Brand new, recommendations?

[iheartcaffeine]

I'm tentatively planning to make the switch to coffee from my beloved Diet Coke. DC has been my caffeine go-to for years, but I'm trying to get away from artifial sweeteners and chemicals in my food and drink.

I've enjoyed the occasional flavored latte or frappuccino before, but I'm looking for actual straight-up coffee that I can drink every morning. As I'm new to this, I don't want to invest in anything expensive or fancy, so don't tell me to grind my own beans! I want to buy a simple little coffeemaker (the kind that have 1-2 servings) and a basic ground coffee that I can brew up every day. I'm going to experiment with cinnamon/cocoa/honey/vanilla extract, and I'm sure I'll add some milk, but want to avoid table sugar or anything artificial. If I'm going to use flavored Coffeemate, might as well stick to Diet Coke!

ANYWAY, after all that, can I get some good recommendations for a "beginner" coffee? I tried a Vanilla Blonde Roast (with milk) at Starbucks last week and didn't haaaaaate it. It still left that bitter coffee taste in my mouth, but I accept that it's going to be an acquired taste. I look forward to the day when I can't wait for my coffee fix! Anyway, before I just grab a bag of the Starbucks Blonde Roast at the grocery store, I thought I'd see if there are other options that I don't even know about. . .

 

[iheartcaffeine]

45 views and no replies, that has to be some kind of record! Lol, from perusing the site it seems to be for diehard dark roast coffee lovers who have found their clique here. Cool community to be in if you're into it, but looks like I need to be a big girl and do some trial and error tasting myself. Caffeinated wishes to all

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Well first, welcome to the forum. Most of us not very responsive but if you give us enough time, we can get to you. We all are pretty busy with our life under, over, hugging and ran over by our business and sometimes it takes awhile for us to get our head strait to read and respond....

To answer your question, let me ask what you are expecting from coffee. Do you enjoy the sweetness of diet coke? Do you want just caffeine without the bitterness of the coffee? Do you want to try different types of coffee that has some sophisticated taste? Do you mind spending maybe 12-18 dollars a pound? or are looking for some cheaper fix like grocery brand coffee or dunkin donut blend....

If you can answer the questions, I am sure there will be tons of answers from cafe owners, to local roasters...

CJ

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "iheartcaffeine"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website.

Most of the active forum members work during the day, and we often can't check the Coffee Forum until we get a break or go home. I'm guessing that most of the 45 views were guests exploring the forum.

I'm also guessing that patience isn't your strong point.

Since you're trying to get away fron Diet Coke, would you prefer to start out with cold coffee beverages, instead of hot? Some people, who make the switch from Diet sodas to coffee, start out with iced coffee drinks. Have you considered trying that?

Starbucks tends to roast their coffees dark, and even the new Blonde roast is a bit on the dark side. It's going to take some time for you to get used to the coffee taste. Some people start out by mixing some chocolate syrup into their coffee until they get used to the coffee flavors.

You're going to need to do some trial and error taste testing. Do you have a local roaster where you live?

You may even end up being okay with the taste of Folgers . . . especially if you add milk or other flavors as you go along.

Rose

 

[eldub]

I drink my coffee black. Imo, most any coffee is going to taste the same once you have added the flavorings mentioned above as well as milk. As I couldn't say anything positive, I chose not to post anything.

I do think you have the wrong idea of quality coffee if you think everyone here prefers a dark roast. Lighter roasts let you experience the flavor of the bean rather than the roasting process and generally have a higher caffeine content to boot.

Personally, I think diet soft drinks taste hideous.

 

[iheartcaffeine]

Thanks, all! I never thought about trying iced coffee as a transition. I figured I would enjoy that in the summertime, but I like the idea of it being an easier transition from the Diet Coke. It (Diet Coke) doesn't taste sweet to me at all, so I don't necessarily need a sweet taste. However, coffee definitely tastes bitter to me so I guess the DC is sweeter than I realize. I don't have a local roaster that I know of. The only coffee shops other than Starbucks are little drive-thru type places. I wouldn't necessarily mind paying more for a bag of coffee that would last a while, but I definitely can't afford to spend $3-4 a day getting it to go. I guess I am looking at something that I can easily grab at the grocery store without having to make a trip to a farmer's market or something. That being said, we also have a health food store in town so I might find some more interesting varieties there. Basically I just want to start out with the mildest taste out there, and I'm not sure what that is.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

I think typical coffee drinkers would spend about dollar or less a day. You should use about .7 oz of ground coffee bean for pretty good size mug or 2.5 oz for typical 12 cup coffee pot. so you can do the math.... There are many cool coffee roasters online who will ship you freshly roasted coffee if you can't find local roaster. Please do not go to Starbucks and thinking it is gourmet coffee you are getting. Also grocery stores carry coffee that might have been roasted over a month to many months.

This is how you can tell if coffee is fresh. When you pour water over the ground coffee, it should give nice brown creamy bubbles. More the fresher. If it does not give you any bubbles, they are old and staled....

Try some of the sponsor web stores to there are many boutique coffee roasters on this site. maybe you can order from them from nice breakfast blend to amazing single origin beans.....

Good Luck

 

[PinkRose]

It wouldn't hurt to see what the health food store has to offer. You may be surprised.

What kind of coffee maker did you decide to get?

My mother had a lot of problems with her Keurig, and she recently replaced it with a cute little 4 cup (makes about 24 ounces) coffeemaker. She says it makes bettter coffee than the Keurig.
Amazon.com: Mr. Coffee TF4GTF 4-Cup Switch Coffeemaker, White with Gold Tone Filter: Kitchen & Dining

Rose