In a taste test that, for once, is not accompanied by a press release from Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks Pike Place Blend coffee was unanimously deemed the best hot coffee -- better than McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts and 7-Eleven.

The blind taste test, conducted by the St. Petersburg Times and five "java junkies," also rated iced mochas; Starbucks came in second in that contest, after McDonald's. McDonald's iced mochas were perfect, said the panel: "fairly intense coffee flavor, we felt this one had the best balance of chocolate and coffee, refreshing and not too sweet. A blob of whipped cream gave it a rich texture, and it had a satisfying, lingering aftertaste."

If you grew up or currently live in Southern California, In-n-Out Burger needs no introduction. The only news you need to know about the cult burger chain is when one is opening up near you. Or you may have heard about how Paris Hilton was busted one night for drunk driving -- on her way to get an In-N-Out burger.

But with the economic meltdown, In-N-Out Burger has become news in another way. While many popular fast-food chains have been suffering the consequences of over-leverage and over-reaching growth, In-N-Out has thrived by doing things the old fashioned way: Refusing to expand nationally, opening only a few stores every year, and giving customers what they want (and not what focus groups tell them we want). At In-N-Out, it's all about the burgers.

WalletPop editor Julie Tilsner spoke with Stacy Perman, author of the best-selling In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks all the Rules, to dissect what makes the chain so different from all the others.

We all need a little whip now and then.

Yogurt-maker Yoplait is offering a coupon for a free sample of Yoplait Whips. What's a Yoplait Whip? No idea -- but it sounds creamy and delicious. You'll just have to get one and try it for yourself.

To get this coupon you'll have to sign up to receive the Betty Crocker e-mail newsletter, which really is just an added bonus with your whip. Talk about getting whipped into shape -- and by Ms. Crocker herself!

There are some state restrictions.

Life is too short to drink bad wine, but with a dismal economy most of us can't afford to drop a lot of money on Chateau Lafite.

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: You can make bargain wines taste like the more expensive sips with one simple tool -- a wine aerator.

As you may know, wine which has been allowed to breathe tastes better. This is because incorporating air into wine helps it to open up and release its aromas and flavors. In the past, decanters were used to aerate wine. However, decanting can be time consuming, cumbersome and inconvenient. With an aerator you get the most from your wine in the least amount of time.

Besides saving money, I'm a freak for saving time. I know how difficult it is to work all day, then come home and cook yourself and your tribe a great dinner before you all waste away from starvation.

OK, that may be a little dramatic, but I know that when I get home I am famished, and I bet you are too! So let's blow the dust off that crock pot you got as an engagement/graduation/first-apartment gift many moons ago, and put it to good use.

Crock Pot Chicken and Fennel Stew

Here is a dish that is delicious, healthy, and so easy that it cooks itself -- and of course, it's cheap! At least once a month you can usually find whole chickens on sale at the supermarket for under a buck per pound. These are usually 2.5-pound to 3.5-pound yard birds, which are the perfect size for this dish.

I use Google mail because it's free and works well, and I'm willing to put up with the ads it places on my screen. Today, an hour after I posted about the Nestlé Toll House cookie dough recall, I found this ad on the header of my mailbox:

Welcome to Five Super Savings brought to you by Deal Seeking Mom. Each week I bring you the best grocery and health and beauty bargains around town.

I've rounded up some great grocery savings on items you actually use this week.

1) Have a Giant Eagle nearby? Save $5 each on your next 3 shopping trips for a total of $15 just for watching a short video.

2) Want to grocery shop from the comfort of your own home? Use this $5 code for Schwan's to save some money on food delivered right to your door.

3) If you love Trident Gum, you'll want to print this $1 off 2 packs of Trident coupon to use on a future purchase. Hold onto this for a good sale, and you should be able to get free or nearly free chewing gum.

4) Get paid to take home a box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran Extra! cereal when find specially marked boxes and pair them with this $1 off Raisin Bran Extra! coupon.

5) Are you a coffee lover? Wal-Mart has great prices on Maxwell House coffee, General Foods International Coffee, Starbucks coffee, Coffee-Mate, Eight O'Clock coffee, Seattle's Best coffee, and Starbucks ice cream pints with printable coupons right now.

