alas, Peet's is no longer what it used to be either.
Over time Starbucks has become far more focused on business success, all to the detriment of product quality
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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alas, Peet's is no longer what it used to be either.
Over time Starbucks has become far more focused on business success, all to the detriment of product quality
Completely at the exprense of, and to the detriment of, their product quality.
This is a business, a chain, where their "USP", their unique selling point, their coffee, is uniquely and spectacularly, and consistently, awful.
I don't think that I have ever enjoyed a good cup of coffee - going back the best part of twenty years - in a Starbucks.
Any (and almost every) small coffee shop sells coffee that is far better, on the metrics of service, taste, (above all, taste), quality, and freshness.
Starbucks coffee was never good. It was different because they had the temerity to serve over roasted coffee that no one else ever thought to do -- and people seemed to like it precisely because it was different. It was never good though for those who know coffee. The best coffee for mass market restaurants that I have tried (and in my opinion) is Dunkin and, unbelievably, McDonalds. Mind you -- only in an emergency.
Agree.
Very true.
Strange to relate, I find myself in agreement with you.
I have long been surprised at how not-awful (in fact, how unexpectedly good) coffee (and restrooms) have been in McDonalds whenever I have been abroad and in the company of colleagues who would venture nowhere else.
Yes, McDonald's is on my approved list when I am in a pinch. McDonalds has traditionally used Newman's Own, Green Mountain, and Seattle's Best coffee -- so it's serviceable coffee. It does not use no-name coffee grown in Siberia.
Agree that it is serviceable and perfectly drinkable coffee.
In marked contrast to Starbucks, where I have never had a good coffee, in McDonalds, - now that you mention it - I have never actually had a bad, or awful, or execrable coffee (all of which I have had in Starbucks, whose whole raison d'être is supposed to be coffee) in McDonalds; actually, their coffee has been consistently perfectly adequate and more than drinkable.
Fair comment, and credit where it is due.
And here, I will throw in another positive comment on their restrooms; they are always clean, and a very welcome space and place in some countries where hygiene and the whole process of infrastructural development can be - shall we say - somewhat tardy, or belated.
Frankly, I never thought in a million years I would be exalting the virtues of McDonald's with friendly coffee aficionados on a computer forum but, alas, here we are. I concur with your observations on both the coffee and the bathrooms.
The only McDonald's I've been to in the past 20+ years was in New Zealand. I'd just disembarked from a 15 hour flight early in the morning, so the coffee I got there did taste pretty good, but I wasn't sure whether to chalk it down to McD's or New Zealand.
Dunkin' is the epitome of functional coffee. Not great by any means, but not like drinking from an ashtray like Starbucks can be. I'd still go to a good local café first, when possible.
Dunkin' is the epitome of functional coffee. Not great by any means, but not like drinking from an ashtray like Starbucks can be. I'd still go to a good local café first, when possible.
And here I was about to ask if anyone lauding the Maccas coffee had actually been to a NZ Maccas.
The quality varies from barista to barista and the toilets are rarely pleasant.
There seems to be something wildly amiss about McDonalds in NZ. To the point that McCafe coffee is best consumed on a hangover via drive thru.
LOL....I wouldn't say that Starbucks coffee was ever "good", but back in 1991 when it started out to take over the world, it was less crappy than the even crappier coffee that was commonly available at the time.....plus they had something unfamiliar to most Americans; those "warming frothy milk concoction containing caffeine" that adrianlondon mentioned.
As for McDonalds and Dunkin, the popularity of Starbucks caught the attention of their business managers and along with a lot of other companies, they started serving better coffee as a way to improve their own business.
All of us here have very high expectations for our coffee consumption, so it's not surprising to read negative opinions about Starbucks.....but for certain, they've allowed their product quality to decline, so what would one expect?
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McDonald's coffee in Finland...
I believe this is from 2020...
meira.fi
I believe this is from 2020...
Segafredo coffee to be served in McDonald’s restaurants in Finland - Meira
From the 3rd of October, McDonald’s restaurants will be serving Italian-style Segafredo filter coffee and espresso. Segafredo is a coffee partner for McDonald’s restaurants in 16 countries. In Finland, Segafredo coffees are imported and manufactured by Meira Oy. “We are constantly developing our...
meira.fi
Sheer bliss: A coffee prepared at home:
Colombian coffee, plus organic hot milk (which meant that prior to preparation of the coffee, I trotted to the local shop where my organic milk awaited me), served in a Le Creuset mug.
Colombian coffee, plus organic hot milk (which meant that prior to preparation of the coffee, I trotted to the local shop where my organic milk awaited me), served in a Le Creuset mug.
I agree. Dunkin' is my goto on road trips. Not only tolerable, but quite good.
The carer, who was in the Philippines for her daughter's wedding, (and who has just returned - her time away coincided almost exactly with mine) has shown up at my door with a very kind gift of Arabica coffee (she knows - having spent six years living with us when caring for my mother - just how much I like my coffee) and roasted salted peanuts from the Philippines.
How lovely.
How lovely.
So, the coffee I have received as a gift was grown in the Philippines, and is apparently prized there.
Excellent.
I look forward to trying it.
Excellent.
I look forward to trying it.
While perusing the site of one of my favourites small roasters, I noticed that they now stock Chemex pots - which is something that I have wanted to add to my collection for quite some time.
Thus, I think that I shall place an order for a Chemex pot, and for some of the actual filter papers (special ones, designed for use with a Chemex) that are used with a Chemex pot.
Thus, I think that I shall place an order for a Chemex pot, and for some of the actual filter papers (special ones, designed for use with a Chemex) that are used with a Chemex pot.
