# Starbucks beans,burnt or what?



## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

Hi all,

Regarding the above,ran out of "decent"beans and my wife bought some Starbucks Espresso Roast beans from Sainsbury.

On opening I was astounded by the colour and look of them,in that they were almost black and extremely shiny/oily,and looked just this side of burnt.

Taste-wise they are extremely strong (17g) in a large cappuccino but quite good in a pinch,if you err toward the strong side of things-mild they ain't-and it would appear that I am tasting the roast,and not the coffee.

I'm curious to know whether anyone else experienced similar?

Thanks.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Yes roasted to oblivion


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Yep roasted to hell and probably some robusta in there too. It's a wonder they ever sell any coffee!!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

You'd be better off pulling shots with ground-up coco-pops.....now theres an idea


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Amazes me Starbucks are happy to be associated with over-roasted offerings which, if there were any justice, should see Starbucks popularity start to decline. Best avoided like the plague - go for some locally roasted beans. The difference will be a revelation.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Just stopped on Motorway when returning Home today.

Desperate for coffee found only Starbucks in this particular service area. I looked at the beans in the hopper & they were 'sweaty' jet black so should have known better. Ordered an undrinkable cappa & returned it to the counter to change for a carbonated water.

In no way can these charcoal bits be compared to locally roasted beans.

Starbucks are the very worst of roasters & seem proud of their product.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Agree with you Ron. Twice recently, I've been told by staff that customers just think the coffee just tastes strong and that's how it's supposed to be. Shared my view that 'strong' equates to over roasted, sawdust tasting one dimensional espresso. Clearly, there's a long way to go before the general public realise there's a lot more to coffee than that.

Digressing slightly, just had the 'pleasure' of being offered pod coffee whilst staying with friends for a couple of days. They were really proud of their Nespresso machine - loads of crema and absolutely nothing else. Oh dear.


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## drgekko (May 19, 2013)

Just to add my humble tuppence - it is well known that Starbucks over roast their espresso beans to produce that tobacco type aroma - to be honest, out of all the chain coffee shops I've tried, I love that taste first thing in the morning. I normally have 2 shots with water mixed upto half way up a medium takeout cup. If I'm feeling indulgent, then a caramel latte with an extra shot. It's certainly not subtle, sweet, caramelly or anything else - just a caffeinated punch in the guts! Lol. I'm very eager to try new coffees though - there are no local roasters near me, only supermarkets - desperate to play with my Gaggia today - some folk have recommended Illy red - I've tried it before, too tangy and acidic for my taste. What else would you recommend and especially any online suggestions to really swing my taste buds to another level?


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

lavazza espresso (black packet) is quite smooth and rich for what it is. I got decent enough coffee's from using the beans in a B2C machine for ages.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I do like a caramel macchiato from time to time but more as a sweet treat than anything resembling coffee.


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## drgekko (May 19, 2013)

shrink said:


> lavazza espresso (black packet) is quite smooth and rich for what it is. I got decent enough coffee's from using the beans in a B2C machine for ages.


This was very tempting but I preferred the storage tin of the Illy! Proves what a sucker I am for packaging! Lol


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

They over roast the beans to give their milky drinks (lets face it no one orders espresso) some flavour. They have to as they follow the American route of bigger is better. Therefore to taste any coffee at all when drowned in a bucket of steamed milk they have to be roasted to hell and back. Its a very inelegant way to serve a product but the masses don't know any better and are sucked in by the huge marketing budget.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

forzajuve said:


> They over roast the beans to give their milky drinks (lets face it no one orders espresso) some flavour.


..and probably to hide the bean quality (or lack of)....


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

garydyke1 said:


> ..and probably to hide the bean quality (or lack of)....


Yeah maybe i'm being too kind to Starbucks.....who'd have thought!


