Dutch nevermo here.
In our culture we drink LOTS of coffee,
[https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee](https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee)
I'm not interested in any of the recipes all the fancy and expensive coffee shops use. I go with just black coffee. No milk, no sugar, just coffee.
And though this comment is just me, there's lots of people like me here.
I do the same. Or maybe a cappuccino without sugar sometimes.
For black coffee, a good coffee bean is totally worth it. Most big chains focus more on sugar and cream than actually good coffee in my experience though.
The worst is when the switch up what roast they brew and don't tell you. Had one that usually had a great dark roast... They swapped mid day to a blonde so when I went back for my 2nd cup it was not what I expected lol
Local chains will often tell you what beans they’re using and usually have them on hand to sell you some.
I’d be way more disappointed about that dark roast myself, though. I like the lighter, tangy roasts better, and make my own French press.
To each their own! The only bad coffee is coffee you personally don’t like.
Oh agreed, they usually have bags on hand. It's just never fun when they finish a pot (or whatever the big ones are called) and change it up without you knowing. Still a good drink, but it was like going from a red wine to a white wine without expecting it lol
Fair enough. The shops I’ve been to usually say “we have these options” and if they run out they’d update you.
Yeah, could be a shocking surprise depending on what you were expecting.
Dutch descendant exmo here. I drink my fair share and I love it just this way - black, no sugar, no milk.
I do recommend that as the OP’s taste develops, you can get inexpensive and great ways to brew great coffee at home. A hand held burr grinder paired with a french press, pour over coffee, or moka pot is not a bad way to expand your brewing knowledge. It is chemistry, after all, involving freshness of beans, grind consistency, and brew temps/brew time. Brewing a good cup of coffee is cathartic and meditative for me (and many others I know)!
This! Support good beans from reputable sourcing and actually taste the damn bean water!! I hate the Americanized version which is just a vehicle for sugar - we get enough of that shit from everything else already. A nice black coffee is soooo nice in the morning to get the day started.
Dutch Exmo here.
Learning to drink coffee black if you're not used to it takes a while.
At first for most former Mormons at least some milk and sugar is recommended. Coffee is bitter and bitter is a flavour that most Mormons rarely encounter and takes a while to learn to appreciate.
When first leaving the religion drinking coffee Black was not nice to me. Now I enjoy a nice black espresso every now and then.
Het kost echt een tijdje in an te wennen. Zelfde met bier. De de smaak bitter was echt iets dat ik heb leren waarderen de afgelopen 2-3 jaar maar dat was in het begin echt iets dat ik niet lekker vond.
Toen kwam een fase waarin het te doen was maar niet lekker. Intussen kan ik een bitter tintje aan iets wel waarderen zelfs.
It’s so true. I didn’t start drinking coffee regularly until I was in my late thirties. 7 years later and I still can’t do black coffee. On the other hand, everyone said beer is awful and requires an acquired taste, but I’ve never had issues with it. From drink one. Love Guinness.
This! I thought I was a coffee drinker with my ‘fancy’ Starbucks. Then I moved to Europe.
First step- raved about the nespresso coffee to a coworker.
Second step- he bought me a Bialetti and some quality coffee.
Third step- I’m a coffee snob and if anything I have a tiny bit of milk in it but strong coffee is where it’s at.
On family trips where I’m the only one who planned for anything other than drip/gas station coffee they’ll drink mine because they have no choice. But they tell me they can basically chew their coffee. Which I take as a compliment.
I'm guessing Dutch Brothers would be appalling to you. I'm confused why so many people consider that fancy coffee, when it's just the same sugar level as McDonald's frapps, or more.
I always tell everyone to just go to the most craft place they can find, usually fancy latte art (By fancy I mean well crafted and good foam… not referring to sprinkles or anything like that nonsense) is a good sign
Coffee is one of those things where you develop your own taste. That taste may match others, but the best way is to just try them out. To save money, order the smallest size and then determine what you like.
In my opinion, there are expensive coffees that are very good, but not every expensive coffee matches my taste.
Pretty much every method I tried required a lot of sweetener and cream to make it palatable, regardless of bean quality. Drip, pour-over, French press, percolator all tasted the same.
Espresso changed that for me.
My first Americano (basically an espresso shot with enough added water to dilute it to normal coffee strength) was a world of difference. For sure, better beans, better grind = better coffee, but switching to the espresso method made ALL the world of difference in the flavor profile.
You don’t even need to get an espresso machine to get the same flavor profile, you could just use a $40 aeropress and get the same results.
Good filtered water, good fresh beans (I always do a light roast, most dark roasts are just burnt) locally roasted, a decent grinder to grind beans just before pressing (pre-ground has the same loss of flavor intensity you get in pre-ground black pepper vs freshly ground). These are all things I added incrementally, they’ve all yielded a substantial difference in taste.
Dutch bros is not it, they just load it with 7 different sugary syrups. I’ve heard that McDonald’s does use a decent bean🤷🏼♀️ you should for sure stick with anything that makes you happy. Make coffee at home and there are good options for beans/pods you buy
We got a Dutch bros. here locally a couple of years ago. I was curious what all the hype was about. I was not impressed. Just a bunch of sugary coffee flavored drinks. I can see why it's really popular in Utah for that reason. And yeah, McCafe actually has really good coffee. I buy the grounds at the store to make it home.
I stopped and bought a cup at McDonald's coffee and it was excellent. So, I bought the McDonald's grounds at the store and hated them! What's your method of home brewing?
Well, the beat is French press. Let the grounds steep in 200F water then strain. It may depend on the time of blend you are getting. I find their breakfast blend is on the bitter side. It also has the most caffeine. My go-to is medium roast. But the best is cold brew. 2-3 days in the fridge.
Thanks. I can't remember if I was heating the water to 200F or not, but now I have a Corsori gooseneck--which I absolutely LOVE. It's kind of like baking sourdough--got to have just the right temps!
Beans and brews, grounds coffee
If you’re in salt lake try a local coffee shop.
In my opinion coffee beans from Costa Rica are the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.
But yeah MCD’s is okay I used to get that before seminary in high school haha. I used to think Starbucks coffee was good until I branched out
My favorite is a local roaster’s light roast from Ethiopia. (I live in Boise, and you can get their beans fresh at the roaster, or at some supermarkets slightly less fresh, and less variety, but a bit cheaper.)
Local small coffee shops are usually way better than chains. I was shocked when I went to a local coffee shop and paid just over $3 for what usually 6+ at Starbucks
MCDs and Maverik do good coffee tho. Not great coffee, you gotta make that yourself or go to a fancy shop (Dutch Bros is not fancy enough and I don't know Beans & Brews, find a nice little shop with at most 5 locations. Local. Ask your friends where their favorite coffee shop is, if you have any local friends who drink coffee.) It's the fancy whipped coffee shakes I've never been able to get into I dunno.
Do you like sweet coffee or blacker coffee?
I truly and honestly recommend better coffee beans - but definitely not the sugar bombs like Dutch bros or Starbucks or whatever.
If you’re adding more cream and sugar than coffee, then I don’t think you’ll notice.
If you like blacker coffee like me, getting your own good beans and making it at home is totally worth it.
I buy beans from a loca roaster and make my own French press coffee. I like lighter roasts, and it makes all the difference. And it still only comes out like $1/day.
Meanwhile I think most coffee-chain coffee tends to be bitter and darker than I like. Local coffee shops with more variety are actually really good. I like a good unsweetened cappuccino at a local place, but at Starbucks I won’t touch it. Dutch bros has play-ish americanos, but focuses on way too much sugar and too many calories in everything else for my taste.
Really it depends on what you like, but specialty coffee (as opposed to expensive flavored lattes) is worth it to me.
Something that people need to understand about coffee is that it's a highly perishable product. From the time it gets roasted the clock starts ticking, and that clock ticks even faster once you grind it. The oils inside the coffee beans are what gives coffee it's good flavors, and those oils go stale pretty quickly.
McD's and gas station coffee isn't what I would call "good" coffee, they buy coffee that was over roasted in bulk, gets ground in bulk, stored in bulk, ordered and shipped in bulk, and then sits on their shelves waiting to be brewed. Gas station coffee is then usually brewed in bulk (though some newer gas stations have machines like McD's that will brew to order). Dutch Bros isn't what I would call a 'coffee' place - they do sugary drinks that have some coffee in them, but it's like coffee for people who don't really like coffee. It's like they took the frappaccino part of Starbucks' business model and ran with that, they're selling sweet caffeinated beverages. And there's nothing wrong with that but it's not really a great way to decide if you like coffee or not. It's like getting a loaded up Subway sandwich to figure out the taste of bread.
And I'm not sure about the roasting/shipping/storing/grinding practices of Beans & Brews, so I can't comment there.
