Horn & Hardart Brands
West Chester, PA
About the vendor:
Horn & Hardart was an American icon throughout most of the 20th Century. So much so that the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC has parts of the original Automat in its collection.
With over 140 Automats, restaurants and retail locations in New York and Philadelphia, millions of people became loyal fans of their food and coffee. Their coffee was indeed the "East Coast Original Gourmet Coffee."
Here's an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the revitalization of the Horn & Hardart name by its enthusiastic owner: http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-08/business/25843448_1_horn-hardart-a...
WOW (on What's the real stor...)
samuellaw178 | Sat, 04/14/2012Wow, this is a great revelation! Who would have thought those big companies are behind the popular supermarket coffee! They made Starbucks sounds less evil for some reason. Hahaha! I am wondering how did you know about all these? These are great info. Thank you so much for sharing this.
THIS WAS A GOOD TASTING (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
ginny9255 | Fri, 04/13/2012This was a good tasting coffee. I prefer a milder taste but if you like a bit more to your coffee then it would be very good for an after-dinner coffee. I usually drink coffee in the morning, so I don't want too much taste early on.
SO I GUESS THERE IS NO POINT (on What's the real stor...)
hoonchul | Fri, 04/13/2012So I guess there is no point in paying premium for Starbucks coffee from grocery store. Another reason buy I only buy coffee from roaste now.
INTERESTING INFOMATION! (on What's the real stor...)
Son Ton | Fri, 04/13/2012That is some very interesting information about super market coffee! Sadly, their coffee is much less interesting than what is available on Roaste!
WHAT'S THE REAL STORY (on What's the real stor...)
Lisa | Thu, 04/12/2012I did not know the connections and who was responsible for what either. A few years ago I did order Gevalila coffee (with their free coffee maker) but was not impressed. I have not tried their supermarket blend yet (I do not like the Gevalia guy!). I remember the free coffee makers kept breaking down (they did replace them but I stopped after getting three replacements in three months) and I do not remember the coffee (which is probably saying something there).
HA! (on What's the real stor...)
jbviau | Thu, 04/12/2012I wasn't aware that Starbucks beans sold in grocery stores weren't roasted by Starbucks. Are they at least the same *beans* (roasting aside) that you find in Starbucks locations? This seems like a recipe for discontent among consumers, who I'm guessing would (reasonably) expect a given blend to taste the same regardless of where it's bought.
IS PEET'S THE EXCEPTION THAT (on What's the real stor...)
broseph | Thu, 04/12/2012is Peet's the exception that proves the rule? i'm curious whether they roast their own. in any case, better to buy from a Peet's location, since the grocery store stuff is often quite old
YES! (on What's the real stor...)
Chamie | Thu, 04/12/2012I'm thrilled to see someone talking about this. Most people don't believe me when I tell them that it doesn't really matter which "gourmet" coffee they buy -- they're putting money into the same few pockets.
ON THE STARBUCKS, DD'S AND (on What's the real stor...)
intrepid510 | Thu, 04/12/2012On the Starbucks, DD's and Seattle Best. While I do not like them and would never recommend them, you hit the nail on the head and explain why the coffee from the actual coffee shops are better even bagged plus they do look different. I believe Peet's does their own for grocery stores, can you confirm this? As I think the green mermaid picked them up for this reason to try and do it on their own.
HORN AND HARDART MEDIUM ROAST (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
klrenne | Fri, 04/06/2012ENJOYED THE MILD FLAVOR. NO BURNT AFTER TAST. BEST AS AN AFTER DINNER TREAT.
HORN AND HARDART EAST COAST MEDIUM ... (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
Lisa0 | Fri, 04/06/2012This was a real surprise as I usually don't get anything darker than a mild roast. Great flavor with no burnt aftertaste.
A REALLY NICE CUP OF COFFEE (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
mwizzo | Sat, 03/31/2012I will freely admit that I am not a guy that typically enjoys 'blends.'. I like single malts, varietal wines and typically single bean coffee. Now, with that out of the way, I have to say that the Horn and Hardart East Coast Medium Roast is a really pleasant cup of coffee. It has a good balance of flavor and acidity with a pleasant aroma. It is very reminiscent of the coffee you might get at a diner or your favorite breakfast joint, only it has a bit more polish and sophistication. This is the kind of coffee that you could drink cup after cup, sort of the equivalent of a session beer.
