I love Starbucks...

[MntnMan62]

Cool.

I often travel for work, and find myself in need of coffee on the road. The usual options are Tim Hortons, gas station coffee, and fast food outlets (A&W and the occasional McDonalds). Well, compared to that ... Starbucks is about as "good" as I'm going to do in those situations (and has the added benefit of often being stuck inside a Safeway grocery store, so I can get some cheese and meat at the same time, and I'm fed and caffeinated all at the same time.

I'll take Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks every day of the week.

 

[Doc4]

I'll take Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks every day of the week.

The closest we can get here is Tim Hortons ... and that's no D.D.

 

[86-foxtrot]

I don't find myself going into a Starbucks store that much anymore. However, I do buy their whole beans and have it ground in the store. Their French Roast, Italian Roast, and Komodo Dragon beans are some of my favorite of any coffee I have tried.

 

[Mick]

I don't find myself going into a Starbucks store that much anymore. However, I do buy their whole beans and have it ground in the store. Their French Roast, Italian Roast, and Komodo Dragon beans are some of my favorite of any coffee I have tried.

See if any of these artisan roasters are near to you.

https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2014/april/best-coffee-roasters-in-dallas/

The issue with "store" coffee (regardless of which store) is freshness. Coffee is like fish. After a couple of weeks it loses its appeal.

 

[211bma]

The issue with "store" coffee (regardless of which store) is freshness. Coffee is like fish. After a couple of weeks it loses its appeal.

This is why I roast my own, and steer clear of the mermaid!

 

[Mick]

This is why I roast my own, and steer clear of the mermaid!

Been doing this for quite a while myself.

 

[211bma]

Been doing this for quite a while myself.

My Brother!

 

[Mick]

I've got 3 roasters scattered around the country.

Most people pack clothing when they travel. I pack green coffee as I can always hit goodwill should I need extra clothing

 

[86-foxtrot]

@Mick, that's an impressive setup. I don't have the space nor funds to have something that grandiose.

 

[Mick]

@Mick, that's an impressive setup. I don't have the space nor funds to have something that grandiose.

I am deep into coffee roasting.

For most people a Behmor roaster is more than enough to satisfy their coffee desires. This is the one I use up at our cabin in the great white north

 

[TropicalHotDogNight]

My university has a Starbucks, so I go there whenever I have gift cards. Due to its popularity, the line is usually 15-30 people long, and it can take a good 45 minutes to get your drink, but I don't mind this, because I usually have several hours to kill, in between classes. If I want coffee, I usually go elsewhere. Starbucks is great for Frappucinos. I just wish they were less expensive.

As a change of pace, I've been having iced macchiatos lately. Now I understand why Starbucks is disliked. If you don't mix up the drink, you can taste the milk on the bottom and the coffee on the top. The coffee is really bitter, and almost undrinkable by itself.

 

[TropicalHotDogNight]

By the way, my university had the brilliant idea to shut down the campus Starbucks, halfway into a semester, to remodel it. After the remodel, it's basically exactly the same as it was before. The only difference is that they changed the layout of the store so that the cash registers are further from the door, and orders are served closer to the door. I don't understand why they went to all of the trouble, and why they would choose to have the store closed during the more stressful half of a semester.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Chuck E Cheese probably has better coffee than Tarmucks.