Whole-Bean Coffee

Experts say whole beans are best

Almost without exception, experts and taste testers preferred freshly ground coffee to pre-ground. You'll need a coffee grinder (which start at about $20), and it adds an extra step to your coffee-making routine, but the near-unanimous conclusion in reviews is that whole-bean coffee is far superior.

Perhaps the most thorough review we found is in Cook's Illustrated. Staffers tested whole-bean coffee twice: black and with milk (over half of coffee drinkers add milk or creamer to their coffee). Interestingly, those who preferred their coffee with milk ended up preferring darker roast whole-bean coffee like Millstone Columbian Supremo (*Est. $7.50 for an 11-ounce bag) and Starbucks House Blend (*Est. $10 for a 12-ounce bag) (*est. $10 for a 12-ounce bag). Without milk, Starbucks House Blend ranked fifth out of eight samples, with one tester saying it was "like gnawing on charcoal." On the other hand, testers that preferred their coffee black top-rated milder coffee like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Our Blend (*Est. $7.50 for a 12-ounce bag) (*est. $7.50 for a 12-ounce bag) and Eight O'Clock 100% Colombian (*est. $5 for a 12-ounce bag). Interestingly, these milder coffee varieties were deemed bland when tasted with milk.

Though it wasn't as well liked in every review, two experts say that low-priced Eight O'Clock 100% Colombian (*est. $5 for a 12-ounce bag) is a standout among whole-bean coffee according to most professional reviews. Kenneth Davids of CoffeeReview.com is the one expert that lambastes Eight O'Clock Original, saying it "combined bitterly sharp mildew tones with rotten, compost-pile ferment." Davids preferred the company's Royal Signature Blend (*est. $5 for a 12-ounce bag). Despite this, we found good reviews overall for Eight O'Clock whole-bean coffee, and its low price makes trying it less risky.

We didn't find as many reviews for Dunkin' Donuts Original Blend (*Est. $8 per pound pre-ground) , but the reviews we did find are polarized. Among lighter roasts, Cook's testers sampled Green Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Our Blend (*Est. $7.50 for a 12-ounce bag) (*est. $7.50 for a 12-ounce bag). Frustratingly, we didn't find many reviews of the same variety of Green Mountain coffee. Consumer Reports tests only the Kona variety, and CoffeeReview.com's Kenneth Davids only tries the Colombian Supremo Popayan variety.

One coffee that appears to be quickly gaining popularity is Caribou Coffee's Colombian whole-bean coffee (*est. $13 for a 16-ounce bag). Caribou Coffee is the second-largest roasting chain (after Starbucks) in America, and recently began offering its products in various supermarkets across the country. Though it is relatively pricey for a supermarket coffee, especially compared to Eight O'Clock Coffee, reviews are good. Kenneth Davids says that it has a "round, rich aroma with distinct butter notes and hints of flowers and lemon." Another selling point for this coffee is that it is a Rainforest Alliance coffee, meaning that its production meets standards set by an independent coalition of NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) which aims to sustain the environment and respect certain socio-economic values in its trade practices.

The Cook's Illustrated review also provided interesting information regarding the Agtron rating -- a numerical indicator of the roast level (the lower the number, the darker the roast). Experts say you can pretty much ignore labels like "French roast" on coffee, and instead look to the Agtron rating for a relative gauge if you typically like a very dark roast. Cook's Illustrated conducted a taste test of nine supermarket French roasts -- traditionally very dark roast coffee with Agtron readings of between 20 and 30. The darker Starbucks French Roast (*est. $10 for a 12-ounce bag), with an Agtron rating of 16.8, is one of the darkest supermarket coffees you can buy; in tests, it was either loved or hated.

A lighter (and less expensive) dark roast coffee, Chock full o'Nuts French Roast (*est. $4 for a 12-ounce bag), with an Agtron rating of 31, was better liked by more people. Millstone Colombian Supremo, with an Agtron rating of 36, was better liked still, and is also considered a dark roast coffee. It's also a top pick of testers at Real Simple magazine. Davids of CoffeeReview.com says that Millstone coffee is "distinctly sweet," bitterness-free and pleasantly complex due to its acidity.

A relatively new edition to supermarket shelves is Peet's Coffee & Tea. Though Peet's began in Berkeley, Calif., in 1966, and had a committed local following, it has only received national recognition within the past ten years or so as its chain stores have spread. Now, it is being carried in national supermarket chains. Peet's Major Dickason's Blend (*est. $13 per pound) is a noteworthy dark roast, receiving equally positive reviews from CoffeeReview.com, Food & Wine magazine and consumer websites. The fact that it wasn't sampled in either the Consumer Reports or the Cook's Illustrated reviews, that Food & Wine magazine didn't specify the methodology for their selection, and the strength of reviews for Millstone's Colombian Supremo, precluded Peet's from being selected as the best dark roast for ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. Davids describes Peet's trademark deep roast as "a pungent, cling-to-the-palate roast."

Reviews are pretty much all over the map for coffee, but most agree that whole-bean coffee -- because you grind it fresh before brewing -- tastes vastly superior to pre-ground coffee. Eight O'Clock Original looks like the best budget whole-bean coffee. If you can spend a bit more, try Caribou Colombian or Green Mountain Roasters. Millhouse Colombian Supremo gets good scores if you like a darker roast coffee. If you are one of those folks that likes very dark coffee, Starbucks might suit you, but Chock full o'Nuts French Roast may also be worth a try, and it costs less.