Looking for more printable coupons? Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, and RedPlum.com are always good choices.

Over the past few years, many hospitals have begun making a concerted effort to improve the quality of their food offerings. In the beginning, this was intended as a move to improve patient health. After all, while a patient who doesn't eat will probably not improve, it's hard to get excited about most hospitals' questionable culinary choices.

However, as the trend continued, many hospitals discovered that good food was a worthwhile perk for their employees, and could help with worker morale. Further, the easy access to quality cuisine made life a lot easier for families and friends who were visiting loved ones.

White Castle is celebrating its 88th birthday by giving away one free slider hamburger with an online coupon that expires July 12.

Find the nearest White Castle near you before heading out for a free slider. Remember, the coupon must be used at a restaurant and not to buy a package of the frozen sliders that many stores sell from White Castle.

While the recent economic boom may be most famous for its expensive restaurants, outrageously priced vacations, and insanely high corporate bonuses, its ultimate symbol may well have been cocktail culture. While beer remains the plebian quaff of choice and wine is popular with a more staid crowd, mixed drinks demonstrated energy, excitement, and expense. For many a sophisticated clubgoer, there was nothing more impressive than an experienced bartender, bottles flipping in the air, producing a crisp Mojito or a sweet Cosmopolitan.

Of course, as with so many boom fetishes, cocktail culture had a lot of smoke and mirrors. Bottle service -- which basically involved buying massively inflated bottles of booze and quaffing them with pals -- was more about flashing wealth than about enjoying the finer things. After all, who in their right mind really pays a 1000% markup on a bottle of Grey Goose?

The results of scientific surveys are a blogger's bread and butter, and occasionally a source of amusement. In the past few weeks, two studies looking at the relationship between living near fast food outlets and obesity have come to polar opposite conclusions.

A study led by John Spence of the University of Alberta, Canada, created a metric by adding together the number of fast-food and convenience store outlets within half a mile of a person's house and dividing it by the total of supermarkets and specialty food stores. For example, within half mile of my house are four fast food outlets and three convenience stores, or 10 total. There are three groceries.

By comparing this 'Retail Food Environment Index", or RFEI, of an individual against his/her weight, researchers were able to show that crap food proximity and obesity were positively linked.

Remember the KFC grilled chicken giveaway (promoted by Oprah) that went awry? Well two consumers can't get it off their mind; after several disappointing trips to KFC, wasted gas, printer ink and postage they decided to sue KFC.

The lawsuit was filed in LA where the two consumers hope to get full restitution of monies spent in their attempt to get their free grilled chicken meals. The complaint alleges that KFC's free grilled chicken promotion made use of false advertising as well as a bait and switch attempt to take money from customers.

Here are this week's Five Fabulous Finds from Coupon Cravings, including free smoothies, root beer floats and frozen yogurt! Plus, get free anti-virus software, a free $10 Outback Steakhouse gift card and free subscriptions to Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Time Out New York.

If you grew up on Orange Julius, as I practically did as a kid, then you'll want to try its free Light Smoothie Day on June 19.

The free 20-ounce light smoothie comes in flavors Strawberry Delight, Tropical Sunlight and Berry-Pom Twilight. Get it? They all have the word "light" at the end.

Print out the free coupon first before going to the Orange Julius nearest you. There's a limit of one per customer.

You've probably heard the old saying; "Get the lead out," used on soldiers or teenagers. But did you ever hear the saying; "Get the zinc out," relative to cats and their food?

Independent testing has revealed the startling truth that cat fanciers may be legally and unwittingly feeding toxic doses of zinc to their cats. Although the Association of American Feed Control Officials maintains standards for such things, it has become increasingly clear that AAFCO's testing protocols and standards may be falling short of their mark.

According to a report published by Susan Thixton at TruthaboutPetFood.com, pet food manufacturers are being allowed to market cat food which may contain zinc in amounts that could be toxic to cats. Zinc toxicity in cats can result in symptoms ranging from discolored urine to failure of the liver or kidneys.