# Starbucks coffee? Good coffee or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [October 31, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226 "2015-10-31T03:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/41 "2015-10-31T17:06:29Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Dear everyone that hates “bitter” “burnt” Starbucks coffee… Next time you are forced to go there (work friends want to go there or whatever) order an Americano. Treat it just like you would treat a coffee. I bet you like it. You’d loose that bet handily. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/42 "2015-10-31T17:53:15Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > You’d loose that bet handily. Probably lose it too. Please elucidate. Have you tried it? Because… I too… I can’t believe I’m admitting this… Hate the burnt taste of Starbucks coffee. And their Americanos do not have that taste. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/43 "2015-10-31T17:53:32Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Dear everyone that hates “bitter” “burnt” Starbucks coffee… Next time you are forced to go there (work friends want to go there or whatever) order an Americano. Treat it just like you would treat a coffee. I bet you like it. An Americanism is a diluted espresso. That’s my last choice. Yuk. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/44 "2015-10-31T17:57:23Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > An Americanism is a diluted espresso. That’s my last choice. Yuk. Yes, I understand you don’t like espresso. I’m not sure my post was really directed at your long thought out and researched posts. More at the people who go into Starbucks, order a cup of coffee, then drink it and say “Yuck, burnt… Why do people go to Starbucks?!” ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/45 "2015-10-31T18:07:58Z")
When I go to Starbucks I drink either the vanilla bean Frappuccino with raspberry (tastes like cotton candy), or a peppermint hot chocolate. I don’t think I’ve ever had a coffee there. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/46 "2015-10-31T18:08:07Z")
I tend to like Starbucks myself. I always get a Pike’s Place Roast and add skim milk and 1 Splenda. I’ve never thought the Pike’s was ‘burnt’ - some of the dark roasts yes, but some of them are actually quite tasty (Anniversary Blend for one). I find it better than Dunkin Donuts (meh) and McDonalds (only if I have to). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/47 "2015-10-31T18:29:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Guatemalan is not all that exotic if you have a good coffee supplier at hand. To rely entirely on what a chain will brew and serve is pretty limiting. Any good small-batch roaster will have 20 or 30 options. > > Myself, I find the African and Indonesian beans far better than anything from South America. SA became known as a source for relatively cheap beans of fairly mild varieties, and its “better” grades are only so in relation to the bulk stuff they produce. Once you get into the world of high-quality coffee like this, it really just is a matter of taste. I generally prefer Central American coffees the best, and then South American coffees. African and Southeast Asian coffees usually aren’t to my taste. At least right now anyway. My tastes have changed before and who knows they might again. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/48 "2015-10-31T18:34:57Z")
Ironically, I’m having a Starbucks coffee as I type this. And it’s at least in part because I didn’t get parking close to the nearby Peet’s. Sometimes convenience wins. So QtM’s professional experience matches with my anecdotal experience. I’ll often drink coffee I don’t like just because I need cheap and convenient caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/49 "2015-10-31T21:43:15Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Dear everyone that hates “bitter” “burnt” Starbucks coffee… Next time you are forced to go there (work friends want to go there or whatever) order an Americano. Treat it just like you would treat a coffee. I bet you like it. I will definitely give that a try. I tend to avoid Starbucks; even their “blonde roast” (which is supposedly a sop offered to people who dislike their mouthful-of-cinders coffee) is a little too bitter for me. I’ll gladly take Dunkin Donuts or McDonald’s coffee over Starbucks any day. If I find myself in a Starbucks (which often happened when I lived in the Chicago area, where there’s a Starbucks at every freaking intersection, along with a Subway and a Walgreens) then I usually get a frappuccino to sip while I sponge off their free wifi. I don’t begrudge Starbucks their popularity, and I get that people have different tastes and expectations with coffee. What annoys me is the widespread perception that what Starbucks sells is “real” coffee, and if you don’t like it you’re some kind of wimp who probably drinks light beer. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/50 "2015-10-31T22:37:04Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > It certainly did that in Australia last year, when they shut more than 60 of about 80 outlets here with a loss approaching $150 million. My favorable opinion of Australia and its people continues to climb! I have never understood the popularity/fascination with Starbucks. Their coffee is the worst mass-produced coffee on the planet. I can appreciate people liking things I don’t, but this thread is consistent with my personal experience. I know NO one who loves Starbucks, and most who go there buy something that is so full of sugar and fat, that coffee is an afterthought. Caffeine is clearly addictive, but you can get a much better cup o’ joe (and cheaper too!) at a dunkin’ donuts or even McDonald’s. So, my question is… Does Starbucks deliver more caffeine than most, or did they just happen to be at the right place at the right time? Certainly it is thought “trendy” to have a Starbucks cup in your hand. But as someone who just wants a good cup of coffee, I don’t think paying $5 for that Starbucks logo is quite worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/51 "2015-10-31T22:47:05Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > I don’t like it . Too bitter. Would it help to talk about it? ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/52 "2015-11-01T04:15:03Z")
