Coffee Wars- Who has the best coffee

[WillWeaverRVA]

I am inexorably drawn to Starbucks, as their espresso is quite good. Their drip coffee, though, not so much (although it's better when brewed at home, oddly enough). Wawa's coffee has improved quite a bit over the past few years, and Sheetz also has great coffee.

[DandyDan]

I was always a fan of Caribou Coffee, even though I've heard people complain about them in the same way they do about Starbucks.  It's too bad the ones in Omaha didn't stick around, so I'm reduced to getting them whenever I drive out to my brother's in Kearney, or wherever I spot one randomly when on vacation.

[kphoger]

Caffeinated soda and tea don't affect my alertness or sleep patterns in any discernible way.

I have heard people say this.  Then they turn around and say they can sleep only six hours a night, and stagger around half-asleep except when they have just had a cup of coffee as a pick-me-up.  When it is suggested to them that the coffee might be degrading their sleep (as it tends to do even when it does not prevent sleep altogether), they then refuse to countenance an experiment to determine whether this might be the case, e.g. by drinking coffee only in the morning and drinking water instead during the rest of the day.

I accept that there are people with very low caffeine sensitivity, but I have long suspected that they are far outnumbered by people who drink coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) all day, have problems sleeping, and are in denial about the possibility of any link between the two.

I suspect the difference may lie in the amount of caffeine consumed.  Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee, which makes the drink have a lower caffeine content than coffee.  I've also noticed that many coffee drinkers drink it throughout the entire day, whereas I rarely brew more than one pot of tea a day or have more than two sodas a day.

[Alps]

Caffeinated soda and tea don't affect my alertness or sleep patterns in any discernible way.

I have heard people say this.  Then they turn around and say they can sleep only six hours a night, and stagger around half-asleep except when they have just had a cup of coffee as a pick-me-up.  When it is suggested to them that the coffee might be degrading their sleep (as it tends to do even when it does not prevent sleep altogether), they then refuse to countenance an experiment to determine whether this might be the case, e.g. by drinking coffee only in the morning and drinking water instead during the rest of the day.

I accept that there are people with very low caffeine sensitivity, but I have long suspected that they are far outnumbered by people who drink coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) all day, have problems sleeping, and are in denial about the possibility of any link between the two.

Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee

You're doing it wrong.

[J N Winkler]

I suspect the difference may lie in the amount of caffeine consumed.  Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee, which makes the drink have a lower caffeine content than coffee.  I've also noticed that many coffee drinkers drink it throughout the entire day, whereas I rarely brew more than one pot of tea a day or have more than two sodas a day.

(My bold.)  See, that's part of the problem--the caffeine/sleep denialists claim timing doesn't matter, whereas caffeine consumed less than eight hours before bedtime will prevent caffeine-sensitive people from getting to sleep and will impair the restorative power of sleep for the less sensitive.

[kphoger]

Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee

You're doing it wrong.

A cup of coffee has about two to three times the amount of caffeine found in an equal amount of coffee, depending on variety and brewing method.  So tell me:  how excactly does one brew tea to come out as strong as coffee?

[formulanone]

I suspect the difference may lie in the amount of caffeine consumed.  Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee, which makes the drink have a lower caffeine content than coffee.  I've also noticed that many coffee drinkers drink it throughout the entire day, whereas I rarely brew more than one pot of tea a day or have more than two sodas a day.

(My bold.)  See, that's part of the problem--the caffeine/sleep denialists claim timing doesn't matter, whereas caffeine consumed less than eight hours before bedtime will prevent caffeine-sensitive people from getting to sleep and will impair the restorative power of sleep for the less sensitive.

I apply the 4 o'clock rule towards coffee/energy drinks: Neither after 4 pm, preferably earlier than that, unless I'm having a final cup of joe during a weekly flight home (it's a 4-ounce cup at best), because I have to drive for 30-45 minutes. I also usually sleep 7-8 hours throughout the night, usually a little longer on a Friday night/Saturday morning, unless I intentionally stayed up late.

