# Why is the coffee so weak in the States? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799 "2004-09-17T04:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/21 "2004-09-19T19:51:32Z")
7-11’s coffee used to rival hotel coffee in horrible undrinkableness. I’ve noticed over the last couple few years the chain seems to be making a definite effort to have good coffee. I have a Starbucks and a 7-11 w/in walking distance of my house. Coffee’s good both places, but 7-11 is cheaper and doesn’t have 15 minute wait times. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/22 "2004-09-19T20:29:14Z")
In part, I think that it tends to be brewed weaker because it tends to get over-roasted and you can’t brew it very strong without it becoming unmanageably bitter. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/23 "2004-09-19T20:39:54Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > There was a question like this asked a while ago. > > IIRC, since US Americans drink so much coffee (they walk around with coffee in insulated mugs), quality is not so much of a concern. A stonger espresso is too expensive contains too much caffeine to drink in quantity throughout the day. Espresso doesn’t actually have any more caffeine than other brews made with equivalent amount of coffee beans. [Here’s](http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html) aplace to find out all you ever wanted to know about coffee. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/24 "2004-09-19T22:44:13Z")
Where exactly did this idea start that Starbucks has good coffee? ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/25 "2004-09-20T03:27:11Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Espresso doesn’t actually have any more caffeine than other brews made with equivalent amount of coffee beans. > [Here’s](http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html) aplace to find out all you ever wanted to know about coffee. Espresso does, in fact,have more caffeine per cc. It is all about concentration not the actual dose of caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/26 "2004-09-20T03:35:43Z")
> [@1010011010](#): > > Where exactly did this idea start that Starbucks has good coffee? You would call it bad? It may not be everyone’s cup of tea (ha ha) but they put out a consistently good product IMHO. People don’t go there for the music. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/27 "2004-09-20T04:03:38Z")
People go to Starbucks for the packaging. Their business model is based on buying mediocre beans on the cheap and roasting them for so long that the caffeol is utterly destroyed. You may as well drink fuggin’ caffeinated chicory. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/28 "2004-09-20T04:03:54Z")
Starbucks coffee is heavily roasted. Some people taste that as “burnt”. It doesn’t matter how well they make, those people aren’t going to be regular customers. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/29 "2004-09-20T08:32:07Z")
I’m glad you asked, **roger**. In my case it was a weak woman who had weak coffee. When my husband and I first married, I took a thermos of hot coffee to school every day. The master of the house decided that I was wasting too much money on paper filters and the coffee itself. He “suggested” that I use the filter with the grounds left in it a second day. And being a dutiful and obedient wife, I did. Then he “suggested” that I use the same filter and grounds a _third_ day. What was I to do? I adored him, so I agreed and he made up a thermos for me. When I poured the “coffee” from my thermos, it was nothing but damaged water. It was at exactly that same moment that it occured to me that it would be even more resourceful if perhaps we cut back on the two six packs of tall boys he drank every night. My husband stopped drinking beer by the end of the year and I returned to drinking coffee that would float an iron wedge. Oh happy coffee! Don’t judge Americans by our hotel coffee or cheap restaurant coffee. Go some place where you can grind your own. Bed and Breakfast coffee is usually pretty good too. Or camp out in October and have your first cup of coffee outside. I must admit that I had the best cup of coffee that I’ve ever had last April, but that was in Paris. Everything is better in the spring sun on the Blvd. Mich near the Seine. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/30 "2004-09-20T08:39:47Z")
Nice story, **Zoe**. I’m by no means a coffee connoisseur, but here in HK we get good coffee Japanese-style from the Pokka chain of restaurants. They have a special apparatus that looks like it’s come out of Dexter’s laboratory which kind of percolates the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/31 "2004-09-20T15:23:36Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Nice story, **Zoe**. … here in HK we get good coffee Japanese-style from the Pokka chain of restaurants. They have a special apparatus that looks like it’s come out of Dexter’s laboratory which kind of percolates the stuff. When we were in Europe in 1960 the Expresso machines had a great, long handle that was pulled to produce the coffee. My friend said the handle had to be long so as to get enough leverage to extrude the coffee into the cup. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/32 "2004-09-21T02:22:21Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > When we were in Europe in 1960 the Expresso machines had a great, long handle that was pulled to produce the coffee. My friend said the handle had to be long so as to get enough leverage to extrude the coffee into the cup. Thanks, David, you make me feel young! I love the capuccino in Italy. Have my own mini machine at home which makes serviceable stuff. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799/33 "2004-09-21T03:43:00Z")
A friend’s boyfriend roasts coffee for a living. Second only to my husband, this man exudes the most heavenly smell I have ever had the pleasure to experience. And he makes the most wonderful coffee I’ve ever tasted. Please don’t judge American coffee by what you find in hotel rooms. If you go to the right places, you’ll find the good stuff. I promise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-coffee-so-weak-in-the-states/264799.md?page=1)