clearlycoffee, Author at Clearly Coffee

Chick-Fil-A Hot Coffee Review 2023: Here’s How it Rates

August 30, 2023January 20, 2023 by clearlycoffee

by Lars H What kind of coffee does Chick-Fil-A use? Chick-Fil-A’s standard coffee is a high end speciality coffee from an organization known as Thrive Farmers. According to Chick-Fil-A, “The …

I Tried Grinds (Gr1nds) Coffee Pouches – Review

June 16, 2023January 19, 2023 by clearlycoffee

4 cans of Grinds coffee pouches — *Grinds coffee pouches in double mocha, caramel, wintergreen and vanilla.*

by Lars H

I recently discovered that there’s a product called Grinds Coffee Pouches that is a nicotine free, tobacco free “chewing tobacco alternative” product that some people use to wean themselves away from smokeless tobacco, and others use because they want a caffeine kick but don’t want to deal with drinking a cup of coffee.

These coffee flavored caffeine pouches seemed so weird to me that I instantly ordered a variety pack of the most popular four flavors on Amazon. I’ve never been a fan of chewing tobacco or dip because when I was a kid I always heard stories about some kid trying it for the first time and accidentally swallowing the juice and throwing up.

Can you use dark roast in a super-automatic espresso machine?

January 19, 2023 by clearlycoffee

QUESTION: Can you use dark roast in a super-automatic espresso machine? Most of the bags I see that are called espresso roast are very dark, but I heard that you don’t want oily beans to go through a super automatic. What’s the deal with that? – Alice K

CLEARLY COFFEE REPLIES: Do not use dark roast in your superautomatic espresso machine if the beans are oily, period. They will gum up and ruin your machine, requiring you to send it in for an expensive service. (Also, never ever use flavored beans because that flavor will ruin the taste of all future coffee beans!)

If you don’t want to believe me, then here it is straight from the instruction manual of my GE Profile Superautomatic espresso machine.

Black Rifle Coffee Shop near I-75 Central Expressway Review

January 17, 2023 by clearlycoffee

I was recently driving south from Plano on I-75 Central Expressway when I noticed a Black Rifle Coffee shop just off the side of the highway in a small shopping center. I exited and circled back to check it out. I had heard of the coffee brand, but didn’t realize that they also had actual coffee shops.

Black Rifle Coffee Company was founded around 2014, but has grown and since gone public so you can even buy their stock. I had no idea they were that big!

Scooter’s Coffee Drive Through Review

January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 by clearlycoffee

Scooter's Drive Through Coffee Shop on W Parker in Plano — *Scooters Coffee drive through location on W Parker*

by Lars H

I was driving through Plano on W Parker Road last weekend when I saw a drive through coffee shop I’d never seen before called Scooter’s Coffee. I guess you can tell I don’t spend a lot of time in Plano (I’m from nearby Dallas), because I quickly also noticed that their sign says the company was established way back in 1998!

The Scooter’s Coffee location I visited was drive through only. There was no seating area at all, and no walk up window, unlike some drive thru chains like Dutch Bros. or 151 Coffee, which are within 5 or 10 miles from this location.

PJ’s Coffee Shop in Dallas, Reviewed

January 13, 2023 by clearlycoffee

North Dallas PJ's Coffee Store, with a drive thru

by Lars H

Recently I was up in north Dallas for an appointment, and after I finished, I did a quick Google map search to see if there were any nearby coffee shops I had not yet tried. That’s when PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans popped up on the map, just a couple of miles away from where I was.

I’d never heard of PJ’s Coffee before, and learned it was a franchise that was founded in New Orleans in 1978.

When I arrived, it appeared to heavily promote its drive through window, suggesting that it gets a lot of regular customers who are on their way to work or just on the go. I parked and walked inside, where there were several customers drinking coffee and sitting at the various tables.

Does 7-11 have decaf coffee?

July 7, 2023January 13, 2023 by clearlycoffee

Bunn commercial coffee machine dispensing 7-11 decaffeinated, medium roast coffee

QUESTION: Does 7-11 have decaf coffee? There’s one on the way home from work and sometimes I like to drink a decaf in the afternoons instead of regular coffee. – Will G

CLEARLY COFFEE REPLIES: Yes, 7-11 serves fresh decaf coffee at most locations! I drove to one near me to check the situation out and bought one to taste it.

One thing that I noticed is that the grind and brew machine did not have a decaf option. However, they did have it in the regular Bunn commercial machines. I grabbed one at about 10 a.m. and it was hot and fresh.

Review of Buc-ee’s Gas Station Coffee for 2023

April 23, 2023January 10, 2023 by clearlycoffee

Ever since reading that Buc-ee’s travel centers made the top of the list as the best gas station coffee around the country, based on user reviews, I have been curious …

Top Instant Coffee Brands with Chicory

January 9, 2023 by clearlycoffee

chicory coffee and beignets in New Orleans — *New Orleans is famous for its bold coffee with chicory, which goes well with beignets!*

by Lars H

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you’ve probably tried their famous style of coffee that is a mix of coffee beans and chicory root. The blend of dark roast beans and chicory root gives it a rich, earthy flavor with notes of chocolate and nuts. The addition of chicory root is a unique aspect of New Orleans coffee, and it is believed to have been added to coffee in the city as a way to stretch scarce coffee supplies during times of scarcity or economic hardship.

Believe it or not, you can also buy instant coffee brands that have chicory root, which makes it easy to get a nice and bold cup of New Orleans style coffee without having to brew an entire pot.

Here are some of the brands I found. Did I miss anything? Which is your favorite?

Fabula Coffee: The Very Best Clean, Organic, Single Origin Decaf Coffee?

January 9, 2023 by clearlycoffee

by Lars H

Fabula decaf coffee bag and the whole beans in a hopper — *Here’s what the Fabula decaf clean coffee package and whole beans looks like.*

If you’re looking for decaf coffee, your choices can be limited. Add in clean (tested for mycotoxins and pesticides), organic, Swiss Water Process and single origin, and you’re unlikely to find one type of coffee that has all of these things. At least that’s what I thought until I ran into Fabula coffee.

My previous favorite decaf coffee came from Kauai Coffee. It is a very tasty coffee, but it is not organic, unfortunately. So I decided to give Fabula decaf a try. I was surprised to find that I like it just as much. In fact, it has become my new favorite, and is the current brand that goes through my dedicated decaf super automatic GE Profile machine.