I’m not crazy about it but I never buy it to go, only as an excuse to sit down, hang out, and maybe fire up the computer. I guess this is true of many of their customers, but all things considered I’m still a bit surprised their coffee doesn’t taste better. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/53 "2015-11-01T05:36:37Z")
I only go there for their expert mixed streaming music playlists. What’s coffee? ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/54 "2015-11-01T06:22:16Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > As far as ranking, from best to worst: > > — Specialty coffee houses that acquire carefully chosen and made roasts, many of them single-source > > — Chains like Peet’s, Caribou, etc., among which I would rank Starbucks at the bottom. > > — Keurig and other similar convenience-device coffees and fully automated espressos. > > — Fast food swill like Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s. Every cup of McDonald’s coffee I’ve ever had has tasted like an ash tray > > — Diner and food service coffee, which, really is the kind of coffee that was almost exclusively available in most of the United States before the Starbucks-fueled boom. This includes the Folger’s and Maxwell House-grade coffee made in your standard drip coffee maker at home or in the office. I don’t disagree with any particular point, but you left out home brewed, fresh ground beans in a French press. Coffee is a simple recipe, hot water and freshly ground beans, and with a little time, you can make for yourself better coffee than anything you can buy in a shop. Brewing coffee yourself is a simple process, and like a good hamburger, homemade with simple tools will yield a superior product. I will also state that good coffee doesn’t need pollutants, and bad coffee (_cough_ Starbucks) can’t be saved with them. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/55 "2015-11-01T11:56:13Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Probably lose it too. Please elucidate. Have you tried it? Because… I too… I can’t believe I’m admitting this… Hate the burnt taste of Starbucks coffee. And their Americanos do not have that taste. No, it has that metallic burnt water taste, shudder, I’ll take the espresso, which is not my first choice, first. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/56 "2015-11-01T13:43:22Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I only go there for their expert mixed streaming music playlists. What’s coffee? I call shenanigans. Anyone who goes to Starbucks knows the music is curated, not “expert mixed”. Expert mixed is what you get at the Home Depot paint counter! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/57 "2015-11-01T13:53:55Z")
> [@Dobbs](#): > > you left out home brewed, fresh ground beans in a French press Home-brewed isn’t a type of coffee though. You can home brew in all the ways using all the varying ingredients and styles that have been under discussion. And while French press is a very good method, my best cups of coffee have not been French press. > [@](#): > > Coffee is a simple recipe, hot water and freshly ground beans, and with a little time, you can make for yourself better coffee than anything you can buy in a shop. Maybe some people could. Maybe a lot of people could. But I can’t make a cup as good as my favorite barista who does it all day every day and it’s not necessarily worth my putting that much time into getting that good. > [@](#): > > I will also state that good coffee doesn’t need pollutants It depends on what you mean by “need.” I sometimes drink black coffee. I sometimes add cream and sugar. Sometimes I drink half the cup black and then add. Adding things to coffee is no different than any other choice one makes in food, based on personal taste and whim of the moment. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/58 "2015-11-01T14:13:41Z")
But, if you can’t snob it up about your coffee qua coffee, why even drink it? 😉 I take my percolator (on a long extension cord) out to the park bench where I brew and sip while I type up descriptions on an old manual typewriter of my Holga photos I printed on my own home made paper before pinning them up on YMCA and barber shop bulletin boards. Never cleaned it either. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/59 "2015-11-01T14:20:51Z")
The only problem with that scenario is that a coffee snob wouldn’t use a percolator, which repeatedly boils already brewed coffee liquor and makes it scorched. The automatic drop coffee maker was a huge improvement over the percolator. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226/60 "2015-11-01T14:41:01Z")
I know. I’m mixing hipster douche into the scenario just to show how silly people can get. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-coffee-good-coffee-or-not/736226.md?page=4)