Drinking History

Our local grocery store sometimes has a sale on 42 oz bags of Eight o' Clock Coffee. For just $9.99 I can grab a gigantic bag of whole bean coffee that will last me for weeks (for less hyperactive and caffeine-intolerant folks, this would last you months). I'm pleasantly surprised by the price, but even more surprised at how few people actually bypass such an offer for a tub of Folgers or a 10 oz bag of Starbucks.

Eight o' Clock coffee is the 2nd oldest American brand, next to Folgers (and Folgers is now owned by J.M. Smucker, which is owned by Proctor and Gamble...so you're buying your jelly, your coffee, and your toothpaste from the same guys). They are, in fact, the reason that most grocery chains have a grinder in the coffee aisle, since they believed that whole bean coffee stayed fresher for longer. They're right, by the way.

Still, I'm amazed that their accountants aren't looking at the competitors prices and thinking "we could be making SO much more money!" If you've bought any major brands recently you must have noticed that some brands charge extra for Colombian coffee. Claiming that coffee grown in Colombia tastes any better than other regions is somewhat of an urban legend. The coffee could be grown in heaven, but if the roaster messes it up it won't taste any better than brown water. I've had some terrible Colombian coffee and some decadent non-Colombian coffee (and vice versa).

Eight o' Clock doesn't stoop to that kind of price gouging. All of their blends are the same price (although I will occasionally see their decaf brand on sale while the rest is full price, but I think that's more about supply and demand). Frankly, it doesn't matter what blend you choose, each of them has that distinct smell of wonderful coffee the moment you toss some beans in the grinder.

My blend of choice is their French Roast. Coarsely grind up about 1/2 to 2/3 a cup and put it in a french press with 32 oz of boiling hot water. Stir and wait 5 minutes before pressing. The coffee comes out with a healthy bit of crema on top (crema is the foam you typically see on top of a cup of espresso). The coffee itself is incredibly dark but tastes more rich than bitter, like the coffee equivalent of really good cheesecake.

When I look at all companies that have existed for over a century -- Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Jim Beam, duPont -- I tend to believe that there's a reason they've managed to not only sustain, but thrive despite all of the industrial and technological changes during their existence. In Eight o' Clock's case, I think they put all of their efforts into making a great cup of coffee, and when they figured it out, they didn't change a thing.