What''s your favorite coffee or tea drink?

[justjulia]

I was just wondering--lately my husband and I have been experimenting with brands and flavors. We love to sneak away to sit and talk at coffee shops. I''ve been trying some sugar free syrups--they''re "ok." I can''t stand the really sweet dairy creamers. So far, I guess starbucks is our fav. There''s another little place we go for great expresso that has great Greek pastries... I''m trying to cut back on sugar (I know, Greek pastry??-ok, splurging a little).

So, what kind of drink do you like? Hot? Cold? Brand? Flavor? Additives (cinnamon, etc)? I''d love some ideas on what to try next...

 

[diamondfan]

Favorite cold ones are the Ice Blended Mochas from the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. They do not have them in Philly, so I obsess when I go back to L.A. For hot, though Starbucks is not normally my fave, coffee tastes too burnt and strong for me, I really love their cinnamon dolce latte, I get it non fat and they now have sugar free cinnamon syryp, which is great. I tend to skip the whipped cream.

 

[ellaila]

Starbucks:

Grande (or Venti)
Two-pump sugar-free vanilla (three-pump if venti).
Nonfat.
Extra-hot.
Latte.

Oh my hubby loves to make fun of me for that!! "You''re soo high maintenance!" But the funny thing is that other than this, I only drink plain old black coffee!

In the summer, their black iced tea is soooo refreshing with some valencia syrup in it! YUM!

 

[Giada]

I''m not a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy my hot tea. My favs are Starbuck''s Green Tea Latte and Chai Latte.

If I''m at home, I''ll put on a mix of Earl Grey and Darjeeling for hot tea. There''s a local company here in Austin called Nile Valley that makes an amazing hibiscus mint tea that I use for my iced tea.

 

[Sundial]

I am a Starbuck''s fan and like Diamondfan I love their Cinnamon Dolce Lattes!

 

[Mara]

i love sbucks gingerbread lattes in the winter, i get them short and nonfat.

i don''t drink much coffee but if i need a pick me up in the afternoon, now i get a short nonfat sugar free cinnamon dolce latte. they are only like 60 cals or something in the short version.

in summer i love very iced green or black tea. no sweeteners. yum!

 

[Aurelia]

Peppermint tea or hot cider for me -- extra cinnammon!

No coffee for me, or as my FI says... it makes me act like a 4 year old kid with ADD & caffeine & tons of sugar... it''s not pretty!

Aurelia

 

[Cind11]

I think my DH and I are the only two adults on the planet who have never acquired a taste for coffee. It smells so wonderful, but I dislike the flavor. I do like tea though. We''ve been buying a brand called Mighty Leaf that we discovered at a nice Inn where we stayed. We particularly like the vanilla bean, green tea tropical and african nectar flavors.

 

[diamondfan]

Cind, I love tea as well. I get this organic loose tea from a store near me with coconut, and then they have another one with mint and chocolate flavor and it is amazing. I like coffee and drink one cup in the am and maybe have another cup later in the day, but I really love tea, esp interesting flavors.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:30:43 AM
Author: diamondfan
Cind, I love tea as well. I get this organic loose tea from a store near me with coconut, and then they have another one with mint and chocolate flavor and it is amazing. I like coffee and drink one cup in the am and maybe have another cup later in the day, but I really love tea, esp interesting flavors.

I keep thinking I should try loose tea. It seems so much more "authentic" to me and what a true tea lover would drink... The mint and chocolate flavor tea sounds scrumptious!

 

[scarleta]

Does hot apple cider from Starbucks qualify.That is what my favourite drink is..Ask for half sugar they make it too sweet...

 

[Gypsy]

I'm a tea drinker... and generally the black loose tea in my house is a blend we mix ourselves. It's closer to earl gray (GOOD earl gray... like Republic of Tea) but is more fragrant and richer-- three or four different teas go into it. I make my tea the persian way...I don't have a Samovar but use a good kettle (Le Cruiset) that has a handle that folds down and a tea pot with strainer holes on top of the opening of the kettle at the to brew my tea.

