I’m a bit of a wuss in blizzards. This morning, on realizing I’d run out of my Stumptown Yirgacheffe coffee beans—which I buy religiously because it’s killer coffee, not because Stumptown is an ad-nauseumly It brew —I couldn’t really talk myself into walking out in the freezing slush. But I was in luck: I opened my fridge to find that a bag of Duane Reade‘s new line of “Delish” coffee was sitting there, awaiting precisely such a snowy moment as this. I’d bought the coffee as an experiment last week—though never opened it—so it wasn’t at optimal freshness, if a term like “optimal freshness” can even be applied to convenience-store coffee. But I have to say, this stuff wasn’t half-bad. By which I mean, it was more than half-good. I had the dark-roast Fire Fighter’s Joe, made with Guatemalan beans—and brewed it in a French press.
Is it as good as Stumptown, Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Four Barrel—and insert other obsessively sourced and roasted boutique coffee name here? No. Starting your day with DR coffee means missing the intense flavor nuances, the strong but immaculate finish, and if we must, the self-congratulatory glee that comes from seeking out and drinking cult coffees. But ignore that last part—really, please do—and you’ll find Duane Reade’s decision to step quietly into the premium coffee scene, tinged as it is with WTF-ness, isn’t all that stupid. With the slightest extra dollop of half-and-half, my cup of Fire Fighter had a pleasing roundness and grip.
Next time I’m at DR buying paper towels, dishwashing liquid, chewing gum, and dubious eco-friendly cleaning products, I’ll pick up a bag of Fire Fighter to keep in the fridge for the next blizzard—or maybe to spring a blind coffee taste-test on friends, à la those ’80s Folgers coffee ads. ”Here we are at (upscale restaurant X), where we’ve secretly replaced the fine coffee they usually serve with Folgers Crystals. Let’s see if anyone can taste the difference!”
They might. But if there’s a massive snowstorm outside—or if they know you paid only about $6 for the bag—they won’t be complaining.