Where to find New York’s finest coffee

THE world of caffeine got a jolt last week when Consumer Reports tested Starbucks coffee against fast-food chains' lowly joe and the winner was . . . McDonald's.

Beating out Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts along with the ubiquitous Seattle swill, the Golden Arches serves a brew that's - according to CR - "decent and moderately strong" with "no flaws," although "it lacked the subtle top notes needed to make it rise and shine."

Memo to Consumer Reports: It lacks those notes because it's a fastfood cup of coffee. For a real kick, New Yorkers know you can't rely on a burger chain. So with the help of local connoisseurs and experts, we went trolling for the truly best coffee in town - one with smooth, rich coffee flavor and no bitterness or burnt taste, a cup you can really wake up and smell.

Andrew Dornenburg, co-author with Karen Page of the muchpraised "What to Drink With What You Eat," confesses to being a "recovering coffee-holic" who is "down to three large cups a day." And if he's lucky, they come from Amy's Bread, which serves fullbodied, low-acid brews, he says.

Dornenburg admits to occasionally hitting McDonald's for a quick fix - "it's pretty good," he says - but you'll never catch him on line at a cart or a big chain, where coffee often has a burnt or metallic taste from being brewed too hot,

held too long or made in metal pots.

Even on these eyeballfreezing days, Kara Newman asks for iced coffee. And 71 Irving Place in Gramercy makes "hands down the best," says the local scribe for Fresh Cup, the Portland, Ore.-based bible of the coffee trade.

"I'm a bit fanatical about my iced mochas. Starting with good-quality, wellbrewed espresso is very important - and something 71 Irving does particularly well," says Newman, who thinks heat and aroma can mask inferior coffee while cold coffee shows off the range of flavors.

At least twice daily, you'll find Peter Kane, general manager of the Stanton Social, at Ini Ani on Stanton Street getting a large, "rich but not bitter" jolt with steamed milk. Financier Patisserie at Cedar and William streets is the choice of Aldo Sohm, beverage director for Blaue Gans, Wallse and Caf Sabarsky, who last week was selected America's top sommelier by the American Sommelier Association. For restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, the espresso and cappuccino at Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center does the trick.

And when Norman Kornbleuth, owner of Broadway Panhandler in the Village, craves a cup, he swings by the MUD Truck on Astor Place.

"Not only is their coffee hot and strong, but I like to support other local, independent companies," he says. So do the legions of others hooked on MUD's smooth, cocoa-rich taste and caffeine punch.

Out of the vats of aboveaverage joe, these cups are the city's tops.

#1 AMYS BREAD

250 Bleecker St., between Carmine & LeRoy streets; (212) 675-7802

Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Ave., between 15th & 16th streets; (212) 462-4338

672 Ninth Ave., between 46th & 47th streets; (212) 977-2670

Medium cup (12 ounces): $1.50

The Buzz: Amy Scherbers blend "is full-bodied with not too much acid," says food author Andrew Dornenburg. "It stands up to the big slug of milk I invariably pour in." Scherber uses a mix of Colombian, French roast and Sumatran called Orens Special Blend from Orens Roast, paying close attention to details such as not brewing it too hot.

#2 71 IRVING PLACE

71 Irving Place, between 18th & 19th streets; (212) 995-5252

Medium cup (12 ounces): $2

The Buzz: The espresso Kara Newman praises is made from a four-bean blend - Guatemalan Antiguan, Brazilian santos, Indonesian Sumatran and Java - roasted upstate at 71 Irving Place's own company, Irving Farms, which supplies all the coffee served here. The house blend mixes Nicaraguan and Sumatran.

#3 MUD TRUCK

Astor Place, Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street (and other locations)

(212) 228-9074, Mudnyc.com Small (10 ounces) $1, large (16 ounces) $2

The Buzz: A smooth, rich blend of beans spanning the globe from Central and South America to Africa and Brazil, served with steamed milk and good humor from an independent company formed in answer to Starbucks. A medium-to-dark roast with a hint of cherries and cocoa and a big dose of caffeine.

HOST YOUR OWN ROAST WITH THESE HOME TIPS

WHILE doing the legwork for "Gourmet Shops of New York" out in May (Rizzoli), co-authors Susan Meisel and Nathalie Sann fell hard for two coffee spots.

One is Eli's Vinegar Factory (431 E. 91st St., between First and York avenues; [212] 987-0885).

The other is century-old Porto Rico Importing Co. (201 Bleecker Street, between MacDougal Street and Sixth Avenue; [212] 477-5421).

"It's enormous. And the bags of coffee are just piled from the front to the back door and side by side," says Meisel about Porto Rico.

Both are also excellent sources for do-it-yourselfers to find beans. And to make the best brew, Porto Rico offers these tips:

* If you use a coffee maker, run vinegar cut with water through it to avoid a buildup of oils.

* Always use fresh cold water (already boiled water makes coffee taste flat).

* Use a tablespoon of ground coffee per 6-ounce cup.

* Bring cold water to a rolling boil and pour it over grinds immediately.

* Make sure your coffee is ground properly for your brewing method.

* Avoid reheating coffee, as that makes it bitter.

Christopher Sieber has played the Black Knight in "Spamalot" but he can't get past Dick Wolf (above).

MUD TRUCK Astor Place, Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street (and other locations) (212) 228-9074, Mudnyc.com Small (10 ounces) $1, large (16 ounces) $2 The Buzz: A smooth, rich blend of beans spanning the globe from Central and South America to Africa and Brazil, served with steamed milk and good humor from an independent company formed in answer to Starbucks. A medium-to-dark roast with a hint of cherries and cocoa and a big dose of caffeine.

BEST BREW#3

- Alice Piccirillo, Emily Sillman and Lia Buffa enjoy the coffee at Amys Bread. (Caitlin Thorne; NY Post photo composite) - 71 Irving Place barista Linda Custodio. (Michael Sofronski) - MUD slinger Dee Ehler. (Josh Williams)