[mollynme]

Starbucks coffee sucks to me. Every time I taste it, it seems to have a burnt undertaste; very disappointing.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a gentleman who used to be a coffee buyer. He told me that Starbucks is known throughout the business for their marketing ability. He maintains that they bought the (mostly Vietnamese) beans that no other brokers would touch then turned around & sold them as premium (at more than premium prices). They made huge profits but at the expense of taste. This man told me that when Starbucks first became available at your local grocery store they were labeled as "premium" but they were forced to remove this from the labels.

[New Zealander]

labelled as "premium" but they were forced to remove this from the labels.
About the same deal with Robert Harris coffee here. But then we have only just begun to see more Starbucks and McCafes here. Not too impressed with either - won't go back to starbucks after paying NZD $3 for tea - souring milk, in a mug, no teapot. McCafe do better tea, but might as well drink the restaurant coffee. Fortunately there are some really good cafes here in Palmy North - and a great coffee house. They used to be next to the library - the smell of freshly roasting coffee and aromatic food from the cafe on a cold day - fuels the appetite.
My favourite though - Ethiopian Harrar. Haven't seen it of sale for a while. Best coffee around. Sigh...

[Clemenza]

I hate to break the news to you, but I once worked for Starbucks and, for all of their faults, they do NOT purchase Vietnamese coffee, which is mostly robusta. Starbucks only purchases Arabic beans from places such as Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia and (when we the consumer are lucky) Ethiopia, among others.