I'll be the first to admit it, I'm a coffee lover, and I love my whole bean coffee ground fresh to brew. However, I didn't always have a bean grinder, and for the longest time, I had regular ten to 20 dollar coffee makers. Regular coffee makers can turn most ground coffee into a fresh cup of mud. I can only think of one brand of coffee that tasted good whether brewed in a ten dollar Wal-Mart coffee maker or a $100.00 Bunn Coffee machine.

Maxwell House good to the last drop

Maxwell House has been a household name since I was a kid. I remember my parents drinking it. It delivers a good cup of coffee. Does it compare to Peet's whole beans? No of course not, nor does it try to. Does it taste better than any regular ground coffee? Yes I think it does! Maxwell House is reliable. If you don't want to grind beans, don't want to experiment with fancy flavors and you just want a cup of coffee, Maxwell House Master Blend is the one to get. I used to get just plain Maxwell House, but now they have the special blend which is just a bit better.

Maxwell House is cheap and readily available anywhere, which makes it a good choice. You can store it for a long time, since Maxwell's flavor doesn't really rely on freshness, it tastes pretty much the same from the first cup to the last in the big can of coffee. Whole Beans have to be bought regularly, and stored in a cool dry place to retain their flavor and are always much more expensive.

I don't think Maxwell House competes with whole bean coffee or specialty coffees, but as far as regular supermarket ground coffee, Maxwell House has always been reliable for a good cup of coffee. I usually have at least one can of Maxwell House Master Blend behind my bags of beans in my coffee cabinet. It is great for mornings I don't feel like grinding beans or times that I am just out of coffee beans. It is also a good coffee for guests that may not like the richer or more exotic tastes of specialty coffees. Anyone who likes coffee should find Maxwell House to be a good coffee, it is neither too strong, nor too weak. It is "coffee" flavored coffee!

Best Way to Brew Maxwell House

Another thing I like about Maxwell House is that it delivers a good cup of coffee even in cheap machines. A good bean grinder and coffee machine is required to really appreciate the flavors of many coffees on the market today. Maxwell House can deliver an acid free decent cup of coffee even in a cheap ten dollar brewer (believe me, I've had a few of these). Put it in a more expensive machine, and it delivers a good cup of coffee. There is no fancy trick to getting a satisfactory cup of coffee from Maxwell House. You just put in a tablespoon of coffee per cup, and add water to your machine. Unless you really add too much, the coffee will come out okay.

Value

Maxwell House Master Blend is usually three or four dollars for a whole can of ground coffee. It is far cheaper than fancy coffee brands ground coffees or beans, yet it delivers a consistent good cup of coffee. A can of Maxwell House lasts considerably longer than a bag of beans, and unlike a bag of beans, it doesn't have to be used right away to enjoy it at its best.

Summary

Does Maxwell House Master Blend compete with all the exotic coffees and whole beans? No probably not, but it delivers a cup of "coffee" flavored coffee that even non connoisseurs will enjoy. It is the best of the canned supermarket brands. I don't think Maxwell House is excellent, but I've never had a bad cup of coffee with it either. Maxwell House Master Blend is above average and gets a solid 4 stars, which is pretty good for a regular ground coffee.

Recommended: Yes