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## drgekko (May 19, 2013)

forzajuve said:


> They over roast the beans to give their milky drinks (lets face it no one orders espresso) some flavour. They have to as they follow the American route of bigger is better. Therefore to taste any coffee at all when drowned in a bucket of steamed milk they have to be roasted to hell and back. Its a very inelegant way to serve a product but the masses don't know any better and are sucked in by the huge marketing budget.





garydyke1 said:


> ..and probably to hide the bean quality (or lack of)....


OMG. Today I saw (tasted) the "coffee light" and it hit me like a steam train!!!

As some of you may know, I'm on my novice journey of making espresso using a variety of beans with my Gaggia Classic and so far (it's been a month now), I've been really enjoying espressos which I never thought I would - I really like Lavazza (black pack but looking for darker roast still) and also Rave 'Cuban Serrano Superior' - they're milder than what I've been used to but I'm enjoying the slightly sour hints.

Today however, I thought I'd make some espresso using my previously "favourite" Starbucks Bold Espresso beans.... and the difference was stark! Just acrid, tobacco like taste and a sort of burning "chilly" sensation aftertaste. I couldn't hack it! To be honest, I only ever order an Americano Starbucks (with half the amount of water than usual). And now I totally understand the need for over-roasting for larger milky drinks.

So at last, I'm beginning to understand what the Gurus have been expressing.... And it's a wonderful feeling. Last time I went to Starbucks, I also noticed there weren't any baristas as such, I mean of the Tampering sort... there machines were bean-to-cup!

This journey is simply fascinating and now I'm eager to find the best coffee for me!


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## CoffeeDoc (Dec 26, 2012)

Hence the nickname Charbucks!


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## oop north (Jun 23, 2013)

It's not surprising Starbucks coffee is so bad - haven't looked recently but their mission statement was to provide a great meetingbplace for people. Not sure whether it is Costa that has the mission statement to make great coffee - but Starbucks aren't even trying to...


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## hubrad (May 6, 2013)

So here I was, thinking 'typical geek forum snobbery'. Then in the last few weeks I played a gig in one of those corporate hotels with a Starbucks attached. . It really IS that bad! :-D

I drank it cos I was not in the mood for sweet, but so glad I didn't actually pay for it!


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## snegger (Dec 15, 2010)

hubrad said:


> So here I was, thinking 'typical geek forum snobbery'. Then in the last few weeks I played a gig in one of those corporate hotels with a Starbucks attached. . It really IS that bad! :-D
> 
> I drank it cos I was not in the mood for sweet, but so glad I didn't actually pay for it!


If you think Starbucks is bad try Nero, it's like drinking warm water through an ashtray.

Out of the big three, Costa is the only one I'll buy from now.


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## spinningwoman (Sep 25, 2013)

Yes, costa actually seems to have upped its game rather than taking the Starbucks downward road. Even motorway service station outlets seem to have baristas that know what they are doing.


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

I never tried Starbucks coffee: When I see the name "Starbucks" I tend to head off in the opposite direction rather quickly. It sounds like their take on a dark roast which is pretty much typical of roasting beans until they're burned. Two dark roasts I can recommend is Lavazza Crema e Gusto or for those with a Lavazza fobia, Pumphrey's Italian High Roast.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

snegger said:


> If you think Starbucks is bad try Nero, it's like drinking warm water through an ashtray.
> 
> Out of the big three, Costa is the only one I'll buy from now.


I have actually drunk warm water in an ash tray, I was young , it was a bet ( bloody older brothers ) . I will see if Nero have it on there menu next time I walk past.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

lavazza lavazza lavazza lavzza lavazza lavazza lavazza lavazza, perhaps if i say it enough times it will evaporate, dear god man get over the lavazza thing it really isnt that good.


