Am I the only one?

Starbucks has received a good sum of money from me. Call me a yuppie if you wish, but I've been drinking the stuff for over 20 years. Not on a daily basis, but if you average it out over the course of the past 20 years probably about once every week or two. That's gotten heavily biased because of a period of time when Starbucks was my breakfast while on a 6 month travel assignment and the company was buying all my meals.

My standard is a venti peppermint mocha frappuccino with no whip cream. On the weekends I'll make something like this at home.

I also like their sausage egg and cheddar breakfast sandwich, and sometimes get a chocolate croissant.

My standard coffee in the morning is some good coffee that my wife buys, with half and half and sugar.

eman1200 said:
because I didn't want to give up cocaine?


honestly I don't know. occasionally (rarely) I test myself to make sure I really can "quit anytime I want". so on Jan 15th I caught the flu and was down for the count for a full 7 days, no alcohol, no coffee, among other things. I figured since I'm already a week in, let me go 30 days with no booze/coffee. then for some (really stupid) reason I went 60 days. then realized life is much more fun with booze than without, but for some reason I just didn't start drinking coffee again. I miss it, but I'm not a huge fan of needing something every single day.
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I found your first answer you gave more believable than your second.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
I have never been inside a Starbucks.
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On purpose or just as a general self observation? I don't go often, but it's a consistent experience with good pastries and other good beverages.. many by my beck of the woods also have decent out door seating and allow dogs.. not a bad place to sit outside, have a sandwich and an iced tea, and bang out some emails with your dog on a Saturday morning

Gerhardt said:
It's popular to trash-talk Starbucks. I'm not sure why.
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It's the same reason people decide to hate anything really without actually trying it.. people have preconceived notions. People sh¡t on Apple products all the time too, but don't realize that the Macbook can do a lot more, in a stable, smooth, secure environment far better than their 15 year old $800 Dell Walmart special. You don't have to be a hippie dippie entitled Millennial to enjoy a good ice tea and slice of cake. You don't have to be worried about personally saving the environment to use their free wifi outside. Think it's too expensive? No one forces you to shop there. Mind you, I don't get the hatred for it or Apple's pricing... we live in a capitalist world. If there's a market out there for people to spend $100/wk at Starbucks, then I can't fault them for capturing that market. Just because the "actual" cost of something is X, doesn't mean that is also its value.. But I digress. They're an easy punchline

PS, I generally hate social media, but I'm on it and do use it for some things where it benefits my life, mainly for our local flying group page. Don't really use it to stay connected with friends since I already have a working phone that I can use. But social media is what you make of it. The blanket hatred of "I hate Instagram" is odd... there is lots of cool flying stuff on there, it doesn't have to be all politics and selfies. It is whatever you make it..
 
Sac Arrow said:
I don't like Starbuck's coffee, it's bitter. I really detest Peet's, which is even more bitter. Both are tolerable when served in the iced white mocha form. I usually have one of those a year.
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You’re water isn’t hot enough or your grind is incorrect fir your brewing method. Both are HUGE factors in bitterness of the brew. Specific roasts can factor in a fair bit, too, but by and large it’s how a batch is brewed that determines overall bitterness.
 
I have never been t a football game.

And I am writing this from a starbucks. I try to give my business to independent coffee shops, I really try. With few exceptions, I tend to bedisappointed with the result. Goofy opening hours, inconsistent staff, wifi that requires me to enter a 16 digit hex code...... In a starbucks, regardless of where in the country, I get a cup of coffee that tastes the same time and the wifi just works.
 
I don't drink coffee, or most other hot drinks really, so I have no reason to. I've been through them with other people including my wife, first time I went through a drive-thru to get her some kind of coffee like drink I was wondering why we didn't get a sandwich and fries with the drink for that price.
 
I’m not anti Starbucks. But every cup of coffe I’ve ever had there tastes burnt. So it’s not my favorite. There was a chain in Florida (possibly further) called Barnie’s which I loved. Starbucks bought the chain, switched all the locations and coffee to Starbucks. It now tastes burnt. I also liked Teavanna. Starbucks bought them, then closed all the stores. I’m glad so many people like them & their coffee I supppose, but I’m not a fan.
 
Starbucks' is a tool, not a destination.

Nauga,
whose favorite coffee is 'large'
 
I hate dark roast coffee, starbucks, unless you order their blonde and then it is ok.
 
I’ve had Starbucks almost every day for the last 8 years. Yukon, Casa Cielo and Christmas blend are my favorites, I won’t drink Pikes Place.
 