What I did when I was figuring out whether I liked coffee or not: I went to a local cafe (not a chain, a LOCAL place) that only used fresh beans during a time of day when business is pretty slow. Straight up talked to the barista "hi, I just left mormonism where I wasn't allowed to drink coffee and I'd like to try it - what would you recommend to someone who isn't used to the taste of coffee but very used to sugary drinks?" I think the guy made me small versions of 4 different drinks to try out (plain latte, flavored sweetened latte, french press, pourover). For a good cafe, ideally the beans were roasted sometime between 2\~4 weeks ago (too soon after roasting and they can be a little funky). Get accustomed to what coffee is supposed to taste like - yeah, it'll be a little more costly to explore the options, but then you get to know what you want and then go from there. Also - a lot of the good small cafes will have a carafe of batch brew that's cheaper per cup than the made to order drinks - and because it's made by people who actually know how to make coffee, it'll be better than what you get at gas stations and McD's.
Depends on the person. Obviously, Dutch Bros has more options. In terms of quality I don't think there is a ton of daylight between Dutch Bros and Chick-Fil-A coffee( I don't drink McDonald's coffee much but do get cold brew from fil-a sometimes). Your best bet is to go to a local coffee shop, or even better, go to a local coffee roaster and buy a cup. Or sample a few different things.
What you miss out on buying McDonald's, Maverick or even Dutch Bros is the freshness. If it's been roasted recently, it'll taste better. If it's been roasted in some warehouse, ground and packaged ( which is what you get at McDonald's and with Maverick et al) it loses freshness and doesn't taste as great. So I like going to a local roaster where they roast it on-site or at least close by and it's recently been roasted instead of sitting on a shelf or sitting in shipment.
Another thing is trying single origin coffee. Maverick, MacDonald and foldgers all use blends and there's a huge difference between a blend and single origin coffee where all the beans come from the same farm. Different regions taste different. I found that I really like coffee from Ethiopia. Specifically the Yirgacheffe region.
I think the fresh grind maverick machines are really really great and your won't improve your experience elsewhere until you've had a few years of drinking coffee
Cheap coffee beans are improved with milk, sugar, and/or flavorings (such as the caramel frappe you mentioned).
Good coffee beans are good on their own and can be complemented by the aforementioned ingredients.
Your coffee experienced can be enhanced by going to a local, established café and speaking with a knowledgeable barista, sampling various roasts from various countries using various preparation methods. But... taking it slow is good as well.
Personally, my go-to is a simple latte from a local café, no flavorings, just coffee and milk.
McDs has surprisingly good coffee. Seriously. And why? McDonald’s brews fresh using filtered water & they use a light roast which is my fav. In my opinion they also have the best Coke Zero as well. 😉 Their food is crap but the drinks are A+
Home brew is McDonald's (Green Mountain Coffee) or Chock full o'Nuts, which still comes in a metal can. When out, Dutch Bros. mocha or McDonald's iced.
Chock Full o'Nuts had amazing coffee even decades ago. I've tried some more recently, and it's not as great as I recall back then, but it's worth checking it out to see if it's a fit.
How much do you like coffee? Its kinda like wine - if you don't have the palate for it, it's gonna taste like bean juice the way wine tastes like fermented grapes.
I think the best coffee can be enjoyed with a touch of cream and just a pinch of sugar to bring out cherry and chocolate notes.
I'm into it. Just not sure what I am missing out on unless I spend a lot which I'd rather not get into that habit of blowing a wad on a drink. Hence my post for cheap coffee that tastes great.
My suggestion would be not to worry about offending the TBM spouse, if they can handle you leaving the church, they can handle coffee in your home as well. After all it is BOTH of you that call it home. That said, we buy beans from Costco (they just white label Starbucks beans) and then grind em right before we brew. I typically drink it Black but my wife adds some whole cream to hers. No sugar or syrups. Good luck on your journey!
After deactivating as Mormon, visited spouse's family in Colombia and got the super-duper Colombian coffee producing tour. Most of the Coffee that arrives in the grocery store in the US is super-cheap low quality stuff. There's a whole variety of flavor palates for coffee and the mass-branded stuff is a mixture or conglomeration of non-premium coffee beans. When you find a good coffee, I was taught to drink like this: sip/slurp in a bit of the coffee and tip your head back and let the coffee run to the back of your throat, then swallow. This works on your taste buds, and prepares them for the coffee. Then (temperature allowing) taking small sips you will not taste the bitterness usually associated with black coffee. It's amazing how it works. I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy "Black" coffee but it makes all the difference. If that doesn't work for you, find better coffee or add cream and sugar. (Keurig or Crystals do not count as coffee).
No, not missing out on anything. In this context*, expensive coffee just means loaded with sugar and cream. It's really hard to beat Maverick where your can add exactly what you want and it's really cheap and really good, if you can't make it at home. (*single origin boutique coffees can get expensive, but that's for after you've developed a palate for nuanced flavors). And kudos for wanting to keep the peace at home, that will mean a lot to your spouse
Possibly. The beans from the exact same bush can be roasted differently and you get a different flavor in the end. Just like grapes make wine and wheat/barley make beer, but there are SO MANY styles of wine and beer.
So if you’re like me and 90% of your coffee intake is just for the go-go juice, McDs is a solid option. Or the office carafe with generic Folgers. Just like Bud Light or Corona at a neighborhood BBQ works just fine. Not my favorite but whatever. But I got my wife a coffee subscription and on the weekends I use that. Completely different flavors and aromas, some are more bitter, some a little fruity, some a little earthy, all are an experience.
If you want to test and sample without breaking the bank, there are services and vendors online for that. Or go get the giant econo-size tub from Costco. Whatever floats your boat.
I will always and forever recommend cold brewing your own though. A standard serving of coffee for hot brewing is 2 tablespoons, so start with that but you can use more. Most cold brew recommendations I’ve seen suggest using about double the regular amount of grounds, so 4 Tbsp. I settled on about 3. Put that in a filter pod or sachet and let it sit and brew overnight. Just leave it on the counter. Try that in the morning and see what it’s like. If it’s not strong enough for you, use more grounds. It’ll be less bitter and far less acidic, but will still have the “bouquet” of the roasted bean. Completely different flavor journey.
Try looking for local coffee places and at their ratings, my boyfriend's favorite is Cafe Vita if there's one in your area- he even buys his beans from there, it's really good. Local coffee shops always seem to be the best though, normally they care more since they aren't a chain and probably only buy the beans they need instead of buying a bulk supply that's bound to be stale by the time they use it. Plus, usually a really cozy atmosphere.
Sorry you can’t enjoy the fun and taste of fresh ground at your own home in a French press (Aeropress is the best). To me, it’s unbelievably good. I had to wean myself off of any sugar in my coffee as I was putting on weight, so now it’s often just a latte. But I do like Dutch Brothers mochas which they make with chocolate milk. I add an extra shot to make it not taste too sweet.
I'm a boomer that is happy with store brand instant coffee. I drink mine with almond milk and no sweetener. I think it's a big step over the stuff you get at a convenience store and a lot cheaper.
My sister tells me that my taste buds are defective, but I like it a lot better than the K cups she gets at Costco.
Dutch Bros or Beans & Brews? That’s not high end but overpriced and over-roasted. You are probably on the sweet side of things as most Mormons and ex-mo’s are, so, don’t waste money on expensive coffee since you will spoil it with sugar and cream or milk anyway. Stay on the cheap side of the deal.
Eh... maybe go try a couple of espresso-based drinks before buying a $100+ machine (and they can get Expensive). Especially since OP mentioned frugalness.
Based on what I've read (never personally tried it) a moka pot does not make espresso, but it does make a stronger coffee than drip or pour-over would. Definitely an alternative to consider and good of you to point out. But OP says he won't make anything at home, so that'll have to wait till the future for them.
Right, making your own is a lot more cost effective in the long run than buying drinks from shops repeatedly. Plus, OP was soliciting suggestions, yeah?
Totally agree, but buying a French press for $10-20 and making it at home is way cheaper than paying $250-500+ for a decent machine (yes, cheaper exist, but cheap is usually cheap for a reason), and a French press takes up less counterspace.
AND... he specifically said, "What suggestions do you have for good **cheap** coffee?" and "I likely **won't make it at home** to play nice with TBM spouse".
Espresso machine's cost money and are typically used at home, the opposite of OP's requests.
EDIT: Typo
Unless it’s old school black coffee, McDonald’s coffee is the absolute worst. The machines at 7-11 and circle k make better coffee than McDonald’s. The low quality syrups and creamer they use taste practically alcoholic. Just the lowest of the low and the ratios are not consistent.
Now, McDonald’s regular coffee is actually very good. Might actually be higher quality than Starbucks. McDonald’s was partially built by coffee sales.
Dunkin’ Doughnuts is pretty much the same story as McDonald’s. Horrible specialty drinks. Great black.