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## spinningwoman (Sep 25, 2013)

There is a local coffee shop I really like in Exeter (apart from my regular hangout of Boston Tea Party) that uses Lavazza - I was shocked when I asked if they sold their beans and that was what it was. They produce an excellent cup from it, so clearly it is possible but I've never done much good with it at home.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> lavazza lavazza lavazza lavzza lavazza lavazza lavazza lavazza, perhaps if i say it enough times it will evaporate, dear god man get over the lavazza thing it really isnt that good.


It's not beetlejuice , you can't say it three times and it will go away !


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

The Italian word 'lavazza' means 'lava, ash' in English.

Enough said


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

gary hooray you must be feeling better!!!!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

I can actually wake up and smell coffee!


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

To think I used to like Starbucks!

A coffee shop that sells Lavazza might as well have the tag line "we're buying the cheapest brand coffee we can". At least if someone sells Illy they've thought about quality


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

Geordie Boy said:


> To think I used to like Starbucks!
> 
> A coffee shop that sells Lavazza might as well have the tag line "we're buying the cheapest brand coffee we can". At least if someone sells Illy they've thought about quality


Lavazza is not the cheapest and Illy is overpriced. But anyway the various digs we get at the best-selling coffee in Italy does get tiresome at times.


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> The Italian word 'lavazza' means 'lava, ash' in English.
> 
> Enough said


Cenere Lavica


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

"Lavazza is not the cheapest and Illy is overpriced. But anyway the various digs we get at the best-selling coffee in Italy does get tiresome at times"

Actually what is tiresome is that a lot of the threads regarding beans that you have contributed to have mentioned these so called popular beans, you have hit the nail on the head, they are popular in Italy and for a reason, they are roasted for the italian way of having coffee, which is short and usually full of sugar to get rid of the biiterness. Italy might be the home of espresso, but coffee and roasting has moved on somewhat !


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> "Lavazza is not the cheapest and Illy is overpriced. But anyway the various digs we get at the best-selling coffee in Italy does get tiresome at times"
> 
> Actually what is tiresome is that a lot of the threads regarding beans that you have contributed to have mentioned these so called popular beans, you have hit the nail on the head, they are popular in Italy and for a reason, they are roasted for the italian way of having coffee, which is short and usually full of sugar to get rid of the biiterness. Italy might be the home of espresso, but coffee and roasting has moved on somewhat !


I have never come across any forum which is so concentrated on just a few brands/roasters as if there were no alternatives and any alternatives mentioned get shot down. That's what I find tiresome. I realise the forum needs to support its advertisers but really, the word "rut" comes to mind. That does me in now. Bye-bye everyone.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

This forum does not sponsor its advertisers and is probably the least biased forum out there (tis why I like it), what you will find is a love of wonderfully roasted coffee from all over the world and especially from here in the uk, where we have a lot of fabulous roasters not just one or two, who turn out excellent beans at competitive prices, that members here chat about quite frequently. I personally set up a group that gives these roasters the chance to show us what they are capable of called the darker side of life, this is aimed at smaller roasters to give them some support.

The fact that you ignoring is that the members here love the quality they can get from freshly roasted beans with care, not mass produced supermarket beans, which may or may not be loved in italy, also most of the members here like to use quality equipment over a variety of brewing methods and share their experiences of this. Perhaps you got off on the wrong foot, raving about the amodo mio machine (made by lavazza) and then constantly praising lavazza beans kinda gives the impression that you might be a lavazza employee (whether you are or not)

I wish you well in your pursuit of coffee happiness


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## Anthorn (Sep 14, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> This forum does not sponsor its advertisers and is probably the least biased forum out there (tis why I like it), what you will find is a love of wonderfully roasted coffee from all over the world and especially from here in the uk, where we have a lot of fabulous roasters not just one or two, who turn out excellent beans at competitive prices, that members here chat about quite frequently. I personally set up a group that gives these roasters the chance to show us what they are capable of called the darker side of life, this is aimed at smaller roasters to give them some support.
> 
> The fact that you ignoring is that the members here love the quality they can get from freshly roasted beans with care, not mass produced supermarket beans, which may or may not be loved in italy, also most of the members here like to use quality equipment over a variety of brewing methods and share their experiences of this. Perhaps you got off on the wrong foot, raving about the amodo mio machine (made by lavazza) and then constantly praising lavazza beans kinda gives the impression that you might be a lavazza employee (whether you are or not)
> 
> I wish you well in your pursuit of coffee happiness


