How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
2tbsp coffee per 8oz of water
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Buy a grinder and freshly roasted beans or roast your own. I roast my own every week and use a pour over. My dw prefers my coffee to Starbucks by a wide margin.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
You could just buy a bag of Pike Place Roast?Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I don’t see caffeine content listed for the ground coffee. Is it equivalent to buying a cup from the Starbucks store?msi wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:09 amYou could just buy a bag of Pike Place Roast?Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Get a Nespresso machine. Not nearly as cheap as drip, but much cheaper than in-store. It's easy to make, damn good, and has some very strong brews available.
Last edited by dukeblue219 on Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Yes they sell all the same beans or grounds that you would get brewed in store. Just get the right one (ask the Barista if you don't know). They're usually cheaper at retail or grocery stores (Target) than an actual Starbucks location.
Last edited by dukeblue219 on Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
How much per cup would that be?msi wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:09 amYou could just buy a bag of Pike Place Roast?Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Keys to replicate the Starbuck's taste: buy dark-roast beans (Pike Place Blend for an exact replica), grind fresh, and use 1-2 Tb per "cup". Filtered water and a coffee maker that gets water really hot (close to 200 F) will also help. Old coffee makers tend to lose their heating ability.
Folgers is also poor-quality coffee (they use a large percentage of cheaper Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta, which is highly bitter), so you can't brew it strong enough to get the caffeine strength without it ending up tasting unpalatable. In contrast, Starbucks and other gourmet coffees use all Coffea arabica, which has all the subtle aromatics that make it taste better. Coffee beans also quickly lose the subtle flavors once roasted and ground, so shortening the time from roast to grind to brew will improve flavor.
Folgers is also poor-quality coffee (they use a large percentage of cheaper Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta, which is highly bitter), so you can't brew it strong enough to get the caffeine strength without it ending up tasting unpalatable. In contrast, Starbucks and other gourmet coffees use all Coffea arabica, which has all the subtle aromatics that make it taste better. Coffee beans also quickly lose the subtle flavors once roasted and ground, so shortening the time from roast to grind to brew will improve flavor.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Buy the beans from Starbucks. If you drink a lot of coffee, the Kirkland House blend roasted by Starbucks at the Costco is pretty decent too. Use 7 g of coffee beans, fresh ground, per 5 oz of water. Note that a cup in coffee brewing does not equal a cup measure in baking.
You will need to figure out the right grind for the batch size you are making, that is a function of trial and error but an awful lot of coffee brewing is all about how much contact time the water has on how much surface area. Beyond being terrible coffee, it's likely the Folgers is ground too coarsely for a single cup brewer.
I would also consider a simple manual drip cone. In my experience a drip cone and a kettle will get you a much better cup of coffee than any inexpensive coffee maker, for only a tiny bit more work. A basic Melita plastic drip cone will run you 2 or 3 bucks.
Finally, make sure you were using a burr grinder. A hundred bucks on a basic Baratza or Capessso and a $3 drip cone will get you far better coffee than an $80 coffee pot and a $20 whirly grinder. In my opinion the whirly grinders are not suitable for coffee but make great spice grinders.
You will need to figure out the right grind for the batch size you are making, that is a function of trial and error but an awful lot of coffee brewing is all about how much contact time the water has on how much surface area. Beyond being terrible coffee, it's likely the Folgers is ground too coarsely for a single cup brewer.
I would also consider a simple manual drip cone. In my experience a drip cone and a kettle will get you a much better cup of coffee than any inexpensive coffee maker, for only a tiny bit more work. A basic Melita plastic drip cone will run you 2 or 3 bucks.
