@chucklebuck: What do you think of all of these comments?

If you compare their product to your typical grocery store canned coffee made from Robusta beans then it is far superior. But if you compare Starbucks' product to a well roasted and quality Arabica blend you'll find that Starbucks coffee isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Yes, Starbucks coffee tastes burnt - it's that "special" roasting process. But canned Robusta coffee; nasty stuff, it tastes like burning rubber smells.

Go ahead and drink the coffee that suits your taste. Just be aware that if you've chosen Starbucks because it's the best then you're missing out on what good coffee is all about.

@ChuckECheese: I agree 100% with your description of the taste.

They charged me the $1.60-something anyway, because their registers aren't programmed with the new price. The coffee, IMO, is worse than their others. It seems just like SB coffee, but weaker. It smells weaker, it tastes watery. It doesn't taste like a full-bodied, lighter roast, it tastes like a dark roast brewed in more water. I prefer lighter roasts, and this wasn't it.

It is acid and bitter with little aroma and a watery texture. What aroma there was reminded me of the 70's percolator my parents drank coffee out of all day.

This location still doesn't have any free Wi-Fi, just the same-old overpriced T-Mobile subscriptions, and free roaming if you have certain AT&T accounts. I was the only customer in the place until a middle-aged couple drove up in a Mercedes SUV and walked in, wearing matching warm-up suits. I felt like I was in Boca, except all the Cubans are Mexican.

Welcome Aboard Pike's Peak blend, my new friend ;)

I went this morning at 9:05 and was rudely told that the samples were only from noon to noon-thirty not nine to nine-thirty as advertised on the radio and other news outlets.

Rude baristas (coffee schlepers)= my business going somewhere else!

@tdogg241: Thank you! Whenever I see or hear "Pike's Place" I want to rip my hair out.

Pike. Place. SINGULAR. It's the name of a street, so it's like the "First Avenue Market"-- the "PIKE PLACE Market." You wouldn't say the "First's Avenue Market" so why would you say the "Pike's Place Market."

That's right. You wouldn't.

/rant

@firesign: Yeah I'm drinking some right now and I would say that is an accurate description.

HUZZAH!!!!!!! That right there will make me drink it. Fresh Coffee = Pure Win

Oh, also, what's the big deal with Dunkin' Donuts' coffee? Every time I have gotten some, it has tasted metallic. Do not want.

I'm hit or miss with Starbucks' coffee. I appreciate the drinkability, caffeine content and opacity a helluva lot more than the free coffee here at work (Folgers' freeze-dried, vacuum packed "single pot serving", my ass.) However, between Starbucks and the stuff I make, I go for the home team. I don't always have enough time to make it before running out the door, hence the Bux. Also, it varies whether or not I get a really tasty cup, or if there's the slight "burnt" taste. It's still better than the crap in the breakroom.
I'm wondering if what they mean by "everyday coffee" is that it will be "on tap" every day, instead of being switched out on a schedule like their other varieties. That might be nice, if I like this new stuff. I'm still trying to get up earlier so that it won't matter.

Now if they would just institute a coffee-by-the-ounce pricing, people will be able to walk in with mugs and get coffee just like home. Perfect for the college student on the go.

"subtle, rich flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts."

That sounds suspiciuosly like Dunkin Donuts coffee.

are there really people out there that won't drink "breakfast blend" at times other then in the morning?

@Tejas: Years ago at a mall in Mishawaka, Indiana, there was a coffee store called Gloria Jean's Coffee Bean. Maybe it's still there; I dunno.

i related my one experience from starbucks in the USA - i have also had starbucks in Canada, China, UK and Australia, and every coffee was mediocre at best.

I prefer gloria jeans caramel lattes than star bucks caramel lattes, however the best purchise i made was a nespresso (www.nespresso.com) machine. great coffee at home.

@Shmonkmonk:

Can I base my experience on having Starbucks in over 20 states and 3 countries (and having worked at 2 as a teenager)???

The brewed coffee sucks balls. The espresso and related drinks are pretty good.

I will say that though I dislike the regular coffee in Starbucks, they make a great White Mocha. So they got that going for them, which is nice.

you are on The List.

I'm not a fan of Starbucks, but I'll give them credit for making changes that actually deal with the quality of the product. most companies tend to slap a whitewash up and call it golden.

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on coffee makers:[online.wsj.com]

My favorite is the new Illy Hyper Espresso machine that uses coffee pods.

