Now that is just below the belt. As a Sbux regular, I’m offended.

Scot,
We’ve been enjoying Dean’s Beans at home and now something else? Too many choices, future shock … ay yi yi!

Star-whatever roasts their coffees in a distinctively trademark way. Either you like the taste of burned coffee, or you don’t. I don’t. I have a place that roasts their beans right there in front of you: fresh, fresh, fresh! They seem to be able to do dark without burned or bitter.

We left “Fourbucks” a long time ago…we don’t like burnt beans.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (with feigned passion), S-bucks is simply very bold coffee. I still think it’s a boldness issue and not an over-roasting issue. But hey, I was wrong once before. I agree that other coffees are superior. I’m growing more and more convinced that my best daily option financially is brewing Trader Joe’s French Roast at home through a (*gasp*) paper cone filter.

Burly,
Your faith is flagging. 8) What we need is a tract like Hebrews for those who are leaving the coffee faith.

I live in Seattle and we have more on-premise coffee roasting houses than you can shake ten sticks at! Yet, empire Starbucks still manages to have a store on nearly every block downtown Seattle… well, maybe not every block but close!
If you truly want a good cup of coffee, Seattle is the Mecca… but please don’t visit us. How’s that for a warm welcome?

Scot and Burly (#6),
How can those who have tasted the robust wonders of Intelligentsia or Frenz espresso or Dean’s Beans and have abandoned the caffeine faith by returning to filtered through a cone coffee be renewed, for it is impossible to renew them to java repentance seeing that they have trampled under foot the most glorious of flavors?
Brews 6:4-5

Maxwell house and basket filter automatic drip or Dunkin Donuts – save money for (or spend money on) more important things

Scot,
How funny (and perhaps sad) that your newly coined word, St-rb-cks, is similar to contemporary Jewish publications references to G-d. This is the accepted way of recognizing the holiness and “complete otherness” of the subject, I believe.

I’m with Burly (#5) on finance and flavor – I found the Trader Joe’s French Roast this past year and it’s my daily standby (through the paper filter as well). That is some seriously good stuff …

Scot,
Chestnut Hill Coffee Company is unmatched. There is no point in debating who has the best latte. CHCC owns that category. Tomorrow morning I’ll make my monthly pilgrimage to that extrardinary place. I’ll grab an extra bag of beans for you.
Tom

What’s the complaint with a paper filter?
Dana

Tom,
You are right. Look forward to seeing you next weekend.

Dana on #13 (as if this post will ever be revisited again) – some people say that the paper cone removes the essential oils of the beans blah, blah, blah … I just went to Trader Joe’s the other day in Northbrook, IL and noticed that they now sell extra dark French Roast. I didn’t buy it (I’m fully stocked right now), but I’m wondering if anyone would accuse the beans of being over-roasted … oh, snap.