Finally, make sure you were using a burr grinder. A hundred bucks on a basic Baratza or Capessso and a $3 drip cone will get you far better coffee than an $80 coffee pot and a $20 whirly grinder. In my opinion the whirly grinders are not suitable for coffee but make great spice grinders.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
More than Folger's, but less than buying it from the store. Various sources and my memory suggest that Starbuck's beans cost 3-10x Folger's per ounce.JPH wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:19 amHow much per cup would that be?msi wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:09 amYou could just buy a bag of Pike Place Roast?Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
I find Trader Joe's coffees to be fairly good quality at a better price than Starbuck's. Get a French or Italian Roast for the full Starbucks charcoal experience.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Definitely buy coffee beans and grind them at home (you can get a coffee grinder for $20 from Target or Costco). We buy a giant pack at Costco (they have Starbucks blends, I personally buy the Kirkland brand one). You will have to experiment with how much freshly ground coffee you will need to make your ideal cup. Personally I use 2.5 scoops per 12 oz cup.Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Equipment:
Burr grinder - Baratza Encore ($130)
Kettle - Cuisinart electric kettle CPK-17 ($99)
Brewer: Aeropress ($30)
Use freshly ground beans. Starbucks uses medium to dark roasts. Even their blonde roasts are on the darker side. When you buy your beans, get light roasts. Lightly roasted beans retain more caffeine, and will not have any bitterness. If you use the aero press to brew your coffee and light roast beans, you won't need any cream or sugar.
There are tons of YouTube videos which are just a couple minutes long and show you how to use an aeropress to brew coffee. I use the electric kettle at 200f when brewing.
I use 1 oz of beans to make 16 oz of coffee. If that's not enough, you can up the amount of beans you grind until you find the right buzz.
With this equipment it takes me 4-5 minutes to make 16 oz of coffee in the morning.
Burr grinder - Baratza Encore ($130)
Kettle - Cuisinart electric kettle CPK-17 ($99)
Brewer: Aeropress ($30)
Use freshly ground beans. Starbucks uses medium to dark roasts. Even their blonde roasts are on the darker side. When you buy your beans, get light roasts. Lightly roasted beans retain more caffeine, and will not have any bitterness. If you use the aero press to brew your coffee and light roast beans, you won't need any cream or sugar.
There are tons of YouTube videos which are just a couple minutes long and show you how to use an aeropress to brew coffee. I use the electric kettle at 200f when brewing.
I use 1 oz of beans to make 16 oz of coffee. If that's not enough, you can up the amount of beans you grind until you find the right buzz.
With this equipment it takes me 4-5 minutes to make 16 oz of coffee in the morning.
Last edited by NS_Bane on Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Buy some caffeine tablets (NoDoz or a generic).
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Another Starbucks addict here...I buy a large bag of beans (dark roast) every couple of months from Costco, grind it at home. You could buy reusable cups or just go old style.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
The real way to save money, time, and your teeth is switching to caffeine tablets. I found that I only need 100mg a day whereas I was getting 2-3x that from coffee and tea before.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I buy Pike Place by the bag in local grocery store. I always get it on sale for less than $6 for 12 oz bag. It is usually on sale once a month. That is probably close to what you pay for Folgers and a lot cheaper than buying by the cup at Starbucks. The only time I buy by the cup at Starbucks is when we are traveling.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Stop using Folgers. It uses low quality beans. You can't replicate Starbucks coffee using Folgers.Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:00 am I own a single serve drip machine but I find myself walking to the corner Starbucks and paying $2.65 or so for a grande Pike Place roast. The Starbucks coffee has 330mg of caffeine and gives me a nice productivity boost/buzz. I use Folgers at home but it’s not the same and I can’t seem to replicate the Starbucks caffeine strength. Solutions for a strong coffee at home?
Here's your caffeine comparison: https://deploymentpsych.org/system/file ... 20list.pdf
Last edited by UpperNwGuy on Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
It’s true that most people don’t use enough coffee when they measure. And it is likely true that you are not going to replicate Starbucks by unsing Folgers. Really.
You need the right ratio of grounds to water and the right grind for what you prefer.
I use an Aeropress with almost fine burr grind beans. I don’t think you have to grind your own beans to have good coffee necessarily. But you do need something better than Folgers.
The Aeropress makes only a regular size cup of coffee if I fill it up. At first that was much less than I usually drank. Not a grande size at all. But the strength is there. I let it brew for one minute. Then press.
That is the beauty of a good cup. With grinding, brewing methods, time, you can experiment until you get what you like. Then you can experiment again.
I don’t care for the drip through cone filters as that cup of coffee would be way too small and it takes time and while it drips it loses temperature.
So I would recommend an Aeropress and buying good beans already ground to start your foray into self made good coffee. A burr grinder you can acquire later as you feel.
Here is another use too for this thread. Has anyone experimented with the water they use? Tap verses bottled, etc. and do you note any difference?
You need the right ratio of grounds to water and the right grind for what you prefer.
I use an Aeropress with almost fine burr grind beans. I don’t think you have to grind your own beans to have good coffee necessarily. But you do need something better than Folgers.