HORN AND HARDART AUTOMAT EAST COAST... (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
jlarue | Fri, 03/30/2012It smells better freshly ground than alot of coffees. I guess the aromas I expect to get from a blended coffee. That aroma seemed to disapear after brewing in my french press. It would be a very good cafe/diner coffee, but not what I am looking for when I order coffee. Smooth and balanced, nothing that grabs you and makes you say WOW!
YOU MIGHT ADD ANOTHER HALF CUP, FOR... (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
Jason_Moore | Thu, 03/29/2012As a VIP subscriber for an award winning Hawaiian coffee, I am accustomed to visibly appealing beans with a uniform roast. When drinking a cup, one does not consume the beans, however; but grinds and brews them, as I have enjoyably been doing with relatively inexpensive, yet still costly Kona, for months. So how does this product with unknown origins compare? To reiterate, Horn and Hardart's East Coast Medium Roast is up against severe competition. It has a stronger scent in comparison to the domestic product (also a medium, known as a full city roast). The beans do not appear nearly as remarkable: some are chopped, their color varies, some items in the bag even appear to be something different. For a person who makes retail purchases, this product does not meet expectations, especially in comparison to a world leading product. However, for a drinker, it brews up into a very tasty cup of coffee. It is not especially aromatic, deep, or full bodied. A regular amount of half and half and sweetener are more discernable. Almost certainly, when served in a restaurant, diner, "Automat," or home setting, it would get many highly positive remarks. I would like to rate this product at 3.5 out of 5, or 7 out of 10. My 3 cup evaluation is cautious, conservative perhaps, in order to to be appropriate for something offered for sale. If awarded 4 our of 5, it would essentially be considered amongst products that are obviously of higher quality. Let there be no mistake about the fact that it tastes appreciably better than a 2 star cup of coffee (which theoretically is better than a 1 star product). In order to get what you pay for, the price for this product...
REALLY ENJOYED THIS (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
okaussie | Tue, 03/27/2012Got this as a free sample to review. I would buy this coffee and add it to my collection. This is smooth enough I don't have to put creamer in it to take out the bitterness. I would highly recommend this to anyone..
EAST COAST MEDIUM ROAST (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
deborahedwards714 | Mon, 03/26/2012Satisfying in the morning, but nothing out of the ordinary. Actually seemed a little strong for a medium roast.
NICE MELLOW CUP (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
boilerwkm | Fri, 03/23/2012I admit I like my coffee strong, bold and straight up. This particular roast is very smooth and while it doesn't pack the punch of darker roast, it is still a very satisfying cup of coffee. I would rate this better than the average medium roast and would recommend it to anyone who likes a nice mellow cup that is not too overbearing.
MEDIUM WELL DONE (on Horn and Hardart Aut...)
jzimmer | Sat, 03/17/2012I am not always a fan of medium roast, but I try to appreciate each coffee for what it is. I know that "experts" appreciate medium and lighter roasts and complain that dark roasting kills complexity... so what do I know? And when I hear "East Coast Medium" I assume that it is coffee intended for people who like weak coffee with lots of sugar and milk. Right out of the bag the coffee what it says, medium. Nice aroma that is not intense. The beans look like an exact medium roast. When brewing, the oils at the top of the grounds are medium brown, with only a trace of dark and a trace of white. The flavor is medium coffee smooth with quality of a carefully roasted bean. The notes hint mildly of "spicy", like a German Gewurztraminer, with hints of apple and cinnamon. (I don't use "apple and cinnamon" in a crappy, flavored coffee kind of way.) 4 1/2 stars for this one. This is my first experience with Horn and Hardart, and look forward to more of their stuff!
HAHA (on Bad Restaurant Coffe...)
samuellaw178 | Wed, 02/15/2012It's commonly known that restaurant normally doesn't have good coffee. They would need to put in a lot of effort into making it and normally people don't order coffee in the restaurant. Maybe you should wait till you got home to brew a pot?
WOW (on Bad Restaurant Coffe...)
Wakeknot | Thu, 02/09/2012I never thought of a corking fee for coffee at a restaurant. I might just drink it there if I could pull that off!