tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406252458975415348.post9010426056206170771..comments2022-11-09T06:57:27.904-08:00Comments on Eating Every Day: Home againCharles Sherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10480432901356490235noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406252458975415348.post-17458116732192021682010-08-15T21:44:59.570-07:002010-08-15T21:44:59.570-07:00"Fraud": strong word. I've never fou...<i>"Fraud": strong word. I've never found bitter or rancid coffee at a Starbuck's. Bland, yes. Illy is the Starbuck's of Italy, as far as I'm concerned. In every Italian village with two cafés, one's Illy; the other isn't, and has better coffee. Maybe that's the Starbuck's-Peets relationship. I hear they're both owned by the same company anyhow.<br /><br />The big problem with espresso drinks in the United States, in my experience, is not the blend or roast of coffee; it's the lack of maintenance of the machines — and, of course, the variability of the baristas. These problems grow out of the routine American problem: lack of pride in work. Don't get me started.</i>Charles Sherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10480432901356490235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4406252458975415348.post-19279742038039733032010-08-15T20:42:22.166-07:002010-08-15T20:42:22.166-07:00Bad coffee.
I'm not sure how soon I noticed t...Bad coffee.<br /><br />I'm not sure how soon I noticed that Starbuck's was a fraud. <br /><br />We began buying boutique coffee beans sometime back in the early 1970's, after we moved back from Iowa. There were a number of independent coffee stores in those days, many of which have since disappeared over the years. My experience is that with every coffee seller, the quality is variable from batch to batch. They can't maintain a standard, even with their "usual sources" and brews, so it's always a crapshoot. But Peet's is always head and shoulders above the rest. Lately, I've had some incredible cups at restaurants--Dopo uses some outfit that turns out extremely rich French/Italian grounds--the "Americano" brew was unbelievable the first few times, but has fallen a little since. Illy Cafe is offered at a lot of places--but that isn't the company Dopo uses. The espressos served at Cesar's are usually good and rich. <br /><br />I can't figure out why Starbucks succeeds. Very, very bitter taste, with a variety of very sweet mixes which mask this bitterness. Are people stupid, or what? I can't understand it.<br /><br />We've been using Garuda beans for the last year or so. Good, rich stuff.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.com