Cheap Coffee of the Week, On the Road — McDONALDS

Posted on February, 24 at 6:23 pm

McDonalds? Good Coffee?

McDonalds has been on a campaign to take some of Starbucks’ coffee business. They’ve changed their coffee suppliers and now offer espresso drinks in 70 percent of their restaurants. That’s a LOT of restaurants, and it’s got Starbucks looking in their rear view mirror.

I thought I’d try a plain old cuppa joe for review first before moving on to their espresso drinks.

The local McDonalds drive-through was empty. I was in and out in 30 seconds.

The coffee came nicely hot. I was pleasantly surprised at the first sip – their coffee has much more body than the usual watery fast-food blends. I got hints of maple, a slight tang, and a medium-bodied bite – slightly roasted.

I’ve got a McDonalds on the way to the freeway. In the morning, I think I’ll skip the Starbucks, their expensive coffee, the lines and the baristas.

What: McDonalds Coffee
Where: McDonalds restaurants
$$$: $1.49/16 oz.
Rating: 3 cans.

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FUN NATURE FDC01, A New “Digital Holga”?

Posted on February, 23 at 9:54 pm

FUZZYEYEBALLS wrote about the “Fun Nature FDC01″, a new toy digital camera. While other camera manufacturers have been beating each other to market with higher megapixel sensors and features, the FDC01 stands apart. It’s a 1.9 megapixel camera with 64 MB on-board memory, SD expansion slot, rechargeable battery, 8 fps “movie” mode, and 3 photo effects. What it doesn’t have is a viewfinder, flash or display!

Mind you, HD video is 30 frames per second. The FDC01 does 8 frames per second, which results in jerky, surreal, dream-like video. In either still or video mode, you can apply monochrome, vivid, or “noise” filters.

Toy camera aficionados have been looking for the perfect “toy digital” camera to complement their Holgas, Dianas, LOMOs and plastic 35mm film cameras. Some have called the Yashica EZ F521 and the Digital Harinezumi the “new” Digital Holga/LOMO; in my opinion the FDC01 comes closest. It shoots 1,280 x 1,200 photos, which turn out roughly square. Without a viewfinder, it’s much easier to shoot without thinking (See the Lomographic Society’s 10 rules of Lomography http://www.lomography.com/about/the-ten-golden-rules). And, it’s small enough to bring with you everywhere.

The FDC01feels like a second-generation Pencam. I love Pencams – I started shooting with an Aiptek Pencam SD and a SiPIX StyleCam Blink in 2001. Both have low-resolution CMOS sensors, a rough optical viewfinder and no display. Both have soft focus, vignetting, and that

Pencams can generate surprisingly good (or bad) results – many of my better pencam photos are online at Low Resolution.

Being an old-school film photographer, I prefer not having a display to review photos (see Chimping). I spend more time composing a shot when I can’t review it and I enjoy the suspense/surprise of seeing photos for the first time after the moment has past. Pencams feel like shooting with a film camera (without the cost of film, processing or scanning…)

By 2007, I’d gotten a Blackberry Pearl, and being able to post via email made Pencams fall out of favor with me.

I think I’ll knock the dust off of my Pencam SD and take it out shooting tomorrow.

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Cheap Coffee of the Week, On the Road — 7-11

Posted on February, 21 at 7:56 am

Business and professional interests take me on the road often. Required for a lifestyle such as this is a luxurious ride and an extensive database of roadside coffee shops.

7-11 still carries a bad reputation from their truck-stop coffee days but cheap, quick, easily available 24/7 caffeine is always a win in my book. On a trip to the beaches of central California, I stopped at the 7-11 where I spent my summers playing Defender, Tempest, and Battlezone. Gone was the aroma of hazelnut cream coffee burning on a Bunn hot plate and 32 oz mega cups. Instead, there were 3 pots (Regular, decaf and Dark Roast), and a note when they were brewed. Torani syrups, half-and-half, non-fat milk and non-dairy creamers were available.

The cups impressed me – they felt stiffer than Starbucks cups and didn’t need the cup sleeve. The lids (seen above) have a sliding cover over the drink hole, perfect for minimizing spills in the car and helps to keep the coffee as warm as possible on long drives.

The coffee? Not bad at all — I tried the Dark Roast, and it was freshly brewed – no baked-in coffee flavor. The beans were only slightly darker than their usual coffee, and didn’t have that bitter hit common to cheap coffees laced with Robusta beans. Mild finish, without that “dirty pennies” taste I used to get from their coffee. I’d put 7-11 coffee on par or slightly ahead of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

Their coffee is inexpensive, $1.49 for a 16 ounce coffee compared to $1.75 at my local Starbucks. I’ll go to 7-11 and use the quarter I save to feed the meter elsewhere.

By the time I’d gotten over the hill, I’d finished the cup – something I never seem to do with Starbucks or Peets’ coffee. I saw more 7-11s on this trip than I’d seen in years; I suppose a good experience with their coffee removed a blind spot years in the making.

What: 7-11 coffee
Where: 7-11 Stores
$$: $1.49/16 oz. cup.
Rating: 3 cans.

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Cheap Coffee of the Week — MARKET PANTRY BREAKFAST BLEND

Posted on February, 19 at 5:30 pm

With all of the cheap coffees in my pantry, it’s high praise for a brand when I go buy the brand twice. There have been a couple of repeat buys over the past few months, most notably Yuban Original.

Market Pantry coffee will NOT be a repeat buy. Watery, weak, slightly bitter - everything cheap coffee is known for. Brewing it Navy style, by adding a pinch of salt to the grounds while steeping improved the result – especially when served piping hot. Do not let it linger.

If you’re at Target, go for Archer Farms coffee in the foil bags. I’ve reviewed them before, and am on my second bag now.

What: Market Pantry Coffee
Where: Target Stores
$$$: $3.99/10 oz. can
Rating: 1 can.

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