Who’s got the best coffee?

[EagerBeaver]

I remember voting in that poll for eventual winner, McDonald's. I gave McDonald's the edge because their coffee is high value for the price and consistently hotter than the competition. That's the problem I have run into with Second Cup, and Cafe Depot. Their coffee tastes great, but by the time I cream it, it's lukewarm piss temperature and if I wanted to drink piss, I would drink piss. But with McDonald's coffee I will put 4 creams in a large and it's still hot enough to scald my tongue if I take too big a gulp.

To me that's as important a test as taste- the coffee has to be hot enough to scald your tongue on a big reckless sip. Otherwise, in my book, it's piss.

 

[Fradi]

I used to go to a small Italian coffee shop in St Leonard for a double espresso, they also made fabulous pizza. I can’t remember the name but they actually had coffee as good as I remember having in Europe.
I remember while my dad was alive we were not even allowed to have instant coffee in the house.
Second cup and Starbucks just don’t do it for me.

Now I make my own buy the coffee from a small European deli and use my own small old style espresso maker that I bought in Europe.

 

[Zaeballo]

Second cup and Starbucks just don’t do it for me.

You should try McDonald's, I am sure you will forget about that highfalutin espresso business once and for all

 

[EagerBeaver]

I remember while my dad was alive we were not even allowed to have instant coffee in the house.

You reminded me that my mother, who passed away earlier this year, used to drink instant coffee before someone bought her one of those old Mr. Coffee machines that Joe DiMaggio used to sell. Before the advent of those machines, she would drink Chock Full of Nuts and other brands. And she was born in Europe. After she got the Mr. Coffee machine her favored brand was Maxwell House, which she would run through Mr. Coffee. As a kid I kind of took it for granted that these must all be very good brands, and that Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was the very best mac and cheese that exists. I was not really exposed to real coffee or mac and cheese until adulthood when I left home.

 

[Fradi]

You should try McDonald's, I am sure you will forget about that highfalutin espresso business once and for all

I am not into highfalutin business, very old school, buy my own coffee and use a 40 year old European espresso machine to make it still have a couple of spare parts in a bag for it last time I was in Europe I bought a few spare parts for it.
This one is half the size that my dad used to have.
McDonald‘s hmmmm.... you call that coffee. Maybe that is why you need to put 4 creams into it.
I like mine black with nothing in it, when I was younger I used to put one cube of sugar, my dad would wince every time he saw me do that.

 

[Zaeballo]

McDonald‘s hmmmm.... you call that coffee.

Objection, Your Honour, I didn't!!!!

 

[sharkman]

Aside from the classic Montreal italian espressos previously mentioned...which are untouchable!...LoL!
Café Saint-Henri...is #1
consistent quality, they select only premium coffee grains, they roast their own coffee, they buy at the source only "fair trade" coffee beans, everyone is trained as a barrista...and they are a local Quebec enterprise!

 

[hungry101]

Aside from the classic Montreal italian espressos previously mentioned...which are untouchable!...LoL!
Café Saint-Henri...is #1
consistent quality, they select only premium coffee grains, they roast their own coffee, they buy at the source only "fair trade" coffee beans, everyone is trained as a barrista...and they are a local Quebec enterprise!

I remember when this article was trending. How To Piss Off Your Barista:

How to Piss Off Your Barista

Essentially everyone I know has worked as a barista, including myself. So I understand that the barista is the unsung hero of the service industry. What I have issue grasping is why people insist on treating the slingers of their drug of choice so poorly.

www.huffpost.com

I went into the trendy coffee shop and ordered my usual: I’ll have a tall, skinny, tall, tall, half-caffeinated, double decaf, Carmel macchiato with a twist.

Barista (sounding like a snob): Oh. You’re still drinking your coffee THAT WAY. Tsk!

Me: Are you still making minimum wage? Give me a coffee.

 

[Fradi]

It is like everything else people have different tastes.
I have tried a few of these fancy coffees and names, in the end I still prefer a plain double espresso no frills no cream no heart shapes frothed on top and no cinnamon sticks to stir it with.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

Do not even own a brewing device but go to McD in the morning for a coffee.
Shudder when I hear someone ordering a double double or triple triple, that is not coffee anymore. Same with the $5 plus coffees at Starbucks or wherever, with the chocolate, cinnamon, cream, fake syrups....
McD and perhaps real Baileys. Good enough.

