Pre-ground coffee vs instant coffee?

Instant coffee is NOT coffee. There is no "good instant coffee"!! If you're going to drink coffee, it's not hard to make. Yes, for ground coffee (not instant), you need to buy a coffee maker. You can get one pretty cheap.

Personally, I don't care for Starbucks coffee at all, but that's a personal preference. You can buy ground coffees there. I don't get my coffee in a regular supermarket, but I know Paul Newman's coffees are very good.

Any coffee other than instant requires a coffee maker of some sort. It can be a fancy electric model, or a simple French press.

If you like Starbuck's coffee, they sell it pre-ground at many grocery stores. Also, a lot groceries have a bean grinder in the coffee aisle--you buy the beans you want, grind 'em there, and take 'em home. (Set the grind a little finer than you actually want the beans; heavy use wears the blades down a bit and makes the final product a little coarser than it should be.)

You should pick a grind based on the type of coffee maker you're using. A French press uses a very coarse grind. An espresso maker uses the very finest grind--almost a fine powder. The average Mr. Coffee home machine can handle anything in the middle.

As for flavor...you'll probably have to experiment a bit to find what you like. Buy small quantities of various blends until you hit on the ones that really trip your trigger.

Instant coffee is horrible!!! To start off, Wal-Mart has very inexpensive coffee makers. You will need on of those Mine cost me only about 13 dollars 2 years ago and still going strong. Black and Decker. I think Sunbeam is another inexpensive one. Filters-unless it comes with the mesh washable insert. Then peruse over pre-ground beans. Once you get into making your own coffee then go back and you can pick up a cheap bean grinder and check out the whole beans. My grinder was 9.99 and it's about 5 years old now.

Ground coffee can be used with a french press if you do not want to get a coffee maker. If you do decide to purchase an electric coffee maker, then seriously consider one that will preheat the water. Hotter water (vs. one that just warms the water as it runs through) that is held and heated in a tank makes a better cup of coffee because the water temperature is much higher than a regular maker. It really makes a big difference in the cup of coffee. A french press uses hot water you pour in creating a good cup of coffee too. Spending a bit more on your maker is well worth it for a better cup of java. With that said, Tim Hortons sells their fine grind and decaf preground in cans and if you are in Ontario, it is available in their shops or in many grocery stores. As for Star Bucks, I cannot really say who might carry their coffee other than at their actual shops. I drink Tim Hortons coffee and have done so for years. There is a huge difference in taste between the two you have mentioned. As for instant..well..I really do not like any instant coffee, as it does not taste like a fresh brewed cup of coffee, but is handy to have around just in case you might run out of coffee. You only need hot water to add to instant coffee.

With instant coffee, you just add water and no machines are needed.

Ground coffee needs to be brew with machines, it can be as cheap as $20 But the taste is a lot better than instant coffee.

Coffee can still be brewed without any kind of maker or contraption. In fact, it’s surprisingly easy to make a great cup without a coffee maker.

What you'll need:

Freshly roasted coffee. Even though you don’t need a coffee maker, you’ll still need freshly roasted coffee beans. The quality of a cup of coffee is largely determined by the quality of the beans used to make it, and nothing is better than freshly roasted beans. The taste of a cup of coffee is about 80 percent aromatics, which dissipate as roasted coffee ages. If coffee sits for a long time after roasting, it can taste stale. Put another way, the freshest coffee makes the best coffee.

Of course, you also need quality beans — find a local specialty coffee roaster or look online for a specialty delivery service. You can always roast your own coffee too.

Try to use coffee that has been roasted within the past two weeks, and you’ll have a delightfully aromatic cup of fresh coffee. If you are hitting the road, pack your whole bean coffee with you — it doesn’t take much space!

Manual coffee grinder. You’ll also need a coffee grinder, so you can grind up the beans and release all of their aromatics. The aromatics that bring out a coffee’s nuances only last for 15 to 20 minutes before they dissipate into the air. Once ground coffee has sat for longer than that, it can taste flat and one-dimensional, which is why I recommend grinding coffee immediately before brewing it.

Two manual grinders that I like are the Hario Mill and the Porlex Mini. Both are burr grinders, so they’ll produce a nice, consistent grind, and they’re relatively compact.

Hot water. You’ll still need hot water, just below boiling. Coffee should be brewed with water that is between 195 and 205°F. Within this range, water won’t scald the grounds, but it will draw out their flavors and aromatics. Water below 195°F will under-extract the coffee and it’ll start to taste sour.

Thankfully, you don’t need to check your water’s temperature with a thermometer. Who carries a thermometer around anyway? Just boil water and let it stand for 30 seconds. Any utensil with a handle can be used as a kettle to heat water.

Other items you need:

Handkerchief to use as a filter

Paper clips or elastic band to hold the handkerchief in place

Large mug to brew coffee into

How to Brew Your Coffee:

Step 1: Create a makeshift pour-over by folding a clean handkerchief into a small-ish square. We’ll use this as our filter.

Step 2: Attach your handkerchief filter to a cup. Paper clips work best.

Step 3: Grind your coffee to a medium, sand-like grind. This is a great (and short) workout for your forearms and wrists. Pro tip: African beans are smaller and heavier than Central or South American or Asian beans. You can use fewer African beans (about 20% less) and still get the same strong cup of coffee.

Step 4: Grind just enough coffee so that you reach the first cup symbol on the grinder. (Most modern hand grinders will have some sort of marking.)

Step 5: Add the ground coffee to the center of your filter. Shake it a little to get an even surface.

Step 6: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Take it off heat and let it sit for 30 seconds. Wet the grounds with a little water and wait another 30 seconds. Pour half of the remaining water over a final 30-second increment. Then add the rest of the water in four smaller pours. The full process should be about 2 minutes.

Step 7: Remove the clips and the handkerchief as soon as the water has gone through the coffee grounds. If the handkerchief is submerged, carefully but quickly remove it from the cup. And there you have it — your own great cup of coffee!

As a roaster and someone who tries a lot of different coffees, I always recommend trying at least a couple sips of black coffee to understand what it tastes like. Then add cream and sugar as necessary to get your perfect cup.

Pro tip: If you think it tastes too bitter, add more coffee next time. If it’s too sour, reduce the amount of coffee you use.

Finally, cleaning: Cleaning is simple — throw away the coffee grounds. Rinse the handkerchief (without soap if you are using it the next day) or throw it in the wash. This one will smell great every time you use it!

The next time you wake up and no coffee maker is available, don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be a difficult morning. People brewed great coffee for centuries before coffee makers were commonplace, and it’s easy to do. Just follow the above steps, and you’ll have a good, coffee-filled morning.

- http://coffeelounge.net/category/blog/

yes with ground coffee you will need some kind of coffee maker

with instant you merely boil water and add to the tsp of instant you have in the cup

but you will find both will not be like what you bought at Starbucks

My personal favourite coffee to have at home, would be by drip. And once in a while ill use my Keurig machine, mostly for when i want a different flavor, they carry a large variety. In the mornings I dont always have much time, so it makes it easier. I would stay away from instant coffee never turns out the same.

The best instant coffee is Javita. It tastes great and has great health benefits. Check it out.

Once coffee is ground it begins to lose flavors. Ground at the roaster means a continued downhills slid for that coffee.

Want convenience? buy what every you want...

Want flavor? Buy whole beans that you know the roast date of. Better yet, roast your own beans then you KNOW it's fresh and flavor full....