Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend "Taste Drive"

My latest new coffee to experience was Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend from Iowa City, Iowa.  "A cup so good, you'll sing," says the bag.  If this isn't enough, the bag also boasts "100% Co-op grown beans roasted to dark delicious perfection".

Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend

Upon opening the bag, I could see that one of the claims on the bags was true: this is a dark roast.  Not smokey dark, but roasted to full city roast.

Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend Beans

This coffee has a nice creamy consistency without adding anything to it.  The flavor is sweet, slightly smokey.  These are quality beans with a good roast to bring out the flavor.  I wish I knew the origin of these beans, but the package did not reveal the source, and an internet search came up empty.  All I know is that these are "Premium Arabica" beans.

I picked this up a local Hy-Vee grocery store within a few miles of Iowa City.  I am not sure how widely this brand of coffee is distributed, but it is worth picking some up if you see it.


Copyright © 2018 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Huckleberry La Cuesta "Taste Drive"

Huckleberry La Cuesta Review

The other day, a mysterious package arrived.  Since it was addressed to my wife, I left it alone until I could ask her what it was.  "I got you some coffee beans," she said.

Last time she got me some coffee beans, it was Death Wish coffee, and it was awesome!

So of course I was curious to see what my surprise coffee treat was this time.  After tearing into the box like a child at a birthday party, I discovered some Huckleberry La Cuesta inside.

Close-up of Huckleberry La Cuesta coffee beans

La Cuesta is a single origin Mexican coffee and has some really good chocolate and nutty flavors.  I was impressed by how smooth and sweet this coffee is for a lighter roast.

Huckleberry has selected La Cuesta as their first "Coffee of the Month" for 2018, and I can taste why!  This is an impressive bean and an impressive roast.

At about $18 for a 12 oz package, La Cuesta is more expensive than my usual coffee, but this is a nice a treat.


Copyright © 2018 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Starbucks Robot: Coffee Barista of the Future?

On a recent Christmas holiday stay at Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee I saw something interesting: a Starbucks coffee-serving robot!

The Opryland resort does have a couple of traditional Starbucks coffee shops with human baristas.  I paid over $4 for a venti dark roast.  At a "normal" Starbucks back home in Iowa, a venti at Starbucks costs about $2.50.

Walking around on the convention center side of the resort one night, I stumbled upon the Starbucks coffee robot I mentioned.  You swipe your credit card for payment, select your coffee, and then the machine grinds the beans and brews a cup.  There is no human server involved, and you can get a fresh cup of coffee 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from a fully-automated coffee vending machine.

Starbucks Coffee Robot

Starbucks Coffee Robot, Close-up

For someone like me who orders a simple black coffee, dealing with the Starbucks robot instead of standing in line behind people ordering complex drinks from the human baristas might be a better way to go.

For one thing, the orders are simpler from the robot since the drink selection is limited so the line would move faster.  The limited selection of drinks doesn't matter to me since I order black coffee anyway.

Another benefit of ordering coffee from the robot is that the beans are ground right when the coffee is brewed.  I am not sure how often the beans are ground at the standard Starbucks with human operators, but I know they do not grind the beans right before brewing.  They have bins of ground coffee around.  So for me, seeing the beans ground just before brewing is an advantage.

Also, I noticed that my venti dark roast that was served by a human barista was dispensed from a tank.  I am sure it was brewed recently, but I don't really know how fresh it was.  With the robot, you always get a fresh brew since it is brewed when you order it.

What would you think of getting your coffee served at Starbucks by a robot instead of a human?  I could imagine that Starbucks could set up some of these machines in the store to help make lines go faster for people who just want coffee.



Copyright © 2018 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Death Wish Coffee "Taste Drive"

The World's Strongest Coffee?

Death Wish Coffee: World's Strongest Coffee?

Recently, a nice looking box arrived in the mail.  My wife ordered me some Death Wish coffee as a gift.  The bag of ground coffee came in a nice black cardboard box and included a "Death Wish Coffee" sticker suitable for putting on a vehicle.  I put my sticker on a black cabinet in my shop.

Death Wish ground coffee

Death Wish coffee claims to be "the world's strongest coffee".  I was pleased to see that it was a dark roast, USDA certified organic, and fair trade.  I don't mind strong coffee, I just don't want something with caffeine artificially added.




I had taken a break from coffee for a week and was drinking herbal tea instead.  But with the Death Wish in my cabinet, I was ready to go back to coffee.  The next morning, I loaded up my Ninja coffeemaker with 5 scoops of death wish to fill my 20 oz travel mug.

This is a good time to explain what Death Wish means when it claims to be "the world's strongest coffee".  When I tasted the coffee, I liked the flavor.  It wasn't particularly sweet for a dark roast, it is more toward the bitter end of the spectrum, but decidedly a good drinking coffee.  I proceeded to drink it all, of course.

