Difference between coffee's?!

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>Go ahead Kev..then come back here and report what you found. I am not sure what the diff is between them all, except somebody has better taste buds than someone else when they are selecting the coffee beans to roast. I think the taste is also affected by the temperature of the coffee when it is brewed, how fresh it is, whether the person making it followed standard procedure (and did not cheat by using less or overdid it with more)...plus personal hygiene - did you brush your teeth AND your tongue before you drank it or did you just get through eating a bag of cheetos?

But if you want to be the forum coffee guru, go ahead. I will read about it in James Beard's column.

For the record, we're talking about Drip Coffee, not espresso, right?

I like cream in my coffee, but I can taste the diff between brands and styles, even with my additives.
I prefer a rich, dark roasted cup of coffee that's strong. I'll toss out a cup of weak sauce.

As for your tastings, they may taste similar as they could be the same type (How the beans are roasted)

To me, a Sumatra, an Italian, Peruvian, and a Guatemalan have slightly different taste notes. Have you ever done a coffee tasting? We've done them at work. We tried 4 types of coffee, and on Friday we choose the favorite!

Don't bother with the McDonald's and Starbucks, they are the same coffee. The only difference is the Water that's used to brew it, the amount that's used, and the person making it.

Do the taste test by making your own. Grab some friends and make a party out of it!

BTW - If anyone says they don't like a certain coffee, sometimes it isn't the coffee, but the method it was roasted and ground. That's why I like to make my own homemade espresso!

Native Seattle gal! I Love Coffee, Tea and can order them in 20 ways!

I think Jim has made some valid points, especially going on what I have read/heard about coffee selection, roasting, etc. Sometimes, though, if the coffees taste similar, I think it just comes down to price. I don't like the taste of Starbucks and more or less than other brands. However, I do not think it is worth paying $2 for one cup. (My sister-in-law will go to Starbucks or the local coffee house and buy the Frappiccinos, or the equivalent, for $3. She does this almost daily. What's sad, though, is that even though she works as a substitute teacher, I think my MIL, with whom she still lives, pays for them.) I'm happy buying the Kroger and Meijer brands when the big cans go on sale.

Our church buys and sells the Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee. (The women's group sells it, though I do not know if they do it as a fundraiser, or just to sell the coffee for the EE.) The women's group buys bags of decaf for coffee hour and other church activities. Maybe it's the way it's made, but I don't' think it's any better or worse than other types of coffee.

On the other hand we discovered Green Mountain Coffee at a convenience store in Western NY when we would visit my grandparents. I liked it because even the non-flavored ones tasted good and I would mix them with them with the flavored. (The flavored ones taste good, but thin and work well mixed.) Two Christmases ago, my husband bought me several bags of Green Mountain coffee and I'm still working on them. (I forgot I had them.)

Some people are drawn to Starbucks' fancy marketing, like my sister-in-law. I think the idea diluting coffee with free water and cheap milk and charging twice as much as the regular coffee and marketing it as "trendy" and "cool" (pun intended) is great. It must be effective, too. Generally, I prefer my coffee at home-- It's cheaper and convenient. However, I do like to go out on occasion, just to get out of the house. A couple fo times, while out with my now three-month-old son, I stopped at a Panera to nurse him and for the coffee. (The first time, I would have gone to Bob Evans so I would not have to get up for refills, but I was in the wrong lane.)

I have noticed, at times, that some don't taste as good, such as one gas station my husband and I have stopped at a few times. They use Maxwell House coffee, but it's thin. (Though we can't complain too much, they only charge $.25 for travel mug refills. When I do go to a gas station for coffee, even Panera, I bring a travel mug. The gas stations charge less. Panera and Starbucks only charge a dime less. Not good, especially since Starbucks claims to be earth friendly.)

This is only my opinion.

McDonalds coffee tastes horrible, compare Starbucks and Tim Hortons instead.