I've had more Starbucks than I'd like to admit, and I still suck down a large Dunkin Donuts brew every morning at work...I've had Guatemalan, Kenya, Sumatra, Java, Jamaican Blue, Kona, Timor, Yirgacheffe and a dozen others (haven't had the opportunity to sample Kopi Luwak, but I wouldn't hesitate if given the chance). The only constants in the world of coffee that I've seen are these two:

1) Taste in coffee is 100% subjective.

2) There are so many variables that it's almost impossible to simply say "I like/dislike ________."

A few here have hit on a few of the unsung heroes of a good cup of coffee, but enough hasn't been made of good water, proper brewing temps, quality beans, and *especially* a proper roast. Brewing method is also important, though it isn't the black & white 'this is superior to this' that many think it is. In fact, the common household auto-drip is a perfectly acceptable brewing method that is superior to more 'authentic' methods in many respects.

All this being said, everyone, obviously, still has personal preferences. For my part, I tend to prefer darker roasts of southeast Asian, and Indian islands beans (Sumatra, Java, Timor, Papua New Guinea, etc.). Given the choice, I do prefer to have it pressed, after a longer-than-recommended steep, and preferably in a large batch. I tend to dislike African beans like Kenya and especially dislike Yirgacheffe. I like full body but low acidity. I like *some* acidity, but if my coffee has dry floral/citrus notes, I'm disappointed. I like the nutty, chocolatey, malty flavors more.

I tend to dislike Starbucks coffee more because of the harsh realities of their business than anything else. I hate having to stand in a long line for coffee, but usually that's how to get the best cup. Going when nobody is there almost guarantees that your coffee has either sat in a carafe for a few hours and (even in specialty drinks) you aren't getting a fresh roast. They roast centrally to ensure consistency, but for someone that loves fresh roasted coffee, this is consistently disappointing.

Lots of people around here love Dunkin, and while it's better than gas station coffee, to me, it's nothing to write home about...though again, i fully admit that's subjective. I suspect the blend they use incorporates a lot of mexican/central american beans, which aren't really a favorite of mine to begin with. Also, most places I've been brew too hot, and the coffee tastes kind of lousy for it. DD coffee is one of the few that a bit of cream and sugar does wonders for. For 99% of good coffee, I'm of the opinion that cream and sugar is like fruit in beer. If you dont like the taste, just dont drink it; dont try to cover it up with nonsense.