Originally posted by: Descartes
I go to Starbucks (*$) under the following conditions:
1) Someone else is going. This could be a friend, colleague, or even a lunch date. A lot of people like the atmosphere of a coffee shops, and for a lot of people *$ is the obvious choice.
2) No other options. This might be if I'm sitting in an airport for a 4-hour layover, a town I've never been in before, or simply a matter of convenient (e.g. if one is close by). Additionally, sometimes those local shops are far more horrible than *$. They'll use stale beans, bad equipment and undertrained employees.
I think that's about it. Their espresso is about as insipid as it gets, but it's more a matter of the equipment and training than anything else. Milk texture is a large part of what makes milk-based drinks like a macchiato, latte, cappuccino, etc. palatable. They almost never texture their milk properly. Again, that's just training.
They actually use high-quality beans. Their roast is not that dark; in fact, when fresh, it actually adds a nice character. I've had freshly roasted *$ beans before (as in a week from roast date), and I've pulled quite a few espresso shots using those beans. There's a substantial improvement, but that again goes back to training and equipment.
So, we shouldn't hate on them too much, in my opinion. They serve a niche and they server it well. They will never touch the quality you can achieve from your better "indy" shops (e.g. Intelligentsia, GimmeCoffee, Stumptown, Vivace, Hines, etc.), but they are better than the majority of what you find out there.
Originally posted by: Trinitron
There is a Star Crooks across from a place I eat breafast at. I always laugh when I see all these young people sitting outside (This is Florida, it's frikkin' hot ALWAYS) at 3PM sipping coffee, yapping on their cell phone and typing on their notebook. Then they getup and go drive away in a ****** box car.
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
There is a Star Crooks across from a place I eat breafast at. I always laugh when I see all these young people sitting outside (This is Florida, it's frikkin' hot ALWAYS) at 3PM sipping coffee, yapping on their cell phone and typing on their notebook. Then they getup and go drive away in a ****** box car.
would you propose they spend there time else where engaging in criminal or other degenerate activities?
Originally posted by: Trinitron
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
There is a Star Crooks across from a place I eat breafast at. I always laugh when I see all these young people sitting outside (This is Florida, it's frikkin' hot ALWAYS) at 3PM sipping coffee, yapping on their cell phone and typing on their notebook. Then they getup and go drive away in a ****** box car.
would you propose they spend there time else where engaging in criminal or other degenerate activities?
So if a person does not go to Star Crooks they are criminals?
Wow thats great logic.
I am talking working people (or maybe not work) in their 20s/30s. By "young people" I am not talking about teenagers.
Star Crooks! It's for the children!!!
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: Descartes
I go to Starbucks (*$) under the following conditions:
1) Someone else is going. This could be a friend, colleague, or even a lunch date. A lot of people like the atmosphere of a coffee shops, and for a lot of people *$ is the obvious choice.
2) No other options. This might be if I'm sitting in an airport for a 4-hour layover, a town I've never been in before, or simply a matter of convenient (e.g. if one is close by). Additionally, sometimes those local shops are far more horrible than *$. They'll use stale beans, bad equipment and undertrained employees.
I think that's about it. Their espresso is about as insipid as it gets, but it's more a matter of the equipment and training than anything else. Milk texture is a large part of what makes milk-based drinks like a macchiato, latte, cappuccino, etc. palatable. They almost never texture their milk properly. Again, that's just training.
They actually use high-quality beans. Their roast is not that dark; in fact, when fresh, it actually adds a nice character. I've had freshly roasted *$ beans before (as in a week from roast date), and I've pulled quite a few espresso shots using those beans. There's a substantial improvement, but that again goes back to training and equipment.
So, we shouldn't hate on them too much, in my opinion. They serve a niche and they server it well. They will never touch the quality you can achieve from your better "indy" shops (e.g. Intelligentsia, GimmeCoffee, Stumptown, Vivace, Hines, etc.), but they are better than the majority of what you find out there.
