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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
18,443
33,530
47
Central PA a.k.a. State College
So people have been talking about the coffee they like. I wonder what peoples worst coffees they've tried are. I personally think K-cups make what always seems not as good as the same coffees made any other way. It always tastes flat.
Though the worst coffee I have ever had was sold at a restaurant I worked at that reminded me of the worst places on Kitchen Nightmares, they sold coffee that the water cooler company sold. Coffee that basically was considered appropriate for giving away free to office workers. I.e. something that shot for fine for free. I think one local hotel gave away a slightly better coffee to anyone who came in, not customers just anyone who came in.
So just wondering what is the worst coffee all of the rest of us have "enjoyed"
 

tartanphantom

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 20, 2025
173
1,261
62
Murfreesboro, TN
I consider myself a serious coffee lover and the absolutely worst coffee that I have ever had is Starbucks. It might be alright if you drink it latte style, but a cup of Starbucks coffee black is just bitter garbage. Rant over.

I concur. Never been a Starbucks fan, and believe me, I've tried. I find their unadulterated coffee mediocre at best. Everything else they offer is pure sugar.

But then again, I've always taken my coffee black with no additions; not with cream, nor sugar, nor any syrups or flavorings.

My philosophy is that if I want a candy bar, I'll eat one, not drink one.

Waffle House makes a much better cup of straight-up black coffee than Starbucks, and that's not saying much.
 
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trailspike48

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 15, 2013
768
4
I vaguely remember Army coffee delivered to rifle range in winter, it came in some insulated metal cooler. At least it was hot and holding the warm Styrofoam cups helped warm our hands.

Mainly I remember how bitter it was. Similar to reheated yesterdays coffee. Who knows.
 

PipePint&Cross

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 17, 2023
184
2,531
Indiana
I once worked in a factory that provided free coffee to us employees. It was terrible. It tasted stale, sour, and burnt, with a decent amount of gritty grounds mixed in. I couldn't imagine coffee tasting worse. One day we talked to the guy who came in early and made the coffee, and he told us he likes his coffee strong so he would add fresh ground on top of the spent ground from the previous day 🤮 We got him to stop, the coffee improved, but was still pretty awful.
 

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
6,738
47,569
Midwest
Sometimes with coffee it's any port in a storm - generally the worst coffee to be found was at a church fellowship hour or some crappy gas station (there may be that magical truck stop of yore that had the world's best coffee, but in general - Yucksville). Either watery swill or burnt butt.

There were always diners that had better coffee than others, but back in the day I don't think there was al that much variation in what they were serving up or how they were making it and we just accepted what coffee was - the first many years we were married it was Folgers out of a coffee maker at home or at work - I thought that was coffee and drank far less then than I do now.

I get coffee the way I like it by consuming it at home and taking some to work in a little thermos. When visiting one of our daughters we found a good spot for breakfast and their normal brew coffee now four different times I've tried it was a very pleasant surprise and consistent. Coffee shop espresso can be an adventure, lol, so I generally have a mocha latte (and those can be crap).

Having said that, all a matter of taste - my wife's parents preferred coffee maker Folgers in their proportions to anything I liked that I could make for them in my Chemex - my Dad would say, "Where can I get that coffee?", haha.
 

Egg Shen

Lifer
Nov 26, 2021
1,357
4,441
Pennsylvania
Nothing lousier than the coffee served by the US Army. Bitter, dull and thin, tastes cheap. Especially the time when the mermites they served it in had some residual grape drink in there. Fortunately I wasn’t a coffee person at the time. I’d try to drink it in the field just to warm up but it wasn’t drinkable
 

GardenStateoftheArtBriar

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 29, 2024
264
400
New Jersey
Nothing lousier than the coffee served by the US Army. Bitter, dull and thin, tastes cheap. Especially the time when the mermites they served it in had some residual grape drink in there. Fortunately I wasn’t a coffee person at the time. I’d try to drink it in the field just to warm up but it wasn’t drinkable
I always watch those mre videos and see the instant coffee packs and cringe when the guy says “it’s good”
How can mre stale instant freeze dry be good!?
 
Dec 9, 2023
1,964
27,172
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I consider myself a serious coffee lover and the absolutely worst coffee that I have ever had is Starbucks. It might be alright if you drink it latte style, but a cup of Starbucks coffee black is just bitter garbage. Rant over.
The only tine I had good Starbucks was when I lived in the Puget Sound area and a close friend worked for Starbucks Corporate. He and his wife would always give me a pound or two if their coffee and it wasn't half bad….because it was straight from the source. Back here in Wisconsin I had some a few years ago and it was garbage.

The best coffee Ive ever had was Olympia Coffee Roasters Little Buddy. I need to order some now that Im thinking of it.

Anyways Im a plebeian when it comes to coffee. All I know is that I love a nice light roast and that it isn't ground Folgers, tho Ill drink that too
 
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JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
6,502
62,259
52
Spain - Europe
I remember the old coffee vending machines; it's the worst thing I've ever drunk. I've been a coffee drinker since I was very young. I mean, I've been a coffee lover. Coffee is going the same way as Pacific bluefin tuna; it's becoming a luxury item. I've never seen such a shortage of coffee in the supermarkets in my city. The coffee here is absolute crap. There is a century-old store in the capital that sells coffee beans. I am curious to visit it and see what has changed, since I haven't been there to shop in a long time.
 
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SmokingInTheWind

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 24, 2024
768
4,105
New Mexico
I remember the old coffee vending machines

When my wife was a young lady she was working a job where the only coffee available after hours was from one of those coffee machines. She needed some caffeine so she dropped in a coin and pressed the button. The cup dropped down, followed by a live cockroach falling into the cup. Then the coffee was dispensed into the cup. Would this be considered bad coffee? 😂
 
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tartanphantom

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 20, 2025
173
1,261
62
Murfreesboro, TN
When my wife was a young lady she was working a job where the only coffee available after hours was from one of those coffee machines. She needed some caffeine so she dropped in a coin and pressed the button. The cup dropped down, followed by a live cockroach falling into the cup. Then the coffee was dispensed into the cup. Would this be considered bad coffee? 😂

By today's standards, if the cockroach was fresh-ground, no.