I do like some tropical teas/flavored teas. And some tea bags, because they are convenient. For black tea... I will drink Republic of Tea Earl Gray, and Ahmad Earl Gray. I like my tea ver hot as a rule. Other brands/ types that I like are Mighty Leaf Tropical Tea, Republic of Tea manjo ceylon, Hadley and Sons African Autumn. All of these are GREAT iced too. Pete's coffee has some great teas as well... their green tea jasmine is Yummy (and I sometimes mix a little into my black tea blend to give it a more Jasmine overtone, if I'm in the mood).

I like coffee... turkish coffee made with milk at home is a serious YUM for me. But I don't care for any american coffee house coffee I've tried because it all tastes like th beans were picked too early then burnt to make up for it. Ick. If I do coffee its usually at resturants, italian or french, who grind their own coffee and buy good beans. I prefer a good capuchino to straight coffee regardless.

I don't have a coffee maker though. We just don't drink it often enough.

 

[Miranda]

I love most anything from Coffee Bean. In the morning we usually brew our own. My favorite whole bean coffee is Mocha Java....yummmmmm, it has sweet undertones and it''s very smooth. I just have it with a bit of half and half. CB used to make an iced blended chai that was soooo yummy. I would get it with their sugar free powder and no whipped cream. But, waaaa they don''t offer it anymore. There''s a little crepe place near me that makes the BEST mochas!!! I mean seriously, the best!!!!! I don''t usually go for sweet tea or coffee, but, these are fabbbbbb.

 

[diamondfan]

Cind, It is called slim mint and I get it at a tea shop in Philadelphia. I can give you the name if you like, she has everything, white and green teas, organics, black teas, flavored teas, chais and roobios, (spelling) and they are all really amazing. I think they even have a web site...

 

[ellaila]

This is a cool tea site: www.adagio.com -- tons of teas, and you can get these really cute little samplers! Also you can send $5 gift certificates to unlimited people, and you earn points toward purchases when they use them.

 

[Efe]

Addicted to Bad Ass Coffee. Hate Starbucks, I think it tastes like dirt.

 

[dmbfan]

I''m a very simple minded coffee drinker. I get a Large McDs cup of coffee every day. $1.39 and "I''m loving it"....

 

[kev_800]

Date: 3/2/2007 12:41:21 PM
Author: BizouMom
Addicted to Bad Ass Coffee. Hate Starbucks, I think it tastes like dirt.

Where can you get Bad Ass Coffee?

Here in Chicago there is a coffee place called INTELLEGENTSIA..... all the best restaurants in town use it. Its FAR superior to Starbucks, which over-roasts their beans to mask the general lower quality.

My favorite is Columbian or central american blends from Intelligentsia.

Metropolis also makes some good coffee.

I think most people don''t realize Starbucks is just a coffee roaster -- and you can get better non-burned coffee elsewhere

 

[Aloros]

Chai tea lattes. I like ''em hot, spicy, and not too sweet.

 

[niku414]

Aside from the famous Starbucks / Coffee Tea -- Here are some of my Favorite Coffee usually take it with 2 cream -- no sugar

Lion Coffee : 100% Kona
Peet's Coffee : Blend 101

Only instant coffee I drink :
Trader's Joe Instant Coffee

 

[basil]

Plain green tea. I think it''s one of life''s greatest "free" pleasures. Even the pricey versions are relatively cheap, it''s got no calories, and it has antioxidants that are actually good for you! Right now I''m drinking Tazo "China Green Tips", but I often buy the Trader Joe''s brand cause it''s cheaper.

I also like black tea...my brother and his girlfriend (fellow tea lovers) send me these amazing loose Belgian teas from a specialty shop in Brugge. I want to convert to loose green tea as well, but the only loose tea I''ve ever seen in grocery stores is Twining''s brand, which doesn''t work well with my little strainer ball - it all seeps out and I end up with pieces of leaves in my tea and it gets bitter. I want to get a teapot with a strainer, but the one I want is like $40.