When I joined I joined a coffee forum not a forum which promotes independent roasters at the expense of free discussion. I certainly didn't expect a forum line which members are expected to toe. Perhaps you can link to the post where I raved about Lavazza a modo mio. I only remember one post in relation to my wife and relatives in which Nespresso, A Modo Mio and the AEG Favola machine was mentioned. And I don't always post about Lavazza, I post about it where it's relevant and I don't always post in the coffee forums. Have you looked at the tea forum lately?

Anyway this is my final post which serves to correct the inaccuracies in your post. Bye bye again.


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

In the forum's defence, there is plenty of free discussion, and as with any forum the are plenty of opinions being thrown about.

Independent roasters are discussed/promoted because people enjoy the products that they sell.

IMHO the quality of coffee these roasters provide is vastly superior to the supermarket bought mainstream beans.

Obviously you are allowed to enjoy whichever beans you prefer


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

Anthorn said:


> When I joined I joined a coffee forum not a forum which promotes independent roasters at the expense of free discussion. I certainly didn't expect a forum line which members are expected to toe. Perhaps you can link to the post where I raved about Lavazza a modo mio.


This is a coffee forum as you rightly point out. With that you should expect to find people who are passionate about coffee, wanting to share tips and experience so that we all get to improve our skills are discover more about that which we have signed up and logged on to discuss. That means people on here are very knowledgeable and can advise people on equipment and beans so others can learn from the forum as a whole.

It therefore stands that if someone comes on raving about a mass produced inferior product that the forum would offer advise about better quality offerings that they would enjoy more. If this was a chocolate forum and someone was banging on about Dairy Milk you would expect others to suggest they try something a bit better. Whether that person then takes the advise or spits their dummy out because they love Dairy Milk without acting on the advise to see what they are missing is another point entirely.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Theres a chocolate forum? Dont tell mrs b


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Whilst out yesterday I had the realisation that there was one and only one circumstance under which I would willingly choose to enter a charbucks, that is if I was in dire need of a caffeine fix, was far too far from home to make going home for a coffee a viable option, and that the only other choice for a "coffee" was Subway, their coffee truly does make the high street chains look like a gourmet experience.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

If an energy hit was absolutely priority then I would rather eat instant coffee off a spoon than order a coffee from Subway!


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

I bought some Starbucks beans in Barcelona one Sunday that I had nothing left. Made two "coffees" and got some decent beans on the Monday. I still have that bag in my cupboard. It was, as well documented here, burnt.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Anthorn said:


> I have never come across any forum which is so concentrated on just a few brands/roasters as if there were no alternatives and any alternatives mentioned get shot down. That's what I find tiresome. I realise the forum needs to support its advertisers but really, the word "rut" comes to mind. That does me in now. Bye-bye everyone.


On the contrary, the forum provides a wealth of knowledge about beans and roasters. Yes there are a few 'elite' shall we say, roasters who are named more often; but this is due to the fact that the quality of their bean is second to none.

Judging by your signature, you don't use high end equipment. Maybe this is a reflection on the level of experience you have in the coffee world? I was there once too, loving the charcoals of Starbucks, costas, neros and thinking this coffee is good. Then I got a high end machine, got high end beans and brewed with high end skill and realised wow now this is what these guys are rejoicing about on the forum!

