If you take a look at the lines of people waiting patiently to get into Trader Joe’s new Manhattan outlet, you’d think they were giving away their wares. Most of the prices are truly give away, especially if you compare them to the high quality of TJ’s wares.

The Coffee Corner has some good prices, so I bought one of their best sellers — 14 ounces of Colombian Supremo medium roast at $6.98.

You can grind the beans at the store, but I prefer to grind my own beans, pot per pot, using a burr grinder. The sealed metal container emited no discernable aroma, when I opened it, but that isn’t necessarily a bad sign. The grinding (slightly finer than Melitta grade) process gave off a brisk, nutty bouquet, promising pleasantries. The aroma deepened, as I slowly poured distilled water — right off the boil –around the Melitta funnel.

A few minutes of steeping, and I was ready to fill about a quarter of my mug with black elixir.

TJ’s medium Colombian strikes the palate, rather than caressing it. Its initial sharpness tends to obscure whatever depth it may have. But it has a nice retarded kick, as the slightly silty aftertaste rounds out.

It ultimtely proves itself an excellent breakfast coffee: uncomplicated and slightly agressive. It goes nicely with cereal, eggs and other wake-me-ups. If you want inspiration, though, you might do better with Porto Rico or Fairway. They both have smoother acceleration, as you get yourself into cruising gear. They are also a tad cheaper.