Ripped off in Starbucks?

[jamesh75]

I've never had Starbucks, nor have I ever really wanted to.  I just can't see paying that much for a cup of coffee.  I prefer to make my coffee at home.  If I get a cup out somewhere, it's at a quick shop or McDonalds.

[bubbadave3]

Starbucks coffee always seemed a little on the burned side to me.

As it is, the darker the roast, the less caffeine there is.  Since I'm going for caffeine, I will order "drip" coffee at a place like Starbucks over a latte.  I'm also a fan of using the French press.

[Antimidas]

The darker and thicker the better.  When I was in the Air Force, we had a naval petty officer in our class who only had the responsibility of making coffee for one day.  When he used 2 1/2 pounds to make one pot, they stripped him from ever making it again.  But being a navy brat myself, i prefer shipboard coffee with the consistency of road tar.

I have a friend from Peru, South America that has brought me some fresh stuff back when he travels there.  I can use half as much as normal in a drip maker and still get it so dark you cannot see a 1 million candlepower light through it.    My kind of drink.

[bubbadave3]

The darker and thicker the better.  When I was in the Air Force, we had a naval petty officer in our class who only had the responsibility of making coffee for one day.  When he used 2 1/2 pounds to make one pot, they stripped him from ever making it again.  But being a navy brat myself, i prefer shipboard coffee with the consistency of road tar.

I have a friend from Peru, South America that has brought me some fresh stuff back when he travels there.  I can use half as much as normal in a drip maker and still get it so dark you cannot see a 1 million candlepower light through it.    My kind of drink.

I grew up drinking Turkish coffee, the type that you drink in a little demitasse with the grounds in the bottom of the cup, so American coffee is like water to me.

[Ming the Merciless]

Getting coffee at Starbucks is like asking a fox to look after the hen house.  Big expense, little satisfaction...unless you like to pay a fortune for a few cents worth of a hot water infusion from coffee beans.  You ask, "pay a fortune?"  Brewing your own coffee provides a cup--"Vente," or beyond, your choice--1/10 or less than the hit at Starbucks.  Then you can use the savings to buy lottery tickets.  Another wise investment.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Starbucks doesn't sell New Orleans dark roast with chicory--that's the best you can get.  They have a long way to go to serve cafe au lait with beignets. 

[marty22]

I have cut out Starbucks except for the occasional afternoon 3pm meeting and then it's still $8 for 2 cafe au laits or something. Remember: The sandwiches are delivered at 2am the day before. They are not fresh according to people Ive spoken to.

[Baldboss]

They have a long way to go to serve cafe au lait with beignets. 

Cafe du Monde...

[Bolohead]

I never feel ripped off at Starbucks, because you know the price if high when you walk in the doors.  You glance under the glass at the pastries etc, and see $1.99 or so for what seem's like a little sliver of round cake etc.  You have the option of buying or walking.  My wife and I enjoy Starbucks because its pretty much not where your gonna be bothered by socker mom with a screaming infant or pack of rug rats running amuck of the place.

[Antimidas]

Late follow-up, but I could not resist.  I got this little diddy in my email today.

Starbucks Corp. is raising prices on certain harder-to-make beverages — and cutting the costs for simpler ones like a plain cup of coffee, the company said Thursday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32498075/ns/business-consumer_news/

[andrew]

Coffee is my hobby....  I have a small commerical roaster and roast my beans once every week.  I get premium green beans from sweetmarias.com in Oakland, CA.  I have a commerical grade grinder and only grind right before brewing, as coffee begins to go stale 40 seconds after grinding.  The beans begin to go stale starting at about 10 days after roasting. I normally give away left-over beans every week (7  - 10 days old) and keep the freshest ones for my family.

All of this may seem a little extreme, but I've been told many times that my coffee is "the best they've ever had".  I'm told that one neighbor hides my coffee from the rest of his family, stockpiling it for himself.

There are actually many factors that are involved in making great coffee.  It starts with premium green  beans, then proper roasting, proper grinding, filtered water, and of course proper brewing.  Believe it or not there is so much that can go wrong with any one of these steps, which is why so much lousy coffee is served even in nice restaurants.   

As far as Charbucks, it's ok, but they really do burn their beans.  I also think they mix in cheaper beans that have higher amounts of caffeine, as I'm always very wired after drinking a cup of charbucks.  The better beans, Arabica, have less caffeine than the cheaper beans, robusto, which are used in the big box brands.

Anyway, I rarely drink Starbucks, but it's actually better than the other 4 coffee houses in our town.  I've dumped my coffee out at all the others in town.  There is only one coffee house (which is in Rhode Island) whose coffee I love, and they roast on site.

[Bald Kahuna]

Andrew- I'm with you. My wife & me had a coffee house in Bend, OR, for ten years called the Cafe Paradiso- named after the movie Cinema Paradiso, a great renter flick.
We had a very unique set-up called the "brew bar"- based on the Melitta power-over process. In a stainless steel unit we lined up 5 Melitta plastic holders and when customer would order we had a choice of four very fresh ground beans, we would do the pour-over and they would take the cup out from their side of the counter- we gaot raves on our coffees which we shipped in from a great Roaster; Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co. in Santa Cruz, CA. The world continues to crave great coffee and hand-crafted beers- I'll drink to that!

[Duffman]

Just give me that Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry!  $178 a pound!  Yeah!!!         Actually, the only thing I like from Starbucks is they have a green tea frappuccino that tastes like sweetened matcha (Japanese bitter green tea) with milk.  Pretty tasty, if you ask me.

[Larry]

I buy green coffee beans from different parts of the world, roast up a couple of days worth of beans then grind them up as I need them.  There's no way starbucks can be any better than that at those prices.  I usually pay  between $3.50 to $4.50 a pound for the beans and it doesn't get any fresher with nothing added to increase shelf life.  Roasted coffee beans can only sit around for a week then they get bitter and undrinkable.  Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry sells for $23 a pound but too expensive for me considering I might not even like it.

[buddha]

Starbucks doesn't sell New Orleans dark roast with chicory--that's the best you can get.  They have a long way to go to serve cafe au lait with beignets. 

Amen! Got introduced to chicory at a place in Longmont, CO called Lucille's. So strong and yet so smooth. Makes my mouth water to remember it. Now, I know it's not like being in New Orleans but it really set the hook in me. Lucille's also has a place in Boulder in case anybody out west decides to check it out.
Since that first day my wife and I order dark roast with chicory from a place in New Orleans called The Orleans Coffee Company. This stuff is dark and delicious. Friends of mine don't like it, they say it is too strong. That's cool, I get to finish the pot. Also works great in a press.
I can't stand it when you pick up a full pot of coffee to use as a magnifying glass to read the paper. Yeah, so times are tough! If I can't even get a decent cuppa joe because the economy's in the tank it's time to check the f^@& out!
Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away. I'll be quiet now.