I know a lot of people really love starbucks, but I am not one of them: no judgement, but its just not a place I go for coffee. Actually, I rarely have coffee out, unless i'm on campus and need it (or feel I do. who NEEDS coffee, really?) to get through my classes/studying or maybe when I'm at a restaurant - but I only get it if its organic/fair trade or the like and from a local coffee shop.
What about you guys? how particular are you about your coffee?
I almost always have a cup of coffee at home in the morning before heading to classes and then as soon as I get home and also usually around 7pm with dinner or something. I really notice, this way, how much coffee I go through! As background info - in vancouver I normally buy this brand: Ethical Bean
Ethical Bean Coffee Company roasts only 100% Fair Trade Certified and certified organic shade grown coffees from around the world. We're committed to ensuring small-scale farmers receive a fair price for their efforts, sustaining their businesses and providing a decent standard of living for their families. We believe fair trade is a better way to do business.
I have a grinder at home and always grind my beans just prior to making coffee. In north america, it is typical to have a drip coffee maker in your home but here in New Zealand everyone has an espresso maker - even small cafes have really fancy ones. Rather than a cup of coffee you get either a short or tall black - which is essential an "americano" with more or less hot water added. This makes for a much better coffee experience as even though the coffee here is a lot more bitter and just general not very good - if its made in espresso machine it doesn't taste nearly as bad, plus it is a lot stronger, which i like. I don't know if i'm making much sense with all of this. Anyhow - here is what I have been drinking here: bags of ground coffee typically come in 200g bags here, where as in Canada 450g is usual. price comparison in local currancy: 1kg ethical bean - around $10 vs. 200g scarborough fair coffee (this is one of the cheaper organic /fair trade coffee brands here) - $8.
here's a bit about fair trade coffee from the scarborough fair coffee company:

Good intentions don't change things, good business does!

Whether it's in the high, misty tea gardens in Sri Lanka, the green hills where coffee grows in Chiapas, Mexico or the red-earthed cocoa farms in Ghana, Fairtrade certification is providing growers with clean water, education, health care and a better quality of life for their communities.

This certification ensures fair trading practices by setting standards for each product, including common principles such as no child labour, a minimum wage that ensures a decent quality of life, minimum health and safety standards and democratic decision making policies within the growing communities. Fairtrade also aims for long term trading arrangements, credit extension to avoid debt and consumer awareness of the need for trade to be made fair.

Most importantly, Fairtrade teaches people to fend for themselves - giving those who grow tea, coffee, cocoa and other tropical crops in developing countries the ability and means to dictate their own futures. Fairtrade brings balance to the global playing field.

So - i'd love to know what people think about their prefered brand of coffee and what made them choose what they did.