Quick answer: The best grocery store coffee in our blind taste test of 13 medium-roast ground coffees was Caribou Blend: balanced, sweet and easy to drink, with caramel and graham cracker notes. Newman’s Own Organic Special Blend, Peet’s Big Bang, Green Mountain Nantucket Blend and Stumptown Hair Bender, our splurge pick, round out the five worth stocking up on.
My wife and I spent a week blind-tasting 13 supermarket ground coffees, black and with milk, to find the ones worth buying. Here are the five that stood out, what each tastes like, and exactly how we tested them.
In this guide 5 sections
Our top 5 at a glance
| Rank | Coffee | What we tasted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caribou Blend | Caramel, graham cracker, subtle sweetness | Everyday drinking |
| 2 | Newman’s Own Organic Special Blend | Milk chocolate, clean finish | Organic, charitable choice |
| 3 | Peet’s Big Bang | Bright, balanced, no bitterness | Drinking black |
| 4 | Green Mountain Nantucket Blend | Dark chocolate, brown sugar, dried fruit | Cream and sugar |
| 5 | Stumptown Hair Bender | Sweet citrus, rich chocolate | A splurge |
How we tested 13 supermarket coffees
Who tasted
To keep the assessment unbiased, I enlisted my wife, a fellow coffee enthusiast, and she tasted each coffee blind so branding and packaging could not sway her. We are not professional coffee sommeliers, but between us we have drunk countless cups, from questionable airplane brews to carefully made pour-overs. We are everyday coffee drinkers looking for quality and convenience in the supermarket aisle.
Our method
- What we tested: 13 pre-ground, medium roast coffees made with 100% arabica beans, all available at supermarkets or for delivery. Medium roast is the most popular choice for American coffee drinkers, and arabica generally tastes smoother than robusta.
- How we brewed: the same standard drip coffee machine for every coffee, with filtered water at a ratio of two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water (see our coffee-to-water ratio guide).
- How we tasted: over one week, each coffee both black and with milk.
- What we scored: flavor, body, sweetness, bitterness, acidity and aftertaste, plus aroma, value and overall drinkability.
The 5 best supermarket ground coffees
1. Caribou Coffee’s Caribou Blend: Our Top Pick
This blend from Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee quickly became our go-to morning brew. Caribou Blend is made with Rainforest Alliance Certified beans from Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala and Sumatra. We found it balanced, with a vibrant acidity, medium body and a smooth mouthfeel.
The subtle sweetness, with notes of caramel and toasty graham crackers, made it exceptionally easy to drink. It is a well-rounded coffee that suits a wide range of palates, and the most reliable everyday pick of the 13.
Key characteristics:
- Origin: Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor Notes: Caramel, graham cracker, subtle sweetness
- Body: Medium
- Acidity: Vibrant
- Certifications: Rainforest Alliance Certified
2. Newman’s Own Organic Special Blend: A Charitable Choice
This medium roast is made with organic beans from Central America and Indonesia. From the first sip we got delightful notes of sweet milk chocolate, followed by a subtle hint of bitterness that added complexity.
The acidity is mild and crisp, making a refreshing, balanced cup, and we particularly liked the clean aftertaste. Newman’s Own also gives its profits to charity through the Newman’s Own Foundation, so it is an easy pick if you want quality, flavor and social impact in one bag.
Key characteristics:
- Origin: Central America and Indonesia
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor Notes: Milk chocolate, subtle bitterness
- Body: Medium
- Acidity: Mild, crisp
- Certifications: Organic
- Charitable aspect: Profits donated to charity
3. Peet’s Big Bang: A Balanced Brew
Peet’s Big Bang is a medium roast for drinkers who want a cup that is not too dark and not too light. Made with Rainforest Alliance Certified beans from Ethiopia and Latin America, it has a medium-light body and bright acidity, and we found no bitterness at all on the finish.
The flavor is fairly straightforward, which is not necessarily a negative. However, we felt it could be overpowered by lots of cream and sugar, so it is best black or with minimal additions.
Key characteristics:
- Origin: Ethiopia and Latin America
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor Notes: Balanced, uncomplicated
- Body: Medium-light
- Acidity: Bright
- Certifications: Rainforest Alliance Certified
4. Green Mountain’s Nantucket Blend: Bold and Flavorful
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Nantucket Blend is a medium-full bodied coffee that tastes bold without being overwhelming. Upfront dark chocolate bitterness is balanced by sweeter notes of brown sugar and dried fruit on the finish, and it was delicious both black and with cream and sugar.
It held its flavor well with additions, which makes it the most versatile pick here if you take your coffee with milk.
Key characteristics:
- Origin: Not specified
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor Notes: Dark chocolate, brown sugar, dried fruit
- Body: Medium-full
- Acidity: Subtle berry-like acidity
5. Stumptown’s Hair Bender: The Splurge-Worthy Option
Portland, Oregon’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters sources from well-known growing regions around the world. Hair Bender had the most intricate flavor of all the coffees we tasted, with prominent notes of sweet citrus and rich chocolate.
The lively acidity and the balance between sweetness and bitterness made for an exceptional cup. It costs a little more than the others on our list, but we think the quality justifies the splurge.
Key characteristics:
- Origin: Various renowned coffee-growing regions
- Roast: Not specified
- Flavor Notes: Sweet citrus, chocolate
- Body: Not specified
- Acidity: Lively
Is supermarket coffee worth it?
Our taste test showed you don’t have to give up flavor for convenience. These five ground coffees cover everything from the balanced sweetness of Caribou Blend to the complex citrus of Hair Bender. If you want even more flavor, whole beans ground just before brewing stay fresher; see our picks for the best whole coffee beans. Curious about other grocery staples? Read our honest review of Folgers coffee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best grocery store coffee?
In our blind test of 13 medium-roast ground coffees, Caribou Blend came out on top for its balanced sweetness and caramel and graham cracker notes. Stumptown Hair Bender had the most complex flavor but costs more.
Which supermarket coffee is best with milk?
Green Mountain Nantucket Blend held its flavor best with cream and sugar. Peet’s Big Bang, by contrast, is best black because additions can overpower it.
How did you brew the coffees?
Every coffee was brewed in the same standard drip machine with filtered water, using two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water, and tasted both black and with milk.
What are your favorite supermarket coffee finds? Let us know in the comments below.