I hope your quest continues with us; don't feel singled out because we slagged off Lavazza. It's only due to the fact that we know for sure the difference between a HasBean or an Extract or other high end Roaster's coffee and a Lavazza coffee really is night and day.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Agree with all the recent posts I don't think we are constrained to one or two roasters, I have tried recently rave, londinium, extract, union, pact , smokey barn, plus stuff from my local roasters. On my list to try is stuff form hasbean, James gourmet , to name but two . Taste it's opinion and you clearly like Lavazza, fair enough , but the forum is passionate about fresh roasted coffee , no matter where it comes from ( unless it's a cats arse )

Your taste may be different to mine, but I can gaurentee you that the beans I buy are from suppliers who are passionate about providing a great taste, roasted freshly , delivered timely , and with fair price to buyer and seller.

Beans produced and then sold in my supermarket tick none of the boxes I or most of us go for on here , hence the attempts to recommend stuff to try , and frustration when they are dismissed .

Peace out


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I like Has Been, some Square Mile stuff, the Rave I've got at the moment, Union, recently got some amazing Caravan beans...loads of different stuff. I wouldn't say the forums endorses certain brands. As long as they're good people will recommend them. If you like Lavazza that's obviously your choice but the big difference is it's not fresh, and as with most food items freshness is a good thing.


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

I see parallels between the beer industry and coffee. You have the choice of buying something off the big boys, however once you find the subtle flavours that carefully prepared and served real ale has then there's really no return to John Smiths, Worthingtons Creamflow, Boddingtons Extra Smooth and the like.

Also, forum activities like the DSOL have shown just how coffee changes from the date it's been roasted for members to find out for themselves. Does anyone know of any coffee that's at its best after being stored for a month, because that's probably the freshest the supermarket coffee is. Lavazza, Illy, Douwe Egberts and the rest, might actually produce the best coffee, unfortunately the realities of their size and distribution methods means that we're not getting a chance to taste it


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Geordie Boy said:


> I see parallels between the beer industry and coffee. You have the choice of buying something off the big boys, however once you find the subtle flavours that carefully prepared and served real ale has then there's really no return to John Smiths, Worthingtons Creamflow, Boddingtons Extra Smooth and the like.
> 
> Also, forum activities like the DSOL have shown just how coffee changes from the date it's been roasted for members to find out for themselves. Does anyone know of any coffee that's at its best after being stored for a month, because that's probably the freshest the supermarket coffee is. Lavazza, Illy, Douwe Egberts and the rest, might actually produce the best coffee, unfortunately the realities of their size and distribution methods means that we're not getting a chance to taste it


Interesting point , I wonder if in their supermarket beans the suppliers change roast profile as they know they will more than likely sit on sale for a good while . Do they take this into account when roasting . I don't know enough to answer the question . Also the point re fresheness made before is absolutely spot on,and way more eloquent than I tried to sum up !


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

sorry for necropost, it's a bit of a long story involving a school raffle, but i have ended up with 2 bags of Starbucks Pike Place and 1 bag of 50th anniversary. (it was 3 bags of Pike Place, but thankfully i gave one away, should have got rid of the other 2 as well).

anyway, has anybody ever managed to produce anything drinkable out of Pike Place? if so, any tips? i mostly do lattes but even that cannot disguise the taste. the initial impression is predominantly charcoal, which then mellows out to completely unsubtle hints of burnt wood.

i could, of course, admit defeat and just bin it.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

facboy said:


> just bin it


 That sounds like a very rational and logical decision. If you are worried about landfill, by all means, season your grinder and sprinkle over the garden or something. 😉


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@facboy You got the flavour notes spot on....but you missed out the bit covering the lingering aftertaste....


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## BlackCatCoffee (Apr 11, 2017)

French press with water a good way off the boil will probably provide the least awful results but there is no way to mute the ashy taste when they are that dark in my experience.

Gift them to someone (ideally someone you secretly dislike) or pop them in the food bank collection point at the supermarket would be my plan.


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## -Mac (Aug 22, 2019)

BlackCatCoffee said:


> pop them in the food bank collection point at the supermarket would be my plan.


