Best Coffee Blends

Straight or Mixed - The Best Coffee Blends

True coffee aficionados always use the best coffee blends and drink their coffee blend straight, right? Wrong.

There are, if anything, more blends and flavorings of coffee than there are of wine. Cast off your bias and let loose with 101 best coffee blends and different ways to enjoy the coffee growers gift.

The creativity of coffee blenders is inexhaustible.

One Indonesian coffee blend is a combination of Sumatran and Papua New Guinea coffee beans that makes for a delicious, full-bodied brew. Who even knew that Papua New Guineans grew coffee?

But Sumatra goes with more than just other Indonesian beans. A 50/50 mixture of Colombian Patron with Sumatran results in a smoky, tasty, dark roast that brews to perfection.

Flavorings, too, can make for a real coffee treat. Almond, vanilla, even cherry added to a Brazilian can soften the acid and sweeten the brew. Even a banana hazelnut can bring an ordinary robusta up to the level of a truly decent cup of coffee.

But the highlight would have to be a Tahitian vanilla latte, a truly international breakthrough.

When it comes to making a mocha, the variety of chocolate choices matches the different options of coffee bean.

• A Yemeni with a touch of dark chocolate, melted and stirred well, will enhance an already wonderful foreign coffee blend.
• Or, for those days when lighter is better, try an American roast with a bit of Ghiradelli milk chocolate. Yum.

The best coffee blend variations are as boundless as they are delightful.

And they're not limited to beans, roasts or flavorings. Several different liqueurs and liquors provide another route the coffee lover can travel.

• A Full-bodied Jamaican blend forms a solid base where you can add dessert pears, brown sugar and a hearty helping of rum.
• For a twist, try your favorite coffee with brandy instead of rum or apricots instead of pears.
• Amaretto sweetness makes a delectable counterpoint to a Costa Rican coffee blend, for those who like getting intoxicated and sober with the same drink.

Cocoa and coffee is a traditional favorite for those who like their coffee cut.

Even here the choices are not limited. Cold or hot, a blend of Mexican coffee and cocoa bean partners can pair up to make for a real taste treat, in summer or winter.

And the innovators of coffee confection don't stop there. The more audacious have gone so far as to offer a frozen cappuccino that wakes up a sleepy head on a warm day.

For added zing, try blending your coffee with chocolate mint flavors.

Normally nuttiness indicates a poor quality coffee bean. But be a contrarian and go for the Macadamia with or without chocolate.

Even raspberry or coconut additions have been tried, but it might be better to work up to that. After all, it should still taste like a cup of coffee.

Whatever you feel are the best coffee blends, don't complain when you're no longer satisfied with an ordinary cup of Java Joe. Leaving the purist coffee world has its risks.