Coffee → Discussion•
Starbucks   11-17>|


orangekrisJan 15, 2007 10:30pm
For Christmas I received Starbucks gift cards from multiple people...adding to a total of $35 good only at Starbucks. I feel obligated to use it because it's already paid for, but it's going to take forever. I only truly enjoy my coffee black, with no cream or sugar. (Sooooo all my transactions will be under $2.)

Recently I went to spend some of that gift card money and bought a tall, black coffee of the week. The coffee was Ethiopian and somewhat reminded me of manure. The question: Poorly made coffee or poorly roasted beans? Quite possibly both :-(

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JeraDarklighterJan 16, 2007 4:40am
From what I have heard, Starbucks generally over-roasts its beans. Not as much of a big deal, I suppose, when you're like me and you mostly drink caramel macchiatos...

coop2Jan 21, 2007 9:02pm
Starschmucks does (mostly) over-roast. I have found their darker roasts ok if you stick to straight brewed.(They can't pull a decent shot) However Ethiopian does taste like dehydrated elephant dung no matter who roasts it. I keep trying it every so often hoping to find one I like but all I've ever tasted have that peculiar dry dirt/dung taste. Somebody must like it 'cause lots of roasters make it.

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barkingspiderFeb 14, 2007 5:06am
All Starbucks coffee tastes like manure to me. ...burnt manure. Prolly cause, like orangekris, I prefer coffee black.

I went into a Starbucks one time and had to teach the barista how to make a café Americano, and I wasn't even granted the discount I requested to compensate my consultation time.
(perhaps I should have asked for less than 100%)
ChoofMonsterFeb 14, 2007 5:30am
Ethiopian coffee does taste gritty, I don't know what dung tastes like (lol) but it smells bad in general.

Starbucks serves a purpose, I guess - it's very expensive in Australia and I can make better coffee at home with my cheap espresso machine (thermoblock, not a real double-boiler). It's not their barristas, it's the coffee which they over-roast which is the problem. At least they use Arabica in most cases.

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barkingspiderFeb 14, 2007 5:36am
It's hard to differentiate varieties when they're all roasted till they taste the same, why do they even bother with more than one or two?
ChoofMonsterFeb 14, 2007 5:40am
It's coffee for the masses - starbucks (and similar franchises) seem to spring up everywhere, and they are in competition with each other as well as established cafes. The more varieties they claim, the more people try - and find out they're identical, bar flavorings and additives.

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ListersmateFeb 14, 2007 8:55pm
I hate to sound bias mostly because my family owns and a small independent coffee house and tea room of our own but I have to agree with everyone in this post. Starbucks is just coffee for the masses and they don't care a flying flip about if their coffee is right or not, the main thing that is important to them is making another sell and you're really buying the name "Starbucks" or any other big name. It's just like Wallyworld(Wal-mart) taking over and not caring about the little mom and pop stores or family owned buisness. Your really not buying quality products in my oppion. If you want to do yourself a favor go to an independantlly owned coffee house, I bet anything they'd take your coupons just to get you to come back again to their establishment and I'm sure they'd appriciate your time and money than Starfucks, oops, Starbucks would.

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barkingspiderFeb 15, 2007 1:39pm
I think that people
Enjoy wearing their Starbucks
More than drinking it

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JeraDarklighterFeb 16, 2007 4:44am
I know that I definitely prefer coffee from independent shops... they are usually LESS expensive than starbucks, AND better... plus when you are a regular at a shop, you get to know them and they get to know you, and they know how to make your favorite drinks exactly the way you like them every time. Starbucks is just too busy, or has too many people or something for that to really happen too often (at least in my experience).

I will say that you know what to expect from Starbucks anywhere you go (and Starbucks is still better than an awful lot of places that purportedly serve coffee in Southern Indiana where I grew up... I'm so spoiled now that I live in the pacific northwest). Where I grew up, Folgers was considered excellent. Needless to say, I won't be moving back there.


Starbucks   11-17>|