Starbucks Debate
At Instapundit, blogger Megan McArdle posted this about Starbucks Coffee:
In Starbucks' case, it's not the ambience that puts off consumers, it's the coffee. If only they roasted it a bit less. My colleagues agree that if they had another option they wouldn't buy Starbucks but, since there is a Starbucks on nearly every block around our office in the District, our options are limited. (Original post cited here.)
McArdle writes:
Personally, I think the manly thing to do is to drink the stuff with the most caffeine. And contrary to popular belief, that isn't espresso; it's regular coffee. (The longer you roast the beans, the more caffeine is destroyed.) Starbucks makes it even worse by overcooking their espresso beans. Anyone drinking burned Starbucks on the assumption that the smoky flavour must mean it carries a real kick--not so, not so. Char grilling is for steaks, not Arabica beans.So, what do y'all think? Aside from the fact that we were happy to join the 20th century and get a Starbucks, do you like the coffee?
3 comments:
I grind my own beans at home, but they are almost ALWAYS Starbucks French Roast brand.
On the rare occasion that I do have coffee outside of work or home, I usually opt for a quadruple-shot Cafe Americano from Starbucks.
I remember the first time I drank a cup of Starbucks coffee. The strong, bitter taste was overwhelming. When I asked for a bit of cream and sugar, I was informed that Starbucks is best served black. I choked it down. Today I sit here with a triple venti nonfat latte and a confession. I'm a Starbucks addict. I own Starbucks t-shirts, coffee cups, and numerous CDs. I even heard Tony Bennett croon at their annual meeting. I just wish I owned some Starbucks stock. And, yes, I do like their coffee.
Just another FYI. Also contrary to popular belief, there aren't "espresso beans". Espresso is a preparation method -- that's it. Hence it's like calling them "French press beans" or "Moka stovetop beans". Or "omelette eggs" for that matter.
And the reason that a shot of espresso has less caffeine than a regular coffee is independent of the roast. It's all about the extraction method. If someone makes you a properly short espresso, the bitter, water-soluble elements should be cut off from the flow before they make it into your cup. That includes a ton of caffeine.
Unfortunately, most people in the U.S. think they're doing you a favor by extracting the shot too long -- giving you a fuller cup, but filling it instead with bitter, watery flavor and a lot more caffeine than necessary. The art of coffee is in extracting the good stuff and leaving the yucky stuff behind. With regular coffee, vs. a properly made espresso, more of the caffeine passes through during brewing.
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