Let’s talk coffee

[MJ5150]

We had a Starbucks open up inside a King Soopers grocery store here, with a preexisting Starbucks right next door to the grocery store in it's own store front. They are literally separated by about 20 feet and a wall.

There is also another Starbucks on the other side of the same parking lot about 100 yards away.

It's crazy.

It's like that here too. 2-3 Starbucks in the same parking lot. You're right, it's crazy.
I certainly appreciate all that Starbucks has done for third wave coffee, but it's getting to be too much now in my opinion.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

There's a sweet deal at Amazon for a decent espresso machine. If you want to get started making espresso drinks at home, learning how to steam/froth milk and so on but maybe felt the three and four figure prices for those machines made it not worth it, here's one for under $85 before tax, if applicable.

De'Longhi Stilosa Manual Espresso Machine, Latte & Cappuccino Maker, 15 Bar Pump Pressure + Milk Frother Steam Wand, Black / Stainless, EC260BK, 13.5 x 8.07 x 11.22 inches https://a.co/d/7R3aBPj

It's nothing special, but it's a nice little machine to start out on. Then you can upgrade later with all the money you save not going out for coffee.

-Mike

I actually got the next model up in silver tbh. Previous owner lost the portafilter so I got a bottomless one.

I don't pretend it's great, but I can make an okay shot I like to think.

 

[MJ5150]

I actually got the next model up in silver tbh. Previous owner lost the portafilter so I got a bottomless one.

I don't pretend it's great, but I can make an okay shot I like to think.

Nice find.
I agree, it's a fine machine. There's no real reason to upgrade from it until someone is ready to make more coffee more often than that machine can comfortably keep up with. Even then, I'd recommend upgrading the grinder as well when one ups their home machine.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

It's like that here too. 2-3 Starbucks in the same parking lot. You're right, it's crazy.
I certainly appreciate all that Starbucks has done for third wave coffee, but it's getting to be too much now in my opinion.

-Mike

You probably know how it goes - you never really destroy the evil empire, you just kind of replace them.

I'm fun at parties, I promise.

 

[MJ5150]

You probably know how it goes - you never really destroy the evil empire, you just kind of replace them.

I'm fun at parties, I promise.

I hear you buddy. I'll hit up a Starbucks now and then when there is nothing else nearby and I am craving coffee that fits their flavor profile. They do alright with drip, especially the Pike Blend. The blond roasts aren't really blond by my definition, but I applaud them for trying.
One Starbucks visit I recommend is to one of their Reserve Roasters. Now that there is a great experience where you can go deep in the weeds with the baristas and roasters onsite. The one in Seattle, on Capital Hill, we visit often.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

Nice find.
I agree, it's a fine machine. There's no real reason to upgrade from it until someone is ready to make more coffee more often than that machine can comfortably keep up with. Even then, I'd recommend upgrading the grinder as well when one ups their home machine.

-Mike

In all honesty, I like that it works when I turn it on.

I hear you buddy. I'll hit up a Starbucks now and then when there is nothing else nearby and I am craving coffee that fits their flavor profile. They do alright with drip, especially the Pike Blend. The blond roasts aren't really blond by my definition, but I applaud them for trying.
One Starbucks visit I recommend is to one of their Reserve Roasters. Now that there is a great experience where you can go deep in the weeds with the baristas and roasters onsite. The one in Seattle, on Capital Hill, we visit often.

-Mike

Ultimately a decent cup of coffee is a decent cup of coffee.

 

[salmon256]

Same here my friend.
In a related story, a local grocery store is remodeling a corner of their deli to open a Starbucks. It is replacing a smaller coffee stand that sold Seattle's Best. While not a full on coffee bar, they had drip coffee and a person who could pull shots and make basic drinks. It was a neat little stop for it's simplicity and not so bad coffee.
I was asking the gal in the deli yesterday if they were excited about the Starbucks opening soon. She said no and that most folks who work there won't be able to afford the drinks Starbucks makes.

