Why I Make Mine Brewed

I love brewed coffee; the smell of a fresh brew, the fist sip, the works! I even love the whole process that goes into brewing a good cuppa joe.

As coffee enthusiasts, hubby and I have tried several brands over the years. Of course, we've also gone to the popular and not-so-popular cafes just to relax and treat ourselves to a cup or two. As a result, we've come up with the following coffee critiques (take note: the following are opinions and not facts):

Starbucks - we love the coffee aroma that permeates the place, but we don't exactly relish drinking their stronger brews. We find most of their brews, including their house blend, bordering on the acidic, and it's no longer comforting to our palate. A friend of ours usually orders a small cup of their house blend, gets a cup of warm milk, and then mixes them to come up with two milder blends. It's not only more suitable to her taste, it also gives her an extra cup of coffee for the price of one. Their decaf house blend, though, tastes like water downed regular, and I don't appreciate it at all. Trivia: Did you know that Starbucks regular coffee contains 166 pts. caffeine while their decaf has 8 pts.? If you want to know which brews suit your taste, take their Coffee Taste Matcher. My coffee preferences apparently include these: Yukon Blend®, Caffè Verona®, Italian Roast. I've tried their Yukon and Verona and they were to my liking.

Figaro - aaah, the ambiance is woodsy and gives the place a rather "clubby" feel, if there is such a word. The decor caters to the more mature and sophisticated crowd, and the subdued yellow lighting is not for the rowdy and noisy yuppies and Koreans that frequent Starbucks. It's also proudly Filipino-owned! The coffee is just to our liking -- not too mild yet not too strong or acidic. Their food selection is also tasty and their sandwiches go well with the coffee. For more coffee trivia, check out this link. You may also check out the history of coffee and other facts here.

Seattles Best - their coffee is sort of midway Starbucks and Figaro. The house blend can be a bit strong without the acidity. Their branch in Caltex SLEX is our favorite because it serves all-day breakfast!. Their pancakes are good and filling, and their pastas are tasty as well. I do have an issue, again, with their decaf blend -- if possible, it tastes even more water downed than the same at Starbucks. I have brewed decaf coffee at home and while the caffeine is taken out (most of it anyway), the strong taste remains. This is what I have been looking for in these posh cafes and I have yet to find a great cup of decaf. We will stay away from their branch in SM Megamall because of their poor service and poor coffee.

These are our usual coffee hunts and have only occasionally tried Gloria Jeans and other similar cafes. We'll see where we end up one of these coffee days.

When brewing at home, we prefer Folgers Classic Roast. Of course, now I drink decaf and Kirkland suits my decaf palate fine. It's exorbitantly priced, though, at P800++ in Shopwise. If anyone is a member of S&R, do buy me a can of this since (check out photo below left) it's only P500++ there, tax-free. And I'm already out, so my system is just making do with Nescafe Instant Decaf -- ugh!

Whoever you are, oh kind soul, I'll pay you back, no worries.

So these are my coffee fast breaks. At least now you know why I make mine brewed.