You definitely want the filters made by Chemex
Any thoughts on the best coffees - the coffees that work best - with a Chemex?
Many of the websites that I browsed today all seemed to suggest coffee from Peru, (or, Ethiopia), but I am sure that others must work almost equally well.
After 14 years my Quick Mill Andreja Premium’s pump failed and I used it as an excuse to pick up another e61 machine but this time a double boiler with rotary pumps. I narrowed it down to 3 or 4 comparable machines and let my wife pick based on appearance and she preferred the Izzo Alex Duetto IV Plus. I replaced the pump on the Andreja and gifted it to my daughter but still need to replace a couple more minor parts to get it functioning as new.
While researching I learned more about single dosing and that really appealed to me so I upgraded my 14 plus year old Mazzer Mini. My research and based on the type of espresso most local roasters roast, led me to a local Seattle companies grinder, the MC5 from KafaTek and I have not been disappointed. I put a list of recommended Seattle area roasters together and I am currently enjoying Dolce, a blend from Espresso Vivace in Seattle that is always at the top of the list of best and most recommended Seattle area espresso beans, at least from the coffee geeks.
espressovivace.com
I can’t remember ever having or making a ristretto espresso before and was skeptical about a 1 to 1 ratio. In fact, before I tried single dosing, weighing my espresso and reading up about the different recommended ratios for different coffees, I didn’t know what a ristretto was. This is the type of roast the MC5 was made for.
It was wonderful. All the hype is justified. It is unlike any espresso I have had. If you are one that does not think you can tell the difference in espresso, try this and you might change your mind. Of course everyone's tastes and preferences are different but Dolce seems to have universal appeal in Seattle. It seems a bit of a shame to add anything to it but it is equally good in a latte. In addition to ristretto’s I also tried more of a macchiato than latte with whole milk but not much foam and made my wife a latte with oat milk and we both loved them.
It is different drinking such a small amount of espresso at a time though I assume the caffeine quantity is the same as the 1 x 2 ratio I pull with another local favorite, Olympia Roasters.
While researching I learned more about single dosing and that really appealed to me so I upgraded my 14 plus year old Mazzer Mini. My research and based on the type of espresso most local roasters roast, led me to a local Seattle companies grinder, the MC5 from KafaTek and I have not been disappointed. I put a list of recommended Seattle area roasters together and I am currently enjoying Dolce, a blend from Espresso Vivace in Seattle that is always at the top of the list of best and most recommended Seattle area espresso beans, at least from the coffee geeks.
Blend Descriptions - Espresso Vivace
Blends...For Espresso Vivace I chose the Northern Italian espresso roast during my early Italian explorations in 1989. The defining characteristic of this roast is the high caramelized sugar content of the coffee. As coffee is roasted it generates caramelized sugars, carbon dioxide, a multitude...
espressovivace.com
I can’t remember ever having or making a ristretto espresso before and was skeptical about a 1 to 1 ratio. In fact, before I tried single dosing, weighing my espresso and reading up about the different recommended ratios for different coffees, I didn’t know what a ristretto was. This is the type of roast the MC5 was made for.
It was wonderful. All the hype is justified. It is unlike any espresso I have had. If you are one that does not think you can tell the difference in espresso, try this and you might change your mind. Of course everyone's tastes and preferences are different but Dolce seems to have universal appeal in Seattle. It seems a bit of a shame to add anything to it but it is equally good in a latte. In addition to ristretto’s I also tried more of a macchiato than latte with whole milk but not much foam and made my wife a latte with oat milk and we both loved them.
It is different drinking such a small amount of espresso at a time though I assume the caffeine quantity is the same as the 1 x 2 ratio I pull with another local favorite, Olympia Roasters.
I have never tried Philippine coffee. Wonder where I could track some down.
The Chemex is good for almost any type of coffee. I tend towards Central American and South American beans myself, with my favorites usually coming from Nicaragua and Ecuador.
The Chemex is good for almost any type of coffee. I tend towards Central American and South American beans myself, with my favorites usually coming from Nicaragua and Ecuador.
What coffee did I use in mine.......it's been several years since I was using my Chemex device, but I do indeed remember some really nice coffee from Peru, also some Ethiopian Sidamo, some Colombian (don't remember the specifics of the Colombian tho), there was a coffee from Sumatra that I really liked (but haven't been able to find again), some Kona from Hawaii, and I think I had my first package of Rwanda coffee then; there's quite a variety of flavor notes in those coffees.
For me, the Chemex filter made the coffee seem smoother and perhaps have a bit lighter mouthfeel. I don't recall thinking that it changed the flavor notes
Thank you, both of you, @Silencio and @Macky-Mac. Much appreciated.
From my reading today, most of the sites I consulted seemed to suggest coffees from central and south America worked best with a Chemex (with the glorious exception of Ethiopian coffee - my own personal favourite).
I shall ponder this a lttle longer, and then, I think that a splurge may be in order.
Yes, when I place an order for the Chemex pot, - probably in a few days, for I love this whole idea of deferred gratification, not least becasue it adds to the anticipation - I shall also order a double number of the Chemex filters.
Which model from Chemex are you considering?
I'd bought their Funnex model, which is aimed at the pour-over user who is making just a single cup at a time.
Unfortunately they made a bad decision by only selling unfolded filters for the Funnex........and having to fold a filter when still half asleep while trying to make a morning coffee; this is an annoyance to be avoided.
If I were buying again, I'd buy a larger model that can use their folded filters.....So before you make your purchase, consider whether folding a filter every time would be an issue for you.