In a never-ending pursuit of convenience, many Americans have abandoned full pots ofcoffeein recent years.
But which ones are a worthy investment?
So it’s worth interrogating which brands are most worthy of your hard-earned dollars.
Photos: Keurig, Shutterstock. Design: Eat This, Not That!
I limited this survey to medium roasts only, considering each coffee’s appearance, taste, and price.
Was it successful in its endeavors?
At $9.99, its priced like its competitors.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
I didn’t find Donut Shop to be particularly smooth at all.
Despite the rougher texture, I did not find it too bitter.
It makes you wonder how dark its darkest blend is.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
There was also no froth to speak of when first brewed.
There’s a reason it has stuck around for all of these years, after all.
That’s either good news or bad news, depending on how you feel about Lavazza.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
The froth was the one distinguishable trait that made it stand out from the other K-Cups tested.
The taste:Overall, it was middle-of-the-road when compared to other K-Cups.
It wasn’t remarkable, but it didn’t stand out in a negative way, either.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Compared to the other brands, I found it similar in flavor to Folgers.
The look:The Starbucks Pike Place K-Cup was one of the frothiest cups of coffee tested.
Its appearance was otherwise unremarkable, with standard coloring and aroma.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Starbucks coffee is known among enthusiasts for its distinct smell.
A 10-pack of Peet’s K-Cups is slightly higher than other brands, coming in at $10.49.
The color was on par with other medium roasts:a very deep dark brown.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
The look:I detected no froth whatsoever when I first brewed a cup of McCafe.
The coffee appeared very smooth and consistent.It also had thestandard dark brown coloring.
It offered a cleaner finish than many other coffees tried, with no bitter aftertaste.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
It is a no-frills cup of joe that likely goes well with whatever flavorings you add to your coffee.
With just cream, it’s a solid, middle-of-the-road option that I wouldn’t mind drinking again.
A 10-pack of the Dunkin' Original Blend cost me $9.29.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
It’s on par with other K-Cups, costing me $9.99 for a 10-pack of its Nantucket Blend.
The look:Unassuming in its appearance: a solid medium roast.
As a side note, this coffee also has one of the better smells when first poured black.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
The taste:This coffee was a tad weaker than I expected.
It didn’t pack the same sort of bold “coffee” flavor punch that other K-Cups did.
That’s a big reason why it ranked so high.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
That’s certainly on-brand for the bulk retailer.
A pack of 120 pods of the medium roast variety, called Summit Roasts, cost me $35.99.
Its coloring is on par with what you would expect a medium roast to be.
The taste:This was a very-well balanced cup of coffee.
The sweetness was more evident once I added cream.
Luckily, you won’t feel stuck with over 100 K-Cups in your pantry when purchasing Summit Roast.
When it’s on sale, it’s an even better value.
Price aside, it’s a well-balanced cup of coffee that isn’t too bold or too weak.
Great Value Breakfast Blend
Surprised?
At first glance, Walmart’s Great Value Breakfast Blend might seem like a lesser product than its competitors.
The packagingboth the box as well as the K-Cupslooks quite generic.
But it’s hard to argue with its price.
It rings up at just $4.47, less than half the price of other K-Cup brands.
Not only that, but each box contains 12 K-cups as opposed to the standard 10-packs.
That equals approximately 37 cents per K-Cup.
It offers a smooth consistency and a strong flavorbut nottoostrong.
If you’re an ultimate coffee aficionado, you likely aren’t purchasing K-Cups anyway.
