Most coffee drinkers are faced with the same dilemma: with so many brands on the market, how can they choose which one to buy? It's not just about price and taste; there are some brands of “dirty” coffee out there that may be doing harm not only to your body but also to our planet. Folgers is an iconic American brand owned by J. M. Smucker.
The company states on its website that they are concerned about sustainability and ethical working conditions, but they reject all common certifications to ensure that this happens. Therefore, your coffee may have chemicals and molds present. All your coffee is pre-ground and freshness is a problem. Nescafé is a huge multinational coffee brand owned by Nestlé. They partner with the Rainforest Alliance, the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C), but they don't offer certified organic coffees.
Therefore, your coffee may contain chemicals and mold. Dunkin Donuts is a popular coffee chain serving whole grain and ground coffee in retail and online stores. All espresso drinks prepared in Dunkin restaurants are now Rainforest Alliance certified and about 30% of their dark roasted coffee beans come from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. As for the rest of their coffee, it looks like it could come from anywhere; they don't offer organic varieties, so your coffee may contain chemicals and molds. The Dunkin Donuts coffee from the grocery store is produced by J. Smucker, which is the same as Folgers.
Bustelo is another coffee brand owned and distributed by J. M Smucker and has no certification regarding the ethical and ecological sourcing of its coffee beans. Green Mountain is a good coffee according to the brand qualifiers we use here, but their method of preparation creates an enormous amount of waste that is sent to landfills every year. Plastic capsules cannot be easily recycled in most cities and must therefore be discarded. The traditional way of making coffee produces very little waste, since coffee grounds are compostable and easily biodegradable. Starbucks prides itself on ensuring that ethical and environmentally friendly practices are used in its coffee production and even offers organic varieties, but its Seattle's Best brand does not meet the same standards. Fortunately, there are hundreds of great coffee brands to choose from when shopping for coffee.
Folgers can be purchased in sealed plastic flavored containers from 10.3 oz to 33.9 ounce roast. It offers an excellent base for any flavor or sweetener you want to add. Folgers is an average to good cup of coffee that was soft with a little bitterness, but not much flavor. It is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and some key vitamins and minerals that may increase alertness, decrease pain sensations, improve memory and blood circulation, reduce type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, certain types of cancer, gout, heart disease, depression and may even help you live longer. Gevalia boasts the use of high-quality coffee beans, an attribute that positively influences the full taste of the company's roasts. Users of Keurig and other coffee pods will appreciate the wide variety of K-cups available at Folgers. Caribou is Rainforest Alliance certified but doesn't have an Equal Exchange-like approach to sustainability; their coffee is fresh but not driven by processes like Peet's.
Nescafé is an extremely popular instant coffee brand but it doesn't have a good taste. McCafé self-service coffee certainly has a set of dedicated fans, but the coffee available in stores looks like it was made specifically for its worst enemies. Seattle's Best has been aggressively marketed across the country as a more accessible alternative that comes from a city known for its quality coffee; however, it doesn't offer organic varieties. In conclusion, Folgers is an average to good cup of coffee that was soft with a little bitterness but not much flavor. It offers an excellent base for any flavor or sweetener you want to add and it is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and some key vitamins and minerals that may increase alertness, decrease pain sensations, improve memory and blood circulation.
