Vending Machine coffee wins flavor competition

Vending Machine coffee wins flavor competition
By JAMES RINCON
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: News
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Media Credit: Austin Miller/The Daily Cougar
Highland Estates American Blend from the Vending Machine in M.D. Anderson Library was voted best coffee on campus in a blind taste test last week.
University Services held a blind taste test last week to determine students' favorite campus coffee.
Java City's House Blend was pitted against Starbucks' Café Estima, Einstein Bros.' Bagels' Darn Good Coffee and Canteen Vending's Highland Estates American Blend in a caffeinated contest that threw off the yoke of trendy label allegiances and let taste buds decide who sells the most sacred grounds.
"Without any labels or brands attached to the sampling, it was interesting to see that three of the coffees tasted were rated so similarly by the campus," Assistant Vice President of University Services Emily Messa said in a release. "They took the challenge very seriously and were very curious about the results."
The results are in, and Canteen Vending's Highland Estates American Blend, which is sold out of the Vending Machine in the 24-hour lobby of the M.D. Anderson Library, was the favorite, receiving 31 percent of the votes. Java City and Starbucks tied for silver with 26 percent and Einstein's was the least favored with 17 percent.
"This was a great survey and there was a lot of feedback. Out of all four, D (Highland Estates American Blend) was the best coffee," mechanical engineer sophomore William Arnold said.
A cup of the winning joe costs 73 percent less than a small Café Estima from Starbucks, but despite the findings, some students aren't buying into the brew.
"That stuff in front of the library? That stuff's undrinkable," said English and psychology junior and loyal Starbucks customer Mary Martin. "Even the other night when the Vending Machine was broken and (the coffee) was free, I couldn't drink it."
Martin said she doesn't think her coffee preference is affected by psychosocial brand allegiance and that preference is subject to the taster. Though some may disagree, students have crowned their queen bean.
"If there were a taster's choice award, D (Highland Estates American Blend) would be the winner," Arnold said. "I am a connoisseur of coffee."
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