OT: Coffee, home vs. coffeshop - what's the deal?

[deborah_r]

Has anyone else experienced the phenomenon of buying Starbucks or some other coffee grounds or beans that you love when you get it made "professionally", then when you make it at home, it kinda tastes the same as Folgers? Is it the equipment they have that makes it taste better? Is it brewing in larger batches that makes it taste better?

I don't feel like I've ever made a "good" cup of coffee at home, no matter how much I spend on the coffee.

[starrynight]

I hate starbucks coffee, the cold/frozen frappacinos aren't too bad but their hot coffee stinks IMO.

As for making good coffee, fresh ground beans make all the difference! I bought a mini grinder (around $10 I think) and if I buy coffee it's beans now and I grind a little at a time and keep it in the fridge, the rest of the beans go in the freezer until I need them. Helps keep that 'fresh' taste.

Also let the tap water run for a few seconds so it's real cold and run vinegar through the coffee pot with some water a few times a year. A really clean pot makes the difference also.

I rarely buy coffee out unless I happen to be out and really want a coffee badly. I don't do it as an every morning habit thing.

[Jeanne]

I agree totally! I'm a coffee lover and Starbucks fan but it never tastes the same at home. I don't think the heating element effectively extracts the coffee's flavor. I have a Grind & Brew but it's no better than any other machine. I use filtered cold water and that doesn't seem to make a difference either. I really do think it's the equipment. I've used up to three times the amount of coffee you need for one cup and it's only marginally better.

[murpheyblue]

Ooh, ooh, I know this one. Just kidding. :) But DH used to work for Peet's Coffee and Tea so I do know a bit about coffee. The reason coffeeshop coffee tastes better is because of (a) water temperature and (b) grind of the beans. A home coffee maker only gets water to about 180 degrees whereas an industrial model will get it up to about 200. So the coffee steeps in hotter water. Also, the professional coffee maker uses a coarser grind (closer to the grind you'd use for a press pot) which makes for better coffee. Lastly, the volume of coffee made by an industrial maker produces a different flavor profile than that of a regaulr pot.

I guess there's also the ambience factor. Everything is better when someone else makes it and cleans it up! :)

Ali
Mom to Megan 9-28-03

[StaceyKim]

I used to brew my own coffee occasionally but always preferred going out and getting my Dunkin coffee much better! I have since gotten the Keurig coffee maker. It brews one cup at a time and it's awesome! It tastes better if you only use bottled water too.

[tinkerbell1217]

The only coffe that tastes the same at home to me is Dunkin Donuts! Their Vanilla coffee is the best!



Kelly

[StaceyKim]

I am a HUGE fan of Dunkin coffee especially the iced french vanilla!!! YUMMY.
Does it taste as good at home??? I wish Keurig.com would add it to their coffees that they supply.

[Sarah1]

I am a complete Starbucks ADDICT, and when I make it at home, it is AWESOME! Of course, it is not QUITE as good as it is at the actual Starbucks, but it's close enough for me, and I'm pretty picky about coffee.

The key is having them grind it for you (you tell them what kind of coffee filter you have and they grind it especially for that filter) as opposed to grinding the beans yourself at home. I know this goes against what a lot of people think...that it won't be as fresh, etc etc etc...but the grinders they have in the store grind the coffee much more finely than the grinder you likely have at your house. We have a Grind & Brew (I think that's the name of it), and I just turn the grinder off. It doesn't grind the beans finely enough.

ETA--one other thing, the Starbucks coffee they sell at grocery stores is TERRIBLE. It is not nearly the quality you find at the Starbucks shops. I don't know what the deal is with this, but it's not the same AT ALL.

[Vajrastorm]

I buy Starbucks coffee to brew at home and prefer it to anything I can buy at a coffee shop. The coffee maker has a lot to do with it. I use a Bunn right now, and it makes some good HOT coffee. Temperature is everything! (Ok, not everything, but an extremely important part of it all)

[kijip]

It is mostly all about water temp and the grind. I can't stand the roast on most Starbucks beans but my favorite roaster's coffee got a lot better at home when I increased the temp and used a better grinder. Also a clean machine is a must and if the water where you live is hard, bottled water or filtered water might help.

[cinrein]

All of the coffee we make at home suddenly got awful-tasting, no matter what kind we buy. I switched to using bottled water instead of tap water and it made a huge difference for us. I'd give that a try before you toss out your coffee maker. :)

BTW--I think Starbuck's house blend decaf is some the of the worst tasting stuff ever made. When they have Ethiopian Yergecheffe beans in the store (they only have them like every 2 years), try those. They are the best!

Cindy and Anna 2/11/03

[tinkerbell1217]

My fave too, iced French Vanilla!! I don't make it iced at home, but hot Dunkin Donuts coffee, French Vanilla, tastes the same to me in the store or brewed at home. I think the reason the Iced is sooo good is they add a Vanilla syrup of some kind to it also. I need to find that stuff! I think Gloria Jeans sells syrups in addition to their coffee. Maybe I will try their syrup in the Dunkin Donuts coffee. Hmmm....


Kelly

[hcsl]

You can always buy a Starbucks burr grinder and grind your own fresh each morning! DH is addicted to grinding his beans every day before work.

The Starbucks brand grinder has setting from french press to espreso and they seem to be pretty true to the grind you'd get form a 'big' machine.