At Starbucks or other coffee shop, I usually get a plain nonfat coffee latte, though. I don''t like paying $1.50 when I could buy a month''s supply of tea bags for that price at the grocery store, so I get something that I can''t make at home.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 7:47:51 AM
Author: diamondfan
Favorite cold ones are the Ice Blended Mochas from the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. They do not have them in Philly, so I obsess when I go back to L.A. For hot, though Starbucks is not normally my fave, coffee tastes too burnt and strong for me, I really love their cinnamon dolce latte, I get it non fat and they now have sugar free cinnamon syryp, which is great. I tend to skip the whipped cream.

My husband really loves the cinnamon dolce latte, too. I don''t know why, but I can''t stand cinnamon in anything! I think I will insist that he try the suger free cinn syrup, now that you mention it. Thanks!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 9:36:04 AM
Author: ellaila
Starbucks:

Grande (or Venti)
Two-pump sugar-free vanilla (three-pump if venti).
Nonfat.
Extra-hot.
Latte.

Oh my hubby loves to make fun of me for that!! ''You''re soo high maintenance!'' But the funny thing is that other than this, I only drink plain old black coffee!

In the summer, their black iced tea is soooo refreshing with some valencia syrup in it! YUM!

I love it--I never thought I could ask for more, but now I will! I love the hazelnut sugar free. Ok, so what does valencia taste like?

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 9:51:17 AM
Author: Giada
I''m not a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy my hot tea. My favs are Starbuck''s Green Tea Latte and Chai Latte.

If I''m at home, I''ll put on a mix of Earl Grey and Darjeeling for hot tea. There''s a local company here in Austin called Nile Valley that makes an amazing hibiscus mint tea that I use for my iced tea.

I LOVE Earl Grey!!!! I wonder if I can order that hibiscus tea online??

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 9:53:27 AM
Author: Sundial
I am a Starbuck''s fan and like Diamondfan I love their Cinnamon Dolce Lattes!

I am a Starbuck''s die hard. I really like their stuff. All their stuff. Uh, except cinnamon stuff.

But I love the smell of cinnamon cooking....how can that be?

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:01:57 AM
Author: Mara
i love sbucks gingerbread lattes in the winter, i get them short and nonfat.

i don''t drink much coffee but if i need a pick me up in the afternoon, now i get a short nonfat sugar free cinnamon dolce latte. they are only like 60 cals or something in the short version.

in summer i love very iced green or black tea. no sweeteners. yum!

My favorite is the gingerbread lattes! Ok, do they offer it other than Christmas? I honestly didn''t look up at the board the last time I went in (last week or so)--I''ve been hooked on the sugarless hazlenut syrup with their decaf of the day...

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:14:16 AM
Author: Aurelia
Peppermint tea or hot cider for me -- extra cinnammon!

No coffee for me, or as my FI says... it makes me act like a 4 year old kid with ADD & caffeine & tons of sugar... it''s not pretty!

Aurelia

LOL, my husband grew up in a large Catholic family and his mother rationed everything. So, he actually turns his back to people when he sugars his coffee. He has been "trained" to hide taking more than his share of sugar!! I think it''s kind of adorable. And, he puts in TONS!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:14:16 AM
Author: Aurelia
Peppermint tea or hot cider for me -- extra cinnammon!

No coffee for me, or as my FI says... it makes me act like a 4 year old kid with ADD & caffeine & tons of sugar... it''s not pretty!

Aurelia

Oh, and I can understand the caffeine thing... I can only tolerate a cup a day!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:27:13 AM
Author: Cind11
I think my DH and I are the only two adults on the planet who have never acquired a taste for coffee. It smells so wonderful, but I dislike the flavor. I do like tea though. We''ve been buying a brand called Mighty Leaf that we discovered at a nice Inn where we stayed. We particularly like the vanilla bean, green tea tropical and african nectar flavors.

Can you get your teas online?? I simply have to try all these things!!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/2/2007 11:30:43 AM
Author: diamondfan
Cind, I love tea as well. I get this organic loose tea from a store near me with coconut, and then they have another one with mint and chocolate flavor and it is amazing. I like coffee and drink one cup in the am and maybe have another cup later in the day, but I really love tea, esp interesting flavors.

Ooooooooooo, coconut. MMMMMMMM Do you get it at a specialty shop?