Unbiased Coffee Reviews (for 2024)

CoffeeRoastTrue Roast™BodyFlavorAcidityAftertastePrice to ValueScore*
Dean’s Beans Ring of FireDark5555555.0
Gevalia French Roast CoffeeDark5555555.0
Dean’s Beans Peruvian French (Decaf)Dark5455554.8
Seattle’s Best Coffee Post Alley Level 5Dark5555454.8
Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s BlendDark5455554.8
Caribou Coffee MahoganyDark5455554.8
Starbucks Espresso Roast BlendDark5545554.8
AmazonFresh Organic Fair Trade SumatraDark5555454.8
Folgers 1850 CoffeeDark5555534.7
Starbucks French RoastDark5545454.7
Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly ClawDark5555534.7
New England Coffee Darkest Before DawnDark5455534.5
Lavazza Classico CoffeeMedium5445454.5
Starbucks Caffe Verona BlendDark4444454.2
Kicking Horse Kick Ass CoffeeDark5544424.0
Peet’s Coffee French RoastDark5543434.0
Starbucks House Blend CoffeeMedium4444444.0
McCafe Dark RoastDark5542253.8
Cameron’s Coffee Jamaica BlendMedium5433343.7
MJB European Roast CoffeeDark5334343.7
Eight O’Clock Italian EspressoDark5522243.3
Four Sigmatic Think Organic Mushroom Dark4235413.2
Maxwell House Intense Bold Dark4414333.2
Chock Full o’Nuts New York Roast Dark2235343.2
Dunkin’ MidnightDark2135433.0
Copper Moon Dark RoastDark3332242.8
Death Wish CoffeeDark3333312.7
Black Rifle Coffee Murdered OutDark4224312.7
Goshen Coffee Moka Java BlendMedium3323322.7
Tim Hortons ColombianDark3221242.3
Lavazza Gran SelezioneDark4221222.2
Community Coffee Cafe Special BlendMedium2222232.2
Panera Bread Dark Roast CoffeeDark3222212.0
Lavazza Perfetto CoffeeDark4211132.0
Koffee Kult Dark RoastDark1232211.8

*My Coffee Review Process

As an independent coffee reviewer, I have a thorough process to find and recommend the most amazing and affordable coffees. Here’s how I do it:

  • Coffee Acquisition: To ensure complete independence and zero bias in my reviews, I always buy coffee with my own money. I never accept payment to review any product.
  • Preparation: Consistency is key for a fair comparison. I prepare every coffee I test using the same exact conditions: a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:17, and I always add two tablespoons of Chobani Sweet Cream coffee creamer because that’s how I enjoy my daily coffee.
  • Evaluation: Now comes the fun part, tasting and analyzing the coffee! I use a variety of specific metrics to rate each coffee:
  • True Roast™: I validate if the coffee’s roast level matches what the manufacturer claims. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 means the roast level is exactly as advertised.
  • Body: I rate the body of the coffee based on its roast. Light roasts tend to be more watery, and dark roasts are thicker. The score, from 1-5, depends on how well the body fits the expected profile for its roast level.
  • Flavor: The depth of flavor also depends on the roast. Lighter roasts generally have more nuanced flavors, so I rate each coffee’s flavor on a 1-5 scale based on how well it meets the expectations for its particular roast.
  • Acidity: I assess acidity in relation to the roast. Light roasts are generally more acidic, which is a good thing for them, while dark roasts should have little acidity. On a 1-5 scale, I rate how well a coffee’s acidity matches the ideal for its roast.
  • Aftertaste: The aftertaste of a coffee isn’t tied to its roast. Instead, I use a simple 5-point scale to rate the quality of the lingering taste after a sip.
  • Price to Value: My aim is to find great coffee that’s also a great deal. So, I look at the coffee’s price per ounce and compare it to the quality as determined by the other metrics. In the wise words of Warren Buffett, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

I calculate the final score by averaging all the individual metric scores. This score helps me—and you—to understand the overall quality and value of each coffee I review.

My ultimate goal is to guide you to the most amazing, affordable coffees that fit your taste!