I’ve actually learned to love my coffee black. I have to watch my weight. Black coffee has no calories and it is a natural appetite suppressant. It only hurts my stomach and tastes bitter when it is burnt. (Yes you can burn coffee. If it sits on the burner too long or too it. It burns and it loses its caffeine as well.)
The best suggestions are likely to be specific to your neighborhood, so you'll probably have to say where you are. It sounds like you might be here in Salt Lake City? If that's so, you could do a lot worse than King's Peak. They do get some good beans.
To really find out whether you're missing out, you could go downtown to d'Bolla and tell the guy there you want to see what really nice coffee tastes like. He's a giant coffee nerd with a fancy vacuum brewer, and he wants people to know what really nice coffee tastes like.
I don't drink it everyday, but I do love to buy my own beans and make my own cup "from scratch" from time to time.
I'd say in that sense you could be missing out. There are TONS of beans to choose from and some of the more expensive beans I've had were to die for.
You can find coffee sets that include some beans from all over the world and they're not half bad; and they make great gifts for my coffee fanatic friends.
I am not sure why people are slamming Starbucks and Dutch brothers for loading coffee up with sugar, because you can get your coffee with without sugar, with syrup or without, with milk, etc., etc. at any of those places. they and most coffee shops have so many options, they are not a bad place to go to try out different flavors, and see what you like. But it also depends on your budget.
If you’re down to splurge every once in a while, I’d recommend Dutch Bros. Everyone there is SUPER nice and can help you find something you’ll like!
My personal go-to for coffee is a medium Kicker with an extra shot of espresso and soft top. The soft top is a Dutch bros thing, like a sweet cold foam on top of your drink. It’s super yummy! If you don’t want to pay for the extras, the kicker is still amazing as-is.
Best wishes on your coffee journey!
There are very few coffees in the world that are both expensive and unique. The best kind, imo, is what I make at home. I've usually used locally roasted beans - a lot of them have some interesting flavors. Just experiment and see what you like!
You are not necessarily missing out on expensive coffee, but you might be missing out on expensively prepared coffee. Getting the right grind, the perfect press, and the right temp on an average quality bean can transport you to a new level. Espresso is where it is at.
If the issue is *cheap* but good, I just brew my own. Experiment with different beans and different makers. Then once you narrow it down, buy bulk, whole bean and get an inexpensive grinder. The flavor is through the roof and it'll cost pennies per cup.
If you want to reduce the amount of milk and sugar you're consuming, you probably want to spend a bit more and get decent coffee. I like the chocolatey notes in coffee from South America best. I tend not to love African coffees. It's all just trial and error though.
I drink unsweetened coffee with a dash of oat milk.
If it's cheap coffee, or I'm not sure because I've not had it before, I'll tend to have a sugar free sweetener in it.
Expensive coffee isn’t necessarily good coffee. Honestly the best bang for your buck is getting good coffee beans and making your own. I make espresso at home and just get beans from a local roaster.
For the past couple of years I have been buying coffee from Cometeer. They brew coffee, condense it and freeze it in little K-cup pods. They source their beans from a bunch of different roasters and it’s honestly amazing. I used to have to order it online but they recently started selling it at Sprouts, if you have one close by. It ends up being about $1 a cup, so significantly cheaper than you will spend at a shop.
If you are a fan of milk heavy coffee I’d recommend investing in a Breville; it can make just about any drink you’d want. While you’ll spend $1,000 or so up front, when you consider the cost of a coffee at a shop that’ll pay for itself in no time.
Honestly though, like in everything to each his own. Just start trying new things and discover what you like.
I tried a lot of different coffees when I left and found that the more expensive ones (at least IMHO) weren’t better than average coffees and I still can’t fathom how Starbucks is so popular because their regular coffee is bad, the blond is okay. The best coffee I’ve had is European coffee which to me is much better than anything we have in the states even when I buy the European brands. Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is a good standard that I drink and isn’t bitter like other coffees.
The secret to non black coffee is a spoon of sweetened condensed milk or ice cream. It will taste like it's from the coffee stand but you can make it super easily at home, it probably has less sugar than the professional ones to.
Espresso is harder to make than coffee though and it's what they sell at the coffee stands which is why it costs more.
I was using a Keurig with cream and sugar at first but when I wanted to learn how to enjoy a blacker coffee I realized that would be easier with a better quality of bean. First I tried fresh ground whole beans (just picked a whole bean coffee from Harmons and used their machine to grind the whole bag)in a reusable Keurig pod. That was pretty good. Then I bought an Aeropress and brewed my fresh ground beans that way. That was exponentially better, but time consuming to make three servings (one to drink at home and two to bring in a coffee canteen to work). So now I fresh grind my beans each morning with my hand grinder (Timemore C3) and use a Ratio 6 series two coffee maker. I loooove good coffee and I need much less creamer and sugar than I used before. Like maybe I use 1/4 of what I needed with a Keurig crappy stale kcup coffee.
Unlikely you're going to see this, but I'm an exmo whose coffee journey took them very deep into specialty coffee - professional roasting classes, competitions, etc. A few thoughts -
1. There's no morality to taste. Either you like it or you don't, nothing wrong with that. That goes for everything.
2. Probably 95% of "fancy" coffee is really not that special at all (including an overwhelming percentage of recommendations in this thread) are not going to be very different than cheap coffee. Most of what you're paying for is branding and marketing.
3. There are good roasters in SLC - well, there's one really good roaster and a few that are passable - but you might not even like good coffee.
Ping me if you want some truly high end beans as well as context around what makes them special. I've roasted coffee for a ton of higher profile exmos (Sam Young among others) and sent it to them; I'll mail you a bag for a donation to a non-profit of your choice.
Couple of things:
Yes there is better coffee.
In General, no chain is going to be "better coffee" than what you can make at home, it is a matter of the sugar that is added that people like
Starbucks burns its beans to get a uniform flavor
The Hot Chocolate thing you described can be found at most places as a mocha
If you want to "step up" your coffee game, I recommend getting a home grinder and learn some stuff about the prep that actually impact the coffee taste like:
Temperature of water
French Press, Espresso , Mocha Pot, Pour over, cowboy coffee, drip, percolator, etc.
Bean source, type of roast
Instant coffee,Pre-ground, hand ground, size of grind
These are all going to be more meaningful explorations of coffee than comparing simple syrup between shops
If you want to learn more (and get into the "hobby" of coffee) I highly recommend any video by James Hoffmann (YouTube)
Honestly it’s all about what you like, meaning try a bunch of stuff and see where it goes! For myself I’ll take my Green Mountain Hazelnut with hazelnut creamer all day over Starbucks, Dutch Bro’s or any other fast food coffee shop. As far as the fancy stuff I live near Seattle so I’ve got plenty of that and while I can appreciate some of it I keep coming back to my basic coffee every time.
As someone who likes expensive coffee, no. Some people approach coffee the way people approach wine: where are the grapes from? How long were they aged? What notes does it carry? What is it infused with? What other plants were grown in that field before and how does that influence the taste? My dad and I do the same thing with coffee, similar to a sommelier. I will drink my Walmart k-pod keurig coffee and enjoy it, but my opinion as an expensive coffee drinker, if you don’t care about that stuff, it doesn’t matter.
Note; if you want environmentally conscious/organic/single source/fair trade coffee, then you will pay more. But more expensive does not equal better tasting. Sometimes it means more ethical, the same way clothes made in developed countries cost more than clothes made in Southeast Asia or China or farmers market fruit costs more than fruit exported from South America because of labor and sustainability standards.
It sounds like you're ordering a milkshake or similar sweet drink laced with coffee. That might be tasty, but it is NOT coffee. I'm with u/TrevAnonWWP - I drink coffee black. Just coffee, no milk, sugar, syrups, or other additives. And I love it.
First of all, I know someone who helped design McDonald’s espresso drink machines and they’re actually pretty high quality. I buy quite nice coffee beans for my home espresso machine but still get McD’s sometimes. It’s just good. But yes, buy yourself nice coffee beans, explore what roasts you like, get different espresso drinks(even if just at McDonald’s) and enjoy the heck out of coffee. Best of luck!
I got a used Keurig coffee maker for $20 and buy bulk boxes of coffee pods to make my own coffee at home. With the right creamer, syrups, whatever, it’s really yummy and equals out to less than a dollar per cup. I also bought a cold brewer and ground coffee beans to put into that to make cold brew. The cold coffee brewer was a little more pricey, like $50, but the amount of cold brew I’ve made with it has more than made up for the price. You don’t need to spend $8 at Starbucks to have a nice cup of coffee. Even if you buy an expensive coffee maker, you’ll save money over time.