Within a few minutes, I figured out that Death Wish is about strong caffeine!  My eyes were wide open and I was almost shaking with energy.  I was zooming around a Home Depot store rounding up things for a project.  After I checked out, I realized that I left my coffee cup mug somewhere in the store.  I raced to the restroom in case I forgot it there.  Then I remembered that the restroom was closed when I came in- couldn't be there.  So I raced to the screws section.  Not there.  Next, I raced to the drill bit section.  Not there either.  Must be somewhere, though... So I raced back to restroom- but wait, it couldn't be there...

I must have looped around the store 5 or 6 times before finally finding my lost mug.  I later learned that Death Wish has 4 times as much caffeine as "normal" coffee such as Starbucks dark roast.  That is quite a bit of caffeine!

I think Death Wish is good organic dark roast coffee and is worth a try.  But now, I just use 2 scoops of grounds and make a cup instead of a full travel mug.

This article in Consumer Reports breaks down how much caffeine is really in Death Wish coffee.  Bottom line: don't drink too much of this, or you'll feel shaky and maybe even sick.  But a little is really good...


Is Death Wish really the world's strongest coffee?

Flavor:  No. I have had stronger french press coffee and even some brewed coffee that is stronger.  But flavor is interesting and a bit unexpected for a dark roast.
Caffeine:  Yes, probably.  This stuff is turbo charged (but 100% organic).
Recommendation:  Try Death Wish, but careful not to drink too much.

Copyright © 2017 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Starbucks Red Eye: "Taste Drive"

Starbucks Red Eye: "Taste Drive"

Starbucks Red Eye, Venti

In my new book about making great coffee, I stated that I can make great coffee at home for 60 cents, and even for a million dollars it would be hard to find a better cup of coffee anywhere.  A bold statement, I know.

I decided to put this to the test.  Unfortunately, my budget was not up to spending a full million dollars, but I bought an expensive coffee at Starbucks to take on a "taste drive".

At the Starbucks in my local Barnes and Noble, I asked if I could get a pour-over with 1/2 house blend and 1/2 dark roast.  The answer was that they did not have pour-over equipment at that location.  One of the baristas in back offered that they could make me a Red Eye.

What is a Red Eye?

This sounded interesting.  I don't think Red Eye is even on the official Starbucks menu.  A Red Eye is a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso added.  The barista thought this would give me the blend of dark and medium roast flavors I was seeking.  I ordered up a venti (20 ounce) Red Eye made with house blend and a shot of espresso that cost $3.14.

My first impression was that it was served too hot.  I couldn't taste much and had to let it cool down a bit.  I often find that coffee at coffee shops is served too hot.  I think this is done on purpose so customer's won't complain about getting cold coffee.

After cooling, I found that the Red Eye had pretty good flavor.  The shot of espresso added some of the dark, smokey flavor that I wanted.  Without looking at any nutritional information, I can tell you that a Red Eye has A LOT of caffeine!  I was wide awake all day.

My conclusion is that a Red Eye at Starbucks is a good way to wake up and is a good-tasting cup of coffee.  I still like my great coffee at home better, though.  The price of $3.14 is OK for an occasional treat, but I wouldn't want to do that every day.  I will count this experiment as the cost of doing business.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Drinking Mexican Coffee in Cancun

Is It Safe to Drink Coffee in Mexico?

Necta Coffee Machine- How I Got Good Coffee in Mexico

This question was on my mind as I prepared to go to Mexico for a week-long vacation- is it safe to drink coffee in Mexico?  I have read lots of warnings not to drink tap water in Cancun because parasites in the water cause diarrhea also known as "Montezuma's Revenge".  At the Cancun Airport, there were even signs on the bathroom mirrors warning people not to drink the water.

But a week without coffee would be tough.  Especially in a place that has potential for good local coffee beans.  Some reading on the Internet convinced me that hot coffee should be OK- the high temperature kills the parasites that I have mentioned.

It turned out that the resort I was visiting had treated water, so even the tap water at the resort was probably safe- although I didn't trust it.  I used bottled water for drinking and even to brush my teeth.  I really didn't want to have problems with amoebic dysentery.

Since the resort had treated water, and then this water was heated, I felt OK to try the coffee.  They may have even used bottled water to make the coffee- we noticed that the water glasses they served at dinner were filled from jugs of bottled water.

Mexican Coffee in Cancun

I had read some travel reviews that said it was almost impossible to get a good cup of coffee in Cancun- the coffee at the hotels is terrible and the only hope is a Starbucks.  The resort I stayed at was actually about an hour south of Cancun and finding good coffee there was no problem.