The Aeropress makes only a regular size cup of coffee if I fill it up. At first that was much less than I usually drank. Not a grande size at all. But the strength is there. I let it brew for one minute. Then press.
That is the beauty of a good cup. With grinding, brewing methods, time, you can experiment until you get what you like. Then you can experiment again.
I don’t care for the drip through cone filters as that cup of coffee would be way too small and it takes time and while it drips it loses temperature.
So I would recommend an Aeropress and buying good beans already ground to start your foray into self made good coffee. A burr grinder you can acquire later as you feel.
Here is another use too for this thread. Has anyone experimented with the water they use? Tap verses bottled, etc. and do you note any difference?
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
It's seems like getting the coffee really hot is half the battle.
I have to put drip coffee in the microwave at least 30 secs to get it to the right temp.
How does starbucks do it?
I have to put drip coffee in the microwave at least 30 secs to get it to the right temp.
How does starbucks do it?
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Is it the caffeine content, the flavor/strength or both that that the OP is complaining about. If it’s just the caffeine content that you’re trying to address and you like the Folgers you could just drink more of it. I think NoDoz is still on the market BTW I googled safe caffeine consumption and found mayo clinic suggesting no more than 400 mg/day for healthy adults. I do think there’s some good threads on this board discussing how to make a great cup of coffee, if flavor and or robustness is the issue. And there are some great websites that discuss only matters related to creating a great cup of homebrew coffee. I like to grind my own beans and use a French press. I use a water to coffee ratio of 16 to 1 by weight. That’s 6oz water to 10g or 2Tbl coffee. I only rely on Starbucks at the airports, which I have not been to recently.
Last edited by rick51 on Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
We roast our own beans at home in an air frier. Green beans are very cheap and they last for a long time in storage. I think we paid $20 for 10lbs in Nov and we still have a few pounds to get through, despite drinking 2-5 cups a day at home.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I mean I don't look at $2.65 as being a lot for a daily splurge but an alternative is buying the Pikes place k cups which should be around 100-140mg. 2 of those would bring you right around 280mg at a cost of $1.12 - $1.30. ($1.12 if you do subscribe & save, 15% off drops the price to $17.92 for 32 pods YMMV)
Light weight baby!
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
If you want a caffeine buzz then take a pill.
Coffee flavor is a whole different art. I think suggestions in this thread are probably helpful. I am partial to darker roasts myself.
Coffee flavor is a whole different art. I think suggestions in this thread are probably helpful. I am partial to darker roasts myself.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Just switched to a burr grinder a couple months ago (based on recommendations here) and highly recommend it. One benefit is you can control how fine your grind is. Finer grind = more flavorful coffee and more caffeine. It's a noticeable improvement from the blade grinder we were using with the same beans.
Folgers? You probably haven't been chastised enough for that decision. Folgers is what people who don't drink coffee keep in their house for guests.
For value, I personally buy the big bags of Don Pablo at Costco. Medium roast like Pike Place but I like it better.
Folgers? You probably haven't been chastised enough for that decision. Folgers is what people who don't drink coffee keep in their house for guests.
For value, I personally buy the big bags of Don Pablo at Costco. Medium roast like Pike Place but I like it better.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
French press at least a tablespoon per 8oz.... much different than out of a “coffee maker”...pace yourself if you aren’t used to it...as a side note I think Folgers tastes better than Starbucks pike. Pike smells like cigarettes.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I pay $5.99- $6.99 per bag for Starbucks or Peets when it's on sale (every other week) at our local grocery store. Seems cheap enough.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I buy bags of Starbucks at Kroger or Target on sale typically for around $6. A bag makes 30-35 cups (6 oz), so figure on $0.15 to $0.20 a cup. I usually make 3 cups in the morning which equates to 2 mugs.
I have a grinder but I typically buy ground coffee for convenience.
You can buy larger quantities of ground or beans and the cost can go down a bit as well.
I have a grinder but I typically buy ground coffee for convenience.
You can buy larger quantities of ground or beans and the cost can go down a bit as well.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
^This.NS_Bane wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:32 am Equipment:
Burr grinder - Baratza Encore ($130)
Kettle - Cuisinart electric kettle CPK-17 ($99)
Brewer: Aeropress ($30)
Use freshly ground beans. Starbucks uses medium to dark roasts. Even their blonde roasts are on the darker side. When you buy your beans, get light roasts. Lightly roasted beans retain more caffeine, and will not have any bitterness. If you use the aero press to brew your coffee and light roast beans, you won't need any cream or sugar.