I think that Starbucks' success has made a lot of the fast food outlets up their game. I've had pretty decent coffee from McD's and Jack in the Box. I prefer a milder blend, with creamer, so it suits me just fine.
 
Proof to me that Starbucks is overpriced - the prices inside the airport terminal are the same as the prices outside.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
General self observation. I don’t drink coffee so never had a need to go. I hear they have other stuff but I hate the smell of coffee.
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My husband never drank coffee, hates the taste of it. But he likes the smell. Go figure.
 
I'm a coffe Neanderthal. Black Folgers is just fine in my book...brewed in my 5-cup drip maker that was a whopping $10.

I'm not a fan of really strong coffee. I tried various Starbucks offerings early in their existence just to "see what all the fuss was about." Didn't like any of them. Plus the prices were outrageous. I can drink a month's worth of Folgers at home for the price of one cup,

I save my money for more important things.

BEER!
 
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Hank S said:
I like good coffee. Good coffee is strong coffee. Thick, rich and very dark. This is achieved by using lots of grounds. I love, love, love coffee made in the Caribbean!

Starbucks achieves a strong taste by burning the beans when they roast their coffee. In addition to destroying the taste, this also destroys much of the caffeine that had been in the coffee beans.

Overpriced, over-roasted coffee isn't worth buying, so having sampled the wares, I stay out. Besides, I enjoy the taste of coffee, not a hint of burnt coffee buried under cream, sugar, whipped cream, caramel, hot fudge sauce, flavored oils and the cherry on top . . . .

100% Colombian, light roast, rules! And it's almost impossible to find anymore :incazzato: mostly due to Starbucks' influence.
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Couldn't agree more with the 'burnt coffee taste' comment, which is why I stopped drinking Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee years ago. My daily routine is to brew my own coffee at home and at work. My tastebuds prefer Maxwell House. My wife likes it as well, and when we're on the road and need a cup, it's 7-11 or nothing. They make great coffee!
 
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Occasionally, I have to make a rather long drive, so I'll pack drinks and food and eat while driving so I don't have to stop. (I know, you shouldn't be distracted while driving, but I pack easy to eat finger food that doesn't spill or require much attention).

However, I will not pee in a cup while driving, so now I search for the closest Starbucks when I need a clean restroom without having to buy anything.
 
redtail said:
Couldn't agree more with the 'burnt coffee taste' comment, which is why I stopped drinking Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee years ago. My daily routine is to brew my own coffee at home and at work. My tastebuds prefer Maxwell House. My wife likes it as well, and when we're on the road and need a cup, it's 7-11 or nothing. They make great coffee!
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I find this interesting because I do like Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee and wouldn't characterize it as "burnt" like Starbucks. McDonald's also has that burnt taste to me. 7-11 does have decent coffee now, when I was younger we used to kid that they were named 7-11 because they made all their coffee for the year on July 11th. If you got some that morning it was OK but the rest of the year...
 
I usually only go to starbucks if work is paying. It's just too expensive for coffee.
 
jsstevens said:
I find this interesting because I do like Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee and wouldn't characterize it as "burnt" like Starbucks. McDonald's also has that burnt taste to me. 7-11 does have decent coffee now, when I was younger we used to kid that they were named 7-11 because they made all their coffee for the year on July 11th. If you got some that morning it was OK but the rest of the year...
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That's a funny joke. Never heard that one.
I should have clarified what I meant with DD. I was talking about the physical temperature, not the taste. For some reason, every cup of DD coffee I buy seems to be extremely hot! Maybe it's their burners, or maybe it's just me.

Grum.Man said:
I usually only go to starbucks if work is paying. It's just too expensive for coffee.
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As far as the expense, it wouldn't be an issue for me if I actually enjoyed Starbucks, because I've never been a drinker or smoker. So spending a little more on coffee wouldn't bother me.
 
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I like Starbucks. When traveling I always know what to expect. A consistently good latte and pretty good eats in the pastry case. I don't get why it's so popular to get on line and proclaim hate about something as simple as coffee. Who cares? Americans used to stand for something. Now they like to sit around and ***** about something.
 
Stewartb said:
I like Starbucks. When traveling I always know what to expect. A consistently good latte and pretty good eats in the pastry case. I don't get why it's so popular to get on line and proclaim hate about something as simple as coffee. Who cares? Americans used to stand for something. Now they like to sit around and ***** about something.
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I'm pretty sure that Americans have always stood for something as well as bitched about SOME things, LOL.

