Taste, judged blind. A cheap supermarket blend can score close to specialty roasters at twice the price.
Freshness. Some bags tasted stale before their date.
'Medium roast' means little on its own; roasts sold under that name vary widely.
Coffee
Tim Hortons Original Blend
Third of 27 blends in Consumer Reports' coffee test, and the lowest-priced of its top blends: full-bodied, with chocolate and nutty flavors and little bitterness.
$10.7012 oz bag, ground
Buy on AmazonWhat we ruled out
Maxwell House House Blend. Last of 27 in Consumer Reports' test: over-roasted, bitter, and ashy.
Kirkland Signature House Blend. Second to last in Consumer Reports' test, despite the low price per pound.
Also good
Peet's Coffee Café Domingo. Won America's Test Kitchen's supermarket medium-roast test for its smooth, bold flavor.
Sources
- The best coffee blends, according to Consumer Reports, Quartz (2026)
- The best coffee blend money can buy, according to Consumer Reports, The Takeout (2026)
- The best supermarket medium-roast coffee, America's Test Kitchen (2019)
- The coffee brand that defined the '80s is Consumer Reports' lowest-rated today, The Takeout (2026)
- One of Consumer Reports' lowest-rated coffee blends comes from Kirkland Signature, Mashed (2026)