# Starbucks - No Decaf After Noon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159 "2010-10-24T02:49:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/61 "2010-10-26T08:58:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You serve cups of coffee, you’re a waitress. A waitress waits on–serves, attends upon–tables. “Barista” or not, the girl at the coffee shop counter is _assuredly_ not a waitress. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/62 "2010-10-26T09:00:11Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > This was a teenage girl handing out leftover brownies at closing time. She probably had less formal training than a good supermarket cashier. As many people have noted, here and elsewhere, what she does is not comparable to a true barista. You need to give up on the naming when you’re an employee of a glorified kiosk at the intersection of two corridors in a mall. You at least need to have walls before you get called a specialized title. > > A Starbucks a block away from a Starbucks? Piffle. Lewis Black first hit it big with his routine “The End of the Universe,” about a corner in Texas with Starbucks directly across from another Starbucks. (Apparently there is a third there now, inside a bookstore.) A guy has a whole webpage devoted to [multiple Starbucks locations](http://www.gergltd.com/endoftheuniverse/). I can’t find a legitimate video of the routine, but search it out. It’s a brilliant rant. > > I’m surprised decaf sells so poorly. With our aging population, there must be a rising percentage of the population who is not supposed to drink leaded any more. Although they may all have the sense not to go to Starbucks and stick to diners, where the decaf always flows. And the name for the woman behind the counter is “honey.” 🙂 I was always suprised at how poorly it sold as well. I went out of my way to get some of the best decaf green beans available, and experimented with roast levels till I got it as good as was possible. But at the end of the day, we dumped more than we sold. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/63 "2010-10-26T10:19:54Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > While it is indeed “more likely” that people would want a pick me up with caffeine, there is still a market for those who don’t. Why not serve that market also? Read the OP. The market was, in fact, served. It just got a little huffy because of the injustice of waiting for a fresh pot to be brewed. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/64 "2010-10-26T10:58:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I used to hate their drip–always tasted burnt–so I would tend to get americanos when I went there. However, since they’ve switched to their Pike Roast or Pike Place or whatever the hell they call their new house blend, I haven’t noticed the over-roasting problem with their coffee. I’ve tried the Pike’s Place - you’re right it doesn’t have the burnt taste that their coffee used to, and it’s better than before. But it still doesn’t do it for me. Right now, I’m pretty high on Keurig machines - with Diedrich’s sumatra & Carribou as my preferred k-cups. French press is better, but kind of a hassle. Going out, I like Carribou, Seattle’s Best, and Dunkin Donuts. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/65 "2010-10-26T14:57:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You need to give up on the naming when you’re an employee of a glorified kiosk at the intersection of two corridors in a mall. You at least need to have walls before you get called a specialized title. AFAIK, the kiosk employees get exactly the same training as the ones in stores. They may not be good baristas, or well trained ones, but they’re still baristas. In the same way that both Milan Kundera and Dan Brown are writers. I may love Kundera and loathe Brown, but I’m not going to deny that the latter is a writer just because I think he’s a talentless hack who churns out trash that only appeals to retards with no taste. > [@](#): > > A Starbucks a block away from a Starbucks? Piffle. Lewis Black first hit it big with his routine “The End of the Universe,” about a corner in Texas with Starbucks directly across from another Starbucks. Yes, I’m familiar with it, and thought about mentioning it. But seeing as I hadn’t personally seen it, I figured I’d leave it be. > [@](#): > > I’m surprised decaf sells so poorly. With our aging population, there must be a rising percentage of the population who is not supposed to drink leaded any more. Smoking has a decent chance of killing you, and cigarettes still sell. > [@](#): > > And the name for the woman behind the counter is “honey.” Yeah, just like the name for the Black man at the train station who shines your shoes is “boy.” :rolleyes: [quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:55, topic:558159”] I find it very hard to believe that a coffee machine can’t be designed to produce a one-cup batch. [/QUOTE] Of course they _can_. But \*why \*would they? Do you go to Baker’s Square and wonder why you’re getting a \*slice \*of pie instead of your own individual mini-pie? Brewing each cup of coffee individually would be incredibly time-consuming. The point of brewing it in large batches is that it’s “good enough”–you sacrifice some quality for efficiency. If you want something brewed just for you, get an espresso drink; if you want something like coffee, get an Americano. