coffee machine with timer is a good idea i didnt think of..

 

You can get 24 packs of Green Mountain Dark Magic for $12.99 at Staples. That's 54 cents per cup. Not bad. We've had a Keurig for about 5 years and we're on automatic reorder with Green Mountain for about 5 different types of coffee. Everybody gets what they want with less than a minute brew time. I can't imagine going back to a traditional drip coffee maker or percolator.

If you must go instant, try Maxwell House crystals. I spent some time in the UK and the tea drinkers there seem to favor Maxwell House when they want a cup of coffee. I tried it and was able to adapt pretty quickly. It's not bad.

 

Saki, I experimented quite a bit with a mesh-style K-cup adapter and a burr grinder. I was never as satisfied with the results compared to a pre-packed K-cup. I think the difference is in the paper filter in the K-cups and no way to control the flow rate of the Keurig dispenser. I got close with the finest grind that wouldn't plug up the machine but it was a lot of work, fussy to pack just right, and a mess to clean.

For less work I got stellar results from my Aeropress. Now I'm lazy and just buy K-cups. My girlfriend stocks Via and it isn't too bad to my taste.

Mns, I just checked Nantucket blend at Coffeegiant and the price is nothing special, 24 cups for $16. And I have to order four boxes for free shipping. I get better than that net price (post-tax at retail) at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with a 20% off coupon that I constantly mooch from friends and coworkers.

 

Just get a French press. Fill it with coffee and water when you come home from work and throw it in the fridge. You'll have ice cold jet fuel the next morning. You can add half a cup of boiling water to make "normal" coffee if you want it warm. The beauty is you can use any ground coffee and you get more caffeine in the coffee than other methods.

And days when you have a little more time you can use it with boiling water to make the best cup of any process, IMHO.

I have an espresso machine and the morning ritual is a multi-step routine but it's the only coffee I drink all day. It might as well be a good cup. Cold press is better for multiple servings.

 

I found Starbucks instant coffee not horrible.