Shouts out to my neo-hippie pierced and tatooed friend Kristen this morning as I'm blogging with "Gazebo Blend" coffee at the ready. Her gift, courtesy of the corporate "perks" available from the fine management folks at Starbucks, is a far better coffee than the Folgers I've been drinking. Plus, I'm limiting myself to two cups per day so I have to make them count.

I used to think that all coffee was pretty much the same, that it was all slick marketing designed to get a better bang for the buck. Now I know that this coffee thing is a "get-what-you-pay-for" situation, but I'm a neophyte when it comes to blends and when to use them (I'm the same way with wines, too)...So, what I'm asking today is for my blog community friends to help me in my ignorance (yes, we'll get to wines later). What brands/blends do you recommend? When's best to drink said brands/blends?

Also, please keep in mind that I plan to stay with my straight up Mr. Coffee maker and I have no intention of throwing down $150 to upgrade. Just tryin' to keep it real with my peeps (to the degree a suburban van-owning dad can)...

My contribution to the discussion will stay with what I know: My higher-order-life-liver sister Jilly introduced me to "Chock Full O' Nuts" which, while having the worst name, is probably the best of the mass market brands, for what that's worth. If you can find that in your local grocery, it's good to have around for those more spontaneous coffee happenings.