worst coffee ever...

[javasaurus]

My doctor wants me to cut back on caffeine. Sigh.

So I've been drinking about half my coffee as decaf.

So guess what -- the Starbucks that I frequent no longer brew decaf after 12 noon. WTH?!? You'd think they'd sell more decaf after noon, since many people can't sleep if they have decaf later in the day.

They offered me a decaf Americano in its place, at the same price. For those that don't know, an Americano is a shot of espresso topped off with hot water -- usually very tasty, and usually a little more expensive than regular coffee. However, a venti should have two shots of espresso, not 1, and I think (based on taste) that they only used one shot. It tastes like really watery sludge rather than coffee, and certainly doesn't taste like an Americano.

Sigh.

Comments

[dawntreader]

well, i guess if it tastes terrible, it's one more reason to cut it back. maybe?

(sorry for you.)

i'm only drinking one, perhaps two caffeinated drinks per day. i'm down to one coffee and perhaps a caffeinated tea later on. but i used to be a major caffeine junky and drink coffees AND sodas all day long.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

The doc didn't say "no caffeine" -- just that three venti coffees (that's 60 ounces, or a full pot of home-brewed) per day was a little excessive. So now I drink half of that, and I have decaf the rest of the time.

Usually, I don't mind the taste of decaf, it's just really annoying that Starbucks has stopped brewing it, and the barrista today offered an alternative that she obviously didn't know how to prepare.

I usually prefer Americano to regular drip coffee, but the regular coffee is about two-thirds the price.

As for tea, some of the herbal blends are very nice, and no caffeing. I was in an office for a while that had nearly boiling water from the tap, and I could drop in a tea bag without microwaving! That was nice.

[joliemaman.livejournal.com]

I actually saw a thing about Starbucks on the news last night. They will not be brewing decaf in the afternoon because studies showed demand for it went down sharply after 10 AM. So to save money, they aren't making after the morning. That never made sense to me, since personally if I am having coffee late, that is when I'll have the decaf, not in the morning when I need the caffeine to function If you ask for it, they are supposed to brew a fresh pot for you. Frankly, I'd complain to them online. Or you could go to Dunkin Donuts, they have very good decaf.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

i'd have thought (and i did thought after hearing only part of yesterday's story) that it would be the other way 'round: in the morning people want caffeine, and in the afternoon the decaf switch would happen.

seems the morning "ritual" is more important than the caffeine itself...

[orkney.livejournal.com]

Awhile back Consumer Reports concluded that McDonald's coffee was the best tasting and you can get decaf anytime. If they don't have it, they'll quickly brew you some. I like it ever so much better than Starbucks, which to me tastes burned. And McDonald's has capuchino and latte and whatever else the fancy ones are these days in what they call the McDonald's Cafe.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

I've seen that Consumer Reports article, and I would agree that Starbucks coffee used to taste burned -- I've heard that Starbucks over-roasts their product to cover up the fact that it's actually stale. Certain coffees (Italian roast and French roast) are supposed to be darker roasts -- meaning they can taste burnt if not properly roasted.

However, a few months ago (after the article), Starbucks started serving "Pikes Peak" as their house blend, and it's much better. More flavor than 7-11 or McDonalds, but not the extreme bitterness that Starbucks used to have. Today I tried Starbucks' Casi Cielo, and I've very pleased with it. McDonalds still makes their coffee too hot (despite consumer complaints and lawsuits), and their prices have climbed dramatically since they changed to premium coffee.

[dacuteturtle.livejournal.com]

The folks on the radio were mystified about the decaf-thing, too.

IMHO, this makes sense. Decaf people want the morning coffee ritual. They don't need coffee to stay away. In the afternoon, when people have a natural rhythm of napping, they NEED coffee to stay awake. The decaf folks don't care.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

I imagine it's more like this: Maybe decaf sales make up 5% of the total sales of brewed coffee. (The number is a WAG, but the idea still applies.) After the morning rush, the ratio may stay the same, but the number of sales goes down, and 5% of the afternoon crowd isn't enough to justify brewing coffee every 30 to 60 minutes.

[dacuteturtle.livejournal.com]

That works, too.

Quick, let's both publish papers, argue fiercely, get funded, and find out who's right. :)