Squeamishly Starbucks
I have never liked Starbucks. It's not the global domination thing, it's the insipid coffee and the baked goods that always seem to be stale.
Silverbrowess loves Starbucks. She can't get enough of their tall caramel frappuccinos or skinny decaf vanilla lattes. I like my coffee to taste of caffeine. I want a decent kick of coffee, which for some reason Starbucks eschews. I don't want it tasting of all that other crap they love to add-in.
If there's any truth to this video, it seems those other flavours might just be crap.
A warning to the viewer, the video is a bit grim.
I'd like to know more about your coffee preferences. I've had an experience quite the opposite of yours, having always drunk Dunkin' Donuts coffee and then switching to Starbucks. It wasn't a chance switch: Cooks Illustrated did a review of whole-bean coffees, and their testing placed Starbucks far superior to Dunks, largely due to lack of "quakers" (rancid beans that make coffee taste sour) in the former, and marked presence in the latter. Having learned that, I instantly realized why my iced coffees were such a crapshoot, tasting bad so often, and then I switched brands.
Posted by: jabbett | 22 August 2006 at 11:27 PM
you see, I like my coffee to taste of caffeine too but I also love a good caramel macchiato :)
Posted by: Rebecca | 23 August 2006 at 02:30 AM
Jabbett - Interesting point on moving from DD to Starbucks. Being in the UK we don't have many/any DDs but I'd heard all about their coffee. So on a recent trip to Washington DC I made sure I tried some and thought it was fantastic. Really smooth but with a decent kick to it. Personally, I prefer espresso based drinks and ideally the espresso blend from The Monmouth Coffee Company (www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk). However, I have to declare, I'm no coffee expert. I can't eulogise for hours about it. Unfortunately there's something about Starbucks coffee I just can't abide. I always find it's so watery.
Rebecca - you're a lady clearly close to my wife's heart. She loves that stuff too. They're far too sweet for me. Drinking one of those results in me looking like the winner at a gurning competition. At the risk of you not knowing what gurning is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurning
Posted by: Silverbrow | 23 August 2006 at 07:45 AM
Hi Silverbrow
I agree that the best coffee to be had in London is at Monmouth it is the first stop I make when I go to Borough Market. However, I hide a rather guilty secret one that I keep from my husband, who regards himself as something of a coffee expert, in that I do enjoy Starbucks coffee. When I say coffee I don't mean it in the strictest sense of the defination rather all Starbucks quirky little additions, flavoured syrups, quirky flavourings..... Without wanting to be too contentious I think this might be a girl thing there are very few men i know who would readily admit drinking a vanilla soya decaf latte with extra cream!
Posted by: gastrochick | 24 August 2006 at 12:55 PM
Gastrochick, all I can say is I'm shocked: vanilla soya decaf latte with extra cream. In the words of Mr Creosote "You'd better get me a bucket."
Posted by: Silverbrow | 24 August 2006 at 03:35 PM