Taste Of America

Consumer Reports Taste Tests the Best Cups of Joe

"The new Colombian champs offered fairly complex, well-balanced flavors that our experts found stronger and fruitier than the flavors of most others we tasted," said , deputy health editor of Consumer Reports . "Overall, the Colombian coffees we identified as the tastiest aren't the highest priced per serving. It's important for shoppers to know their taste preference and check our Ratings before purchasing."

The 23 coffees Consumer Reports tested included three Colombian K-Cup products. Those products require a coffeemaker that can accommodate a K-Cup container, a type of single-serving coffee packaging. K-Cups were found to be more expensive per 6 fluid ounce serving than traditional packaged coffee and were only Good in tests — and may be best enjoyed with milk and sugar to mask the off-notes.

Consumer Reports also tested four Ethiopian whole-bean coffees, which have a taste that someone accustomed to standard blends might find unusual. Consumer Reports picks two from that group, Caribou Ethiopia Finjal Organic Medium and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Light Roast, a CR Best Buy, had very complex, well-balanced flavors.

How to Choose

If the cost of morning java matters more than getting the ultimate taste, there's good news. Walmart's Great Value 100% Colombian Medium scored on par with the Starbucks Colombia Medium for a fraction of the price. It also had, for the same price per serving, a stronger, fruitier aromatic character than the Folgers and Maxwell House 100% Colombian coffees.

Taste of America - Restaurants - Night & Day - The Prague Post

Even for an American, and perhaps especially for an American, it's hard to describe a cohesive, comprehensive American cuisine.

We're the melting pot, and our national cuisine reflects that. Mexican dishes likely list among the favorites of Californians and Texans, while  a New Yorker might talk about Italian-American standards like chicken Parmesan, pizza or Italian sausage. Delis are descendents of Central and East European food traditions, and even the almighty hamburger is named after a German city.

But we have our own takes on other peoples' foods, and several Prague restaurants are highlighting that with the first-ever Taste of America food festival, which runs through July 4.

The restaurants collaborated with website Alakarte.cz, the brainchild of Pavel Suchálek that allows online reservations and loyalty rewards.

"It was our first attempt to bring American cuisine closer to Czechs, so they can see the cuisine is not only about hamburgers, but of course those are obviously represented in the festival," he said. "We wanted to take good sample of American tastes, and perhaps next year expand it and bring in new flavors or dishes."

Suchálek said he saw friendly banter on the U.S. Embassy in Prague's Facebook page about dishes and recipes that should have been included.

"They were joking, but someone said they weren't going because there wasn't any pastrami," he said.

And because Americans are fiercely competitive, and can be fiercely divided on what makes a good chili, a traditional chili cook-off took place June 18 at Jáma. The week before, Suchálek was already a bit apprehensive about his own participation, but in true American fashion, believed his chili recipe needed to be in the competition.

"One of the restaurants that was supposed to participate bailed, so [Jáma owner] Max [Munson] asked me if I wanted to cook something," he said. "I had to think about it because that means I have to go on Friday and cook it in his kitchen in Jáma. But I do have a great recipe for chili con carne, so I'll have to see what my family plans are like.

The Taste of America

A Taste of America, More Than 400 Delicious Regional Recipes Shown Step by Step in Over 1750 Stunning Photographs That Guide You Clearly Through Each Recipe

A taste of America

Taste of America, Favorite Recipes from Across the USA

Taste of America, the great American oven cookbook