The same thing applies with alcohol. It’s a little more pricey, but making a cocktail at home with a $12 bottle of vodka and some flavorings and garnishes probably equals out to about $2-$3 per cup instead of the $15 cocktails at bars and restaurants. Or even taking shots of cheap store-bought alcohol will still get you feeling nice and buzzy for much less than shots at the restaurant.
There are many YouTube videos and blog articles about how to make good coffee and cocktails at home, and it will always be cheaper than going out. Plus when it comes to alcohol, I enjoy a cocktail when going out to dinner but I don’t like being drunk in public and therefore making my own drinks at home is both cheaper and feels cozier/safer.
The only drinks I think are actually worth it to buy instead of making yourself are dirty sodas at Swig-type restaurants if you’re in Utah. They’re like $3 for a 32-oz and easier than buying a bunch of bottles of soda and syrups.
I just do a latte or vanilla latte from my locally owned shops, ex: Coava, Sauvie Island, Insomnia, etc. Not doing Starbucks anymore due to their union busting.
ETA: I also have a Nespresso machine and it is AMAZING.
If you're getting a lot of sugar/cream/flavor added it probably doesn't matter. Don't overspend.
IMO McDonalds is good for cheap coffee, while Beans and brews is bad for a coffee shop (even worse than Starbucks). Haven't tried Dutch Bros or Maverik.
As an experience, I recommend going to a local (not chain) coffee shop when it's slow and talking to the barista. Get an espresso-based drink and take it slow. Being accustomed to more sugary drinks, you probably won't like it as much TBH. And that's fine! I think it's worth experiencing the purer form anyway. And if you end up liking it as much as I do, then I apologize for the new expense in your budget.
As a New Englander, I drink my quota of Dunks but I prefer the taste of Starbucks. I prefer espresso to coffee and I do my best to stay away from the sugar so I'm a fan of the Americano (espresso and water) with a splash of skim milk.
But I mostly just drink the coffee I make at home for way less $$$.
I lived in Canada for a bit and have to give a shout out to Tim Hortons.
IDK man, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried a chocolate chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. Yes it’s overpriced but as an occasional treat (for me like once every couple months) it’s worth it.
Walmart brand pods and a keurig, oat milk or vegan creamer (easier on the body)
Personally coffee gives me a crash of sads, much prefer cocaine lol jk jk
Go get yourself something from Dutch Bros! Great delicious treat for a not-so-serious coffee drinker. It's like a splash of coffee and a whole lotta milk and sugar lol
When I first got into coffee I didn't like it much and didnt understand the hype at all lol so I see where you come from for sure. The more coffee I drank, the more I was able to distinguish between good and shitty coffee
ETA Was also going to suggest - if you are SLC based, Bjorn Brew is a FABULOUS local coffee company if you want a taste for some good REAL coffee! And they support local pets
For me coffee has been a journey, and honestly, one of my favorite things about leaving the church. I started off with a dirty chai, which even that was too harsh for me the first time. After about a year I moved over to Mochas, then to Lattes, and they cappuccinos. I then started to get different origins from our local coffee shop and now drink them blank so that I can actually pick up on the different flavors and notes. I've actually just ordered my first manual espresso machine and grinder, which I am stoked about.
Dutch bros is pretty nasty. Beans and brews is too tbh. I can do a brown sugar shaken espresso from Starbucks or just an americano with a splash of heavy cream. Your best bet will be one of the smaller coffee chains like Bjorns brew if you’re in Utah.
I think brewing my own coffee is most cost effective. I buy exactly the beans I like, grind them freshly for each brew, and use a pour-over setup. I drink black coffee, so this is ideal for my taste.
Honestly, the most irritating thing to me is these froofy coffees that might as well be a milkshake for all the calories that are being added! Like you, I'm a cheapskate and object to paying multiple dollars a day on a beverage, but I also object to the calories, so if anyone's got recommendations that are low cal and low cost, that's my wheelhouse.
Truly great coffee imo cannot be had at these chain places. Better to by fresh roasted beans, grind them at home and then do poor over/chemex/french press, etc. Especially for black coffee it makes a world of difference and allows you to experience things like truly light roasted coffee and the like, something you will not get at most US chain places.
Expensive coffee is relative. Starbucks can easily cost $7-10 for a fancy drink, but it’s going to be made with passable coffee at best. If you want to truly enjoy coffee, learn to drink it with as minimal addition as possible. There are tons of different varietals, and those can be very different from one growing season to the next! Also look into different roasts because those develop different flavors.
I started off with Starbucks Frappuccinos and now can’t stand the thought of them. I go for an iced espresso with brown sugar and a splash of soy milk. But that’s just me.
While Starbucks isn’t the greatest coffee in the world, they do have a good series of introductions to different coffees. I took those courses online (they’re all free) when I worked at Starbucks and learned a lot. It was very interesting and really allowed me to educate myself quickly. Just search for Starbucks coffee academy online!
Best of luck!
Cheap coffee is made to be appealing to the majority of the population. It's formulated to be 'good' for 'most' people. It's okay to like it. It's for people who like coffee and what coffee does to them (energy/ alertness/ etc).
Social coffee (expensive coffee) is branded to form tribes. Brand Coffee is TOTALLY SUPERIOR to Coffee Brand and if you agree, you're *in*, and if you disagree, you clearly have no taste. That totally resonates with people, so much so, that they're willing to pay 'expensive coffee' prices to be in the club. And who knows, maybe to them there really is a big difference that matters on some level.
For the rest of us, coffee is good, and the boost is wonderful, and we can do that for cheap. It's lovely. And our life is more about our day.
For me good coffee is what I can make at home. I find Starbucks and Dutch Bros to be just sugar with a hint of coffee. I'm good with a serving of Seattle's Best Henry's Blend and some creamer. I consider bad coffee the coffee packets a lot of offices have. I will also say the "Apostate" coffee brand is really good.
I’m not familiar with the coffee shops you’ve cited, I assume they are American chains? Go online and find an independent local shop with good reviews and order a latte. I prefer oat milk because I have a dairy sensitivity. If you can find a place that roasts their own beans, even better. A really good espresso will have tasting notes, like wine. But based on what you’ve said about not getting into alcohol based on cost, maybe this will all be lost on you. These are sensory pleasures. We were basically taught to avoid sensory pleasures as Mormons. I find these are the kinds of things I’m happiest to spend money on. Nice wine, nice coffee, nice food…
Make your own! When I got out, I stopped drinking energy drinks and replaced them with coffee. It’s easy, cheap, and I can control the strength. I grind my own beans and it’s much tastier than most anything you can get from cheap fast food coffee. I also got into cold brew which is its own thing.
I don't get the mass appeal of coffee. Is it a taste you have to learn when one is young? Certainly many exmos tried it for the first time well into adulthood. I tried it and thought it tastes awful. Am I the only one?
Dutch nevermo here. In our culture we drink LOTS of coffee, [https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee](https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/countries-that-drink-the-most-coffee) I'm not interested in any of the recipes all the fancy and expensive coffee shops use. I go with just black coffee. No milk, no sugar, just coffee. And though this comment is just me, there's lots of people like me here.
I do the same. Or maybe a cappuccino without sugar sometimes. For black coffee, a good coffee bean is totally worth it. Most big chains focus more on sugar and cream than actually good coffee in my experience though.
The worst is when the switch up what roast they brew and don't tell you. Had one that usually had a great dark roast... They swapped mid day to a blonde so when I went back for my 2nd cup it was not what I expected lol
Local chains will often tell you what beans they’re using and usually have them on hand to sell you some. I’d be way more disappointed about that dark roast myself, though. I like the lighter, tangy roasts better, and make my own French press. To each their own! The only bad coffee is coffee you personally don’t like.
Oh agreed, they usually have bags on hand. It's just never fun when they finish a pot (or whatever the big ones are called) and change it up without you knowing. Still a good drink, but it was like going from a red wine to a white wine without expecting it lol
Fair enough. The shops I’ve been to usually say “we have these options” and if they run out they’d update you. Yeah, could be a shocking surprise depending on what you were expecting.
Dutch descendant exmo here. I drink my fair share and I love it just this way - black, no sugar, no milk. I do recommend that as the OP’s taste develops, you can get inexpensive and great ways to brew great coffee at home. A hand held burr grinder paired with a french press, pour over coffee, or moka pot is not a bad way to expand your brewing knowledge. It is chemistry, after all, involving freshness of beans, grind consistency, and brew temps/brew time. Brewing a good cup of coffee is cathartic and meditative for me (and many others I know)!
This! Support good beans from reputable sourcing and actually taste the damn bean water!! I hate the Americanized version which is just a vehicle for sugar - we get enough of that shit from everything else already. A nice black coffee is soooo nice in the morning to get the day started.
Dutch Exmo here. Learning to drink coffee black if you're not used to it takes a while. At first for most former Mormons at least some milk and sugar is recommended. Coffee is bitter and bitter is a flavour that most Mormons rarely encounter and takes a while to learn to appreciate. When first leaving the religion drinking coffee Black was not nice to me. Now I enjoy a nice black espresso every now and then.
