Starbucks best coffee yet?

[Chihuahua Floyd]

I picked up 20 pounds of fresh roasted coffee in Guatemala in March on a missions trip for $2 / pound. Filled my backpack.
Vacuum sealed in one pound bags. Always give a few away.
Almost out. Grind every night and prep coffee maker.
Gonna suck when I have to buy coffee again.

[alamogunr]

I keep seeing post by those that grind their own beans. Although I am not dissatisfied with my present coffee, when I have looked into coffee grinders, I am overwhelmed and somewhat suspicious of posted reviews. I would like to try home grind. Any recommendations?

[coloraydo]

Starbucks, is that stuff any good for washing mud off the truck tires?

[facetious]

I keep seeing post by those that grind their own beans. Although I am not dissatisfied with my present coffee, when I have looked into coffee grinders, I am overwhelmed and somewhat suspicious of posted reviews. I would like to try home grind. Any recommendations?

Go to a store that has whole beans and a grinder to grind it. That way you can try the different grinds and beans. It'll give you a chance to see if you like it better or not

I do that at the Costco so I can get the grind that works the best in our coffee maker.

[cwlongshot]

Could very well be!

But Ill never know cause I try never to give any dollars to those who seek to destroy my way if life.

They would need to give it away fro me to know.

CW

[fcvan]

My wife and I would do Starbucks, her in Colorado, and me in California while I was still working. That stopped when she found out they would not ship their coffee to overseas service personnel. I already knew, I didn't want to pee on her cornflakes by telling her why I didn't like Starbucks. She did still drink it when one of her friends was working at SB where they gave employees 2 lbs a week of unground coffee. Her friend didn't drink coffee so the wife was gifted the coffee beans. Friend later went to work at a veteran owned and ran a small coffee shop. Nowadays, we just make our own at home.

I worked in Law Enforcement for 30+ years out west. Along the way, an old man I knew made coffee in an urn designed for 275 cups a batch. He said he learned how to make good strong coffee in the Navy. Anyway, his secret was to make a mound in the basket, then put a crater in the top of the mound. He would pour a 1/2 gallon of cold water onto the mound to wet the grounds, then sprinkle a paper packet of salt over the mound. The urn would be run as usual, too hot for my taste as it leaches out the oil and acids, but his coffee was not. He also used 2/3rds of the coffee normally required for the pot and have strong but not bitter brew.

For the office and at home, I have taken to modifying the typical 'mr coffee type' drip pot by moving the thermal coupler closer to the electrical 'burner' so it cycled at a lower temperature. Sure, it took longer but was brewed cooler and less bitter. That brew didn't need the aforementioned salt to kill the bitter as it was not covered with an acidic oil slick when finished.

Decades ago, Dad was cutting out caffeine thinking it would help reduce his blood pressure. For him at 81, the only thing that works is hitting the treadmill for 45 minutes after his oatmeal and fruit juice breakfast in bed. Mom, also 81, still spoils the heck out of him every day as she has done when they married at 17. Mom gets up at 4:30 - 5:00 every morning to read her bible or watch bible studies until she hears dad wake up.

Anyway, mom hits a rowing machine while dad is on the treadmill, and Dad still takes a brisk 1 hour walk during the day. They used to go together until Mom had to have a knee replaced, sometimes walking for several miles together. Farm kids, they grew up and live very active as much as limitations allow.

They 'bought the farm' (in a good way) when they were 39, 10 acres, 2 houses, 2 barns, lots of critters. Dad finished concrete until 40, and rook a 5 year hiatus. What the heck, farm was paid for, money in the bank, money in the safe. Dad went back to finishing concrete until he was 64, not needing the money for then, just to keep building their nest egg. Dad and Mom moved to town 7 years ago as the farm took just a little more than Mom wanted Dad to have to do. They still own the farm, and paid cash for the house in town. The lease from the farm and Dad's union retirement are taking care of them well.

They bought vehicles paying cash, as the only bills being utilities, as the garden fed the family and 1/2 the seniors at church. Sundays were fun as those still 'farming' would bring in their excess and swap/trade/donate until everyone had the milk/eggs/cheese/veggies, and sometimes beef, pork, or rabbit they needed. I loved how much the seniors appreciated things from their youth in the 'old country' that being Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and one couple from Sweden.

Mom and Dad went to farm auctions and bought equipment and things for the old farmhouse. The kitchen was huge, with room for a full butcher block, a cream separator, and an old wood burning cook stove. The water tank was useless due to age, so there was always a cast iron pot of stew or soup, and a cast iron kettle on for hot water, which leads to the absolute best coffee ever.

Mom would 'cold brew' one pound of coffee into a 1 quart container, making a concentrate devoid of acid or oil, certainly no bitter taste. There was a carafe in the fridge and all it took was a shot glass and hot water. Poof, instant coffee. There was nothing better than to go home for a visit and there was always coffee ready to go. Fresh bread, a bowl of soup or stew, and catch up with the folks over a cup of coffee with the folks.

Funny how a thread about coffee brings out more than just a hot beverage, but a lifetime of fond memories of simpler things and an old fashioned way of life worth living. Maybe the reason the coffee was so good was it brought back those things coffee goes with so well. First cup at dawn when the birds started to fly, first cup from the Stanley thermos on the job site, or the first cup I ever had. I was almost 5, my bothers were in school, Mom had an appointment. I spent the morning with my Grandmother, and had coffee with cream and sugar at her kitchen table. Maybe that was the best coffee ever.

[LaPoint]

I've only consumed Starbucks coffee a couple of times in the last 30 years. First time was in Seattle in the early 90's. I thought it was awful then. Last time I had it was almost 10 yrs ago, it was still awful. Even if it was good coffee I can't support them due to their outspoken political, socialist bent. There is a locally owned Dunn Brothers coffee shop in town. We buy a pound every week of in-house fresh roasted Columbian beans. They grind them for us, because I'm too lazy to mess with it. I like rich dark coffee, no additives.

[gbrown]

"Funny how a thread about coffee brings out more than just a hot beverage, but a lifetime of fond memories of simpler things and an old fashioned way of life worth loving "
Kinda like my Thread, Favorite . Sandwich. Kinda takes you back to good times. I remember having a good cup of coffee with my parents and grandparents many years ago. Great memories.

[Shiloh]

We buy a cup from them about every 3 years just to see if the taste has changed.
Nope, it still tastes like burnt tar to both my wife and myself. A senior coffee from McDonalds tastes like a gourmet cup compared to SB's.
I honest to god dont know how people enjoy their coffee, it is that bad.

About the only thing I get from Mac's is the coffee.
Improved a lot over the years.

Shiloh