[J N Winkler]

A cup of coffee has about two to three times the amount of caffeine found in an equal amount of coffee, depending on variety and brewing method.  So tell me:  how excactly does one brew tea to come out as strong as coffee?

You have to steep the tea a fairly long time (five minutes minimum).  Per Wikipedia, a cup of black tea brewed this way will have about 70% of the caffeine content of an equal volume of drip coffee, but both tea leaves and coffee beans vary somewhat in caffeine content and I am reasonably sure there are combinations of black tea and coffee bean varieties which, respectively, steep and brew to the same caffeine strength.

[Alps]

Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee

You're doing it wrong.

A cup of coffee has about two to three times the amount of caffeine found in an equal amount of tea, depending on variety and brewing method.  So tell me:  how excactly does one brew tea to come out as strong as coffee?

FTFY. If tea has more caffeine than coffee (your prior assertion), there must be a straightforward method to extract it. If tea has less caffeine than coffee (your most recent assertion), then whence your prior assertion?

[kphoger]

Tea, while its leaves possess a higher caffeine content than coffee beans, is brewed much weaker than coffee

You're doing it wrong.

A cup of coffee has about two to three times the amount of caffeine found in an equal amount of tea, depending on variety and brewing method.  So tell me:  how excactly does one brew tea to come out as strong as coffee?

FTFY. If tea has more caffeine than coffee (your prior assertion), there must be a straightforward method to extract it. If tea has less caffeine than coffee (your most recent assertion), then whence your prior assertion?

Thank you.  It didn't make much sense to say coffee has more caffeine than coffee, now, did it? 

Besides Wikipedia, here is a good article related to the caffeine content in tea:
http://ratetea.com/topic/caffeine-content-of-tea/21/

[amroad17]

My wife and I believe that the coffee at Pilot Truck Stops is the best.  She will usually purchase a decaf or mild; I will purchase a bold. Plus, we enjoy their chilled French vanilla cream.

[jp the roadgeek]

We have gotten 1 1/2 pages into this thread, and I am surprised no one else has mentioned the must-have coffee that America runs on:  Dunkin Donuts.  I learned they have a secret in brewing it with the type of glass and an exact temperature.  Man, is it addicting, both hot in the winter and iced in the summer.

[amroad17]

The Dunkin' Donuts we had here closed recently--but I never went there for the coffee.

[citrus]

Since I live in a city that's obnoxiously pretentious about things like coffee, I usually wander here when I have a few minutes: http://fourbarrelcoffee.com/. They also roast a bunch of the coffee I get at work. And I drink a lot of it, but generally not after 3:00 or so.

[StogieGuy7]

Of the larger chains, Tim Hortons has far and away the best coffee.  Nice rich taste, yet not bitter.  It astonishes me that this chain hasn't taken off in the USA.  They'd have the field to themselves if they attacked many Midwestern and Western markets.  And they should do better than Dunkin' because their food and their coffee are better (as is the service).   

As for Dunkin' Donuts, their coffee is very good when brewed correctly and they're my second favorite.  I say that because - for some reason - there seems to be some inconsistency between individual shops and even individuals making the coffee. 

I've had Peets Coffee and Tea's coffee and it's pretty good, as is Caribou.  Both seem to try too hard to seem "Bohemian" (or whatever you'd call that "feel") which puts me off a little.  Speaking of which, I do not care for Starbucks.  I despise the atmosphere (incredibly pretentious and faux "hip") and all of the coffee has too sharp or bitter of a taste.  Yes, if I am in a place like Evanston, WY, where it's Starbucks or a pot at the truck stop/convenience store, I settle for Starbucks.  But I really don't like it very much. 

At home, we have bags and bags of Costa Rican coffee that we bring home from our various trips there.  Much like the aforementioned Tim Horton's blend, it's rich and strong without having that sharp bitter taste.  To me, a lot of the "Seattle style" coffees which have that bite are simply trying too hard and I do not care for them. 

[6a]

Pretty sure this guy lost the coffee war.

[StogieGuy7]

Pretty sure this guy lost the coffee war.

Gourmet coffee and natural foods in downtown Racine, WI?  Yeah, probably not a good bet. 

Nice to see that he left, ahem, gracefully.....