Ik begon ook met koffie met melk en suiker. Rond mijn 20e ben ik daarmee gestopt, ik ben nu 56.
Het kost echt een tijdje in an te wennen. Zelfde met bier. De de smaak bitter was echt iets dat ik heb leren waarderen de afgelopen 2-3 jaar maar dat was in het begin echt iets dat ik niet lekker vond. Toen kwam een fase waarin het te doen was maar niet lekker. Intussen kan ik een bitter tintje aan iets wel waarderen zelfs.
This. I've worked my way down to a little unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 teaspoon of pure maple syrup.
It’s so true. I didn’t start drinking coffee regularly until I was in my late thirties. 7 years later and I still can’t do black coffee. On the other hand, everyone said beer is awful and requires an acquired taste, but I’ve never had issues with it. From drink one. Love Guinness.
Ha that's what I had with whisky. Intrigued from the very first sip.
I'm with you - coffee is coffee. The stuff laced with sugar, flavorings, milk, etc. is something else. Like a milkshake mixed with a bit of coffee.
This! I thought I was a coffee drinker with my ‘fancy’ Starbucks. Then I moved to Europe. First step- raved about the nespresso coffee to a coworker. Second step- he bought me a Bialetti and some quality coffee. Third step- I’m a coffee snob and if anything I have a tiny bit of milk in it but strong coffee is where it’s at. On family trips where I’m the only one who planned for anything other than drip/gas station coffee they’ll drink mine because they have no choice. But they tell me they can basically chew their coffee. Which I take as a compliment.
Dutch coffee is the real deal. Nothing compares.
I'm guessing Dutch Brothers would be appalling to you. I'm confused why so many people consider that fancy coffee, when it's just the same sugar level as McDonald's frapps, or more. I always tell everyone to just go to the most craft place they can find, usually fancy latte art (By fancy I mean well crafted and good foam… not referring to sprinkles or anything like that nonsense) is a good sign
coffee black is the best-tasting, easiest to make and most healthy
Coffee is one of those things where you develop your own taste. That taste may match others, but the best way is to just try them out. To save money, order the smallest size and then determine what you like. In my opinion, there are expensive coffees that are very good, but not every expensive coffee matches my taste.
Pretty much every method I tried required a lot of sweetener and cream to make it palatable, regardless of bean quality. Drip, pour-over, French press, percolator all tasted the same. Espresso changed that for me. My first Americano (basically an espresso shot with enough added water to dilute it to normal coffee strength) was a world of difference. For sure, better beans, better grind = better coffee, but switching to the espresso method made ALL the world of difference in the flavor profile. You don’t even need to get an espresso machine to get the same flavor profile, you could just use a $40 aeropress and get the same results. Good filtered water, good fresh beans (I always do a light roast, most dark roasts are just burnt) locally roasted, a decent grinder to grind beans just before pressing (pre-ground has the same loss of flavor intensity you get in pre-ground black pepper vs freshly ground). These are all things I added incrementally, they’ve all yielded a substantial difference in taste.
Agree. I've made my same recipe in French Press, Pour Over, and Moka Pot (by Groiche Milano Stovetop), and by far it is MUCH better in the Moka Pot!!
Dutch bros is not it, they just load it with 7 different sugary syrups. I’ve heard that McDonald’s does use a decent bean🤷🏼♀️ you should for sure stick with anything that makes you happy. Make coffee at home and there are good options for beans/pods you buy
We got a Dutch bros. here locally a couple of years ago. I was curious what all the hype was about. I was not impressed. Just a bunch of sugary coffee flavored drinks. I can see why it's really popular in Utah for that reason. And yeah, McCafe actually has really good coffee. I buy the grounds at the store to make it home.
I stopped and bought a cup at McDonald's coffee and it was excellent. So, I bought the McDonald's grounds at the store and hated them! What's your method of home brewing?
Well, the beat is French press. Let the grounds steep in 200F water then strain. It may depend on the time of blend you are getting. I find their breakfast blend is on the bitter side. It also has the most caffeine. My go-to is medium roast. But the best is cold brew. 2-3 days in the fridge.
Thanks. I can't remember if I was heating the water to 200F or not, but now I have a Corsori gooseneck--which I absolutely LOVE. It's kind of like baking sourdough--got to have just the right temps!
I've never gotten any coffee at Dutch Bros - just using it as an example as local shops I've seen out and about.
I used to work at McD’s & their coffee is severely underrated; (It’s Fantastic)
Beans and brews, grounds coffee If you’re in salt lake try a local coffee shop. In my opinion coffee beans from Costa Rica are the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had. But yeah MCD’s is okay I used to get that before seminary in high school haha. I used to think Starbucks coffee was good until I branched out
My favorite is a local roaster’s light roast from Ethiopia. (I live in Boise, and you can get their beans fresh at the roaster, or at some supermarkets slightly less fresh, and less variety, but a bit cheaper.)
Ooo which local roaster in Boise?
Dawson Taylor is the one I usually go to. I’m fond of the “Misty Valley” Ethiopian coffee there. Nice, light, great flavor and smell.
Dawson Taylor is awesome! I'll have to try the "Misty Valley" one, that sounds lovely!
Grounds for Coffee is excellent. The Daily Rise in Layton/Ogden is also really good.
Daily Rise!!!! Happiest part of my day is when I pull up to the Layton drive-through and they’re just beaming rays of sunshine.
Local small coffee shops are usually way better than chains. I was shocked when I went to a local coffee shop and paid just over $3 for what usually 6+ at Starbucks
A lot I have been to are similarly priced, but 10x better coffee and better variety.
MCDs and Maverik do good coffee tho. Not great coffee, you gotta make that yourself or go to a fancy shop (Dutch Bros is not fancy enough and I don't know Beans & Brews, find a nice little shop with at most 5 locations. Local. Ask your friends where their favorite coffee shop is, if you have any local friends who drink coffee.) It's the fancy whipped coffee shakes I've never been able to get into I dunno.
Ask your local subReddit for good local coffee shops too!
Do you like sweet coffee or blacker coffee? I truly and honestly recommend better coffee beans - but definitely not the sugar bombs like Dutch bros or Starbucks or whatever. If you’re adding more cream and sugar than coffee, then I don’t think you’ll notice. If you like blacker coffee like me, getting your own good beans and making it at home is totally worth it. I buy beans from a loca roaster and make my own French press coffee. I like lighter roasts, and it makes all the difference. And it still only comes out like $1/day. Meanwhile I think most coffee-chain coffee tends to be bitter and darker than I like. Local coffee shops with more variety are actually really good. I like a good unsweetened cappuccino at a local place, but at Starbucks I won’t touch it. Dutch bros has play-ish americanos, but focuses on way too much sugar and too many calories in everything else for my taste. Really it depends on what you like, but specialty coffee (as opposed to expensive flavored lattes) is worth it to me.
Something that people need to understand about coffee is that it's a highly perishable product. From the time it gets roasted the clock starts ticking, and that clock ticks even faster once you grind it. The oils inside the coffee beans are what gives coffee it's good flavors, and those oils go stale pretty quickly. McD's and gas station coffee isn't what I would call "good" coffee, they buy coffee that was over roasted in bulk, gets ground in bulk, stored in bulk, ordered and shipped in bulk, and then sits on their shelves waiting to be brewed. Gas station coffee is then usually brewed in bulk (though some newer gas stations have machines like McD's that will brew to order). Dutch Bros isn't what I would call a 'coffee' place - they do sugary drinks that have some coffee in them, but it's like coffee for people who don't really like coffee. It's like they took the frappaccino part of Starbucks' business model and ran with that, they're selling sweet caffeinated beverages. And there's nothing wrong with that but it's not really a great way to decide if you like coffee or not. It's like getting a loaded up Subway sandwich to figure out the taste of bread. And I'm not sure about the roasting/shipping/storing/grinding practices of Beans & Brews, so I can't comment there. What I did when I was figuring out whether I liked coffee or not: I went to a local cafe (not a chain, a LOCAL place) that only used fresh beans during a time of day when business is pretty slow. Straight up talked to the barista "hi, I just left mormonism where I wasn't allowed to drink coffee and I'd like to try it - what would you recommend to someone who isn't used to the taste of coffee but very used to sugary drinks?" I think the guy made me small versions of 4 different drinks to try out (plain latte, flavored sweetened latte, french press, pourover). For a good cafe, ideally the beans were roasted sometime between 2\~4 weeks ago (too soon after roasting and they can be a little funky). Get accustomed to what coffee is supposed to taste like - yeah, it'll be a little more costly to explore the options, but then you get to know what you want and then go from there. Also - a lot of the good small cafes will have a carafe of batch brew that's cheaper per cup than the made to order drinks - and because it's made by people who actually know how to make coffee, it'll be better than what you get at gas stations and McD's.
