Starbucks

Joined Aug 2004
2K Posts | 1+
Or as true coffee people call it Charbucks!


Why you ask??? - because they burn there roasts :shock:

I'll tell you why I think they burn their coffee.


There are 2 kinds of beans: Arabica & Robusto

The Arabica beans are what you drinking if you drinking fine coffee.
Robusto while not having the better flavor does have a lot of caffeine.
I think Charbucks uses a mix of both -
It is one reason their coffee is so strong!
Caffeine is part of why we get addicted to coffee.
The fact that their coffee is higher in cafeine than other brews
means once you drink it a few days in a row other coffee doesn't have the bang & customers are hooked!

Now the "Charbucks" knock you hear-:lol:
They burn their roasts to hide the crappy quality of bean they use.

This is by no means a fact - it is what it tastes like to me!
IMHO - Low Quality beans burnt to hide the truth!
Free the Beans!!!!!
CC :roll:
 
There was a note in the Business section of the Atlanta Journal Constitution that all local Starbucks would close at 8:00 PM, 2/28/08, for retraining.

Apparently, the "burnt" offering has achieved sufficient infamy that the CEO has mandated remedial training. Along with that is general cleanliness, and how to actually manage a good "shot, latte, or other tools of the trade. The first section deals directly with the flavor of the coffee.

Three hour module, mandatory for employees. Perhaps it will be the beginning of a pattern of QC that many Starbucks lack.
 
A good friend of mine is part owner of a local roaster here in the Birmingham area. They are organic/fair trade/blah blah blah. He told me that when they go to buy their coffee, they get there (whatever grower they are buying from) and get their beans within the first couple of days in the harvest. Charbucks comes in after several days of roasters like his have gotten the premium beans and buys what's left for as little as possible and sells it as premium.

To see proof of this, pick up a small thing of Charbucks whole bean and compare it to your local roasters beans. The difference will amaze you. Obviously, the flavor will too.
 
Local shops will always represent as good, or better, value than Starbucks. However, you will pay a little more for it. Starbucks buys huge amounts of coffee, and expects a discount for that volume. Many of the locals resent this, as they need a smaller amount, and pay more for it.

Premium coffee is determined by the type, and the results of the harvest, not the amount of time since it was harvested, within reason. Proper transportation and storage, render a few days difference in the actual purchase a moot point. It's still a premium coffee.
 
Ten years ago Starbucks was just the sith lord of coffee shops, expanding into markets served by independent local businesses and crushing the local business. They produced a decent enough product and they were consistent from store to store. Then along came the new CEO who wanted to cut costs and expand even faster. The downward spiral began when they had to support the rapid expansion of stores without a corresponding expansion of roasting infrastructure. The solution was roast the beans faster by using higher temperatures and the result is derisive names like Charbucks.

Last year I went to a Charbucks and ordered a "Doppio" or double espresso. The thin watery swill they served me provoked a strong negative reaction. They had just installed new machines and they were quite proud of being able to pull a shot in thirteen seconds. They simply could not pull a good espresso with these new machines and were clueless about it. Sure it's good for the bottom line, faster service to the unwashed masses who just want their morning caffeine fix. I go to Peet's Coffee now. Better coffee, better atmosphere.

Compare that experience at Charbucks with my experiences at Kaladi back in 1998. I was working on a contract in Anchorage over the seasons of almost winter, winter and still winter. There was a Kaladi on Tudor on the east side of town. It's twenty-four below zero outside and the crew inside sees me coming. They have three shots lined up waiting for me. Each shot timed at twenty-five, twenty-seven and twenty-nine seconds. They wanted to know which one I liked best.

Needless to say I needed someone to peel me off the ceiling an hour later.
 
 
  • You'll get better coffee at half the price at McDonalds. That said, don't ask me what I think of the rest of McD's menu :bigpuke:
 
In Charbuck's defense

Starbucks is in the process of switching the brewing systems which will likely make amazing changes in the coffee being offered. In the past their key was to make sure that there was uniformity between all cups in every store.