 That's just kicking people when they're down


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> @facboy You got the flavour notes spot on....but you missed out the bit covering the lingering aftertaste....


 oh man, you're right. it hangs around at least 1/2 hour. <shudder>

anyway (i had this reply ytd but didn't hit submit) i went on an emergency run to the local market. mission bells secured. and i chucked the remainder of the starbucks bag thru the grinder. will use the bells next, then see what the '50th anniversary' one is like.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

facboy said:


> then see what the '50th anniversary' one is like.


 Hopefully not 50 years old!


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

dfk41 said:


> Hopefully not 50 years old!


 that would possibly be fresher than the previous bag.


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Agree with you Ron. Twice recently, I've been told by staff that customers just think the coffee just tastes strong and that's how it's supposed to be. Shared my view that 'strong' equates to over roasted, sawdust tasting one dimensional espresso. Clearly, there's a long way to go before the general public realise there's a lot more to coffee than that.
> 
> Digressing slightly, just had the 'pleasure' of being offered pod coffee whilst staying with friends for a couple of days. They were really proud of their Nespresso machine - loads of crema and absolutely nothing else. Oh dear.


 My colleague at work only drinks "strong" coffee... I still have no idea what that means!!! hahaha


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

Anthorn said:


> I have never come across any forum which is so concentrated on just a few brands/roasters as if there were no alternatives and any alternatives mentioned get shot down. That's what I find tiresome. I realise the forum needs to support its advertisers but really, the word "rut" comes to mind. That does me in now. Bye-bye everyone.


 UK Based Roasters - Beans - Coffee Forums UK just a "few" brands 😉


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

Geordie Boy said:


> I see parallels between the beer industry and coffee. You have the choice of buying something off the big boys, however once you find the subtle flavours that carefully prepared and served real ale has then there's really no return to John Smiths, Worthingtons Creamflow, Boddingtons Extra Smooth and the like.
> 
> Also, forum activities like the DSOL have shown just how coffee changes from the date it's been roasted for members to find out for themselves. Does anyone know of any coffee that's at its best after being stored for a month, because that's probably the freshest the supermarket coffee is. Lavazza, Illy, Douwe Egberts and the rest, might actually produce the best coffee, unfortunately the realities of their size and distribution methods means that we're not getting a chance to taste it


 Red Brick and Freshness - Square Mile Coffee (squaremileblog.com)


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

@condy01 possibly stop replying to posts from 8 years ago? i only reposted in this thread b/c it seemed to be about the topic i was asking about, albeit very old. i assume people are not that interested in being notified of replies to something they posted 8 years ago 😛.


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

facboy said:


> @condy01 possibly stop replying to posts from 8 years ago? i only reposted in this thread b/c it seemed to be about the topic i was asking about, albeit very old. i assume people are not that interested in being notified of replies to something they posted 8 years ago 😛.


 Yeah I guess not, but I didn't realise until now that it was from 8 years ago. Doh!! Lol


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## Tinkstar (Nov 27, 2020)

facboy said:


> @condy01 possibly stop replying to posts from 8 years ago? i only reposted in this thread b/c it seemed to be about the topic i was asking about, albeit very old. i assume people are not that interested in being notified of replies to something they posted 8 years ago 😛.


 This had made me laugh during a very miserable day.

I'm also a bit tempted to by Starbucks to see how bad it is 😂


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Funny this thread popped up. I've been travelling about this week and 🤣 Starbucks surprised me. They did last year once too but thought it might be a fluke.

It goes by the name of blond roast. Nice true coffee taste in an americano and arabica beans. Disappointed on the first stop as the usual Starbucks set up had gone and replaced with a machine with 2 bean hoppers one with the blond roast. Passable though. 2nd stop usual set up and much better. I had intended to try and scrounge a cup of beans to try at home but bought a pack as they had some. Not tried yet. Next to use.