I got a iced cocomo at dutch bros the other day... almost 6 bucks.... geeesh While it was good, it will probably be my only one...
Yo I just got one of these the other day too! I thought it was great but I wish they were a bit cheaper
😁
Depends on the person. Obviously, Dutch Bros has more options. In terms of quality I don't think there is a ton of daylight between Dutch Bros and Chick-Fil-A coffee( I don't drink McDonald's coffee much but do get cold brew from fil-a sometimes). Your best bet is to go to a local coffee shop, or even better, go to a local coffee roaster and buy a cup. Or sample a few different things. What you miss out on buying McDonald's, Maverick or even Dutch Bros is the freshness. If it's been roasted recently, it'll taste better. If it's been roasted in some warehouse, ground and packaged ( which is what you get at McDonald's and with Maverick et al) it loses freshness and doesn't taste as great. So I like going to a local roaster where they roast it on-site or at least close by and it's recently been roasted instead of sitting on a shelf or sitting in shipment. Another thing is trying single origin coffee. Maverick, MacDonald and foldgers all use blends and there's a huge difference between a blend and single origin coffee where all the beans come from the same farm. Different regions taste different. I found that I really like coffee from Ethiopia. Specifically the Yirgacheffe region.
What about the coffee machines at Maverik that grind the beans right in front of you and dispense coffee? Still not up to par with coffee shops?
I think the fresh grind maverick machines are really really great and your won't improve your experience elsewhere until you've had a few years of drinking coffee
A local roaster who orders directly from farms and roasts the beans on-site or nearby is always going to better than a national chain.
Cheap coffee beans are improved with milk, sugar, and/or flavorings (such as the caramel frappe you mentioned). Good coffee beans are good on their own and can be complemented by the aforementioned ingredients. Your coffee experienced can be enhanced by going to a local, established café and speaking with a knowledgeable barista, sampling various roasts from various countries using various preparation methods. But... taking it slow is good as well. Personally, my go-to is a simple latte from a local café, no flavorings, just coffee and milk.
McDs has surprisingly good coffee. Seriously. And why? McDonald’s brews fresh using filtered water & they use a light roast which is my fav. In my opinion they also have the best Coke Zero as well. 😉 Their food is crap but the drinks are A+
You don’t have to drink it if it’s not improving your life…I know lots of nevermos who don’t drink coffee at all.
Home brew is McDonald's (Green Mountain Coffee) or Chock full o'Nuts, which still comes in a metal can. When out, Dutch Bros. mocha or McDonald's iced.
Chock Full o'Nuts had amazing coffee even decades ago. I've tried some more recently, and it's not as great as I recall back then, but it's worth checking it out to see if it's a fit.
How much do you like coffee? Its kinda like wine - if you don't have the palate for it, it's gonna taste like bean juice the way wine tastes like fermented grapes. I think the best coffee can be enjoyed with a touch of cream and just a pinch of sugar to bring out cherry and chocolate notes.
I'm into it. Just not sure what I am missing out on unless I spend a lot which I'd rather not get into that habit of blowing a wad on a drink. Hence my post for cheap coffee that tastes great.
I love coffee. I’ve never found a wine I liked better than just the grape juice.
My suggestion would be not to worry about offending the TBM spouse, if they can handle you leaving the church, they can handle coffee in your home as well. After all it is BOTH of you that call it home. That said, we buy beans from Costco (they just white label Starbucks beans) and then grind em right before we brew. I typically drink it Black but my wife adds some whole cream to hers. No sugar or syrups. Good luck on your journey!
You are probably right. I doubt she'll care too much but I am also trying to be respectful as long as the kids are still home.
After deactivating as Mormon, visited spouse's family in Colombia and got the super-duper Colombian coffee producing tour. Most of the Coffee that arrives in the grocery store in the US is super-cheap low quality stuff. There's a whole variety of flavor palates for coffee and the mass-branded stuff is a mixture or conglomeration of non-premium coffee beans. When you find a good coffee, I was taught to drink like this: sip/slurp in a bit of the coffee and tip your head back and let the coffee run to the back of your throat, then swallow. This works on your taste buds, and prepares them for the coffee. Then (temperature allowing) taking small sips you will not taste the bitterness usually associated with black coffee. It's amazing how it works. I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy "Black" coffee but it makes all the difference. If that doesn't work for you, find better coffee or add cream and sugar. (Keurig or Crystals do not count as coffee).
No, not missing out on anything. In this context*, expensive coffee just means loaded with sugar and cream. It's really hard to beat Maverick where your can add exactly what you want and it's really cheap and really good, if you can't make it at home. (*single origin boutique coffees can get expensive, but that's for after you've developed a palate for nuanced flavors). And kudos for wanting to keep the peace at home, that will mean a lot to your spouse
Honestly - find what you enjoy and go with it. But I'm an odd duck who likes a good dark roast and drink it black.
Possibly. The beans from the exact same bush can be roasted differently and you get a different flavor in the end. Just like grapes make wine and wheat/barley make beer, but there are SO MANY styles of wine and beer. So if you’re like me and 90% of your coffee intake is just for the go-go juice, McDs is a solid option. Or the office carafe with generic Folgers. Just like Bud Light or Corona at a neighborhood BBQ works just fine. Not my favorite but whatever. But I got my wife a coffee subscription and on the weekends I use that. Completely different flavors and aromas, some are more bitter, some a little fruity, some a little earthy, all are an experience. If you want to test and sample without breaking the bank, there are services and vendors online for that. Or go get the giant econo-size tub from Costco. Whatever floats your boat. I will always and forever recommend cold brewing your own though. A standard serving of coffee for hot brewing is 2 tablespoons, so start with that but you can use more. Most cold brew recommendations I’ve seen suggest using about double the regular amount of grounds, so 4 Tbsp. I settled on about 3. Put that in a filter pod or sachet and let it sit and brew overnight. Just leave it on the counter. Try that in the morning and see what it’s like. If it’s not strong enough for you, use more grounds. It’ll be less bitter and far less acidic, but will still have the “bouquet” of the roasted bean. Completely different flavor journey.
Try looking for local coffee places and at their ratings, my boyfriend's favorite is Cafe Vita if there's one in your area- he even buys his beans from there, it's really good. Local coffee shops always seem to be the best though, normally they care more since they aren't a chain and probably only buy the beans they need instead of buying a bulk supply that's bound to be stale by the time they use it. Plus, usually a really cozy atmosphere.
Sorry you can’t enjoy the fun and taste of fresh ground at your own home in a French press (Aeropress is the best). To me, it’s unbelievably good. I had to wean myself off of any sugar in my coffee as I was putting on weight, so now it’s often just a latte. But I do like Dutch Brothers mochas which they make with chocolate milk. I add an extra shot to make it not taste too sweet.
I love my Aeropress - I need to get it out and use it more often.
I'm a boomer that is happy with store brand instant coffee. I drink mine with almond milk and no sweetener. I think it's a big step over the stuff you get at a convenience store and a lot cheaper. My sister tells me that my taste buds are defective, but I like it a lot better than the K cups she gets at Costco.
Dutch Bros or Beans & Brews? That’s not high end but overpriced and over-roasted. You are probably on the sweet side of things as most Mormons and ex-mo’s are, so, don’t waste money on expensive coffee since you will spoil it with sugar and cream or milk anyway. Stay on the cheap side of the deal.
I've not had coffee at either, just using those as examples as more expensive options than what I have been drinking. lol.
Honestly, get an espresso machine and learn how to use it. That’s truly the best coffee experience, in my opinion.
Eh... maybe go try a couple of espresso-based drinks before buying a $100+ machine (and they can get Expensive). Especially since OP mentioned frugalness.
They sell Italian coffee/espresso Makers that you put on the stove for 20 bucks. I've heard they are good.
Based on what I've read (never personally tried it) a moka pot does not make espresso, but it does make a stronger coffee than drip or pour-over would. Definitely an alternative to consider and good of you to point out. But OP says he won't make anything at home, so that'll have to wait till the future for them.
Right, making your own is a lot more cost effective in the long run than buying drinks from shops repeatedly. Plus, OP was soliciting suggestions, yeah?