There are tons of YouTube videos which are just a couple minutes long and show you how to use an aeropress to brew coffee. I use the electric kettle at 200f when brewing.
I use 1 oz of beans to make 16 oz of coffee. If that's not enough, you can up the amount of beans you grind until you find the right buzz.
With this equipment it takes me 4-5 minutes to make 16 oz of coffee in the morning.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Burr grind own beans
French press and let steep/soak longer to taste.
4 tbls per mug
j
French press and let steep/soak longer to taste.
4 tbls per mug
j
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
LOL. Yeah. At least the passive aggressive ones.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Costco has very good beans at very good prices. I use the Baratza Encore grinder and simple drip maker. Makes excellent coffee. I never go to Starbucks, it’s just too expensive compared to what you can do better at home.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
When we lived in NJ, I used Poland Spring because of the chlorine in tap water. Then I switched to Third Wave (a mineral mix) added to distilled water. Tap water was horrible by itself or in tea/coffee. I think I preferred Third Wave to Poland Spring, but it was close.Shallowpockets wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:41 am Here is another use too for this thread. Has anyone experimented with the water they use? Tap verses bottled, etc. and do you note any difference?
Since moving to MA, the water from our well is wonderful tasting, as a drink by itself or in tea and coffee. We test our water annually.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
1) Surely you can buy Starbucks' coffees to make at home? Pike Place, let's see... Amazon is showing me Pike Place available in K-cups, ground coffee in 12-ounce bags, and whole bean in 12-ounce bags. Even in K-cups, I am seeing 32 for $21 = $0.65 per serving.
Starbucks recommends 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water, other sources say 2 tbsp weigh 0.36 ounces... Starbucks says a Grande is 16 ounces, and Amazon is selling ground Pike Place at $36 for 6 x 12 ounces... which works out, hmm... almost exactly one ounce to make 16 oz of coffee, so $36 makes 72 Grande-sized cup, or $0.50 per Grande-sized cup.
2) If the issue is the caffeine buzz, and you can't get where you want by adjusting the strength of the brew, you can go all connoisseur but in the opposite direction. Robusta coffee is cheaper than Arabica, has not quite double the caffeine, and supposedly doesn't taste as good. I'll get to the "supposedly" in a minute. Brazil produces predominantly Robusta, so if you can find coffee that says it's Brazilian and discreetly avoids saying anything about "Arabica," it's probably Robusta.
Now, my son got me some coffee as a joke gift, and unfortunately I can't mention the name of it in the forum, but the first and last words of the name are "Wake ... Up." It is 100% Robusta and costs $12/pound. And... it was, eh, OK, but not at $12/pound. I really thought it did have more of a caffeine buzz. And despite Robusta's reputation, the flavor was a bit weak but eh, not bad. To tell the honest truth I don't like gourmet coffees, and I think it's because until the advent of coffee culture in the US, most national brands were Robusta/Arabica blends, and I think I personally rather like some Robusta taste--but not 100%. Still, it's something to try. Remember, I'm not recommending it--because of price--and there are probably cheaper ways to get the same thing.
I've toyed with the idea of caffeine powder as a way to make a pot of decaf and get decaf and regular from the same carafe by adding caffeine on a cup by cup basis, but considering the potential of a genuinely serious overdose implied by three hundred cups of coffee in a little pill bottle I think not. I was probably inspired by an old decaf commercial featuring a possibly-amorous couple: the gent offers the lady "milk, sugar, caffeine," and lets her taste a little caffeine, so she can say "Ugh. I thought it would be dark and rich, like coffee" and the gent says "No, it's white and bitter, like a bitter pill..."
3) I like Folgers. I thought for years that I liked it better than Maxwell House but once when Maxwell House was on sale I went to the effort of making a blind taste test, and had to admit that I cannot taste the difference. But I stick with Folger's because I'm used to red tubs for regular, green tubs for decaf and Maxwell House uses blue for both. I don't care what I should or shouldn't like, what I like is Folger's (or similar pre-coffee-culture national brands). I don't like a dark roast. If Starbucks is the only easy option, then I get a "blonde roast" if they have it, and if not Pike Place is as far as I'll go. When I've tried Kona coffee, in situations where I believed it was real Kona, my conclusion was that Kona is different, and I can taste the difference--and I don't like it as well as Folger's.
