Howard Schultz: How to Make Coffee at Home

**Danno** · 04-16-2012, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

I don't think many (any?) people have been 'fooled' into thinking it is the best ever. I think most people see it for what it is (the best brew available within walking distance of terminal Gate G4, or the truck stop in Peoria). It is often tons better than the local chi-chi shop, but usually there are a few locals that kill it, but often people are traveling, and just looking for something consistent and convenient. Starbucks fits that bill. Most people that hate on Starbucks are too young to remember what coffee in the US really meant pre- 1985. In general, it was fucking AWFUL, unless you went to Italian restaurants or French patisseries. Some espresso existed in major urban areas, but certainly not in the airport!
All that said, I am not a fanboi, I always have tried to find the local killer roaster/pression, but it's not always easy, cheap ( or always great).

Bingo.

Originally Posted by Moose Pit

don't have to remember
Attachment 114342

Or drop into your local gas station for a insipid cup of foldgers-esque shit.

Actually, no. The local gas station has come leaps and bounds in the last 25 years. Current "folgers-esque" gas station coffee blows doors off what it was back in 1985. Because, as has been noted, Starbucks raised the bar. Nobody expects gas station coffee to be as good, but it had to be better than it was to compete at all.

**Danno** · 04-16-2012, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by systemoverblow'd

There's a big difference between a gentle ribbing in one thread

Yeah, benny only gets gently ribbed in one thread.

**PNWbrit** · 04-16-2012, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by jfost

maybe you guys just have the exact same tastes?

Nah, I ski.

**systemoverblow'd** · 04-16-2012, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

Yeah, benny only gets gently ribbed in one thread.

By me he has. My comment was messing around with him in this thread. I don't follow him around and comment on everything he says like PNWtwit does to me.

**systemoverblow'd** · 04-16-2012, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by jfost

maybe you guys just have the exact same tastes?

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Nah, I ski.

Nah, he also likes buttsex with dudes apparently by the way he stalks guys all over TGR and slobbers all over their cock.

**PNWbrit** · 04-16-2012, 03:41 PM

I'm not paranoid either.....

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 04-16-2012, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

Bingo.

Actually, no. The local gas station has come leaps and bounds in the last 25 years. Current "folgers-esque" gas station coffee blows doors off what it was back in 1985. Because, as has been noted, Starbucks raised the bar. Nobody expects gas station coffee to be as good, but it had to be better than it was to compete at all.

So why does coffee at small restaurants suck so badly so often?

Had breakfast at this little place in Cle Elum on Sunday (for those not from around here, Cle elum is a small mountain town along I-90 about 20 miles East of Snoqualmie Pass) and while the food was really good the coffee sucked. Tasted like Folger's Crystals or some such cheap shit. This seems to be really common at diners - great breakfast, lame coffee.

**Danno** · 04-16-2012, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Dickeymotto

This is entirely possible. Where I lived in NY, everyone got coffee at Dunkin Doughnuts and it never had a snooty "look at me I drink Dunkin Doughnuts, I'm sophisticated" vibe to it. I went to a Starbucks here in Utard land and ordered what I always order at a coffee shop, 16oz Americano no room. The girl behind the counter (I won't call her a barista) treated me like I was fucking retarded because I didn't use their lingo (didn't even look at the menu as I always order this). Pretty much everyone in the shop (you know the ones that are writing a novel on their macbook/ipad) stopped what they were doing to stare. On top of that, the drink tasted like dog shit.

Not saying this didn't happen to you, but this is a common refrain that simply doesn't have any basis in my reality. My fiancee likes Starbucks so I find myself in one with some regularity. And I never, never ever, use their terminology. Small, medium, large, every time. And have never been given a funny look. The only thing they do, and they do this every time (I'm sure they're trained to do so for every order) is repeat back my order, but when they do so they use their lingo, not mine.

**schuss** · 04-16-2012, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

So why does coffee at small restaurants suck so badly so often?

Had breakfast at this little place in Cle Elum on Sunday (for those not from around here, Cle elum is a small mountain town along I-90 about 20 miles East of Snoqualmie Pass) and while the food was really good the coffee sucked. Tasted like Folger's Crystals or some such cheap shit. This seems to be really common at diners - great breakfast, lame coffee.

Some people just don't understand the difference between good and bad coffee, as well as the fact that it's expensive. As others said, Sbucks is consistently good coffee (not amazing) that you can get in a reasonable time. You roll into the Berklee/Boylston one in the back bay and you're in and out in 2-3 minutes during, 5 during rush hour. Most other coffee places can't do that while getting your order right. The only shitty ones I've encountered are those who get all snitty about ordering (I always ordered a medium bold, not a grande or whatever the fuck it is).