-Mike

While I credit Starbucks for mainstreaming the whole coffee culture and bringing it to a bigger light, it has also sadly put a blanket if you will over the true coffee culture and espresso culture. I get a tad bit annoyed when people fail to realize espresso and lattes were a thing since 1800s even way more back by Italians. I also agree it only cost a lot, and I have nothing against those who enjoy it but sometimes I find it gives third wave coffee a wrong name or the wrong idea when people who are new to the third wave coffee scene they think Starbucks a lot. Also agree that it is way too sugary for me as well, I have nothing against the drinks I be lying if I didn't find their frappes good but to me it is nothing more than a sugary drink and again nothing against those who enjoy it, but I can not stand the sizing they made, a large cappuccino? Like what! Cappuccino isn't suppose to be large LOL! Ah but I agree with you all that they are important for the culture of coffee and if Starbucks was never around we wouldn't probably even be having this convo!

 

[salmon256]

We had a Starbucks open up inside a King Soopers grocery store here, with a preexisting Starbucks right next door to the grocery store in it's own store front. They are literally separated by about 20 feet and a wall.

There is also another Starbucks on the other side of the same parking lot about 100 yards away.

It's crazy.

Biggest complaint with Starbucks from me isn't even the whole coffee they put out (But I agree with everyone on here when you are are far from home and they isn't one local place nearby, they do the job!) but they make parking insanely small and they also put in drive thrus. When heading to school there is a Starbucks on this long stretch of road and my goodness there is always a line built up, on the middle of the main street! I just wonder what everyone is getting that they badly need it and if it is just plain black coffee I really question why they have to get it from Starbucks... but oh well I'm just being grumpy!

 

[definenredefine]

We had a Starbucks open up inside a King Soopers grocery store here, with a preexisting Starbucks right next door to the grocery store in it's own store front. They are literally separated by about 20 feet and a wall.

There is also another Starbucks on the other side of the same parking lot about 100 yards away.

It's crazy.

It's like that here too. 2-3 Starbucks in the same parking lot. You're right, it's crazy.
I certainly appreciate all that Starbucks has done for third wave coffee, but it's getting to be too much now in my opinion.

-Mike

Also -

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Most of what I see people buying from Starbucks after waiting through preposterous lines in the drive through with their cars needlessly idling the whole time is less coffee and what I would describe as “liquid candy”, AKA, sugar in a cup. I’ve been off of sugar for close to 40 years now, so the whole thing just seems bizarre to me on almost every level.

On the road, I don’t mind as I can get a decent cappuccino to keep me awake. Although on a recent trip, we had to settle for a gas station/mart that I didn’t recognize that had a machine that let you select your coffe drink and it ground and prepared it after you made your selections. It was actually not half bad, considering.

 

[pie_man_25]

...waiting through preposterous lines in the drive through with their cars needlessly idling the whole time...

I hate drive throughs. I don't get how people just make it a habit without seriously thinking about how absurd it seems on its face.

And what's more? I'm seeing ones built with two lanes more and more often. Is standing up and walking a hundred meters that inconvenient?

 

[MJ5150]

Most of what I see people buying from Starbucks after waiting through preposterous lines in the drive through with their cars needlessly idling the whole time is less coffee and what I would describe as “liquid candy”, AKA, sugar in a cup. I’ve been off of sugar for close to 40 years now, so the whole thing just seems bizarre to me on almost every level.

On the road, I don’t mind as I can get a decent cappuccino to keep me awake. Although on a recent trip, we had to settle for a gas station/mart that I didn’t recognize that had a machine that let you select your coffe drink and it ground and prepared it after you made your selections. It was actually not half bad, considering.

They have those machines at the Love's truck stops around here. They only make black coffee.
I agree with you, for what you get, it's good coffee. The trick is to punch up an order for a 20 ounce drink, then use the 12 ounce cup and stop it early. You'll end up with a less watered down cup of coffee that is quite tasty. In particular, the Ethiopian. I stop at the local Love's just to see if they have the Ethiopian.
Anyone else remember the coffee vending machines that gave you a cup with playing cards on the side that let you win prizes based on the hand you were dealt on the cup? I saw em mostly at hospitals.

