About the
Ultimate Beans & Ground
Coffee Comparison for T&T

by @amitgiant

In my daily routine, I engage in various technical tasks, encompassing writing, creating, and problem-solving, all of which demand deep concentration and high energy levels. Coffee has proven to be a valuable companion, greatly assisting me in staying productive and focused throughout these activities!

When I’m passionate about something, I always seek out better options, whether Creating Websites or consuming coffee. What started off as a personal comparison test, soon grew into something bigger.

HOW IT STARTED
I had just finished a hike that I was not physically prepared for in no way whatsoever; on my way back I stopped at Starbucks for some coffee after feeling understandably low in energy and to treat myself. Got the brew of the day with just almond milk, which was smoother than the instant “Gold” coffee I had at home; I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It then made me wonder if I could recreate that same feeling at home, that I wasn’t getting with the instant coffee I’d been consuming all these years. I knew there was a way, I just hadn’t figured it out yet.

MY REASON FOR DOING THIS
After that experience, I bought two different Starbucks retail coffee packs and a French Press coffee maker.

Then one day in the supermarket I picked up one pack of ground coffee from one brand, then another, and another and so forth, next thing I realised, my cart was filled with various ground and coffee beans options,  because I wanted to try them all, so I decided then and there to do my very own comparison. It was meant to be personal, but I soon realised it was definitely worth sharing for anyone interested in purchasing and brewing their coffee beans at home like I recently started doing.

Unfortunately, I’ve been consuming mostly instant coffee all my life and my world opened up when I tasted real ground coffee.

TIME PERIOD
This journey took months; it wasn’t rushed, and I’ve consumed each in its entirety, even the “bad ones” because I wanted to give every brand a fair chance. If I had done just a taste test, I would’ve spit out the Hong Wing instantly because it reminded me of gasoline with the first taste, but I eventually got accustomed to it like a lot of people have.

Plus each one was bought with my own cash from a regular supermarket, so it would be dumb of me to just throw them out after trying a few cups.

BREWING YOUR OWN COFFEE
I think it’s better to brew your own cup of coffee, especially grinding the beans yourself, since not only would you have fresher tasting coffee, but you have full control over what goes into your cup for your own well-being.

Studies against coffee consumption eventually showed that it was the additives such as regular milk or sugar/sweetener contents that caused the negative side effects and not so much the coffee itself. Which is why I drink my coffee with just a bit of almond milk, that’s it.

I’m sorry I tried drinking black coffee (coffee alone), but that’s not my cup of tea… umm I mean coffee. And if you do drink black coffee, good for you but that doesn’t make you better than anyone. Just sayin.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I’ve been drinking ground coffee from coffee shops, like Rituals Coffee and Starbucks, off and on over the years, to treat myself, probably since Rituals came out in Trinidad in the early 2000s, but I’m not loyal to any. Before that, Nescafe French Vanilla was good as it got for me.

Those coffee-house cups are way too expensive for daily consumption and personally, struggling to make ends meet while buying brand-named over-priced coffee is just plain dumb if you ask me. You’re paying something like eight to ten, even twelve times the price than if you brewed it at home.

It’s okay to treat yourself from time to time like I do, and If you could afford them, daily or weekly, then good for you. For the rest of us, we have to rely on more cost-effective means to get our daily “perk”, while not compromising our bank account and possibly health I suggest brewing your own ground coffee.

I hope the comparison helps in your decision-making on which ground coffee or beans to purchase. There are a lot more brands available locally to try, which I will be doing next. Let me know what you think about your favourite coffee and your recommendations in the comments below.

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