Consumer Reports ranks best home brew coffee

Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee offer the best coffee blends found at grocery stores, according to a coffee survey released today by Consumer Reports. (see rankings below)

The well-respected consumer watchdog magazine ranked 37 caffeinated and decaffeinated blended coffee varieties. Coffee experts looked for “smoothness and complexity with no off flavors.”

At first blush, coffee connoisseurs and Starbucks critics might mock these results. But, before you do, take note: Starbucks and Green Mountain could only muster a “Good” rating — meaning coffee experts at Consumer Reports were unable to reward any coffee blend a rating of Excellent or Very Good.

“If you’re looking for a standout among blended coffees, you may be disappointed,” the magazine states in its March 2010 issue, which features the coffee survey.

Starbucks House Blend and Green Mountain Signature Nantucket Blend Medium Roast were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 among 14 coffee blends that earned a Good ranking. Consumer Reports said the brands represented the best combination of taste and price.

“Both have an earthy, woody taste, but Starbucks was found to be a fairly bitter to very bitter darker roast, while the Green Mountain has green/sharp flavor,” the survey said.

The other “Good” brands (No. 3 -14) included, in order: Dunkin’ Donuts Dark Roast; Allegro light roast by Whole Foods; Archer Farms (Target breakfast blend); Kickapoo Organic Driftless Morning; Peet’s House blend; Sam’s Choice house blend medium roast (also found at Walmart stores); Eight O’Clock original; Melitta classic medium roast; Seattle’s Best breakfast blend (owned by Starbucks); New England eyeopener blend; Dunkin’ Donuts original blend medium; and Folgers house blend medium.

Other findings:

For java drinkers on a budget, the CR experts said The Melitta and Seattle’s Best brands were the best bargain coffees.

Twenty-four caffeinated coffees were tested. Of those, Folgers classic roast and two Maxwell House blends ranked last on the survey.

The magazine also ranked decaf blends. For the best price and taste combination, CR recommended Starbucks and Peet’s.

From: Consumer Reports