As for Starbucks we sometimes buy their espresso and use a Starbucks Serina (Saeco) Expresso machine to brew our European style coffee every morning.
Having just spent nearly 12-years living in finest Europe, then the Middle East, Asia and finally S.America, we have had the opportunity to acquire regional tastes in coffee. American's drink a weak brew which can be drank all day. Even American BOLD Coffee is weak tasting to us these days upon our return to the USA.
bump
the laws of physics do not support this french press statement. (btw starbucks sells the french presses...)
I roast my own beans, and while it’s true you’ll get a better cup with a french press, you have to have the time for it. Personally, I’m just fine with a drip coffeemaker, but pretty much draw the line with letting it sit on a burner. It’ll keep better in a thermos-type carafe.
I don’t care for Starbucks. I like flavored coffee, and like to grind my own, so I buy whole bean. Get my coffee from Jelks in New Orleans.
BFL
Ambrosia!
Well, FRiends, now that we are discussing French press pot coffee, can someone give me a clue?
I’ve tried a coffee-maker, percolater and now a press pot, and my coffee still tastes like something out of a muddy hoofprint.
I must be doing it wrong.
Personally, I find that the more expensive the cup of coffee, the better it is. The most I ever paid for a cup of coffee was $8.50 at some Manhattan restaurant and it was very good. When I first started getting coffee at Starbucks, I was not impressed. But over time, I started to acquire a taste for it. Still, I prefer Dunkin Donuts coffee, even though it is cheaper. I think because I grew up on Dunkin Donuts, I will always prefer it as a comfort food. Sort of like how I still like Kraft macaroni & cheese and hot dogs and baked beans.
On the other hand, the cheap coffee you can buy at gas stations and convenience stores is pretty horrid. The worst coffee I remember getting was at a 7 Eleven in Joplin, Missouri at 2 in the morning. I nearly threw up in my car.
I was on the big island of Hawaii last fall and got to taste Kona coffee at its source. The result was that I did not get a whole lot of sleep over there - I was drinking coffee constantly! With a lot of tropical drinks in between. If you ever go to Hawaii, I highly recommend the Big Island. It's much less crowded and I find that it is the cheapest of the islands to vacation on - despite the high price of Kona coffee.