-Mike

 

[roccobass]

Most of what I see people buying from Starbucks after waiting through preposterous lines in the drive through with their cars needlessly idling the whole time is less coffee and what I would describe as “liquid candy”, AKA, sugar in a cup. I’ve been off of sugar for close to 40 years now, so the whole thing just seems bizarre to me on almost every level.

On the road, I don’t mind as I can get a decent cappuccino to keep me awake. Although on a recent trip, we had to settle for a gas station/mart that I didn’t recognize that had a machine that let you select your coffe drink and it ground and prepared it after you made your selections. It was actually not half bad, considering.

There’s a site where the Starbucks baristas list the most outrageous drink requests they get hit up for. Here’s one. It makes my glucose levels skyrocket just reading it.

 

[pie_man_25]

There’s a site where the Starbucks baristas list the most outrageous drink requests they get hit up for. Here’s one. It makes my glucose levels skyrocket just reading it.

View attachment 5379040

I don't want to judge anybody's taste negatively - if somebody wants to drink something like that and is paying for it that's on them.

But,

1) I really hope this is a "sometimes" thing
2) how in the heck did they figure out all of that as a preference? Like, did they start with a basic drink off the menu and just modify it slightly every time until it became that convoluted, or did they just decide one day to keep blabbering until they see the cashier falling asleep?

I can just see it now, they take the first sip and immediately head to the front counter because there's ONE extra pump of peppermint in there.

 

[MJ5150]

My favorite coffee shop in town, run by the man some refer to as the Godfather of Espresso in Olympia who is a longtime friend of mine, has two drinks on his menu. Espresso, and espresso with milk.
If you come in looking for those foo foo drinks, he sends you on down the road.



-Mike

 

[PWolverine]

I recently upgraded my machine from a Gaggia Classic to a Rancilio Silvia. There was a bigger difference than I had expected in taste and end result. The Rancilio Machines are really great, built like a tank and I expect it to last a decade or more without many issues. I've been making my morning coffee, and chucking two shots into a thermos with milk to take with me to work. It really saves a ton of money and pays for itself.

 

[definenredefine]

I don't want to judge anybody's taste negatively - if somebody wants to drink something like that and is paying for it that's on them.

But,

1) I really hope this is a "sometimes" thing
2) how in the heck did they figure out all of that as a preference? Like, did they start with a basic drink off the menu and just modify it slightly every time until it became that convoluted, or did they just decide one day to keep blabbering until they see the cashier falling asleep?

I can just see it now, they take the first sip and immediately head to the front counter because there's ONE extra pump of peppermint in there.

It reminds me of when, as kids, we would mix everything in the soda fountain into one drink. We called it a "suicide," which seems like an appropriate name for this concoction as well.

 

[definenredefine]

I hate drive throughs. I don't get how people just make it a habit without seriously thinking about how absurd it seems on its face.

And what's more? I'm seeing ones built with two lanes more and more often. Is standing up and walking a hundred meters that inconvenient?

Agreed on all points. What's even more bizarre, to me, are pharmacy drive throughs. That's probably because I'm a pharmacist, and we're all trained to counsel our patients on their meds, interactions, etc. That's incredibly difficult (at best) through a drive through window.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

I am so glad I gave up coffee last year and got on Argentinian grass fed beef adrenals(powdered). The adrenals are a hell of a lot cheaper than my Italian, espresso roast foo-foo beans too.

The coffee was making me to wired and my workouts lacked, because I had this 'false energy'. The adrenals really streamline my energy better and give an overall sense of well-being. Incidentally, I drink a trickle of whiskey every night with a decent cigar. Thats my only medicine.

 

[MJ5150]

Agreed on all points. What's even more bizarre, to me, are pharmacy drive throughs. That's probably because I'm a pharmacist, and we're all trained to counsel our patients on their meds, interactions, etc. That's incredibly difficult (at best) through a drive through window.

I remember the Jim Gaffigan bit on drive thru's...
They know we're embarrassed to eat fast food, that's why they invented the drive thru.
Look, no one has to see you, just drive around the back and we'll hand it out the window.
That drive thru is pretty convenient, right?
Except for that final stretch to get your food.
Like, can you bring your building closer to my car?
Do I have to do everything?

-Mike