I like picking up a pound of fresh roasted coffee from Higher Grounds over in Highlandtown. Roasted on premise, they have a decent variety to choose from there's something delightful about brewing up truly fresh roasted coffee.

Great idea! I just hope Starbucks ends up near the bottom, or not on the list at all. Starbucks isn't so much a coffee as a brand. And to be honest, their coffee isn't all that good - so they just dump a bunch of syrup and whipped cream in there and call it a Frappawatzit. Daily Grind - now they make a good cup of coffee. One World Cafe, too.

I'm afraid that I don't think Starbucks should fall anywhere on the list. To me, at least, their coffee tastes burned and only the addition of lots of cream and sweetness makes it drinkable.

I second (or third, or forth) the praise for Zeke's. It is never bitter. Always smooth. And just plain great tasting!

Another good cup of coffee can be found at Wegman's but that's not in the city. Their coffee bar has several selections each day with a featured flavored & unflavored coffee.

I'm not a fan of Starbucks coffee. It is too strong for my taste. I love Dunkin Donuts regular coffee with half and half. It is the perfect strength for me and very smooth. Also, it tastes the same no matter where you buy it or what time of the day. The only problem is resisting all those donuts.

I'd put Starbucks on the list because it is so strong -- the caffeine buzz is unparalleled. I hear they double-brew.

As an aside, I think Nina's has the best cup of chai tea in town, and I've tried a bunch.

Other good cups of coffee: Daily Grind, Koffee Therapy (americano is excellent).

My favorite place for coffee is Baltimore Coffee & Tea. I love their store in Timonium and now they have a new store in Annapolis that's really cool, more of a cafe. I love Baltimore Coffee and Tea's seasonal coffees like Frosty's Favorite, it has a yummy cinnamon taste. They have more than 120 coffee varieties so there is something for every coffee drinker. (And I haven't been able to resist their gelato this summer either.)

No one has mentioned local roasters Bluebird Coffee! Locally owned and roasted in Greektown and sold at Whole Foods,Chesapeake Wine in Canton and the Saturday Highlandtown farmer's market.It and Zeke's,i believe,are the two best roasters in town.

High Grounds on Eastern and East Avenues is great, fresh roasted coffee (on the premises), a great, super friendly staff. All that and a good selection of used books too. Daily Grind does a great job as well.

Zeke's is just awesome. I buy my bags at the Waverly Farmers market and the stuff has become sort of a liquid crack amongst my friends. I don't know how else to describe it other than just saying its freaking GOOD. Common Ground in Hampden is also an enjoyable cup. Don't know a lot about the nuances of a good cup of joe but I somehow always find myself going back there for a weekend caffeine fix. Starbucks coffee is repulsive. I do not understand the appeal outside of its recent ease of access in the Baltimore metro area. It usually is burnt to hell and or super sludge when I occasionally buy it at the Barnes and Nobles Buckies in Inner Harbor or Chalres Village.

Speaking as the coffee roaster at High Grounds Coffee Roasters in Highlandtown, it is great to see others getting excited about fresh roasted coffee! Roasting coffee fresh makes all the difference!!!! And, there are not that many of us in Baltimore that actually roast coffee. Nobody mentioned Spoons in Federal Hill....they roast too!

For iced coffee I like Caribou because it's cold brewed and very smooth. For regular hot coffee, Zeke's or Evergreen (which also sells Zeke's by the pound). Zeke's Decaf French Roast is the best decaf ever.

Baltimore Coffee and Tea is my favorite local roaster. All of their coffee is roasted small batch and they have such a huge variety of flavors (including custom flavors). My absolute favorite is their Baltimore Blend (close tie for Hazelnut Cream) but as autumn grows near, it’s pumpkin spice for me! As for those like Elizabeth that don’t need the huge caffeine jolt after dinner decaf is the way to go. They roast all their decaf with the Swiss water process (all natural chemical free way to decaffeinate the coffee).