I'm going to be living three blocks from an Intelligentsia in about a week. My Starbucks days are over.
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
There is a Star Crooks across from a place I eat breafast at. I always laugh when I see all these young people sitting outside (This is Florida, it's frikkin' hot ALWAYS) at 3PM sipping coffee, yapping on their cell phone and typing on their notebook. Then they getup and go drive away in a ****** box car.
would you propose they spend there time else where engaging in criminal or other degenerate activities?
So if a person does not go to Star Crooks they are criminals?
Wow thats great logic.
I am talking working people (or maybe not work) in their 20s/30s. By "young people" I am not talking about teenagers.
Star Crooks! It's for the children!!!
it just seemed like you were mocking them for doing something psuedo-intellectual with there time.
Originally posted by: Trinitron
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: Trinitron
There is a Star Crooks across from a place I eat breafast at. I always laugh when I see all these young people sitting outside (This is Florida, it's frikkin' hot ALWAYS) at 3PM sipping coffee, yapping on their cell phone and typing on their notebook. Then they getup and go drive away in a ****** box car.
would you propose they spend there time else where engaging in criminal or other degenerate activities?
So if a person does not go to Star Crooks they are criminals?
Wow thats great logic.
I am talking working people (or maybe not work) in their 20s/30s. By "young people" I am not talking about teenagers.
Star Crooks! It's for the children!!!
it just seemed like you were mocking them for doing something psuedo-intellectual with there time.
Should I mock you for saying something psuedo-intellectual?
Hey it's their money. Let them spend it however they like.
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: Descartes
I go to Starbucks (*$) under the following conditions:
1) Someone else is going. This could be a friend, colleague, or even a lunch date. A lot of people like the atmosphere of a coffee shops, and for a lot of people *$ is the obvious choice.
2) No other options. This might be if I'm sitting in an airport for a 4-hour layover, a town I've never been in before, or simply a matter of convenient (e.g. if one is close by). Additionally, sometimes those local shops are far more horrible than *$. They'll use stale beans, bad equipment and undertrained employees.
I think that's about it. Their espresso is about as insipid as it gets, but it's more a matter of the equipment and training than anything else. Milk texture is a large part of what makes milk-based drinks like a macchiato, latte, cappuccino, etc. palatable. They almost never texture their milk properly. Again, that's just training.
They actually use high-quality beans. Their roast is not that dark; in fact, when fresh, it actually adds a nice character. I've had freshly roasted *$ beans before (as in a week from roast date), and I've pulled quite a few espresso shots using those beans. There's a substantial improvement, but that again goes back to training and equipment.
So, we shouldn't hate on them too much, in my opinion. They serve a niche and they server it well. They will never touch the quality you can achieve from your better "indy" shops (e.g. Intelligentsia, GimmeCoffee, Stumptown, Vivace, Hines, etc.), but they are better than the majority of what you find out there.
I'm going to be living three blocks from an Intelligentsia in about a week. My Starbucks days are over.
Oh man, not fair I've only been a few times, but my last visit remains firm in my memory. I had one of the better pulls I've ever had, and the latte wasn't bad either.
Black Cat is a great espresso blend, but it's hard to get it right. If you don't hit it with the right temperature and extraction length you completely miss the explosion of dried fruits. I still can't seem to pull a shot with the same intensity that they do in the shop.
In summary... :thumbsup:
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I've been drinking Starbucks Caffe Verona blend for about 15 years now, from when it was called Verona 80/20. I buy the beans and grind them myself just before brewing.
I enjoy it so much I decided to live in the Verona Apartments.
(True story, but only because they changed the name from Park Ridge after I moved in.)
Originally posted by: F22 Raptor
I loathe Starbucks as much as I loathe PF Changs, and I loathe PF Changs as much as I loathe Will Ferrel.
Originally posted by: latino666
Tim Hortons>Starbucks
The few times I went to Starbucks their coffee just did not taste right.
Oh how I miss my Tim Hortons coffee. Damn Cheyenne, WY has no Tim Hortons :|