blind taste test : ammo for starbucks haters
March 20, 2007 by Cash
About a million years ago when I was just an unwrinkled pup frolicking in the yard of my first caffeinated experiences, Starbucks was an often hit destination to get my fix.
Then I tried my first decent cup of home brewed java (It was Lavazza, a brand that still stands near the top of the heap for me).
At once, any acceptance of the bitter, burned out brew that gurgles constantly from the rusted pipes of the Starbucks’ machinery ground to a screetching halt.
I was liberated, and have never looked back.
A bit of insight into the depths of my disdain? For Christmas my loving, yet somewhat misguided sister presented me with a $10 Starbucks gift card. (Which I proceeded to sell to a coworker, without a hint of guilt about the transaction.)
You can imagine my delight then when I stumbled across Around The Table’s recent recounting of a Consumer Reports taste test conducted at 4 of the nation’s leading chains.
Mc Donald’s regular brew beat Starbucks.
Decidedly.
Mc Phreaking Donalds.
Consumer Reports’ “trained tasters” visited two stores of each company, the magazine said. McDonald’s coffee was “decent and moderately strong,” while Starbucks was “strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water,” the magazine said.
Dunkin Donuts (whose incredible java I truly enjoy and often order online for home brewing) was also chastised in the review(?!), as was Burger King’s offering.
Read the whole story here.
I know someone with a Kitchen Aide Mixer… It’s real nice.
I bought a Gaggia Espresso machine off amazon and wish that i had done it years ago. After about a week of practice i get way better shots than starbucks. I saw an article on coffeegeek.com where they took one of the superAutomatics to 12 starbucks and did a side by side taste test. The (Delonghi i think) did better than the barista every time.
Good info Riaz, thanks for the advice. My own home set up is woe-fully unprofessional, but it still seems to get the job done far better than Starbucks
Is there any espresso in particular you recommend I try? I’m always interested in checking out new varieties.
Cash is always trying to make me drink coffee. Usually he combines booze with it to increase it’s appeal.
I’ve been trying SOOOO much coffee, and what i’ve found is that it mainly it needs to be a darker roast with a medium amount of oil, but as fresh as possible. I get it mostly from my grocery becasue i can get smaller batches than the chains allow (min 1/2 lb), it’s 1/2 the price, and i get to control the grind with the usually quite capable store grinder.
Decaf:
Asplund - Minnesota blend decaf ($8.50/lb) any amount
Starbucks defaf espresso roast is the tastiest ($15/lb) but min 1/2lb purchase goes bad in 4days and you have only indirect control over grind (tupperware helps)
Caffinated
Fair Trade - Depth charge blend
Starbucks Espresso
King Midas Blend (if you can find it)
PreGround:
I tried Illy and found it to be too coarsely ground for espresso. I’ll give lavazza a shot(sic) but i wont hold my breath for coffee thats been ground ages ago.
I talk about my experience with my espresso machine at http://lactose.blogspot.com
Here is that article of the super-automatic that beats the barista
http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/detailed/juracapressos9/overview
damn you guys really like coffee
Any ideas on a machine that will make a latte or cappuccino for me? Or even a good steamer wand. Cause my habit is getting expensive and I’m not talking about booze!
i bought this exactly becasue i was spending $5 a day on lattes and the machine has saved my wallet and makes better espresso and more foam that the starbucks.
$200? Damn!
I want to start drinking coffee because it’s so expensive. I have good taste!
Butt of course!
[...] We’ve gotten a lot of valuable information from our comments. Recently readers like Riaz (btw, why is your blog called lactose?) expanded on our article on starbucks coffee with a lot solid suggestions on different brands to try. [...]
You should check out Novo Coffee, particularly if you’re in the Denver area. I wouldn’t say I’m a full-grade coffee snob, but they have some great coffee. The coffee I’ve gotten at their location in the Denver Art Museum has been very rich and smooth– their espresso shots will make you feel like you’re literally buzzing because they are so caffeinated.
I’ve heard from friends that if you order the coffee online from them they send you out coffee that was roasted that very day.
Brandon, thanks for the advice. I’m actually ashamed to admit I haven’t been to the DAM in awhile and haven’t even.. GASP seen the new wing yet. A trip there is in my near future though, and I’ll report back on Novo!
[...] Yesterday I found myself on a mission at the mall with a sexy vixen whose company I quite enjoy. As we were leaving, she insisted upon stopping for a chai @ Starbucks. This gave her mischevious delight as she’s quite aware of how I feel about the place. Undaunted, and with her chai and my Vitamin Water in tow, we headed out hand in hand into the blustery afternoon. [...]
lol startbucks is rad!