Coffee I’ve Been Digging Lately

Growing up, coffee was a pretty simple operation in my house…from what I remember. I actually didn’t drink coffee at all until I was 20. But we had a simple drip coffee maker and would make Maxwell House.

Fast forward to the other day, when I made coffee 3 different ways. I used my drip coffee maker in the morning. I used my Nespresso for a mid-morning boost. And I used this new, super interesting coffee brand called Cometeer, which I’ll tell you about in a minute, in the afternoon. How times have changed.

I don’t know when coffee roasting became a big, deep hobby with lots of boutique blends and brewing methods. I do know that I’ve been trying lots of great coffee and services lately.

The Folgers’ Desert

First, let me tell you how I got here. Before kids, and then after our oldest was born, my wife and I would spend a lot of money on coffee. We liked to try new stuff, and I got an AeroPress and an espresso maker and joined a coffee of the month club.

But when my son was born in 2020, we decided to cut all extra expenses. Part of that was to stop spending $12-17 per 12oz and instead pay $8 for 36oz. Is it really worth the price difference anyway?

At first, I didn’t think it was. We enjoyed our strongly brewed, cheap coffee. But there were heavy diminishing returns, and after a year I was sick of drinking crappy coffee at home. It felt like we were in the Folders’ Desert, the grounds being coarse, and getting everywhere, and not tasting very good.

So first we decided we’d only drink “the good coffee” on the weekends since weekdays had us running around in the morning anyway, dropping the kids off at school and daycare. The only thing worse than paying a lot for coffee was wasting said coffee.

Then we decided to finally escape the Folders’ Desert and start investing in good coffee once again.

After trying a bunch, here’s what I’ve been digging the most.

Ground Rules (Get It?!)

Some things you should know about my tastes:

1. I like strong coffee. Like my Italian ancestors, I enjoy drinking espresso black, so the stronger the better.
2. I do not like fruity coffee. I just don’t think my black liquid should taste like fruit.
3. I prefer darker roasts.

With that, here’s what I’ve been digging.

Startup Coffee

My friend Ken Wallace started a coffee brand that he’s positioned for startup founders, and I love it. It’s called Startup Coffee and all of the blends are named after founders or founder-related terms.

I haven’t tried all of the blends yet, but both my wife and I are partial to Gail’s Death Ramp, which Ken personally recommended to me. It’s named for the founder of Constant Contact.

It’s a Dark roast of Sumatra origin, with notes of dark chocolate, and light smoke. It’s syrupy, smooth, and with low acidity. I drink it every morning.

Kru Coffee

The best, super dark cup of coffee I’ve ever had comes from a small coffee shop in upstate NY, where my brother lives. It’s called Kru Coffee, and on the weekend of his wedding in October 2015, I had a stellar cup of coffee they named “Death Star.”

Naturally, they can’t sell it commercially with that name, so you can buy it on their site as their Doomcup Blend.

It’s got notes of smoke, cocoa, and caramel. I highly recommend it.

But I recommend it more from the coffee shop. While it’s good at home, I’ve never been able to make it as well as they did that fateful morning in 2015. I’ll keep trying.

Cometeer

Let me finish with the newest, most interesting coffee I’ve tried lately. It’s called Cometeer Coffee, and what makes it interesting is how it’s shipped to you.

I love cold brew coffee, but it takes time and space in the fridge that, as a family of 5, we don’t have.

Enter Cometeer Coffee and their super interesting way of making coffee.

Here’s how it works:

1. They brew it
2. They flash freeze it
3. They put it in an aluminum pod
4. They send you 32 pods per order in a box cooled by dry ice

Then you can either drop the frozen coffee into a cup and pour hot water over it for hot coffee or let the pod defrost and mix it with cold water and ice for iced coffee.

I’m very partial to the iced coffee. 6oz + some ice is the perfect blend.

This is absolutely my preferred way to make cold coffee at home now, and at around $2/pod, it’s cheaper than getting it from a coffee shop¹.

Sound Interesting? Here’s $25 off Your First Order

If Cometeer Coffee sounds interesting to you (it should), you can use my affiliate link to get $25 off your first order²:

I got the sample pack for my first sub and switched it to the Dark Roast Box after trying each.

What Coffee Have You Been Digging?

What coffee brands or blends have you been enjoying? Let me know in the comments!

1. That said, there’s a local coffee shop called Twin Valley Coffee that I absolutely love going to. Highly recommend if you’re every in Chester County, PA. ?
2. I will also get a discount on my next order, and maybe some swag. ?