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/66 "2010-10-26T15:16:43Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > The idea of a long coffee - which is what seems to be often the preferred version in the US, is commonly approximated by the Americano (no guesses as to why it is called this) which as has been described earlier, is simply an espresso diluted with hot water. It should be made on the spot. “Americanos” originated in Italy, where Americans would get served a standard espresso when they ordered a coffee and didn’t like it. So the Barista would water it down for them. Caffe for the American - one Americano, comin’ up! I was a Barista at Caribou for a couple of years, nearly a decade ago, and I think that holds true. I think I served unmolested shots of espresso to exactly 5 people the whole time I worked there. It was a pleasure each time, and a treat to serve someone who appreciated a properly pulled shot with quality beans. ---
**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 26, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/67 "2010-10-26T15:22:35Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > This sounds absurd. Now, it has been a while since I was near a Starbucks - they nearly went broke in Oz and closed nearly all their outlets here - but - Starbucks used to brew espresso coffee as the basis for their offerings. They initially used La Mazzoco machines, and were in large part the reason a US operation was set up by La Mazzoco. They later went to super automatic machines, but still espresso. Espresso is never ever made in advance. That is the derivation of the name. It is made “especially for you” on the spot. The coffee beans should be ground at worst only 20 minutes before being used, and the resultant coffee drunk as soon as possible. Certainly all the Starbucks I have seen in the past had supplies of their normal and decaffinated beans to hand. Not making a decaf coffee after a certain time simply makes no sense. > > That all said, maybe Starbucks has deteriorated even more than when I last saw one. Maybe they do just make up jugs of coffee and pour them into cups. No longer espresso. I guess given the mediocre quality of their product, and the clear lack of discrimination of the majority of their customer base this might be seen as a good cost cutting idea. Espresso and other espresso drinks, such as capuccinos and lattes, are made on-order using espresso machines. If you order “coffee” you get coffee from the drip-coffee maker. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/68 "2010-10-26T18:38:39Z")
My husband is a Starbucks barista, and his store doesn’t keep brewed decaf on hand after noon - it just doesn’t sell. Instead, they do a “pour-through” - they use a cone filter on a single cup (like [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Black-Filter-Holder/dp/B001796HGY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1288117487&sr=8-3)) and make it to order, but it does take a few minutes. It should be the same at most Starbucks stores; I’ll try to remember to ask my husband later. And yes, their espresso is ALWAYS made to order; it doesn’t sit around. The drip coffee (both regular and decaf) doesn’t even sit around very long - I want to say they brew a new batch every 30 minutes, if I recall correctly. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/69 "2010-10-26T21:06:56Z")
> [@AutumnLeaves](#): > > I don’t live somewhere that Starbucks is easily accessible Places like that still exist?😕 ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/70 "2010-10-26T21:20:26Z")
I can’t recall the last time I had a brewed coffee at Starbucks, but for what it’s worth I find their espresso quite tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/71 "2010-10-27T00:20:27Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Of course they _can_. But \*why \*would they? Do you go to Baker’s Square and wonder why you’re getting a \*slice \*of pie instead of your own individual mini-pie? Brewing each cup of coffee individually would be incredibly time-consuming. The point of brewing it in large batches is that it’s “good enough”–you sacrifice some quality for efficiency. If you want something brewed just for you, get an espresso drink; if you want something like coffee, get an Americano. You’ve got to pay attention to context when you respond. People are complaining that they can’t get decaf (or insert your other favorite slow-selling coffee here) because the coffee shop doesn’t want to make a whole pot and throw most of it out. Solution: brew one cup at a time of the slow-movers, on demand. Then every single fancy bean in the place is available all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/72 "2010-10-27T01:31:55Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Places like that still exist?