I refuse to buy a coffee machine. I am convinced that if I do, I will drink six cups a day and develop a dependency. Instead, I frequent coffee shops around the Pullman area to get my fix on outrageously priced drinks. Not exactly cost-effective, I know. It's a psychological thing.

Inevitably, the more time I spent in Pullman, the more I began to appreciate the differences between cafes. Whether it is the service, the coffee, the atmosphere or the location, they all have something unique to offer. I decided to rate them against each other, two at a time.

This week, I drank coffee at Cafe Moro and The Daily Grind.

Cafe Moro looks awesome. It is on a corner, so there are windows everywhere, and during the summer, most of the doors and windows are open to let sun and air in. The interior has a sort of exposed downtown-studio-apartment style. There is plenty of seating, the bathroom is clean and the lighting is fantastic.

For the most part, the service at Cafe Moro is pretty good. I did have to wait a few minutes for the barista to show up and take my order (she was training a new employee), but she was informative and helpful and prepared my drinks quickly. I ordered a drip coffee and a mocha. My drinks were served in ceramic mugs.

There was no cream out on the counter, so I had to ask the barista to get some from the fridge. The drip coffee was, unfortunately, weak and bland. Honestly, I barely finished it.

The mocha was a different story. It looked pretty, and it tasted great. Cafe Moro serves lattes with two shots by default, which is exactly how I like it. The chocolate did sink a little though, so my drink got sweeter the more I drank.

After I was finished at Cafe Moro, I walked down Main street to The Daily Grind.

The Daily Grind is not on a corner, so there are relatively few windows, but the place is huge. There are several different rooms, but my favorite is the reading room in the back. There are a few tables, but there is also a couch and two cushioned chairs around a fireplace, making it a great spot to sit with a cup and read a book. There is also a lending library attached to the back room. As expected, there wasn't anything great on the shelves, but it is always worth a look.

When I went to order, a barista was ready and waiting. Once again, I ordered a drip coffee and a mocha. At The Daily Grind, they always offer you a chocolate covered coffee bean with your drink. Accept it. It is delicious.

When you get drip at The Daily Grind, you have several options. The ones I tried were the Daily Grind Espresso Blend and the Caffe Rahmas Fair Trade Organic blend. They were both better than Cafe Moro’s drip, but I preferred the Caffe Rahmas blend. It was strong and full — super tasty.

The mocha was also good. It was sweeter than Cafe Moro’s mocha, which I am not sure how I feel about.

The Daily Grind overall seems to be cheaper than Cafe Moro. The drip at Cafe Moro (in the 12 ounce size) was one cent more expensive at $1.51, but the mocha was 43 cents more expensive.

I appreciate the location and well-lit atmosphere of Cafe Moro. However, in terms of total (comfortable) space, quality of coffee, speed of service and price, The Daily Grind wins the day.

It is also worth mentioning that The Daily Grind often hosts open mic nights, which are always tons of fun.

Pick up the paper next week for another caffeinated face-off. It is gonna be cool beans.