NYC, as well as other parts of the country, I'm in for 8 bucks on that.
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3-23-2009 @1:03PM matthew said... Cafe Du Mond for under $5, pre-ground out of the can.
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3-23-2009 @1:16PM Bruce Watson said... Matthew-
Thanks for the info. I used to be a loyal Cafe Du Monde drinker. The last time I brewed it, however, I found that it has really gone downhill. It had a bitter, burned flavor that left me seriously disappointed.
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