**Dickeymotto** · 04-16-2012, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

Not saying this didn't happen to you, but this is a common refrain that simply doesn't have any basis in my reality. My fiancee likes Starbucks so I find myself in one with some regularity. And I never, never ever, use their terminology. Small, medium, large, every time. And have never been given a funny look. The only thing they do, and they do this every time (I'm sure they're trained to do so for every order) is repeat back my order, but when they do so they use their lingo, not mine.

Must have just a been a particularly hip Starbucks or something. It was close to campus, so maybe that was it.

**PNWbrit** · 04-16-2012, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

great breakfast, lame coffee.

It's really tough to fuck up bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns and other breakfast staples no matter how cheap the ingredients or shitty the cook.

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 04-16-2012, 04:02 PM

The biscuits were made on-site and were really light and fluffy and the gravy was also made there and not some canned/pre-packaged stuff and was also quite good. The bacon was meaty and not some cheap mostly-fat stuff and the sausage links were as big around as a cuban cigar and several steps above what you'd normally get. So why did they cheap out on the coffee? I guess the locals don't care...

**schuss** · 04-16-2012, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dickeymotto

Must have just a been a particularly hip Starbucks or something. It was close to campus, so maybe that was it.

Really any Starbucks that sees a lot of business traffic is usually pretty good and non-douchey, as they have to actually work and usually are the A-Team in the area. The idjits generally work in the rural ones and burn their coffee.

**PNWbrit** · 04-16-2012, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

The biscuits were made on-site and were really light and fluffy and the gravy was also made there and not some canned/pre-packaged stuff and was also quite good. The bacon was meaty and not some cheap mostly-fat stuff and the sausage links were as big around as a cuban cigar and several steps above what you'd normally get. So why did they cheap out on the coffee? I guess the locals don't care...

Gravy. At breakfast? You Americans are nuts.

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 04-16-2012, 04:23 PM

biscuits & gravy with sausage = good hangover medicine.

It's a white gravy made with sausage drippings & chunks.

**Ted Striker** · 04-16-2012, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by schuss

Really any Starbucks that sees a lot of business traffic is usually pretty good and non-douchey, as they have to actually work and usually are the A-Team in the area. The idjits generally work in the rural ones and burn their coffee.

That's correct with the corp owned locations (or at least it was when one of my brothers worked there). The franchised locations (airports, hotels, etc.) are a mixed bag.

**userA** · 04-16-2012, 06:21 PM

still civil imo

my starhucks prohibition has sent me back to my original buzz in crisis situations, pepsi cola has reemerged in my life.
5-0 goes to starhucks in my hood so even better that i dont.
bobby

**schuss** · 04-16-2012, 06:48 PM

You see, now that I've been around more, I don't get the Starbucks hate these days. By all accounts, they seem to be a good corp. steward who make serious efforts to ensure proper sourcing etc. while delivering a consistent experience. Compared to a lot of shit-tastic cafe's (I'm sorry, but "BUY LOCAL" doesn't mean I'm paying you more to make me shittier coffee while giving me an attitude), it's leaps and bounds better, and a lot of cities and towns don't have good local places.
From what I've seen, the good local places don't hurt for business even with sbucks around.

Hugh Conway · 04-16-2012, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by schuss

You see, now that I've been around more, I don't get the Starbucks hate these days. By all accounts, they seem to be a good corp. steward who make serious efforts to ensure proper sourcing etc. while delivering a consistent experience. Compared to a lot of shit-tastic cafe's (I'm sorry, but "BUY LOCAL" doesn't mean I'm paying you more to make me shittier coffee while giving me an attitude), it's leaps and bounds better, and a lot of cities and towns don't have good local places.
From what I've seen, the good local places don't hurt for business even with sbucks around.

Perhaps it's because I've spent too much time on the west coast but I don't find many shitty local coffee shops around anymore.

**schuss** · 04-16-2012, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

Perhaps it's because I've spent too much time on the west coast but I don't find many shitty local coffee shops around anymore.

That's mainly it, or you spend most of your time in cities, where bad coffee is not tolerated.

**abraham** · 04-16-2012, 08:29 PM

for quite a few people I know around here they hate starbucks because of schultz's selling the sonics. I dont buy much coffee but starbucks has consistency which is nice on roadtrips when I just want a cup for the road

**Dickeymotto** · 04-16-2012, 08:34 PM

Its kind of like metal bands: the band might actually be alright but the fans ruin it completely.

**rideit** · 04-16-2012, 09:10 PM

I miss Jolt cola...the OG 'energy drink'.

**Art Shirk** · 04-16-2012, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

I miss Jolt cola...the OG 'energy drink'.

Totally forgot about that stuff. My Dad was a diabetic and would keep a bottle in his glove box in case he needed same MAJOR sugar. In junior high, I would get in the car before him prior to getting shuttled to school and I would pound it. Those were the days my parents got a call from the school.