Overpriced crap coffee in poncey coffee shops....
Discussion
I don't claim to be an expert on caffeinated beverages, but I have been all round the world drinking excellent coffee - some of which has only come from the place known as 'my kitchen', and I have to say that coffee from Starbucks, Costa and the like, really does taste, well, s
t. Very expensive st at that. I've only ever used these places when there's nowhere else available - an increasingly common occurrence, especially in the British town centre of the 21st Century - but now I'm just going to give up on them. Big queues, big prices, crap coffee - I just can't be doing with it anymore.
I'm well aware that Starbucks is a phenomonal global success story, but this must largely be due to superb marketing and factors other than the taste of the coffee, shirley? Looking around at a large number of customers in these establishments, I suspect that many are only using them because they don't really know any better, and can only compare it to the God-awful instant they make at home or at work. Oh, and kids who seem to congregate in there, like it's the new religion.
OR, do I just have peculiar taste in coffee? Maybe I'm completely clueless? Is Starbucks coffee genuinely highly rated amongst those who 'know their coffee'? Is it worth queuing for ages for, then only managing to get a seat at the final available, dirty, table in the joint. Am I missing something?
(And, yes, I am bored at work, but my assistant has just made me a 'quite good' coffee that has brought this post on!)
t. Very expensive st at that. I've only ever used these places when there's nowhere else available - an increasingly common occurrence, especially in the British town centre of the 21st Century - but now I'm just going to give up on them. Big queues, big prices, crap coffee - I just can't be doing with it anymore.I'm well aware that Starbucks is a phenomonal global success story, but this must largely be due to superb marketing and factors other than the taste of the coffee, shirley? Looking around at a large number of customers in these establishments, I suspect that many are only using them because they don't really know any better, and can only compare it to the God-awful instant they make at home or at work. Oh, and kids who seem to congregate in there, like it's the new religion.
OR, do I just have peculiar taste in coffee? Maybe I'm completely clueless? Is Starbucks coffee genuinely highly rated amongst those who 'know their coffee'? Is it worth queuing for ages for, then only managing to get a seat at the final available, dirty, table in the joint. Am I missing something?
(And, yes, I am bored at work, but my assistant has just made me a 'quite good' coffee that has brought this post on!)
I'm with you. A lot of coffee shops are good at marketing. Bad at the barista bit.
Personally i'd love to start a shop called Simple Coffee. Its coffee made simple. No poncy names. no poncy ingredients.
Just ask for a coffee with milk, or a really milky coffee, or a coffee with half fat milk, or a coffee with cream, or a strong coffee with milk. You get the picture.....
Personally i'd love to start a shop called Simple Coffee. Its coffee made simple. No poncy names. no poncy ingredients.
Just ask for a coffee with milk, or a really milky coffee, or a coffee with half fat milk, or a coffee with cream, or a strong coffee with milk. You get the picture.....
IMHO starbucks is particularly st and their standard of washing up is piss poor too, as is the fact you still end up waiting after you've paid.
the big chains in general have too high a staff turnover to have a competent barista.
all the little coffee houses are dying/have died out as the big chains move in.
t and their standard of washing up is piss poor too, as is the fact you still end up waiting after you've paid.the big chains in general have too high a staff turnover to have a competent barista.
all the little coffee houses are dying/have died out as the big chains move in.
Not coffee chains exactly but a coffee in particular that is a fowl tasting excuse for real coffee. Origin Coffee, this stuff is horrid, all the places down here in Cornwall seem to sell it just because its fair trade st! My favourite place has just stopped selling illy coffee because the local hippy swamp donkeys want cheap fairtrade! now I cant find a descent place at all!
t! My favourite place has just stopped selling illy coffee because the local hippy swamp donkeys want cheap fairtrade! now I cant find a descent place at all!Well, they don't really sell coffee as such, really. They sell coffee based drinks that are more akin to sweet non-alcoholic, hot cocktails. I mean, a caramel mocha with cream on top has no real relation to mocha at all, and even a mocha is a bdisation of chocolate and coffee.
They are stupidly expensive, though.
If you like that sort of thing, they're great. I have to say I'm partial to their confections occasionally. If I want a good espresso, I go to the bloke around the corner who does illy stuff.
disation of chocolate and coffee.They are stupidly expensive, though.
