You know I love a bargain. (I'm not cheap; I'm THRIFTY.) Unfortunately I also love good coffee. And sadly, good coffee is usually pretty expensive! Here's a run-down on some of my bargain coffee experiences over the last few years.
The following entries are graded on "bang for your buck." The game here is to find the best coffee for the cheapest price.
Grocery store bags of name-brand beans: F
Tullys, SBC, Peet's, and Starbucks have all been selling their beans and pre-ground coffee at the grocery store for years now. The coffees are pretty good, as long as you stick with a mix you recognize. I bought two pounds of Starbucks "breakfast blend" (which I've never heard of before or since) at Costco. It tasted exactly like Folgers.
BEWARE the price, though! Note that the pre-packaged bags ARE NOT A POUND OF COFFEE. I see people fall for this all the time. It's priced at $9, what a bargain! But it's only a 12-ounce bag. You're actually paying $12/lb!
Folgers: C
Speaking of Folgers, they actually have some pretty decent coffee. If you're suffering some severe cash flow problems, you can do worse than one of their 2lb plastic tubs of French Roast for $8. They also have smaller tubs of "premium coffeehouse blends." I've tried most of these, and I don't think any of them are good enough to warrant the extra cost.
Java Delight: F
I don't know where Java Delight comes from, but I heartily wish it would go back there. A friend quipped, "Neither java, nor a delight." Java Delight is a super bargain brand, a store brand from the Supervalu line which has since expanded beyond the borders of Albertsons and other Supervalu stores.
I bought a one pound bag at the Grocery Outlet for about $3. My first cup had me checking the bag to see if I had accidentally bought decaf. There is little in the way of coffee flavor, no bite, and has the musky, dusty overtones of mouse droppings from the attic. I couldn't even finish the bag, although I put up the remaining beans in a mason jar as a stash for the impending zombie apocalypse and/or WWIII.
Millstone: A-
Millstone Roasters is based in Edmonds, WA. Did they pioneer the "buy it in bulk and grind your own at the store" display, or just perfect it? Millstone has a bad rap in some circles, but they have some really good blends. Their French Roast and Espresso Roast are always reliable.
If you want to have your prejudice against Millstone blown away, try their Shade Grown Organic Black Onyx mix. It's seriously delicious, socially and ecologically responsible, and only $10/lb!
Cascade Pride: A+
This is a new one for me. I bought half a pound of Espresso Blend at Winco Foods, where it was priced at $8/lb. Not bad! The beans had a great flavor, color, and oiliness. Strangely enough the coffee it produced didn't have the kind of oomph I would have expected, from inhaling the scent from the bag.
This is a perfectly serviceable coffee, if somewhat uninspired. But hey, for that kind of price, getting something that's even drinkable is nothing short of astonishing!