Starbucks recommends 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water, other sources say 2 tbsp weigh 0.36 ounces... Starbucks says a Grande is 16 ounces, and Amazon is selling ground Pike Place at $36 for 6 x 12 ounces... which works out, hmm... almost exactly one ounce to make 16 oz of coffee, so $36 makes 72 Grande-sized cup, or $0.50 per Grande-sized cup.
2) If the issue is the caffeine buzz, and you can't get where you want by adjusting the strength of the brew, you can go all connoisseur but in the opposite direction. Robusta coffee is cheaper than Arabica, has not quite double the caffeine, and supposedly doesn't taste as good. I'll get to the "supposedly" in a minute. Brazil produces predominantly Robusta, so if you can find coffee that says it's Brazilian and discreetly avoids saying anything about "Arabica," it's probably Robusta.
Now, my son got me some coffee as a joke gift, and unfortunately I can't mention the name of it in the forum, but the first and last words of the name are "Wake ... Up." It is 100% Robusta and costs $12/pound. And... it was, eh, OK, but not at $12/pound. I really thought it did have more of a caffeine buzz. And despite Robusta's reputation, the flavor was a bit weak but eh, not bad. To tell the honest truth I don't like gourmet coffees, and I think it's because until the advent of coffee culture in the US, most national brands were Robusta/Arabica blends, and I think I personally rather like some Robusta taste--but not 100%. Still, it's something to try. Remember, I'm not recommending it--because of price--and there are probably cheaper ways to get the same thing.
I've toyed with the idea of caffeine powder as a way to make a pot of decaf and get decaf and regular from the same carafe by adding caffeine on a cup by cup basis, but considering the potential of a genuinely serious overdose implied by three hundred cups of coffee in a little pill bottle I think not. I was probably inspired by an old decaf commercial featuring a possibly-amorous couple: the gent offers the lady "milk, sugar, caffeine," and lets her taste a little caffeine, so she can say "Ugh. I thought it would be dark and rich, like coffee" and the gent says "No, it's white and bitter, like a bitter pill..."
3) I like Folgers. I thought for years that I liked it better than Maxwell House but once when Maxwell House was on sale I went to the effort of making a blind taste test, and had to admit that I cannot taste the difference. But I stick with Folger's because I'm used to red tubs for regular, green tubs for decaf and Maxwell House uses blue for both. I don't care what I should or shouldn't like, what I like is Folger's (or similar pre-coffee-culture national brands). I don't like a dark roast. If Starbucks is the only easy option, then I get a "blonde roast" if they have it, and if not Pike Place is as far as I'll go. When I've tried Kona coffee, in situations where I believed it was real Kona, my conclusion was that Kona is different, and I can taste the difference--and I don't like it as well as Folger's.
Last edited by nisiprius on Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:31 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I recommend Eight O'Clock Dark Italian Espresso. Even though it says espresso I use it to make coffee. Very similar to some Starbucks coffees I've had. Much less expensive and my wife frequently finds it on sale and we stock up.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
If you really want a boost, look for coffees with a blend of robusta beans in them. Many Italian coffees for the Italian market have anywhere from 10-50% robusta, which packs more caffeine. While Arabica beans are considered superior for flavor, the robusta can add some nice chocolatey notes and a creamy mouthfeel, along with a punch of caffeine. E.g., Lavazza's Super Crema line has up to 40% robusta. Also look for Kimbo, omnipresent in Italian bars. Many of their blends have a lot of robusta. You may need to look online for some of these, and I'm pretty sure Amazon has a number of them.
Edit: I see nisiprius beat me to it as I was typing. But yeah, robusta will wake you up.
Edit: I see nisiprius beat me to it as I was typing. But yeah, robusta will wake you up.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
If you want the best coffee get into home roasting and buy your green beans here —> www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com
Question: Why are coffee and whiskey threads always so popular?
Question: Why are coffee and whiskey threads always so popular?