If you like that sort of thing, they're great. I have to say I'm partial to their confections occasionally. If I want a good espresso, I go to the bloke around the corner who does illy stuff.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Friday 24th July 08:42
Harry Flashman said:
If I want a good espresso, I go to the bloke around the corner who does illy stuff.
agreed, the independents who sell good coffee and can vary the grind according to the weather make the best coffeestarbucks stopped selling decent coffee when they swapped their machines for automated grind and shot serve ones
andy400 said:
I don't claim to be an expert on caffeinated beverages, but I have been all round the world drinking excellent coffee - some of which has only come from the place known as 'my kitchen', and I have to say that coffee from Starbucks, Costa and the like, really does taste, well, st. Very expensive st at that. I've only ever used these places when there's nowhere else available - an increasingly common occurrence, especially in the British town centre of the 21st Century - but now I'm just going to give up on them. Big queues, big prices, crap coffee - I just can't be doing with it anymore.
I'm well aware that Starbucks is a phenomonal global success story, but this must largely be due to superb marketing and factors other than the taste of the coffee, shirley? Looking around at a large number of customers in these establishments, I suspect that many are only using them because they don't really know any better, and can only compare it to the God-awful instant they make at home or at work. Oh, and kids who seem to congregate in there, like it's the new religion.
OR, do I just have peculiar taste in coffee? Maybe I'm completely clueless? Is Starbucks coffee genuinely highly rated amongst those who 'know their coffee'? Is it worth queuing for ages for, then only managing to get a seat at the final available, dirty, table in the joint. Am I missing something?
(And, yes, I am bored at work, but my assistant has just made me a 'quite good' coffee that has brought this post on!)
Well, we'd have to have some understanding of your coffee standards before taking your post seriously t. Very expensive st at that. I've only ever used these places when there's nowhere else available - an increasingly common occurrence, especially in the British town centre of the 21st Century - but now I'm just going to give up on them. Big queues, big prices, crap coffee - I just can't be doing with it anymore.I'm well aware that Starbucks is a phenomonal global success story, but this must largely be due to superb marketing and factors other than the taste of the coffee, shirley? Looking around at a large number of customers in these establishments, I suspect that many are only using them because they don't really know any better, and can only compare it to the God-awful instant they make at home or at work. Oh, and kids who seem to congregate in there, like it's the new religion.
OR, do I just have peculiar taste in coffee? Maybe I'm completely clueless? Is Starbucks coffee genuinely highly rated amongst those who 'know their coffee'? Is it worth queuing for ages for, then only managing to get a seat at the final available, dirty, table in the joint. Am I missing something?
(And, yes, I am bored at work, but my assistant has just made me a 'quite good' coffee that has brought this post on!)
.I've had people mona about coffee, only to find they drink instant!
Really!
THe company I now work at - I am the first person of 140 or so staff to have fressh coffee and cafitiere's bought in the monthly grocery run.
I have now 'indoctrinated' the entire 8 man IT team in the ways of freshly brewed, full roast, arabica coffee.
illmonkey said:
I find the same, but with tea. Its not hard to make, yet all of the coffee shops make such crap tea, its horrible.
How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Just quoted for posterity.How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Everyone one is talk about quality coffee and you want quality tea out of a bag.
voyds9 said:
illmonkey said:
I find the same, but with tea. Its not hard to make, yet all of the coffee shops make such crap tea, its horrible.
How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Just quoted for posterity.How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Everyone one is talk about quality coffee and you want quality tea out of a bag.
illmonkey said:
I find the same, but with tea. Its not hard to make, yet all of the coffee shops make such crap tea, its horrible.
How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Perhaps you should try a tea shop rather than a coffee shop?How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
illmonkey said:
...Must be the water.
Funny you should say that - I bought a black Americano at Euston station last week. As it was scaldingly hot (always a good sign.. .. ..) I asked for some cold water to cool it down a bit. "Sorry" came the reply , "our water cannot be drunk until it has been boiled"Nice
Deva Link said:
illmonkey said:
I find the same, but with tea. Its not hard to make, yet all of the coffee shops make such crap tea, its horrible.
How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
Perhaps you should try a tea shop rather than a coffee shop?How hard is putting a tea bag in a cup? I even use the same tea as them (at home) and mine are great.
...Must be the water.
The point was, they cant even get a tea right. Some of the fancy coffee's are harder to make. But tea, how hard is it, really?
Harry Flashman said:
Anyone else think this thread is a bit Zoolander-esque?
"Orange Mocha Frapucchinos you guys!!"
We should be ashamed of ourselves, really.
"Orange Mocha Frapucchinos you guys!!"
We should be ashamed of ourselves, really.
No! When I buy a coffee, all I want is decent coffee. I don't want it skinny, or mocha, or flavoured with random syrups, or thrice whipped, or stirred with a cinnamon dildo, or otherwise mucked about with or screwed up.
I just want decent coffee - and it's very difficult to achieve.
Maybe we've hit on something here, though. Maybe most Starbucks customers are so in to the flavours and other alterations that the taste of the actual coffee is a secondary consideration at best
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