😕 Here in Australia Starbucks came with much fanfare, and a few years later closed down almost their entire operation. There are no Starbucks at all where I live. Which is a city of a million. There are however good to very good quality coffee shops everywhere. Starbucks were way behind before they even set foot in the country. Those few (and I do mean few) are located where they get American tourist trade. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/73 "2010-10-27T01:46:17Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > They do, just not every retail outlet has them. It’s called the [Clover](http://www.chow.com/food-news/54246/you-cant-afford-this-coffee-maker/), and it costs over 10k. But yeah, the long and short of it is a regular ol’ 8 cup coffee maker will not make 1 cup of coffee palatable. > > ETA: Find a Clover [near you](http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/learn/clover)! Or buy an [aeropress](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GXZ2GS/coffeegeek-20), which does the same thing as a clover, almost, for $26. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/74 "2010-10-27T02:27:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > A Starbucks a block away from a Starbucks? Piffle. Lewis Black first hit it big with his routine “The End of the Universe,” about a corner in Texas with Starbucks directly across from another Starbucks. (Apparently there is a third there now, inside a bookstore.) A guy has a whole webpage devoted to [multiple Starbucks locations](http://www.gergltd.com/endoftheuniverse/). I can’t find a legitimate video of the routine, but search it out. It’s a brilliant rant. Still unimpressed. Why, there’s two Starbuckses just in the building I work in. (The one on the 40th floor has quite a view, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/75 "2010-10-27T02:39:13Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Places like that still exist?😕 Yeah, they’re called ‘Most Of America’. Get out away from the cities sometime. You’ll be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/76 "2010-10-27T03:14:14Z")
Mmmmmmm, I dunno about that. I come from a teeny tiny town in Pennsylvania of _maybe_ 18k people and they have a Starbucks and a Panera. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/77 "2010-10-27T05:32:11Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I’ve always enjoyed Panera’s decaf, but lately they don’t seem to be brewing after noon either. That is NOT correct procedure for Panera…They have 4 types of coffee; Lite,Dark, Decaf and Hazelnut. Each has a 1 hour “kill time”…half pots can be made in slow times. I suggest you contact the bakery/cafe manager. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/78 "2010-10-27T06:00:39Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I just want to make sure you know that “decaf” still has some caffeine in it. The decaf process still leaves a small percentage of caffeine per cup. In case you wonder why that second cup brought on a seizure! Oh, trust me, I’m aware of that – I didn’t say I had to go completely, zero tolerance. But I avoid regular coffee – decaf doesn’t bother me. And since my meds were adjusted, as of this month, I’ve actually been seizure-free for an entire year. (All seizures, not just the big ones) 🙂 [sub]Yes, I still avoid caffeine.[/sub] And even though it MIGHT be TMI, I usually say hey, I can’t have caffeine, I have seizures, so they make sure NOT to just be lazy and filter it. I’m polite and usually say, hey, if it’s a problem, I’ll just order something else. I’m pretty easy-going. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/79 "2010-10-27T06:40:28Z")
I knew a guy that worked with Starbucks in creating new stores. I asked why you see a Starbucks across from a Starbucks. This was the answer he gave me: You will see that happen in downtown areas - the high rise building will support their Starbucks independently of outside customers. In many high rise buildings, the offices contract that starbucks to be their coffee supplier. Also, it happens in some cases that a Starbucks has so much business that they would expand the cafe but usually can’t because there isnt any room to do so or the expansion causes it to fall under different building laws that are not as profitable for them. The only alternative is another location. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159/80 "2010-10-27T16:00:18Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > They are like the Wal Mart of coffee houses \ Their stuff is expensive and pretentious. Does not compute. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > And even though it MIGHT be TMI, I usually say hey, I can’t have caffeine, I have seizures, so they make sure **NOT to just be lazy and filter it.** Bolding mine. Out of curiosity, what does this mean? What exactly do you think they (the “lazy” ones) are doing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-no-decaf-after-noon/558159.md?page=5)