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Release date 02/02/2010
However, java lovers can still find at least a few Good cups of coffee. Starbucks House Blend and Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast perked to the top of the 14 caffeinated blends that earned a Good rating from Consumer Reports.
At 26 and 23 cents per cup respectively, both the Starbucks House Blend and Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast offer a good combination of taste and price. Both have an earthy, woody taste, but Starbucks was found to be a fairly bitter to very bitter darker roast, while the Green Mountain has green/sharp flavor.
There’s slightly better news for decaf drinkers. Although none of the 13 decaf blends Consumer Reports tested scored higher than Good, several performed at least as well as their caffeinated brand mates, which is quite a feat, because the decaffeination process can harm flavor. Allegro Organic Decaf Blend Medium Dark, Peet’s Decaf House Blend, Caribou Daybreak Coffee Morning Blend Decaf, and Bucks County Decaf Breakfast Blend were among the better scoring varieties.
Blends, the best-selling type of ground coffee, contain beans from at least two regions or countries. All coffees consist of arabica or robusta beans, or a combination. Arabica beans are more expensive and tend to make better coffee. So perhaps it’s not surprising that blended coffees scored lower than several 100 percent Colombian arabica caffeinated brands tested by Consumer Reports in March 2009.
In rating coffee, Consumer Reports experts look for smoothness and complexity, with no off-flavors. The beans should be neither under-roasted nor charred, and the brew should have at least moderate aroma and flavor, and subtle top notes. Some sourness and bitterness are desirable, too, to keep the coffee from tasting bland. For a rundown of terms and further explanation of how Consumer Reports tests coffee visit www.ConsumerReports.org.
CONSUMER REPORTS ADVICE: Coffee drinkers should look for the best combination of taste and price. Don’t count on familiar brand names or expensive price tags. Some coffees from revered companies like Maxwell House and Folgers and languish near the bottom of Consumer Reports Ratings.
The package price doesn’t accurately reflect the cost per cup because the density of the grind varies and manufacturers recommend using different amounts of coffee for a given amount of water. Consumer Reports calculated that caffeinated Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast ($11.21 a pound) costs 23 cents per cup, while the Archer Farms Breakfast Blend Decaf ($9.05 a pound) costs 34 cents per cup. The average coffee drinker consumes 3.3 cups a day, or about 1,200 cups a year, so those pennies can add up.
For coffee drinkers on a budget looking for a Good cup, Consumer Reports recommends Melitta Classic Blend Medium Roast (11 cents per cup) and Seattle’s Best Breakfast Blend (15 cents per cup). Decaf drinkers on a budget should consider Seattle’s Best Blend Decaf Light Roast (15 cents per cup) or Sam’s Choice Organic Blend Decaffeinated Medium Roast (18 cents per cup).
To find out how your morning cup of blended roast coffee stacks up, check out the complete ratings on all 37 varieties tested by Consumer Reports available in the March issue of Consumer Reports, on newsstands February 2, 2010 or by visiting www.ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.