Even though it’s a bit outside the repertoire of this site, I have to highlight this review I stumbled across on CoffeeReview.com by Kenneth Davids. The introduction is a worthy template for reviewers everywhere:

Snobs are people who make judgments for non-intrinsic reasons. Like brands for example (Starbucks is great, Starbucks sucks), or market ideologies (corporate coffee is bad, coffee from tiny stores with a roaster in the back are good), or on the basis of various other untested assumptions. We try to be anti-snob at Coffee Review by tasting coffees blind and honestly reporting on our findings, even when the findings run counter to assumptions among some of our readers or preferences of long-time drinkers of certain kinds of coffee. We may not be right, of course, because last I checked there is no god certifying cupping results, but we’re honest and try to be transparent.

(Indeed, EmptorMaven tries to avoid luxury and “premium” products precisely because they generally command a price premium that exceeds any intrinsic or functional value.)

If we gave out medals the whole review would win a Commendation, accompanied by following citation: With his engaging and informative review of instant coffee, Kenneth Davids set a sterling example for product reviews everywhere. His writing is in keeping with the finest traditions of informing consumers, and reflects great credit upon himself, CoffeeReview.com, and the free markets.