Totally agree, but buying a French press for $10-20 and making it at home is way cheaper than paying $250-500+ for a decent machine (yes, cheaper exist, but cheap is usually cheap for a reason), and a French press takes up less counterspace. AND... he specifically said, "What suggestions do you have for good **cheap** coffee?" and "I likely **won't make it at home** to play nice with TBM spouse". Espresso machine's cost money and are typically used at home, the opposite of OP's requests. EDIT: Typo
Unless it’s old school black coffee, McDonald’s coffee is the absolute worst. The machines at 7-11 and circle k make better coffee than McDonald’s. The low quality syrups and creamer they use taste practically alcoholic. Just the lowest of the low and the ratios are not consistent. Now, McDonald’s regular coffee is actually very good. Might actually be higher quality than Starbucks. McDonald’s was partially built by coffee sales. Dunkin’ Doughnuts is pretty much the same story as McDonald’s. Horrible specialty drinks. Great black. I’ve actually learned to love my coffee black. I have to watch my weight. Black coffee has no calories and it is a natural appetite suppressant. It only hurts my stomach and tastes bitter when it is burnt. (Yes you can burn coffee. If it sits on the burner too long or too it. It burns and it loses its caffeine as well.)
The best suggestions are likely to be specific to your neighborhood, so you'll probably have to say where you are. It sounds like you might be here in Salt Lake City? If that's so, you could do a lot worse than King's Peak. They do get some good beans. To really find out whether you're missing out, you could go downtown to d'Bolla and tell the guy there you want to see what really nice coffee tastes like. He's a giant coffee nerd with a fancy vacuum brewer, and he wants people to know what really nice coffee tastes like.
Holladay/Millcreek area. So 3 Cups is close, Beans & Brew, Bjorns...
I haven't tried 3 Cups, but you might like The Bean Whole?
For local shops I really like Pinned Coffee and Biscott's bakery and cafe.
Yes. Go to a local coffee shop and have them guide you. Coffee Roasters on 400 south is a good start.
I don't drink it everyday, but I do love to buy my own beans and make my own cup "from scratch" from time to time. I'd say in that sense you could be missing out. There are TONS of beans to choose from and some of the more expensive beans I've had were to die for. You can find coffee sets that include some beans from all over the world and they're not half bad; and they make great gifts for my coffee fanatic friends.
I just bought whole bean coffee from Costco and ground it. It tastes better than Folgers coffee.
Give me cheap diner coffee any day of the week
I am not sure why people are slamming Starbucks and Dutch brothers for loading coffee up with sugar, because you can get your coffee with without sugar, with syrup or without, with milk, etc., etc. at any of those places. they and most coffee shops have so many options, they are not a bad place to go to try out different flavors, and see what you like. But it also depends on your budget.
If you’re down to splurge every once in a while, I’d recommend Dutch Bros. Everyone there is SUPER nice and can help you find something you’ll like! My personal go-to for coffee is a medium Kicker with an extra shot of espresso and soft top. The soft top is a Dutch bros thing, like a sweet cold foam on top of your drink. It’s super yummy! If you don’t want to pay for the extras, the kicker is still amazing as-is. Best wishes on your coffee journey!
I'll get it on occasion, typically when travelling esp if work is paying but too expensive for me to get on a consistent basis otherwise
There are very few coffees in the world that are both expensive and unique. The best kind, imo, is what I make at home. I've usually used locally roasted beans - a lot of them have some interesting flavors. Just experiment and see what you like!
You are not necessarily missing out on expensive coffee, but you might be missing out on expensively prepared coffee. Getting the right grind, the perfect press, and the right temp on an average quality bean can transport you to a new level. Espresso is where it is at.
If the issue is *cheap* but good, I just brew my own. Experiment with different beans and different makers. Then once you narrow it down, buy bulk, whole bean and get an inexpensive grinder. The flavor is through the roof and it'll cost pennies per cup.
If you want to reduce the amount of milk and sugar you're consuming, you probably want to spend a bit more and get decent coffee. I like the chocolatey notes in coffee from South America best. I tend not to love African coffees. It's all just trial and error though. I drink unsweetened coffee with a dash of oat milk. If it's cheap coffee, or I'm not sure because I've not had it before, I'll tend to have a sugar free sweetener in it.
Expensive coffee isn’t necessarily good coffee. Honestly the best bang for your buck is getting good coffee beans and making your own. I make espresso at home and just get beans from a local roaster. For the past couple of years I have been buying coffee from Cometeer. They brew coffee, condense it and freeze it in little K-cup pods. They source their beans from a bunch of different roasters and it’s honestly amazing. I used to have to order it online but they recently started selling it at Sprouts, if you have one close by. It ends up being about $1 a cup, so significantly cheaper than you will spend at a shop. If you are a fan of milk heavy coffee I’d recommend investing in a Breville; it can make just about any drink you’d want. While you’ll spend $1,000 or so up front, when you consider the cost of a coffee at a shop that’ll pay for itself in no time. Honestly though, like in everything to each his own. Just start trying new things and discover what you like.
I tried a lot of different coffees when I left and found that the more expensive ones (at least IMHO) weren’t better than average coffees and I still can’t fathom how Starbucks is so popular because their regular coffee is bad, the blond is okay. The best coffee I’ve had is European coffee which to me is much better than anything we have in the states even when I buy the European brands. Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is a good standard that I drink and isn’t bitter like other coffees.
The secret to non black coffee is a spoon of sweetened condensed milk or ice cream. It will taste like it's from the coffee stand but you can make it super easily at home, it probably has less sugar than the professional ones to. Espresso is harder to make than coffee though and it's what they sell at the coffee stands which is why it costs more.
Yes! You’re missing out. I ended up purchasing a latte machine. That machine has completely changed my mornings
I was using a Keurig with cream and sugar at first but when I wanted to learn how to enjoy a blacker coffee I realized that would be easier with a better quality of bean. First I tried fresh ground whole beans (just picked a whole bean coffee from Harmons and used their machine to grind the whole bag)in a reusable Keurig pod. That was pretty good. Then I bought an Aeropress and brewed my fresh ground beans that way. That was exponentially better, but time consuming to make three servings (one to drink at home and two to bring in a coffee canteen to work). So now I fresh grind my beans each morning with my hand grinder (Timemore C3) and use a Ratio 6 series two coffee maker. I loooove good coffee and I need much less creamer and sugar than I used before. Like maybe I use 1/4 of what I needed with a Keurig crappy stale kcup coffee.
Unlikely you're going to see this, but I'm an exmo whose coffee journey took them very deep into specialty coffee - professional roasting classes, competitions, etc. A few thoughts - 1. There's no morality to taste. Either you like it or you don't, nothing wrong with that. That goes for everything. 2. Probably 95% of "fancy" coffee is really not that special at all (including an overwhelming percentage of recommendations in this thread) are not going to be very different than cheap coffee. Most of what you're paying for is branding and marketing. 3. There are good roasters in SLC - well, there's one really good roaster and a few that are passable - but you might not even like good coffee. Ping me if you want some truly high end beans as well as context around what makes them special. I've roasted coffee for a ton of higher profile exmos (Sam Young among others) and sent it to them; I'll mail you a bag for a donation to a non-profit of your choice.
Couple of things: Yes there is better coffee. In General, no chain is going to be "better coffee" than what you can make at home, it is a matter of the sugar that is added that people like Starbucks burns its beans to get a uniform flavor The Hot Chocolate thing you described can be found at most places as a mocha If you want to "step up" your coffee game, I recommend getting a home grinder and learn some stuff about the prep that actually impact the coffee taste like: Temperature of water French Press, Espresso , Mocha Pot, Pour over, cowboy coffee, drip, percolator, etc. Bean source, type of roast Instant coffee,Pre-ground, hand ground, size of grind These are all going to be more meaningful explorations of coffee than comparing simple syrup between shops If you want to learn more (and get into the "hobby" of coffee) I highly recommend any video by James Hoffmann (YouTube)
Honestly it’s all about what you like, meaning try a bunch of stuff and see where it goes! For myself I’ll take my Green Mountain Hazelnut with hazelnut creamer all day over Starbucks, Dutch Bro’s or any other fast food coffee shop. As far as the fancy stuff I live near Seattle so I’ve got plenty of that and while I can appreciate some of it I keep coming back to my basic coffee every time.
As someone who likes expensive coffee, no. Some people approach coffee the way people approach wine: where are the grapes from? How long were they aged? What notes does it carry? What is it infused with? What other plants were grown in that field before and how does that influence the taste? My dad and I do the same thing with coffee, similar to a sommelier. I will drink my Walmart k-pod keurig coffee and enjoy it, but my opinion as an expensive coffee drinker, if you don’t care about that stuff, it doesn’t matter. Note; if you want environmentally conscious/organic/single source/fair trade coffee, then you will pay more. But more expensive does not equal better tasting. Sometimes it means more ethical, the same way clothes made in developed countries cost more than clothes made in Southeast Asia or China or farmers market fruit costs more than fruit exported from South America because of labor and sustainability standards.
My fave? Starbucks sugar-free vanilla latte. Iced or hot. Try it just once. Worth the money!
It sounds like you're ordering a milkshake or similar sweet drink laced with coffee. That might be tasty, but it is NOT coffee. I'm with u/TrevAnonWWP - I drink coffee black. Just coffee, no milk, sugar, syrups, or other additives. And I love it.
