Starbucks? How are they viewed among the coffee guys and gals?

[David in Boston]

I like Starbucks.

First of all, the stores are clean, friendly and the staff have great customer service skills.

As for the coffee, I really enjoy the "Clover" made coffee.

I was suggested by a Starbucks employee to try a half Espresso and half Italian blend with my cigar.

Best cup of coffee I ever had.

 

[JPDyson]

Starbucks is a mass-market brand, and they tailor their products to have the widest possible appeal.
Coffee lovers appreciate them because they've introduced fine coffees to the masses and expanded a lot of people's understanding of coffee beyond the basic crap they get at the office. Coffee snobs hate them because they hate anything popular and talking about how much better some obscure indie brand is makes them feel cool (much like music snobs or comic book snobs or wetshaving snobs).

I think that most any mass-appeal oriented foodstuffs company is going to draw the ire of the specialty crowd. Generally, for John Q. Public to find your product approachable, you're going to have to dumb it down.

That said, and now to don my "coffee snob" hat, I take particular issue with the following:
"fine coffees": Sir, they are quite the opposite.
"expanded... understanding": Starbucks is not a good source of information for coffee production, nor consumption.

 

[David in Boston]

I think that most any mass-appeal oriented foodstuffs company is going to draw the ire of the specialty crowd. Generally, for John Q. Public to find your product approachable, you're going to have to dumb it down...

As much as I dislike mass culture etc and the herd mentality I have to give credit where credit is due.

Starbucks is a customer driven company that does a fine job of serving great (love the bold coffee blends) products.

Plus they provide me with a place to smoke my cigar.

 

[netsurfr]

"Char"bucks pretty well sums it up for me.

 

[2005xfr]

Starbuck's is ok, but to me their coffee is "over roasted".

That being said... they are just about everywhere!

To me Peet's Coffee (Berkeley, CA) is my favorite.

Their coffee is roasted just right (IMO) not roasted beyond flavorful.

Peet's - Great for people who want to enjoy the taste of coffee.

Starbuck's - Great for "dressed up" coffee. Their coffee is so over roasted it punches through all the extras.

 

[Rhon]

Over roasted is a great way to describe it. I prefer Tulleys or Seattle's Best. The good thing about Starbucks is you can basically throw a rock and hit a store...

 

[Jasonian]

As much as I dislike mass culture etc and the herd mentality I have to give credit were credit is due.

Starbucks is a customer driven company that does a fine job of serving great below-average mediocre (love the bold coffee blends) products.

Plus they provide me with a place to smoke my cigar.

Fixed for accuracy. I will agree with the excellent service (overall.. there are always exceptions), and giving the unwashed masses a place to go to feel like they are hip to good coffee. If we are going to be honest with ourselves, however, the products are not great. I have had a "good" cup of coffee from a lucky freshly roasted bag of a fresh crop in a French press at a Starbucks once. The problem, is that it was luck, and not the norm.

Anyone who cooks understands the concept that a recipe is only as good as the quality of its ingredients. The fact of the matter is that, except for very small offerings, Starbucks does not source, roast, or sell Specialty grade coffees. It may be "good enough" for many, but let's not kid ourselves into believing that it is actually "good".

We've seen in this very forum that Maxwell House is "good enough" for some. Does this mean that it is objectively "good?"

Just some food for thought. I don't hate Starbucks, but I do think it is important to recognize it for what it is and not for what it claims to be.

 

[Jack Straw]

Coffee snobs hate them because they hate anything popular and talking about how much better some obscure indie brand is makes them feel cool.

While I agree that there are probably many folks who just like to be on the Starbucks hater bandwagon, this statement just makes me think you've never had a truly great cup of coffee. There is a huge and unforgettable difference between beans expertly roasted to really make them shine, and what Starbucks sells. The key though is "expertly." There are a lot of places selling fresh roasted coffee that really don't know what they are doing.

If you don't have a good place in your area but are feeling adventurous, try a single origin or two from unclebeanz.com. Everything is roasted to order and mailed the next day by priority mail (after they get through their backlog), so you are getting the coffee in your hands typically 3 days after roasting. And man is it good.

 

[eastomjac]

ive been drinking coffee since i was 10,thats some 40 odd years(yes they were rather odd),and have tried about all the different way's to brew that they have come up with,i drink a 12 cup pot every day,and while starbucks is a decent cup and gevalia sells some interesting blends,ill stick with my folgers.call me old fashoned,butfor an every day cup you cant beat it from price to taste folgers in my cup.

 

[Erik]

If you don't have a good place in your area but are feeling adventurous, try a single origin or two from unclebeanz.com.

How can they be any good they sell in 12 ounce bags?

 

[GuitarGuy]

The same as KFC is viewed by lovers of fried chicken.

Starbucks is fine when I am in a hurry... But they only have one roast setting...

Is it the best?? Not by a long shot...

