5 comments

1. 

   Comment by Happy Customer on July 30, 2010 at 5:11 am

   Review by Happy Customer for Eight O’Clock Coffee, French Roast Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4)
   Rating:
   OK, so I became a coffeeaholic back in the 90′s…since then I have tried just about every coffee imaginable….I have toiled with coffee presses…coffee grinders…pods…grind and brews…and you regular old drip mr. coffee pot. I have owned at least 6 different machines not including espresso makers…so what’s wrong, why can’t I get a decent cup of coffee. Oh sure, new machine I may like for a few months, but then it’s back to mr. bitter coffee and many trips to DD and Starbucks…So what’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong, I kept passing by the $3 bag of 8 o’clock whole bean french roast with my nose in the air! Fool! I have been faithfully drinking this 8′clock coffee for 6 months now…I am beyond satisfied knowing EVERY cup will be a masterpiece. I am now shunning DD and Starbucks…and my wallet thanks me. Please give it a try…it will change your life…oh and, in case your interested, current coffee pot is a Melitta Mill & Brew which works well with the beans.
   
   ENJOY!

2. 

   Comment by Lynn Hoffman, author:The Short Course in Beer on July 30, 2010 at 5:32 am

   Review by Lynn Hoffman, author:The Short Course in Beer for Eight O’Clock Coffee, French Roast Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4)
   Rating:
   A few years ago, I was teaching in the culinary program of a university here in Philadelphia. One of the things we did was incorporate tastings in most of the courses. As the students got more senior, they learned to run the tastings themselves. In the course of doing this, we got to taste a range of products through the eyes and palates of future chefs and kitchen managers.
   
   All the tastings were blind so brand names were not a factor.
   
   In two coffee tastings, each with over twenty tasters and using filter drip brewing, Eight O’clock French Roast came in second in a field of a dozen coffees. The coffee that beat it both times-LaColombe-costs just about twice as much.
   
   This coffee is smoky and emphatic with a full body and a long-almost winey finish. A great bargain and widely available.

   Lynn Hoffman, author ofbang BANG: A Novel andNew Short Course in Wine,The

3. 

   Comment by D. Gibson on July 30, 2010 at 5:49 am

   Review by D. Gibson for Eight O’Clock Coffee, French Roast Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4)
   Rating:
   The coffee is smooth and mild on the palate. It doesn’t have a strong harsh after taste. A wonderful way to relax and unwind.

4. 

   Comment by skimetron on July 30, 2010 at 5:58 am

   Review by skimetron for Eight O’Clock Coffee, French Roast Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4)
   Rating:
   Eight O’Clock French Roast whole bean is a big step above Folgers and other supermarket coffee. But if you like Starbucks or Peets you’ll be disappointed. It’s nowhere close to the full rich bold flavor and smell (some would say burned but I like it) of these two (and some other local coffeehouses where they roast their own beans).

   To me, Folgers-type coffees have a thin bitter aftertaste. Eight O’Clock has a bit of that though not bad. However, the beans don’t look freshly roasted and don’t have a strong aroma when first opening the bag. They look only slightly oily and light brown. Not the dark oily look of fresh Starbucks or Peets beans. I doubled the amount of coffee I usually use to brew and the flavor isn’t bad, just not rich and strong.

   ** Update 4/20/10 ** I tried mixing these coffee beans with Starbucks beans. The resulting coffee is a big improvement over Eight O’Clock alone and slightly mellows the Starbucks.

   ** Update 7/2/10 ** I just tried the Italian Dark Roast and found it slightly better, with darker and more oily beans. Perhaps this is due to all four bags being properly vacuum sealed, unlike the French Roast batch I received.

5. 

   Comment by Jeff Kraus on July 30, 2010 at 6:37 am

   Review by Jeff Kraus for Eight O’Clock Coffee, French Roast Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bag (Pack of 4)
   Rating:
   I purchased a 12-oz bag (whole bean) of the french roast based on the several glowing reviews posted here. After finishing off the bag, I have to say I’m not too impressed. It’s okay, in that I would definitely choose this over any Folgers coffees that I’ve ever had, but the roast was SO dark that it tasted burnt (I mean completely charred), which masked most of the flavors that might have been there.

   It’s possible that I just got a bad batch — that happens from time to time. But honestly, I’m not willing to buy another bag to find out. I’ve recently started buying from the Roasterie and Atomic Cafe — with coffee so good, that there’s no going back for me.