10 cents to make a damn local phone call??? Are you kidding me! :D
 
I like the Cafe Mocha. I am not a fan of their food, but they do have good coffee
 
jsstevens said:
I find this interesting because I do like Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee and wouldn't characterize it as "burnt" like Starbucks. McDonald's also has that burnt taste to me. 7-11 does have decent coffee now, when I was younger we used to kid that they were named 7-11 because they made all their coffee for the year on July 11th. If you got some that morning it was OK but the rest of the year...
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That's because DD is watered down crap for the masses who really don't like coffee. "Burnt" is how coffee is supposed to taste. IMO.
 
paflyer said:
That's because DD is watered down crap for the masses who really don't like coffee. "Burnt" is how coffee is supposed to taste. IMO.
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I like strong coffee. I really enjoyed the coffee in Sweden and by American standards it's very strong. But it is not burnt, it's smooth. The burnt flavor comes form how far the caramelization of the beans goes in roasting. Once the sugars start to burn, it tastes burnt (acrid, smoky). If you like that, more power to you. Apparently many folks do. I do not.
 
Three years ago, while in Nashville, the "entourage" decided to go to Starbucks..
OK. I don't drink coffee, but OK.
So I ordered tea. Black. Nothing in it.
There was a collective gasp from the baristas and all the customers within earshot, and the entire place came to a screeching halt.
I pointed to the menu, where it said "Tea", and then waited for twenty minutes.
No one knew where the tea was located. All was chaos.
Honestly, I think they had to run out and buy some.
I haven't had occasion to go back since then.
 
Shepherd said:
Three years ago, while in Nashville, the "entourage" decided to go to Starbucks..
OK. I don't drink coffee, but OK.
So I ordered tea. Black. Nothing in it.
There was a collective gasp from the baristas and all the customers within earshot, and the entire place came to a screeching halt.
I pointed to the menu, where it said "Tea", and then waited for twenty minutes.
No one knew where the tea was located. All was chaos.
Honestly, I think they had to run out and buy some.
I haven't had occasion to go back since then.
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Cool story bro.

The only question I get when ordering a black tea at SB is whether 'English Breakfast is ok?' Takes a minute to make.
 
When I lived in Kotzebue the guys were always bugging me to make coffee because I was usually the first one in the terminal in the mornings.

So one really cold day I decided to be nice. I took the old filter out with that nasty yuck in it and threw it away. I washed the little plastic filter holder then put in a new filter. I then tore open a bag of coffee and dumped it into the filter. Hmmmm..... Looks like another bag will fit, so I dumped another bag in.

Ok, I know some of the guys like the powdered non-dairy cream and sugar in their coffee, so I put several spoonfulls of each in. I have seen a couple guys put a touch of salt in their coffee, so I put in a few spoonfulls of salt in. Well, pepper goes with salt, so I threw some pepper in.

I have seen some people put lemon in their coffee, so I hand squeezed a lemon in. Hand squeezed, mind you, not stuff out of a bottle. Then I added the water and turned it on.

The rest of the crowd came in about 20 minutes later and everyone poured a cup of coffee into that little Styrofoam cup.

And they all made gagging noises, ran outside and spit on the ground, right in front of the passenger entrance. Then they came back in and threw the coffee out.!! Those ungrateful bastards had the audacity to bad mouth me for making coffee for them..!!! Hmmph.....see if I ever be nice and make coffee for them again....
 
I used to hit a Starbucks on the way to work. I always like John Pinette's analysis. Good coffee but it takes to long. He stops at Dunkin Donut to get a cup of coffee to drink in the line at Starbucks.

I gave up a long time ago. Both my house and my office had Jura Capresso machines. I really prefer my coffee without milk in it most of the time but the mahcine will do that if I care to.
I got into roasting my own beans and my wife really prefers Kona coffee, so we have the Jura make up coffee that is 100% Kona (sourced from one of two favorite plantations there) that has been roasted in the past few days.
 
I have a Jura at one house and a Saeco at another. Both use Starbucks beans because they have consistent high quality everywhere I go. The cabin has a stovetop percolator and also uses Starbucks beans. My favorite cup of coffee is at the cabin.
 
Around 5:00 AM I brew my own coffee at home from French Roast beans I grind myself, and drink it black while having breakfast and watching the morning news. When I'm walking my golden retriever around 8:00, I have a latte at a local mom-and-pop coffee shop and sit at an outside sidewalk table to talk news and politics with other dog owners. Maybe once every couple of weeks, I'll grab a latte at Starbuck's.
 
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