Since the late 1800s, ground coffee has been packaged in sealed tins. Here are our 8 favorites.
Cafe Bustelo
Started in East Harlem in the 1930s by Gregorio Bustelo, a Spanish immigrant, this ground espresso roast has a rich, bold taste that, along with its affordability, has made it a longtime corner store favorite. Add warm milk and sugar for a great cafe con leche. Cafe Bustelo, $7.99 for 10 ounces at amazon Amazon
Illy Moka Ground Coffee Medium Roast
Sweet and delicate, with subtle hints of cocoa, this full-bodied dark roast blend from Italy is ground specifically for stove-top coffeemakers (slightly coarser than espresso). Illy Moka Ground Coffee Medium Roast, $15 for 8.8 ounces at amazon Amazon
Cafe Altura Fair Trade Dark Roast Blend
A blend of Fair Trade organic beans grown by independent farmers in Central and South America makes for a bright, full-bodied coffee with a smooth mouth-feel. Cafe Altura Fair Trade Dark Roast Blend, $24 for 3 12-ounce cans at amazon Michael Kraus
Chock Full O’Nuts Original
This medium-roast coffee, which brews a mellow cup, harks back to the 1950s, when Chock Full o’Nuts cafes lined the streets of Manhattan much as Starbucks do today. Chock Full O’Nuts Original, $12 for 33.9 ounces at chockfullonuts.com chockfullonuts.com
Cafe du Monde Coffee and Chicory
Facing a coffee shortage during the Civil War, New Orleanians made do, using chicory as a supplement. Roasted chicory root still lends this dark roast joe a nice woodsy kick. It’s best prepared au lait, with equal parts coffee and hot milk, just as it is at the namesake Big Easy cafe. Cafe du Monde Coffee and Chicory, $6.22 for 15 ounces at cafedumonde.com cafedumonde.com
Jittery Joe’s Sumatra Wahana Natural
A single-source coffee from Sumatra, this is one of the most complex canned coffees we’ve tasted–layered berry and tropical fruit flavors give way to a nutty brew. Cafe Altura Fair Trade Dark Roast Blend, $14.99 for 12 ounces at jitteryjoes.com jitteryjoes.com
Tim Hortons
Canada’s favorite donut chain makes a light-bodied 100 percent Arabica coffee that hits all the smooth chocolatey notes of a classic diner coffee. Tim Hortons Fine Grind Coffee, $16.99 for 32.8 ounces at amazon Michael Kraus
Morning Star Fair Trade Organic Breakfast Blend
Roasted in Minneapolis, this medium-bodied blend is made with beans from Central America and Mexico. We like its smooth flavor: both sweet and slightly citrusy. Morning Star Fair Trade Organic Breakfast Blend, $8.99 for 10 ounces at morningstarcoffee.com Michael Kraus