Official Starbucks sucks / Coffee snob thread

[ccpalmer]

[cdennisg]

I buy some basic, locally roasted coffee (dark or french roast) and run it through my little machine at home. Then I add one scoop of hot chocolate mix, and a splash of 1/2 and 1/2. Done. I call it a jailhouse mocha, and I do the same thing at gas stations or wherever I wake up and need a cup. Occasionally it gets a splash of Bailey's Irish Creme. Depends on what that day's plans entail.

I like the more expensive coffee, and will treat myself once a month or so to a nice big mocha at one of our local coffee places. But when the price pushes six bucks, I keep it to once a month at best.

Sbux is OK, but I have only had a few cups in my life. McD's is pretty good honestly. I generally avoid large corporate businesses as a matter of course, not just coffee.

Never had a sip of coffee until I turned 42. Always liked the smell, but never drank caffeine. I quit caffeine at 19 (a sixer of Mountain Dew a day habit) and stayed away from it.
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nothing

[raygreenwood]

[EverettB]

[raygreenwood]

[Pruneman99]

Regular coffee sucks. I do like espresso though. I have a cheap-o Mr. Coffee espresso "machine" that I like.

It makes a better espresso than Starbucks by a mile and a lanyard.

Only problem is the bulk market I would grind beans at have removed their grinders due to Covid.

[Abscate]

[The Sage]

[photogdave]

My espresso machine cost more than half the cars I've owned.
That's not a boast — it just illustrates how much I love coffee!
I'm not a snob and I don't refer to myself as a barista but after three years with high quality gear and ingredients, and really paying attention to my technique, I now enjoy the espresso drinks I make at home far more than the premium drinks in the local specialty cafés.
Next step...roast my own!
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[Erik G]

I like coffee. I have a nice espresso machine but honestly it's a mess and when I start working I just want an easy cup of coffee. we have a flavia machine in the office and it's ok. Since working from home in march I just use my keurig.

If I'm out and about starbux is convenient, and like ray said it's pretty uniform wherever you are. Iced venti americano 2 pumps classic splash of almond milk

[Xevin]

A bit off topic.

I find the evolution of food and drink in the USA interesting. In the 80s and earlier, America wasn’t known for great coffee, beer, and restaurants. Boy has that changed. I remember being in France 1990 and having some of the best bread ever. 20 years later in France with Xatie and disappointed with the bread. Going to Germany during the same time. Had some outstanding beers. Later on being disappointed in variety of beers available from town to town. Still delicious beer.

Starbucks- Lead to better coffee.

Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam- Helped Micro brews flourish and became a gateway to more interesting beers being produced. A lot of German brewers visit Portland for new techniques and flavor profile.

Cooking Channel- Made cooking hip. Helped raise the bar of the American culinary scene. Some kids now Idolize chefs like many of us did athletes back in the day.

Side note. I don’t know the answer to this. Take the same chef from a country or
region and have them cook the same dish from their homeland and cook it in the USA. Why is Thai food better in Thailand, New York pizza better in New York and pasta better in Italy? I’m talking about same chef and same recipe but ingredients grown in two different parts of the world.

It has to be the water and soil right?
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[OB Bus]

I have always felt that Starbux coffee tastes burnt. And yes, I take it black.
Locally we like Pete's if we want a "high end" cup of coffee. Or better yet the 5 local non-chain coffee places. When on the road and/or in a hurry Mickey Ds makes an excellent cup of coffee for not much money.
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[ALLWAGONS]

Kirkland (Costco brand) is the best!
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NON INFLUENCER APPROVED

[Zundfolge1432]

[empi3]

[67rustavenger]

[Abscate]

I’m a bum who gets my Gatorade from the dumpster in the back of Olive Garden
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.ssS!

[67 Florida Deluxe]

Starbucks tastes as if it is filtered through a dirty diaper as far as I'm concerned. I don't drink much coffee (maybe 1 to 1 1/2 cups) per day maybe 3 or 4 times a week, but it has to be GOOD. I also love tea. For me, I have a KitchenAid burr grinder and a KitchenAid pour over automatic brewer (because I'm too lazy/tired in the am to bother with a manual). I get my whole beans from a little coffee plantation on the Big Island (Koa Coffee). I only use distilled water for my coffee or tea because I want to taste the flavor of the coffee or tea without the minerals and I use non-bleached filters. I store my distilled water in my Birkey. I sweeten with either raw sugar or orange blossom honey (for tea) from a local source if/when I sweeten. If I want cream, it's organic 1/2 n 1/2.

Interestingly, on a per cup basis, I'm still saving over the cost of the Starbucks swill, or at least breaking even. And the difference is beyond comparison!
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-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental

[67 Florida Deluxe]

To add to my above comment, I once stopped at an In N Out Burger in Novato on my way north and got a cup of coffee. I think it was only $.50 or so. It was around 1998. For some reason that still stands out as a REALLY good cup of coffee!! By contrast, I was staying at the Ritz Carlton in Naples several years ago for a conference and my morning coffee (Illy, which is a really good brand) tasted and smelled like burnt popcorn. Being about $25 for the pot, I sent it back and the second batch was the same. Somehow, In N Out has figured out how to make FAR better coffee than the Ritz Carlton Naples AND sell it for a fraction of the price
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-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental

[mark tucker]

stardbucks taste like poop to me, smells like it too. it's for sure not fresh. for me it's about like a shiney painted junk 010 dist that dont work. but for some it's the bees knees and they just have to have it. remember there are some things that just cant be fixed