The new brewers they are gradually introducing are networked and can be programmed to make coffee based on the individual varietal or blend, its roast, grind, control soak time, pressure, temperature.

Look for great new coffee experiences from Starbucks.
 
Starbucks has gotten better than what they used to be, but you will still get a better bean from a local roaster, who is roasting by taste and feel, not by time and money.
 
I never has dunken donuts there its one in the getto so i don't go there ;)
 
I used to love Dunkin Donuts coffee - now it is terrible.

I will admit - I do like the mochas at Starbucks. I have them on rare occasions.
 
Definitely not a big Starbucks fan. I get coffee from there on really rare occasions and , like Kelvin said, I actually like their mochas.
 
I admit I skip meals on trips and drink Starbucks' vente White Chocolate Mocha. I've never really been happy with their regular coffee.
IMHO, Drunkin' Grownups' coffee has gotten pretty bad lately. It's not consistant at all from store to store.
We have a local company that has convenient-style shops called Stewart's. My daughter works for them as a marketer. Everyone where I work prefers their coffee to the big chains - and it's half the price. Stewart's also gives back to the community every year in a big way. Not so sure about the big chains....
 
it is almost a year since this thread was added to & Now after some care full reading & personal Bias , I have a reply..... to make a Great Espresso you need both robusto & aribicia beans & since CharBuck$ is mostly an espresso based drink manufacture along with Frozen sandwiches, cakes & CD'S along with the assortited cups , mugs & other "swag" , I do find the coffee a bit over priced & over roasted, I buy Green coffee from some on line shops & a local roaster , & roast my own , & haven't had to many complaints ,,, other than the wife hahahaha , I roast in small batches to a few different stages & taste them before I decide how to roast the batch,,,,, I buy in 5 pound lots & roast buy the pound. for home & 3 pounds for work, as we use it in less than 10 days , that way I don't need to roast all the time & the Bozo's at work don't appricate a good cup of coffee , adding cream & sugar to a fine coffee is DUMB & STUPID , adding them is just habbit,,,,, learn to appricate the art of a fine roast & great coffee bean. , it took me a few trys before I stopped the cream & sugar , but the easiest way for me was , start off with the mug of cream & sugar & add coffee all day & no more cream or sugar , buy the end of the day you have REAL coffee in your cup, & keep drinking it , , cleans out the kidneys & gives you a slight lift in spirit !
As far as coffee shops go I am an espresso drinker & for an automatic machine they are all OK , Ch@rbuck$ Dunken , Glori@Je@n$ hortons all make good coffee, some of the local owned non chain shops are just as good & some times better than the national & international chains, ,,,, Give me a localy owned shop anytime , you get to know the people & they know you , with the turn over in the big box shops you never know who is making your coffee ..... & some times you get an extra shot for free at the local...... especialy if the owner is a cigar smoker , ,,,, " trade " brings an old meaning to an old custom.... .......
I know this is about coffee but dammm what was the thread about? I don't remember & now that I have said my piece , or is it peace/ I have no idea , to much celebrations of Burns Night last night , watching it snow , sipping 18YO laphroaig, , listening to the Drums , pipes & Scot folk singers ,,, & that just made me sip a bit more .... Enjoy, Vince

 
I like coffee, but I'm not fussy and don't spend a lot of money on it. I usually use cream and a sweetener and brew it in a proctor-silex basic machine. I used to mix some expresso from time to time, but the last few years I've stopped that. Can't stand Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
 
I drank a lot of bad coffee in various offices, newsrooms and radio stations in my time; I think that's why I can tolerate Starbucks coffee-drinks, and some of their more recent (since tonygras's last post) in-the-bean coffee blends. In fact, the combination of one of their better blends and the Clover brewing machine they're using makes some pretty good coffee.

But I'm an easy-going sort who can be satisfied by just about any brand ... as long as it's 100-percent Colombian Arabica, medium-roasted, and still somewhat fresh when I bring it home as beans. (These days I'm drinking a lot of Eight O'Clock Colombian Peaks.) When I find a place that serves me anything better than what I make at home, I put it on my good-list so I'll remember to go back.