Consumer Reports puts blended coffees to the test

Coffee sales are on the rise, with most people buying blended coffees. Consumer Reports tested to see which ones taste best.

To find the best-tasting brews, Consumer Reports prepared over a hundred pots of coffee in their labs. Then they brought in a pair of professional "cuppers" - highly trained coffee experts who really know their beans.

They blind-tasted 37 kinds of blended coffees - ones containing beans of two or more varieties. The test included ground, whole bean, and single-serve coffees.

Ellen Klosz from Consumer Reports tells us, "People love the convenience of the pod coffeemaker. But none of the single-serve products that we tested got high marks from our tasters."

What about whole bean and ground coffees?

Some of the big names, like Folgers and Maxwell House, were outdone by coffees that cost a little more but really ruled the roast.

Topping the list - beans from Blue Bottle Coffee. Three Africans is available online and in some coffee shops. It has a complex flavor, with citrus, floral, and berry notes. It's $19 a pound.

The best ground coffee is Allegro Organic Continental Blend from Whole Foods, for $12 a pound. Tasters found it complex, with chocolate and smoky flavors.

Another great grind - Starbucks House Blend, a dark roast with hints of chocolate and fruit. About $11 a pound.

Those prices may sound pretty expensive, but that Starbucks House Blend works out to 25 cents a six-ounce cup, far less than buying a cup of their brewed coffee.