Couldn't add milk myself and would probably prefer less than they added. Seems to be a covid change but at least they didn't seriously over do it.

Also used a Costa. Lady mentioned a sweeter roast so thought must be worth trying. Oh dear, the most insipid americano that half thought it was a cappuccino I have ever had the misfortune to drink. Costa cafe too which are sometimes better than motorway etc.


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

facboy said:


> @condy01 possibly stop replying to posts from 8 years ago? i only reposted in this thread b/c it seemed to be about the topic i was asking about, albeit very old. i assume people are not that interested in being notified of replies to something they posted 8 years ago 😛.


 The thread was on the "Topics" list the day I went on the forum so not just me who had perhaps under caffeinated and not been awake enough to check the date! haha


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@condy01


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## 8144 (Oct 9, 2014)

ajohn said:


> Funny this thread popped up. I've been travelling about this week and 🤣 Starbucks surprised me. They did last year once too but thought it might be a fluke.
> 
> It goes by the name of blond roast. Nice true coffee taste in an americano and arabica beans. Disappointed on the first stop as the usual Starbucks set up had gone and replaced with a machine with 2 bean hoppers one with the blond roast. Passable though. 2nd stop usual set up and much better. I had intended to try and scrounge a cup of beans to try at home but bought a pack as they had some. Not tried yet. Next to use.
> 
> ...


 I had an espresso from Star*ucks recently and actually it wasn't too horrific. I found Nero and Costa to be far worse. Not sure if it was a blond roast but it was quite drinkable.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

🤕 Seems strange to mention a "motorway" bean but this Starbucks bean they call a blond roast is at least interesting. No subtle taste notes at all. Just a taste

I chose to use 16g or so. Looks like I will be using 16.5g but that wont matter. I had tried ratios 2 and over and could detect what I call an arabica taste that's typical of a number of supermarket etc beans plus the taste Starbucks achieved. Not a good combination. I've stuck to 30sec shot time. My last shot was 28g out. I now have just the Starbucks taste but rather stronger than they achieved. The taste hangs around for longer than my monsooned.

Can't help wondering if I should try a motorway shot time.  A motorway barista can't hang around for 30sec shots. Costa ones can't anyway. Not sure about Starbucks and wish I could have watched them brew it - no chance, covid means waiting further away after paying.

 This was a dual carriageway A road Starbucks. Maybe they are allowed longer there.

The bean in the diy machines that are around is similar but not so good. For me that may mean weaker. Not sure. Little tubs of milk too which probably don't help.

The crap from Costa came from one of their town cafe's. There usual roast is perhaps a touch better than motorway but the different roast was unbelievably weak and tasteless.


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## facboy (Dec 13, 2019)

if anyone is interested i tried the 50th anniversary bag and it was even worse. not that the absolute numbers mean much, but i had to grind it at 7-8 (!) on my niche otherwise the shot would pull 36g out of 16g in in about 10 seconds. even the previous pike place could manage about 11. for reference, on a 'normal' dark roast i would be around the 15-16 mark!

anyway i couldn't get it to taste of much at all, in milk the taste almost completely disappeared but seemed to nullify the natural sweetness of the foamed milk too, so it was like drinking textured water. i'm not much of an espresso taster but that also seemed to taste of not very much other than slight sourness.

perhaps i lack the skill or palate to appreciate these beans, or perhaps there isn't much there to appreciate?


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

facboy said:


> but seemed to nullify the natural sweetness of the foamed milk too, so it was like drinking textured water


 That's a good description of Costa's new roast. Other problem was just why would an americano have a frothy top?

I have tried Starbuck's beans before and wasn't impressed. This blond roast is rather different. Always managed to get the same as they do out of them though. I wouldn't see it as an espresso drinkers bean. Too strong, at 16g in anyway. Ratio seems to be best around 1.7 or a bit higher. I'm being a little Solo'd as using one to grind them.


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