Last edited by Nicolas on Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
YesMrBobcat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:02 am^This.NS_Bane wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:32 am Equipment:
Burr grinder - Baratza Encore ($130)
Kettle - Cuisinart electric kettle CPK-17 ($99)
Brewer: Aeropress ($30)
Use freshly ground beans. Starbucks uses medium to dark roasts. Even their blonde roasts are on the darker side. When you buy your beans, get light roasts. Lightly roasted beans retain more caffeine, and will not have any bitterness. If you use the aero press to brew your coffee and light roast beans, you won't need any cream or sugar.
There are tons of YouTube videos which are just a couple minutes long and show you how to use an aeropress to brew coffee. I use the electric kettle at 200f when brewing.
I use 1 oz of beans to make 16 oz of coffee. If that's not enough, you can up the amount of beans you grind until you find the right buzz.
With this equipment it takes me 4-5 minutes to make 16 oz of coffee in the morning.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Lots of good ideas here that will improve your cup. Ditch the Folgers is the key one!
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
But a brick of cafe bustello. $3. Two tablespoons per cup made by pour over. Or drip if you want. It is made with robusto beans. Cheap, doesn’t taste awful and will give you the caffeine you want.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Ok, but proper coffee brewing is (depending on taste) 1:16-1:18 by WEIGHT. If you aren't using a scale to measure by grams the same folks recommend starting with 2 tbsp : 8fl oz. That's for taste. If you need more caffeine that's about the beans. Cheap coffee blends will be heavy on robusta instead of arabica, hence more caffeine. You could also look for good robusta from a small roaster or buy the lightest roast you can find from a roaster.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Ditch Folgers.
Buy bulk, whole bean medium or dark roast organic coffee beans from your local natural foods store or from EBay. Use two tablespoons of coffee per cup. Store most or all of the beans in the freezer, if you have space to do so. If no space, no worries.
Buy an inexpensive grinder on Ebay (approx. $30?). Grind just enough beans for your morning Joe.
Buy an inexpensive tea infuser on Ebay (a couple of bucks). Put the ground beans in the infuser, put the infuser in a mug.
Heat water in any pot or kettle, pour slowly over the beans.
Remove the infuser and you have a strong, delicious cup of coffee.
Buy bulk, whole bean medium or dark roast organic coffee beans from your local natural foods store or from EBay. Use two tablespoons of coffee per cup. Store most or all of the beans in the freezer, if you have space to do so. If no space, no worries.
Buy an inexpensive grinder on Ebay (approx. $30?). Grind just enough beans for your morning Joe.
Buy an inexpensive tea infuser on Ebay (a couple of bucks). Put the ground beans in the infuser, put the infuser in a mug.
Heat water in any pot or kettle, pour slowly over the beans.
Remove the infuser and you have a strong, delicious cup of coffee.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I tend to switch around and explore different types of coffee beans and brewing methods.
Right now, I seem satisfied with Kirkland brand 3 lbs. coffee cans from Costco which is a fine grind in combination with French press brewing.
It comes out pretty rich. They recommend 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water. I believe the price is right too.
Right now, I seem satisfied with Kirkland brand 3 lbs. coffee cans from Costco which is a fine grind in combination with French press brewing.
It comes out pretty rich. They recommend 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water. I believe the price is right too.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
OP,
1) What ever you like about Starbucks has nothing to do with Caffeine.
2) Lightly roasted coffee has more caffeine than dark roasted coffee.
3) Brewing method matters. Longer brewing time tend to have more caffeine. So, cold brew or french press has more caffeine.
In summary, the coffee that you like from Starbucks is not strong. It is something else.
KlangFool
1) What ever you like about Starbucks has nothing to do with Caffeine.
2) Lightly roasted coffee has more caffeine than dark roasted coffee.
3) Brewing method matters. Longer brewing time tend to have more caffeine. So, cold brew or french press has more caffeine.
In summary, the coffee that you like from Starbucks is not strong. It is something else.
KlangFool
30% VWENX | 16% VFWAX/VTIAX | 14.5% VTSAX | 19.5% VBTLX | 10% VSIAX/VTMSX/VSMAX | 10% VSIGX| 30% Wellington 50% 3-funds 20% Mini-Larry
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
I walked to the city Target this morning and purchased the light roast Starbucks package 12oz for $7.99. As you suggest, many websites seem to show the Blonde roast with higher caffeine levels than the Pike Place Roast. I will see tomorrow if it provides a similar flavor and productivity boost as the pre-made Starbucks cup. As many others suggested, I made sure these ground beans were from Arabia.KlangFool wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:55 am OP,
1) What ever you like about Starbucks has nothing to do with Caffeine.
