giveaway: $100 amazon giftcard (*second round*)
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Click the link below to read all about the review and GIVEAWAY! :)
This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Seattle’s Best.
Huge thanks to everyone who participated in the first giveaway this month from Seattle’s Best Coffee! As promised, here is the second giveaway with a rockin’ $100 giftcard from Amazon, and the results of my own taste test of the new “levels”!
As mentioned in my last post, Seattle’s Best has recently introduced a new “levels” system for labeling their coffees. Instead of individual names (like what was formerly “Henry’s Blend”), they now range from “Level 1” (mild, light and crisp) to “Level 5” (bold, dark and intense). Each coffee also includes flavor profiles and amusing character profiles. For example, the personality test pegged me at “Level 2”, for those who are “spontanteous and fun, you’re a curious optimist. Fond of going off the beaten path, you enjoy creating your own adventures and seeing where your heart leads you.“
Read on to see if the taste-testing agreed with the levels profiles, and to enter the $100 Amazon giftcard giveaway!
Dum, dum, dum…..THE RESULTS!
Now I have to admit, I went to a tour of one of our local roasteries in Kansas City a year ago and learned the method for proper coffee “cupping” (taste-testing) which involved lots of loud slurping and spitting…but very little drinking. So for my less-than-proper coffee taste-testing at home, I decided to reverse that. Lots of coffee drinking. Minimal slurping. :)
For the first day of the week, I woke up extra early and decided to make a very small batch of each of the 5 levels, in order to truly be able to compare them! Then each of the following days, I made and enjoyed a full cup of each level to get the full experience. Lots. Of. Coffee.
In the end, I did honestly enjoy Level 2 quite a bit. But Level 5 was the definite favorite. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to me, since I love strong flavors in my food and all kinds of hot and cool drinks. And this Level 5 didn’t disappoint. Labeled as having a “roasty aroma, rich flavor with low acidity and body”, this coffee smelled absolutely heavenly, and tasted even better. Reminded me quite a bit of a French roast. It was wonderful served warm and steamy in the morning, and then cooled down later over ice in the afternoon. Delish!
So would definitely encourage you to check out the new coffees for yourself in stores, or read about the levels system online. And then enter to win the $100 Amazon giftcard giveaway below!
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
So to enter this giveaway, here are the official rules:
Sweepstakes Prompt:
- Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite way to prepare coffee at home.
Rules:
- You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
- a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
- b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
- c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
- Giveaway ends at 7:00pm Central Standard Time on April 30.
- No duplicate comments
- This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
- The Official Rules are available here
- Feel free to read other bloggers’ reviews for more chances to win here
Yum, I love Seattle’s Best! It reminds me of a cruise I took 2 years ago because that was the coffee they had onboard. I’m not very picky when it comes to home brewing – a simple dark drip coffee is enough to get me going in the morning!
Good old normal brewing.
How fun! I like to put a little orange peel and cinnamon in my coffee grounds before brewing it- it turns out so flavorful!
In our house coffee is only ever in a French press, black. Does that make us boring? :-)
We usually use a french press. Makes a very fresh, one cup or so at a time. And no burned coffee.
“normal” coffee, over ice, with a dash of chocolate syrup. Not so healthy but oh so yummy!
I roast my own coffee beans – talk about fresh!
I always like to try new coffee and these sound good :)
I use the seattle’s best level 2 and i add some le creme vanilla creamer. It’s the best!
My favorite way to prepare coffee at home is in a cheap drip cone with a paper filter…I just heat up water in a kettle and pour over. Good enough to drink black! :)
Very simple… Blue mountain, freshly ground right then and there, served up in my favorite super-sized mug, black. THAT is the best start to my day.
French press, served with heavy cream and family members, is unbeatable.
Simple drip coffee with skim milk in the morning
i like to mix cooled coffee with vanilla ice cream to make a milkshake.
I prefer to AeroPress my coffee. Smoothest coffee I’ve ever had. In fact, it was the first time I never felt a need to add cream or sugar to my coffee. I can finally appreciate the nuances of lighter roast coffees. Not to mention the 30 second brew time and 10 second cleanup. :)
I make espresso in my stovetop maker almost every day. It reminds me of studying abroad in Italy.
Simple drip coffee right out of the Bunn with a little Hazelnut creamer…Mmmm
Sadly my current way of preparing “coffee” at home is using instant powder hehe. But if I won this giftcard I’d purchase a stovetop espresso maker that I’ve been wanting and then I’d love to try out these different levels of coffees too.
I also just tweeted about this giveaway https://twitter.com/6bittersweets
What a generous giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win. I love Seattle’s Best coffee, but my favorite way to make it at home is with my Tassimo ;)
keurig coffee brewer all the way :)
We just use a regular coffee maker and add milk and sugar.
tweet-https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/60044456719679488
I like to put cinnamon in my coffee!
Would probably level 2 (with flavored creamer of course)!
Coffee with milk and honey
Nice & dark, with a splash of half & half.
though I’m eager to try Amy’s w/ orange peel and cinnamon…
I don’t drink coffee but I’ll admit to liking the smell! At home, we have a sturdy coffeepot to help us out. :)
Yum! drip with cinnamon, raw sugar and cream. :)
I like my coffee w/ a bit of flavored cream and some skim milk. Yummy.
I prefer a good french press coffee.
I love to doctor up my coffee (big time) and make homemade lattes!
Good old fashioned drip coffee with cream and sugar, sometimes iced!
I tweeted the giveaway @amyscookingadve
https://twitter.com/#!/amyscookingadve/status/60068650958336000
I occasionally like to mix in a little milk with a little chocolate syrup or a packet of hot chocolate mix for a Saturday morning “linger over the coffee” treat.
I put brown sugar in with the coffee grounds;)
i love to have a simple coffee, that just wakes me up in morning and gets me going….
I keep it simple! :-) Mmm
My favorite way to drink coffee is freshly grinding the grounds, then brewing like normal, and finally adding dark chocolate almond milk into it. So delicious, better than a mocha you can buy at Starbucks.
I usually drink coffee at my mother-in-laws. She uses a regular drip coffee maker. I just add milk and sugar.
I like to use my Keurig machine…and then I put in local honey and half & half.
https://twitter.com/#!/ME6128/status/60072529468993536
keurig coffee! little bit of sugar and soy milk!
I have a Senseo, and I love it. I get my pods online and always have a drawer full of delicious choices. I <3 coffee.
Tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/LindseySkye
I actually love when my dad brews coffee at home, and I’ll add a little fat free half and half, and a little bit of sugar. Delicious.
I prefer brewing Roasterie coffee at home…love it from a French Press but don’t always take the time does that, so usually brew via drip coffee maker!
I like to use a French Press to prepare my coffee.
I use a pour-over cone, and find the coffee is more consistent when I use fresh ground whole beans, though I like the convenience of already-ground. I found that the coffee from my coffee machine was inconsistent and bad, but this method seems to work great so far and I love not having the coffee machine on my counter any longer.
And I tweeted it from @mischiefml.
most days it’s generally a dark roast with cream and sugar, but on occasion I throw some hot chocolate mix in.