I used to drink Dunkin Donuts pre-ground coffee, but I just got a grinder and started buying the whole beans in stead. Sure enough, it does taste better. Smoother, with a more complex flavor.
I’ve used whole beans for years. I think you get a better cup of coffee that way. I drink it black with no sugar, so I have no way to mask the bitterness I taste with pre-ground stuff.
Whole bean, drink it black.
Yes! It tastes less bitter. Using ground beans, I can make a stronger cup of coffee and have it taste better, whereas a similarly strong cup made from pre-ground beans would be too bitter/sour.
Whole beans ground in a burr grinder just before brewing. I drink it unsweetened and black so I can enjoy the flavor.
My parents owned and operated a whole-bean shop in the early 1980s, which was bankrupted. By drinking from the can, I like to think I’m screwing my father and mother both. Kind of hawt, I guess. At any rate, I don’t care, so I drink Folger’s or whatever. Usually tea in bags.
Cannot stand the noise from a fancy burr-grinder or the other kind, so it’s always going to be pre-ground for me.
ETA I’m not a total Philistine – I’ve roasted my own greens using a cast-iron, with mixed results. Fun to try, though.
I voted whole bean and K-cup, since we do both at home.
Whole bean, ground in a burr grinder right before brewing. Black, no sugar. Richer and better flavor, less bitterness than preground.
Wow, I guess I should start grinding my own beans. Won’t be hard to find a grinder: we got six or seven of them for our wedding.
I drink pre-ground, due to the noise factor. My work shift and hubby’s don’t synch in any way, so I try to be considerate. Back in my single days, I ground my own to use in the French press. I definitely miss the richer flavor, especially since I also drink mine black and unsweetened.
Another vote for whole beans, burr-ground just before brewing.
I get a pound of Millstone Breakfast Blend beans and grind them at the grocery store. I have no idea what kind of grinder is in the grocery. I do know it works well.
I guess technically I use pre-ground. But, it was ground within two weeks of use.
I drink pre-ground coffee. When I want a lot of coffee, I want coffee NOW. No messing around. Pour water in the Mr. Coffee, add a few spoonfuls to the filter basket, wait a couple of minute, and start pouring a cup before it’s even finished brewing.
I use pre-ground because I’m a horrible person who likes to add cream and sugar to her coffee, and it doesn’t make a big enough difference to be worth the hassle of grinding it myself.
When I’m using my french press instead of my drip coffeepot, I will grind beans myself, because otherwise the pre-ground stuff is much too fine and I get sludge. But most mornings I have my coffeepot programmed to be ready when I wake up, no effort necessary.
I had to look up what the heck a “K-Cup” was. Apparently it’s one of many brands of ground beans prepackaged into single-serving containers, sometimes with a built-in filter. (Maybe it’s well-known where the OP is from, but not 'round these parts.) The generic terms for these things are “coffee pads” and “coffee capsules”.
I checked that box because we have a Nespresso machine which uses aluminum capsules. Personally I’m not enough of a coffee connoisseur to tell the difference in taste between these coffee capsules, instant coffee, and the beans ground by the machine in my office.
Count me among those who can’t stand the noise of a grinder. Particularly on a hung-over morning when I really *need *that first cup of coffee! I buy Dunkin’ Donuts pre-ground and drink it black. Doesn’t taste in the least bit bitter to me.
Grind our beans, but not in a burr grinder. If the Ms is still asleep, I just throw a towel over the grinder to muffle the noise.
I use ground.
You might try using a mortar and pestle. It gives you better control over the size of the grind, and it can be used for making curries, too.
I use whole bean.
I’ve found that I can buy some of the less expensive beans (Eight O’Clock, Kroger Private Selection) and still have a good cup of Joe if I grind the beans as I need them.