2) Lightly roasted coffee has more caffeine than dark roasted coffee.
3) Brewing method matters. Longer brewing time tend to have more caffeine. So, cold brew or french press has more caffeine.
In summary, the coffee that you like from Starbucks is not strong. It is something else.
KlangFool
Thank you all for your input. Lots of good ideas but I've decided to keep it simple for now with the ground coffee and single serve drip machine. I will consider a more complex process in the near future when time permits.
Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
OP,Orangutan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:23 amI walked to the city Target this morning and purchased the light roast Starbucks package 12oz for $7.99. As you suggest, many websites seem to show the Blonde roast with higher caffeine levels than the Pike Place Roast. I will see tomorrow if it provides a similar flavor and productivity boost as the pre-made Starbucks cup. As many others suggested, I made sure these ground beans were from Arabia.KlangFool wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:55 am OP,
1) What ever you like about Starbucks has nothing to do with Caffeine.
2) Lightly roasted coffee has more caffeine than dark roasted coffee.
3) Brewing method matters. Longer brewing time tend to have more caffeine. So, cold brew or french press has more caffeine.
In summary, the coffee that you like from Starbucks is not strong. It is something else.
KlangFool
Thank you all for your input. Lots of good ideas but I've decided to keep it simple for now with the ground coffee and single serve drip machine. I will consider a more complex process in the near future when time permits.
This is a very good coffee at a good price. Freshly roasted and ship directly to you from the Roaster.
https://www.costco.com/mother-earth-org ... 20592.html
KlangFool
30% VWENX | 16% VFWAX/VTIAX | 14.5% VTSAX | 19.5% VBTLX | 10% VSIAX/VTMSX/VSMAX | 10% VSIGX| 30% Wellington 50% 3-funds 20% Mini-Larry
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
OP, I would encourage you to shoot for a standard much better than Starbucks!
I acquired a Gaggia Titanium Semi-Automatic Coffee Machine and it just might be the best product I've ever owned. I purchase my coffee from a local fair trade organic roaster, YUP coffee. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive, and in all my years as a coffee snob it's the best most consistent coffee I've found. Prepared in my Gaggia...wow. I literally cannot buy a better cup of joe anywhere that I know of. Strong, consistent, with a nice frothy top that makes every cup of coffee an experience that I look forward to every time I'm tempted to push that magic button.
In my case I got the machine for free because it was broken, and took about 7 hrs to repair it. This model is no longer manufactured and last time I saw one for sale it went for about $300. New I believe they're around $1,000. Never in my life would I have ever expected to entertain spending that kind of money on a coffee machine but for example my machine has clocked over 13,000 cups and it's still going strong. So even if you purchase at full retail price I'm at about $0.07/cup + the cost of beans. Again, not the cheapest way to make coffee, but for the top of the line quality I get, and the enjoyment it adds to my day multiple times per day...I don't think I will ever NOT own such a machine now that I've experienced it for much of the past year.
I acquired a Gaggia Titanium Semi-Automatic Coffee Machine and it just might be the best product I've ever owned. I purchase my coffee from a local fair trade organic roaster, YUP coffee. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive, and in all my years as a coffee snob it's the best most consistent coffee I've found. Prepared in my Gaggia...wow. I literally cannot buy a better cup of joe anywhere that I know of. Strong, consistent, with a nice frothy top that makes every cup of coffee an experience that I look forward to every time I'm tempted to push that magic button.
In my case I got the machine for free because it was broken, and took about 7 hrs to repair it. This model is no longer manufactured and last time I saw one for sale it went for about $300. New I believe they're around $1,000. Never in my life would I have ever expected to entertain spending that kind of money on a coffee machine but for example my machine has clocked over 13,000 cups and it's still going strong. So even if you purchase at full retail price I'm at about $0.07/cup + the cost of beans. Again, not the cheapest way to make coffee, but for the top of the line quality I get, and the enjoyment it adds to my day multiple times per day...I don't think I will ever NOT own such a machine now that I've experienced it for much of the past year.
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Re: How to make strong coffee equivalent to Starbucks for cheaper?
Try Seattle's Best - Portside Blend.....you will never drink anything else again.