Eight O’Clock Coffee wins Tribune’s blind taste test

STAFF REPORTS
newsroom@newsandtribune.com

So once again, our staffers set out to find the best of the best. We set aside our hankering for bizarre food taste tests (such as the recent frozen turkey dinner sampling in honor of Thanksgiving) and decided on something the average Joe embarks on daily — a cup of joe.

For most of us, coffee is part of the daily grind. That steaming cup of morning pick-me-up is one of life’s simple pleasures. Where would we be without out it? Probably stuck in a stupor somewhere between our alarm clocks sounding and the drive to work.

In search of the best store-bought ground coffee, 14 staffers sampled different brands from unmarked coffee pots. Only one person knew the true identity of each coffee, which were otherwise identified by numerals 1 to 5.

In defiance of wine and coffee tasting trends, we opted out of techniques involving cupping, stirring, sipping and spitting. The only rule was each coffee must be tasted black. The judges applied four standards: aroma, flavor, lack of bitterness and overall experience.

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Robert's Note: If you have been a coffee nut for very long, you know that everyone does not want to take all the necessary step toward great coffee. (especially your relatives!) Once you realize this, your responsibility to make coffee nuts of all you encounter will diminish.

When anyone asks me about my favorite coffee, I first respond with the url to this website. Then I ask, "do you have a grinder?" If the answer is "no," I gently suggest that grinding fresh roasted beans just before brewing is the best procedure. If I sense a reluctance to even consider this extra work, I tell them to get Eight O'Clock coffee. It saves time.