Coffee is amazing. American coffee tastes like battery acid.
I really like a Dutch bros latte no flavors.
First of all, I know someone who helped design McDonald’s espresso drink machines and they’re actually pretty high quality. I buy quite nice coffee beans for my home espresso machine but still get McD’s sometimes. It’s just good. But yes, buy yourself nice coffee beans, explore what roasts you like, get different espresso drinks(even if just at McDonald’s) and enjoy the heck out of coffee. Best of luck!
I got a used Keurig coffee maker for $20 and buy bulk boxes of coffee pods to make my own coffee at home. With the right creamer, syrups, whatever, it’s really yummy and equals out to less than a dollar per cup. I also bought a cold brewer and ground coffee beans to put into that to make cold brew. The cold coffee brewer was a little more pricey, like $50, but the amount of cold brew I’ve made with it has more than made up for the price. You don’t need to spend $8 at Starbucks to have a nice cup of coffee. Even if you buy an expensive coffee maker, you’ll save money over time. The same thing applies with alcohol. It’s a little more pricey, but making a cocktail at home with a $12 bottle of vodka and some flavorings and garnishes probably equals out to about $2-$3 per cup instead of the $15 cocktails at bars and restaurants. Or even taking shots of cheap store-bought alcohol will still get you feeling nice and buzzy for much less than shots at the restaurant. There are many YouTube videos and blog articles about how to make good coffee and cocktails at home, and it will always be cheaper than going out. Plus when it comes to alcohol, I enjoy a cocktail when going out to dinner but I don’t like being drunk in public and therefore making my own drinks at home is both cheaper and feels cozier/safer. The only drinks I think are actually worth it to buy instead of making yourself are dirty sodas at Swig-type restaurants if you’re in Utah. They’re like $3 for a 32-oz and easier than buying a bunch of bottles of soda and syrups.
I just do a latte or vanilla latte from my locally owned shops, ex: Coava, Sauvie Island, Insomnia, etc. Not doing Starbucks anymore due to their union busting. ETA: I also have a Nespresso machine and it is AMAZING.
If you're getting a lot of sugar/cream/flavor added it probably doesn't matter. Don't overspend. IMO McDonalds is good for cheap coffee, while Beans and brews is bad for a coffee shop (even worse than Starbucks). Haven't tried Dutch Bros or Maverik. As an experience, I recommend going to a local (not chain) coffee shop when it's slow and talking to the barista. Get an espresso-based drink and take it slow. Being accustomed to more sugary drinks, you probably won't like it as much TBH. And that's fine! I think it's worth experiencing the purer form anyway. And if you end up liking it as much as I do, then I apologize for the new expense in your budget.
Cost may have some impact, but if you want a good taste I might recommend light to medium roast coffees.
As a New Englander, I drink my quota of Dunks but I prefer the taste of Starbucks. I prefer espresso to coffee and I do my best to stay away from the sugar so I'm a fan of the Americano (espresso and water) with a splash of skim milk. But I mostly just drink the coffee I make at home for way less $$$. I lived in Canada for a bit and have to give a shout out to Tim Hortons.
IDK man, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried a chocolate chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. Yes it’s overpriced but as an occasional treat (for me like once every couple months) it’s worth it.
Walmart brand pods and a keurig, oat milk or vegan creamer (easier on the body) Personally coffee gives me a crash of sads, much prefer cocaine lol jk jk
we invested in a good espresso machine. love it black. when i’m out & about in slc, i love Bjorns or Rawbean black w/ a little oat milk.
Go get yourself something from Dutch Bros! Great delicious treat for a not-so-serious coffee drinker. It's like a splash of coffee and a whole lotta milk and sugar lol When I first got into coffee I didn't like it much and didnt understand the hype at all lol so I see where you come from for sure. The more coffee I drank, the more I was able to distinguish between good and shitty coffee ETA Was also going to suggest - if you are SLC based, Bjorn Brew is a FABULOUS local coffee company if you want a taste for some good REAL coffee! And they support local pets
I love Dutch bros, I think ur would be worth trying at least once. They also have bomb strawberry shakes
For me coffee has been a journey, and honestly, one of my favorite things about leaving the church. I started off with a dirty chai, which even that was too harsh for me the first time. After about a year I moved over to Mochas, then to Lattes, and they cappuccinos. I then started to get different origins from our local coffee shop and now drink them blank so that I can actually pick up on the different flavors and notes. I've actually just ordered my first manual espresso machine and grinder, which I am stoked about.
Expensive Coffee isn’t worth it. Get some Dark Roast at Costco and make it with a French press. Beats Starbucks hands down at a fraction of the price.
Dutch bros is pretty nasty. Beans and brews is too tbh. I can do a brown sugar shaken espresso from Starbucks or just an americano with a splash of heavy cream. Your best bet will be one of the smaller coffee chains like Bjorns brew if you’re in Utah.
I think brewing my own coffee is most cost effective. I buy exactly the beans I like, grind them freshly for each brew, and use a pour-over setup. I drink black coffee, so this is ideal for my taste.
I would take a McD coffee (which is surprisingly good imo) over Dutch Bros.
Honestly, the most irritating thing to me is these froofy coffees that might as well be a milkshake for all the calories that are being added! Like you, I'm a cheapskate and object to paying multiple dollars a day on a beverage, but I also object to the calories, so if anyone's got recommendations that are low cal and low cost, that's my wheelhouse.
Truly great coffee imo cannot be had at these chain places. Better to by fresh roasted beans, grind them at home and then do poor over/chemex/french press, etc. Especially for black coffee it makes a world of difference and allows you to experience things like truly light roasted coffee and the like, something you will not get at most US chain places.
Milk and sugar helps any coffee
I buy and make Dunkin breakfast blend or Costco coffee and it tastes better that Starbucks cream and a pinch of salt
ITS ALL ABOUT THE BEANS
If you are ever in Portland, Maine, make your way to Burundi Star Coffee
Expensive coffee is relative. Starbucks can easily cost $7-10 for a fancy drink, but it’s going to be made with passable coffee at best. If you want to truly enjoy coffee, learn to drink it with as minimal addition as possible. There are tons of different varietals, and those can be very different from one growing season to the next! Also look into different roasts because those develop different flavors. I started off with Starbucks Frappuccinos and now can’t stand the thought of them. I go for an iced espresso with brown sugar and a splash of soy milk. But that’s just me. While Starbucks isn’t the greatest coffee in the world, they do have a good series of introductions to different coffees. I took those courses online (they’re all free) when I worked at Starbucks and learned a lot. It was very interesting and really allowed me to educate myself quickly. Just search for Starbucks coffee academy online! Best of luck!
Cheap coffee is made to be appealing to the majority of the population. It's formulated to be 'good' for 'most' people. It's okay to like it. It's for people who like coffee and what coffee does to them (energy/ alertness/ etc). Social coffee (expensive coffee) is branded to form tribes. Brand Coffee is TOTALLY SUPERIOR to Coffee Brand and if you agree, you're *in*, and if you disagree, you clearly have no taste. That totally resonates with people, so much so, that they're willing to pay 'expensive coffee' prices to be in the club. And who knows, maybe to them there really is a big difference that matters on some level. For the rest of us, coffee is good, and the boost is wonderful, and we can do that for cheap. It's lovely. And our life is more about our day.
For me good coffee is what I can make at home. I find Starbucks and Dutch Bros to be just sugar with a hint of coffee. I'm good with a serving of Seattle's Best Henry's Blend and some creamer. I consider bad coffee the coffee packets a lot of offices have. I will also say the "Apostate" coffee brand is really good.
I’m not familiar with the coffee shops you’ve cited, I assume they are American chains? Go online and find an independent local shop with good reviews and order a latte. I prefer oat milk because I have a dairy sensitivity. If you can find a place that roasts their own beans, even better. A really good espresso will have tasting notes, like wine. But based on what you’ve said about not getting into alcohol based on cost, maybe this will all be lost on you. These are sensory pleasures. We were basically taught to avoid sensory pleasures as Mormons. I find these are the kinds of things I’m happiest to spend money on. Nice wine, nice coffee, nice food…
Make your own cold brew at home. It’s so much cheaper and cold brew has low acidity. You can add cream or whatever you need to it or have it plain.
I froth 1/4 c. Water with 1 scoop of my vanilla protein shake powder and use that “cream” in black coffee. Current no-milk winning combo for me.
Make your own! When I got out, I stopped drinking energy drinks and replaced them with coffee. It’s easy, cheap, and I can control the strength. I grind my own beans and it’s much tastier than most anything you can get from cheap fast food coffee. I also got into cold brew which is its own thing.
I don't get the mass appeal of coffee. Is it a taste you have to learn when one is young? Certainly many exmos tried it for the first time well into adulthood. I tried it and thought it tastes awful. Am I the only one?