The resort had an Italian Necta coffee machine.  It was loaded with whole coffee beans and had settings to brew shots of espresso or Caffe Americano.  This machine could also brew cappuccino and other drinks with milk.  The menus on the machine were in a foreign language, either Spanish or Italian, so I sometimes ended up with a surprise.  Sometimes the machine would not brew, so I simply moved on to a different machine since I was not sure what the problem was.

During my stay, I noticed that some of the machines had a small sign that said "decaffeinato".  I am not an expert on Spanish, but I think that means decaffeinated.  I am pretty sure most people did not notice the small sign.  I tried both the regular coffee and decaffeinated.  It was an espresso roast, strong and fresh.

Overall, I would rate the coffee I had in Mexico as quite good, but your experience could vary quite a bit depending on what your hotel has to offer.


Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Selecting a Good Coffee Cup- Coffee Tastes Better in the Right Mug

Finding a Good Coffee Mug

You might not think the cup you use to drink makes much of a difference.  Most of the focus is on making great coffee in the first place.  Very little attention is paid to the coffee mug itself.

What kind of coffee mug is best for drinking coffee?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I realized that the choice of coffee mug makes a difference to me when I found myself hunting for my favorite mug before I would pour my coffee each day.  When my favorite brown mugs are not available, I fall back to using the red mugs.  My next (and last) choice is the yellow mugs.  The yellow mugs look nice and are fine for drinking tea, but I don't like drinking coffee with them.  With the yellow mugs, the coffee does not stay as hot, and it seems to have a weaker flavor.

Why Is a Good Coffee Mug Important?

My favorite style of coffee mug is a large brown ceramic coffee mugs that my wife picked up at Pier 1 Imports.  I didn't use the new mugs for a few years because I assumed they were for special occasions.  One time my wife said I could use them and I really liked the size of it and how it seems to keep coffee warmer than my other ceramic mugs.

The best coffee mug
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Since all of my mugs are made of ceramic, how could one ceramic mug keep coffee warmer than others?  I think the size and shape are the keys to this mystery.  The Pier 1 mugs are very large and hold my 16 oz of coffee all at once.  Having a lot of coffee in the mug provides thermal mass to keep the coffee warm longer.  The ceramic is fairly thick, perhaps adding slightly more insulation value.  Also, the shape of this mug seems to reduce the surface area of the coffee, slowing transfer of heat relative to other mug shapes.

How Can a Good Mug Make Coffee Taste Better?

How can one mug make coffee taste different than another?  I can think of a couple reasons.  One is that the shape of the mug can really accentuate the smell of the coffee.  My large brown mug has space at the top when filled with 16 oz of coffee so my nose is right near the coffee and that wonderful flavor is focused right on my face each time I take a sip.  Another way the mug can affect the taste of coffee is residual flavors.  I have had old plastic mugs that provided some "plastic" flavor and really held on to stale coffee flavors.  Even ceramic mugs can hold stale flavors depending on the glaze.  My new mugs have really slick glaze and are easy to clean completely so the only flavor you get is fresh coffee.

This coffee mug is too small- coffee gets cold fast
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

A few weeks ago, I went into Pier 1 with my wife- mostly to try to stop her from buying things- and I saw that they had my favorite brown mugs on clearance.  I think they were $1 each or something.  I bought all of them- literally all of them.  They only had 5 of so left on the shelf at that point.  My wife was somewhat stunned when I started grabbing the mugs from the shelf since she had never seen me buy anything at Pier 1.  So now I can have my coffee in my favorite mug every day.

A couple years ago, I upgraded my travel mug that I take with me in my car when I drink coffee while driving to work.  My old coffee mug would sometimes leak and that was no good.  I got a Contigo thermal mug that does not leak.  You can turn it upside down and it still will not leak.  It has a spring mechanism to hold coffee in and a trigger to release coffee when you want to take a drink.

Contigo thermal travel coffee mug- it does not leak!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I prefer drinking coffee from a ceramic mug.  Having the top open allows me to smell the coffee and feel the warm steam rising from the mug with every sip.  I have tried taking ceramic mugs in the car with me, but it is not safe to try to drive with an open container of hot liquid in my hand.  The Contigo is probably as good as it gets for a travel mug- it keeps coffee hot and fresh for a long time, and does not leak.

If you want to try a different coffee mug, here are some features I would recommend:

• Get a large mug so you can put a lot of coffee in it and still have some room at the top to smell the coffee and feel the warmth from it as you drink.
• Get a mug that is shorter and wider to help keep the thermal mass of the coffee less spread out, reducing surface area exposed to room temperature.
• Get a mug that has a neutral color inside so you can see and enjoy the color of your coffee.
• Go for a thicker mug that will help keep coffee warm.
• Get a big handle so you can easily control your sip.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal