Coffee Beans

by Lars H

I was recently at Dutch Bros, and I decided to try a few of the weird-sounding popular drinks that everyone seems to be drinking. The Shark Attack was at the top of the list because what even is it? The name gives you no real hints about what kind of a drink it even is.

Well, it turns out that the Shark Attack is NOT a coffee drink. It’s an energy drink. You can get it two different ways. Just as a drink with ice, or blended. I chose blended, because who doesn’t love blended ice types of drinks? They are so slurp-i-licious.

But “energy drink” still doesn’t tell you much. What’s in it? What does it taste like? What’s the point?

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by Nigel Ong

McCafe is part of McDonald’s but focuses on serving espresso-based coffee instead of regular fast food. Aside from serving great coffee in their cafes, you can also purchase their roasts in bags at your nearby grocery aisles.

However, how good are these roasts? Do they taste as good as served fresh from their cafes, or is it nothing but a poorer substitute? I set out to find this out. 

In this post, I will brew the McCafe Colombian Roast and sample its taste. I then try to flavor it with popular flavorings to see if they improve the taste of the coffee. Finally, I compare the coffee with other medium roasts and also other McCafe roasts.

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by Nigel Ong

If you have gotten tired of drinking regular instant coffee, you can always explore coffee from other regions. I have always found Euro-style coffee refreshing and not too alien from what we are used to in America. 

With Euro-style instant coffee, there are two brands that you can easily get here in the US, Lavazza, and Illy. Both are Italian and make an excellent blend of instant coffee too. We have reviewed Lavazza’s Prontissimo Intenso before, but what about Illy?

In this post, I will review Illy’s Classico Instant Coffee. I’ll explore how it tastes, black and with flavorings. Finally, I explore how it compares against regular coffee and if it suits you.

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by Nigel Ong

McCafe coffee has been staples with many of us, thanks to it being everywhere. One good thing about the McCafe coffees, too, is that you can make them at home by getting its range of bagged coffees. 

However, how good are these bagged coffees? Are they as good as the ones they serve in McCafe restaurants, or more like a disappointment? 

In this post, I picked up a bag of McCafe’s Breakfast Blend and thoroughly tested it. I brew it in three popular ways and then experiment by adding common flavorings. 

Then, I compare it against other McCafe roasts and regular coffees. Finally, I arrive at my conclusion and suggest who are the people that will enjoy the McCafe Breakfast Blend the most.

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by Nigel Ong

When it comes to coffee, people think of Starbucks or Folgers. However, some coffee enthusiasts consider these coffee houses as subpar or low-quality. There’s even a joke where coffee lovers call Starbucks’ roasts’ Charbucks.’ 

The reason? They think Starbucks roasts its beans darker, so the smoke can mask the low-quality beans it uses. How true is this? I picked up a bag of Starbucks’ signature Pike Place Blend to find it out myself. 

In this post, I will brew the Starbucks Pike Place Blend in three ways and then sample its tastes. I will also experiment with some flavorings to see if they can help elevate the taste of the coffee. Finally, I answer if Starbucks’ roasts deserve that ‘Charbucks’ moniker.

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By Nigel Ong

Nescafe may not be as popular as Folgers here in America. Still, they are pretty much the default instant coffee in Europe and Asia. Nescafe also offers a more premium version of their instant coffee, called the Nescafe Gold. 

Will Nescafe Gold taste better than regular Nescafe? Or is it nothing but a branding exercise? Let’s find out. 

In this post, I will review the Nescafe Gold Blend and explore how it tastes with all sorts of flavorings. I will also compare its tastes with regular Nescafe and see if the Nescafe Gold is better.

What Is Nescafe Gold?

Nescafe is a line of instant coffee made by Nestle. This Swiss food company is also behind many popular foods such as Cheerios, Coffee Mate, and Gerber. 

Within the Nescafe line, there is the regular Nescafe. These are the basic instant coffee made with Arabica and Robusta bean blends. Then there’s the Nescafe Gold. 

Nescafe Gold is a more premium offering, using only a higher-quality blend of coffee beans. Nestle also tried to blend different beans to produce different flavors and styles of coffee with Nescafe Gold. 

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by Nigel Ong

For most of us, getting a Starbucks coffee means going to the coffee shop or having one delivered. However, you can actually make your own cup of Starbucks coffee at home. 

One way is to use the Starbucks Premium instant coffee. The idea is to only mix the instant coffee with hot water, and you will get the same great taste from your local Starbucks. However, how good does it taste? Let’s find out in this review. 

I’ll taste the drink for you in this post, including a wide range of flavorings. I will then conclude with how you can best enjoy the drink and who is this instant coffee for.

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by Nigel Ong

Most of us like a cup of joe to start our day. However, not many of us have the luxury to grind our beans and slowly brew a cup. At the same time, we also dislike the idea of simply drinking cheap instant coffee; they just don’t taste right. 

Enter premium instant coffee. Mix them with hot water; your coffee should taste better than basic instant coffee. One such premium instant coffee you can try is the Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso.

In this post, I’ll give the coffee a try and share with you how it tastes and if this coffee will suit your palate. I’ll also experiment with different flavorings and see how it changes the taste of the coffee.

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QUESTION: The last time I was in a coffee shop I came across beans from Yemen for the first time. Intrigued, I decided to buy a pack. However, my attention was drawn to the fact that being a coffee drinker for years, this was the first time I had come across coffee from Yemen. What is special about Yemen coffee? Why can it be seen so rarely on the shelves of coffee shops?

DARREN OLIVER AT CLEARLY COFFEE REPLIES: Beans from Yemen (and Yemen coffee in general) are indeed something amazing and special. I remember when I had the first opportunity to taste them myself. I was stunned by the taste, which I felt for the first time in my life. The coffee was chocolaty, earthy, and even a bit “spicy,” but at the same time it didn’t have a heavy character, it was refreshing, light, and delicious, with floral and berry notes being very palpable. So, why is it so special?

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