"There is no problem with Starbucks beans."
Oh, yes there is. The biggest is I've yet to have a cup there that wasn't stale - once you've grown used to *fresh* beans, you cannot drink Starbucks. They store their beans at room temp, and that kills the taste, good coffee should be frozen until used. Of course, so many people load up their coffee with sugar and cream and flavoring, it hardly matters.
Their blends are also too bland, they cater to the broad majority, Starbucks has no personality to their blends whatsoever. Even Peet's has them beat there - while I don't like most of their blends, at least they have a character to them.
My daily brew is Safeway cappuchino blend, stored in the freezer, fresh brewed, one or two cups at home, the rest comes with me to work. A little half and half or heavy whipping cream: heaven. Safeway's beans are surprisingly good and affordable - yes, they're stored at room temp, but in sealed bags - if you freeze them as soon as you open the bag, they tend to keep just fine. It's a dark blend, but never bitter, very smooth, and very distinctive. It's even better in a cappuchino machine.
Freeze dried coffee is simply out. Can't and won't drink it. Yes, I'm a coffee snob. It's like tea - once you've had GOOD tea, you can't go back to Lipton's.
Shameless plug: http://www.kaladi.com, and http://silverhookcoffee.com/ (owned by my brother). Great stuff!
Starbucks beans are stored in sealed containers as well.
Peets are stored in open bins.
Whether coffee should be frozen is debateable. I don't, but I use my beans quick enough to avoid the issue.
I will agree with you about Peets having character to their blends. A cup of #101 tastes damned good. I used to get ALL of my beans there until I discovered Orchard Valley Roasting Co., and subsequently Barefoot Roasting Co. I do believe that the closest thing to heaven on earth is brewing up a fresh pot of Ethiopia Yergacheffe after waking up in a campground in an old-growth forest (note: it doesn't actually have to be old growth).
Where does Starbucks store their beans at room temp? They roast them, bag them, ship them. FROZEN coffee beans? You mean frozen like in frozen orange juice, frozen steaks? Is frozen broccoli better than fresh broccoli? What nonsense.
You definitely need to meet passive Hank, the forum's Juan Valdez, and have a coffee klatsch..
The problem is that opening up frozen beans condenses moisture on the surface of the cold bean - unless you roast them right away the water absorption will start to kill the bean, and you certainly don't want to refreeze them. You could freeze in small, daily batches but that's a hassle.
It's far better to buy a high-quality vacuum-sealer; I use the adapter to vacuum-seal roasted beans in Ball canning jars if I don't use them within a few days after roasting.
The quest to maintain quality, and attempt Peet's French greatness, is what got me started roasting at home. That was almost 6 years ago, and I've never looked back. It's fun, the quality is superb and the price ends up about $5.50 per roasted pound - 1/3 of Peet's price. Plus, green coffee beans are rugged; you can store them in your garage for several years with no harm done as long as they stay dry.