Biggest complaint?
The "baristas" at SBX are no longer true baristas... My pet peeve?? Asking for a "macchiato" and being asked "What size?"
A "macchiato" is a single shot of espresso marked with cream... It does not have a size.

They have created a gooey popular froo-froo drink - called a "Caramel Macchiato" which has no resemblance whatsoever.

Would love to find a place with a real barista.

 

[GuitarGuy]

Over roasted is a great way to describe it. I prefer Tulleys or Seattle's Best. The good thing about Starbucks is you can basically throw a rock and hit a store...

+100 on Tullys

 

[benvh]

I prefer a caffeine headache to Starbucks coffee. That is all.

Ben

 

[tlittle]

If you don't have a good place in your area but are feeling adventurous, try a single origin or two from unclebeanz.com. Everything is roasted to order and mailed the next day by priority mail (after they get through their backlog), so you are getting the coffee in your hands typically 3 days after roasting. And man is it good.

Are these the whole beans, or do they grind as well? I'd like to give em a shot, but I don't own (or want to shell out the cash for) a grinder for my french press.

 

[Blue Raccoon]

about like Bob Evans of McDs they are consistant location to location.. they aren't great but they are handy when traveling. I have been known to spend many long hours at Stauf's in Grandviiew (columbus), OH. When I should have been at work (that's what pagers are for). Sitting outside and enjoying a cigar and good coffe. I'm
particularly a fan of their Baba Budan Blend.

http://www.staufs.com/default.aspx?page=Home

 

[Jack Straw]

How can they be any good they sell in 12 ounce bags?

I don't understand this statement, care to elaborate?

Are these the whole beans, or do they grind as well? I'd like to give em a shot, but I don't own (or want to shell out the cash for) a grinder for my french press.

You can ask for it to be ground, but really that defeats the point - it just loses flavor compounds too quickly that way. It may still be pretty good, but it won't be "the same." I once heard that coffee goes stale in 2-3 weeks when in whole bean form, and in about 15 minutes when ground. Just in general, you will probably notice a large improvement in your french press by shelling out the $20 for a whirley-blade grinder and buying whole bean coffee from your brand of choice.

 

[Jack Straw]

Are these the whole beans, or do they grind as well? I'd like to give em a shot, but I don't own (or want to shell out the cash for) a grinder for my french press.

I just noticed you're in Brooklyn - there are a few places in Manhattan that sell Intelligentsia coffee, which is top flight stuff. Also there is Stumptown Coffee sold in some stores around Brooklyn, they have a roaster I believe in Red Hook and then distribute it, and they are decent. Also worth checking out Gorilla Coffee on 5th Ave in Park Slope, pretty good stuff.

 

[Go West Young Man]

While I agree that there are probably many folks who just like to be on the Starbucks hater bandwagon, this statement just makes me think you've never had a truly great cup of coffee. There is a huge and unforgettable difference between beans expertly roasted to really make them shine, and what Starbucks sells. The key though is "expertly." There are a lot of places selling fresh roasted coffee that really don't know what they are doing.

If you don't have a good place in your area but are feeling adventurous, try a single origin or two from unclebeanz.com. Everything is roasted to order and mailed the next day by priority mail (after they get through their backlog), so you are getting the coffee in your hands typically 3 days after roasting. And man is it good.

I'm in the Bay Area, I can't sneeze without hitting 3 independent coffee shops!

Lets say that Starbucks is listening to The Eagles on AM radio - consistent, predictable, ubiquitous, but not very challenging.
Small coffee shops are like obscure b-sides on a mixtape your buddy mailed you from Japan.

 

[jumper]

No matter the bean or the retailer, if somebody buys a bag of beans and asks the vendor to grind them, there is a coffee snob rolling their eyes at the back of the line. Chris hit the nail on the head as to why the love hate polarizing debate about Starbucks. I've been a home roaster coffee hobbiest for a number of years now and I still drop into Starbucks for a cup now and again.

 

[tlittle]

I just noticed you're in Brooklyn - there are a few places in Manhattan that sell Intelligentsia coffee, which is top flight stuff. Also there is Stumptown Coffee sold in some stores around Brooklyn, they have a roaster I believe in Red Hook and then distribute it, and they are decent. Also worth checking out Gorilla Coffee on 5th Ave in Park Slope, pretty good stuff.

I've stopped by the Red Hook Stumptown Location and grabbed a bag (mostly when other people are buying ). Unfortunately, I don't have a car so getting out there is quite a hassle most of the time (good coffee though). I'll have to stop by intelligentsia sometime.

As for grinders, ideally it would be nice to find something inexpensive and good quality. It seems as though electric grinders get expensive if you want a good even grind. I'm thinking I would like a small manual grinder (I'm usually one or two cups a day, so I don't need something huge) that can do a good coarse grind. Does anything come to mind?

Sorry for the post hijacking!