 

[No_Church_InThe_Wild]

Cafe Milano on Jarry east is pretty good ... used to be open 24/7 before covid so pretty convenient hours and I’m a bit surprised it hasn’t been mentioned more
Cafe Olimpico on St Viateur is another spot whenever I happen to be in the area for bagels and such ( St-Viateur +Fairmount Bagels)

Lately I’m experimenting with a moka pot but I find it too strong or I’m not making it properly, but I’m also drinking a lot of mountain tea these days which is a good alternative for me when I don’t need to worry about caffeine keeping me up late

Starbucks is my usual go to place because the Cafes I just mentioned are too far from where I live ... I’m not into the sweet syrupy blends or lattes , mostly single long espressos which are made decent enough ... ordered some regular coffee a few times and it was lukewarm and like EB mentioned I find is just not the proper way to drink coffee ... so sticking with the espresso shots

Was out for some Christmas errands the last couple of days and was craving some Starbucks coffee but both times the drive through lineups were stretched around the block so no such luck , but I think I might try again tonight... I will see

 

[EagerBeaver]

ordered some regular coffee a few times and it was lukewarm and like EB mentioned I find is just not the proper way to drink coffee ... so sticking with the espresso shots

There is nothing that upsets me more than paying $3.00 for a large regular coffee and it's lukewarm. Sometimes I am on my way to the office and can microwave it to proper temperature, but if I am on my way to an appointment and on the road, I am stuck drinking it as is or throwing it out. This is why when you are on the road and have no microwave on the horizon, McDonald's has to be the go to coffee provider. It's never less than piping hot! They heat their coffee to 180 degrees- 3rd degree burn temperature! And they haven't changed since that case. They respect what their customer wants!!

 

[No_Church_InThe_Wild]

^^
Not really a fan of McDonald’s coffee , we all have different tastes so I’m not saying that it’s bad ... but I definitely agree that it’s consistently hot , the way coffee is supposed to be served IMO ...
Your also right that it can be frustrating when ones left the drive through and he suddenly realizes once on the highway that the barista forgot to add sugar or that your coffee isn’t quite hot ... Nowadays I’m more careful , I double check and I specifically ask them politely to make sure the milk is warm so it has improved somehow a bit ...

 

[spamless]

Olimpico for straight up, no fuss latte art coffee... and how can you forget about their caffé crema on a hot summer day!
La Finca for the other end of the spectrum with great latte art to top off a beautifully brewed coffee.
A hidden gem downtown in McGill metro station is My Little Cup

 

[GaryH]

If you want a good cup of coffee, it's all about the beans. As Larry and Leon discovered ya gotta get the beans:

 

[No_Church_InThe_Wild]

For me Seinfeld and Larry David are comedic geniuses , both had a knack of making brilliant comedy writing up stuff about the most trivial things . Leon the coffee lover is funny as hell in ghat series

 

[licknsplit]

Very rarely buy coffee i.e. Starbucks, Second Cup, etc, as I prefer my own. If you do own your own coffee maker that grinds and can make either a regular or espresso, my choice is Café Cristoforo Colombo.

 

[Belladivinemtl]

I used to go to a small Italian coffee shop in St Leonard for a double espresso, they also made fabulous pizza. I can’t remember the name but they actually had coffee as good as I remember having in Europe.
I remember while my dad was alive we were not even allowed to have instant coffee in the house.
Second cup and Starbucks just don’t do it for me.

Now I make my own buy the coffee from a small European deli and use my own small old style espresso maker that I bought in Europe.

Milanos?

 

[Fradi]

Milanos?

No, “ Balkani“ it is a small Eastern European store which sells goods from Poland, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and the Check Republic. There is one downtown and one on the South Shore.
I buy spices, sausages, cold cuts, pickled things, pasties even Christmas chocolates and coffee like they had in the old country lol.

 

[Zaeballo]

No, “ Balkani“ it is a small Eastern European store which sells goods from Poland, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and the Check Republic. There is one downtown and one on the South Shore.

I know there's a "Balkani" charcuterie in the Jean Talon market, but I am not familiar with their other stores.

There are two small Eastern European stores on St-Laurent in the Plateau, one Croatian and another Hungarian, and next door there is a bigger store "La Vieille Europe", which is actually a good place to buy coffee beans (they roast them in store.) The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, I followed their advice a few times and they never let me down.