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While it may not be the fanciest method, buying ground coffee from the grocery store and brewing it in a drip coffee maker is the norm for most coffee-drinking Americans (including me). And thankfully, today’s coffee aisle has a lot more to offer than those ubiquitous red and blue tubs, so finding beans that prioritize both convenience and flavor isn’t the tall order it used to be.
To find out which joes were above average, I brewed and tasted a variety of pre-ground coffees that are available for delivery through DoorDash from grocery stores nationwide. Spoiler alert: You don’t have to settle for a less delicious cup just because you’re buying grounds from the store.
The Tasters
I recruited my wife and fellow daily coffee drinker to join me on this jittery journey and had her taste each brand of ground coffee blind as to not be influenced by the logo on the bag. Though neither of us would call ourselves coffee connoisseurs, we do have standards. Our combined decades of drinking everything, from airplane coffee to pour-over cups from specialty roasters, has given us the ability to distinguish a good cup from a bad one.
The Methodology
There’s a lot of variety in the coffee aisle, so I narrowed the playing field by choosing only ground medium roast coffees (the preferred roast of most Americans) made with 100% Arabica beans. Because pre-ground coffees from the grocery store are designed for a drip coffee maker, I brewed all of the contenders in a drip machine using six ounces of filtered water for every two tablespoons of grounds.
To prevent over-caffeination, we spent a week sipping and scoring 13 different varieties of medium roast ground coffees, consuming each one black and with milk. We evaluated each coffee for flavor, body, sweetness, bitterness, acidity, and aftertaste. These are the ones that are good to the last drop.
The Results
Caribou Coffee's Caribou Blend
This well-rounded roast from Minnesota’s Caribou Coffee is our new morning go-to. Made with beans from Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra that are Rainforest Alliance Certified and small-batch roasted, this balanced blend features a vibrant acidity, medium body, and silky-smooth mouthfeel. The mellow sweetness and notes of caramel and toasty graham crackers made it easy to drink and easy to love.
Newman’s Own Organic Special Blend
Using organic beans from Central America and Indonesia, this medium roast from Newman’s Own produces a solid cup of coffee. Upon first sip, our taste buds were flooded with sweet milk chocolaty notes followed up with just a hint of bitterness. The acidity is mild and crisp, and it has a clean aftertaste we really enjoyed. Plus, Newman’s Own donates all profits to charity, so you can feel extra warm and fuzzy while enjoying this brew.
Peet’s Big Bang
For coffee drinkers who enjoy a cup that’s not too dark and not too light, Peet’s Big Bang medium roast hits the spot. Made with Rainforest Alliance Certified beans from Ethiopia and Latin America, this approachable blend features a medium-light body, bright acidity, and no trace of bitterness. The flavor profile is uncomplicated — which isn’t a bad thing — but we thought it could potentially be overpowered in a cup with a lot of cream and sugar.
Green Mountain's Nantucket Blend
This medium-full bodied coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is bold, but not overpowering, and has a subtle berry-like acidity. There’s a dark chocolaty bitterness upfront, which is balanced out by the sweeter brown sugar and dried fruit notes that come through on the finish. Overall, this blend makes for a cup that’s perfectly delicious and drinkable black, and also holds up its flavor with add-ins like cream and sugar.
Stumptown’s Hair Bender
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Stumptown Coffee Roasters sources beans from renowned coffee-growing regions around the world to produce this highly satisfying blend. Hair Bender had the most complex flavor profile of all the coffees we tried, featuring notes of sweet citrus and chocolate. It has a lively acidity; the sweetness and bitterness harmonize beautifully together. Side note: This blend is a little pricey compared to the others but worth the splurge.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photography: Paul Quitoriano
Art Direction: Sarah Ceniceros Gomez
