Originally posted by proliphik:
haha this is awesome. well for one i work at starbucks and the majority of our "espresso" drinks have little to no espresso (talls get 1 shot, grande and venti get 2) so after working there for a month or so i got used to drinking quad iced grande lattes. but for drips i like our arabian mocha jovva or however the F you spell it. a lot of people like our fair trade, but a french press is def how to go if you want your coffee. too bad no one here lives in richmond and can get a quality espresso drink by me haha. but if people here do go to starbucks, talk to me and i can help with any questions about drinks or whatever. my fav though, iced quad grande caramel latte. nice and cold and real strong, iced drinks really bring out the strength of the espresso.



No bling required, thank you.

Starbucks is like McDonalds. It's great when I'm on the road and don't have time to look for a "real" place. My biggest beef with them is if I order a shot there, I get what looks like about .75 ounces for $1.75. Customarily a shot is anywhere from 1 to 1.5, and a double is typically 2.0, IIRC. Starbucks makes its money on marketing and portion control through automation. Now, I like the stuff, but there is a lot of good coffee out there that isn't Starbucks, and the kids behind the counter don't have to know a thing about coffee to push a button and fill an order.

The good thing about them is that they have educated the public on what coffee is supposed to be. Now I can get decent arabica in the supermarket. 10 years ago, it was a hunt.

My favorite place is about a block away from a Starbucks. (He was there first.) The owner there is passionate about coffee, and everything they serve there is handmade and fresh. Espresso is pulled from a hand-operated piston pump, and you'll get a full 2.0 for $1.50.

My measure of any new place is whether they know how to pull a good shot. Most places don't.

Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998