More important, in my opinion, is that the beans are optimized for shelf life. They're roasted in a few massive, centralized facilities at some indeterminate time in the past. You'll never see a real bloom in a French press using beans from Starbucks. That's a important byproduct of days-old, CO2-rich beans.

Tasting the Future of Starbucks Coffee From a New Machine [NY Times] explains the issue quite well.

That's insane. Once upon a time, when I was an American in Paris. I saw the Starbucks dans le Forum des Halles and thought "Why would somebody go to a Starbucks in France?"

You can't claim convenience: there's an espresso machine behind every shop counter. It takes an extra effort to get your caramel macchiato fix.

Its BAD coffee. Even Dunkin Donuts makes coffee decades better than you.

Just goes to show that Starbucks is not only overpriced, but not even properly made and kept.

Unbelievable that they don't brew freshly ground coffee.

@homerjay: Of course it is! It's brewed lovingly, with the beans ground in Tweek's mouth every hour, on the hour!

And the not-so-subtle flavor of burnt arabica beans!

fuzzymuffins, the coffee is burned during the roasting process, not because it sits on a burner too long. They could make a fresh pot every 5 seconds and it would still taste burned.

I make my own coffee. It's a dying art form.

give me good ole green mountain coffee from my local gas station. never had a bad cup in 5 years.

Why, I was just saying "Give me a coffee I can count on every day, all day, all week", because, you know, I keep running into coffee that I can't count on and it makes me sad.

Our drip coffee is currently allowed to sit for up to an hour (sometimes it's more in slow stores or during dull times). We are now supposed to brew a fresh batch every 30 min, and I can tell you that makes a big difference. There are times when I rinse out our containers, and the charred smell comes from coffee sitting there about 45 min. Under these new changes, coffee grounds made that morning will be scooped out according to need. There is no reason for us to have a full container of coffee brewed when demand is small. For the customer this means more coffee turnover and less burned/cooked coffee that has just been sitting there. From our store's test run, we've increased coffee brewing to every 10-15 min by brewing smaller batches instead of full batches.

The coffee is also to be sold within two weeks of being roasted instead of sitting in a warehouse for months which I think will make a difference.

Here's hoping the shorter coffee life cycle will result in a better product at least.

@Gamethyme: If that's the case, then it'll fit into the San Francisco cityscape very nicely. Especially those downtown SF stores.

@Tejas: Gloria Jean's is a pretty small chain in the U.S., but they do have it in some cities.

(I Highly recommend, Canadian crack a.k.a Tim Hortons coffee)

I heard it was a "Coffee with a Happy Ending" being introduced. That was the reason for the 3 hour training seminar.

Is this going to be the same? Anyone in Seattle care to comment?

According the AP story in BusinessWeek, that's 9-930am on the west coast and 12-1230pm here on the east coast.

"To celebrate the launch, it will give away free 8 oz. cups of Pike Place Roast -- named after its first store in Seattle's famed public market -- at more than 7,000 U.S. stores from 9 to 9:30 a.m. PDT (12 to 12:30 p.m. EDT)."

"Give us a coffee we can count on every day, all day, all week,"

what does that mean exactly?

@Gamethyme:
Well that is because of the homeless people who like to call that area of Seattle home. But agreed that is something I do not like to think of when I think of coffee.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up.

Hey, since you seem to work at Starbucks - where'd the Joya del Dia go? That was really tasty, but I never see it anymore.

"Everyday Blend" sounds like they are trying to push a step up from Taster's Choice.

The other cool thing that happens tomorrow (which is actually cool) is we're going to be selling Top Pot doughnuts. Probably overpriced, but they're REALLY good, and we'll be sampling those too.

@Tejas: don't forget about the hint of cocoa and toasted nuts, that's Starbuck's effort to the hide the finger funk flavor servered fresh with every cup

I find the name ... amusing. Yes, it's where the first Starbucks is. And yes, it's one of Seattle's more recognizable landmarks.

But the entire area reeks of urine. It's NOT something I want to be reminded of when drinking coffee.

I'm pretty much in the minority here in that I like Starbucks coffee, but I will say that there's not really much special about this particular blend. Still, for free samples, I'll cruise by on my way to lunch.

Not even a $12,000 coffee maker can save poor Starbucks.

I prefer Peet's.

we have a great chain here in australia called gloria jeans coffees. never had any trouble with them. i don't know if they are anywhere else however.