TasteTest

The complaint among those who don't dig Starbucks' coffee is that it tastes "burnt," or as java connoisseurs say, "bold." With those people in mind, it's trying something new. But can Starbucks' milder Blonde roast lure customers away from its budget-priced competition?

The bright side to chilly, miserable weather is that it's a good excuse to perk up with a coffee. And not just any coffee. It's been a rough winter, so treat yourself to a fancy schmancy espresso-based cup -- though without an extravagant price. That's what Compare and Contrast did for four...

Who's going to win the Super Bowl? It's a valid question, and the answer better be the Packers (no offense to my fellow Chicagoans or Steelers fans). But there's a more valid question for Super Bowl Sunday -- what are you going to eat? Pizza is, naturally, a perfect choice. Easy to eat while...

To end the year Store Brand Scorecard is having a bacon battle. In the nine months of the column's existence, the comparison that elicited the most readers, comments and buzz was our review of bacon back in April. We thought we'd expand on that with a new taste test. After trying Oscar Mayer,...

Santa's sick of cookies. At least that's the excuse Store Brand Scorecard's Old Man used every Christmas Eve when it came time to bake a snack for St. Nick. The rationale made sense at the time. Santa's got a lot of houses to go to and a bunch of cookies to eat, so the guy could benefit from at...

Baby, it's cold outside. Bitterly cold. All the holiday cheer in the world can't change that. But hot cocoa can. A steaming cup goes down smooth and keeps you warm, whether you opt for marshmallows, whipped cream, both or neither. It's a nice little luxury at a time like this. Your budget may not...

It was practically yesterday when we gobbled up our Thanksgiving turkeys and more holiday cooking is just ahead. And if money wasn't tight in November, it's tight now, with all the gifts to get. December is not a great month for the college kid's wallet. That's why buying store brands is...

There's plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving -- except how much it may cost you. Consumers will spend millions of dollars bulking up on Turkey Day staples, the first wave of many burdensome financial commitments this holiday season, happening at a time when the economy, to put it mildly,...

Of all the columns Store Brand Scorecard has done, tasting different brands of food for you, the dear people, this was one of our most anticipated -- we were sampling pumpkin pie! For the last few weeks we've been trying out different brands of classic Thanksgiving sides such as cornbread stuffing...

Thanksgiving is -- egad -- a little more than two weeks away. We couldn't be more thrilled -- it is the greatest food day of the year -- but our belly's already aching over the inevitable overeating and, even more distressing, how much money we'll have to fork over for this feast. Hopefully you,...