Starbucks pushing instant coffee

[schmendrik]

Anybody try Starbucks new "via" coffee? They were pushing it today, offering free samples. When I expressed skepticism about instant coffee, the guy behind the counter said that everybody has the same reaction. "Instant coffee, yuck". But then two of them ganged up and started giving me the whole pitch. Thirty years in development, blah blah, not freeze dried, blah, blah, basically ground up coffee beans, it's real coffee, blah, blah.

I didn't bother pointing out that coffee beans do not dissolve in water. Ground up or not. That's why our coffee pots have grounds in them. That's why Greek coffee has all the mud in the bottom. So whatever it is, it's not "just ground up beans".

So I went ahead and tried one of their free samples. My verdict?

Instant coffee, yuck.

Curious about other people's reactions.

[SPazzo]

I actually never had coffee at Starbucks.  I always go to the Canadian coffee house Tim Horton's.  Starbucks has always been too expensive.

[The Burgomaster]

Around 1991 or 1992, I had a client called CAFE COFFEE.  It was an upstart company with the idea of selling "gourmet" coffee.  This was before the Starbuck's "expensive coffee" craze and many of us wondered if such a concept could ever become profitable.  Not sure whatever happened to CAFE COFFEE (it may exist in some form . . . maybe under a different name or absorbed by a larger company), but it's amazing to me that the whole "designer coffee" premise seemed fairly unusual 20 years ago and now it's everywhere.

[Ash]

I don't drink coffee.
Love the smell, hate the taste.   

[SkullBat308]

f**k Starbucks!!!!!!!

I actually never had coffee at Starbucks.  I always go to the Canadian coffee house Tim Horton's.  Starbucks has always been too expensive.

They have Tims in the states? ( I'm assuming that's where you're from SPazzo.)

[lester1/2jr]

there are actually people to lazy to load a coffee maker. it takes like two seconds wtf?

[SPazzo]

f**k Starbucks!!!!!!!

I actually never had coffee at Starbucks.  I always go to the Canadian coffee house Tim Horton's.  Starbucks has always been too expensive.

They have Tims in the states? ( I'm assuming that's where you're from SPazzo.)

Nope, I'm in Canada.  I live in Saskatchewan.   

[Saucerman]

f**k Starbucks!!!!!!!

I actually never had coffee at Starbucks.  I always go to the Canadian coffee house Tim Horton's.  Starbucks has always been too expensive.

They have Tims in the states? ( I'm assuming that's where you're from SPazzo.)

We have a lot of Tims here in Western New York.  I'm actually waiting to hear back from one of my local Tims regarding employment.

[schmendrik]

f**k Starbucks!!!!!!!

I actually never had coffee at Starbucks.  I always go to the Canadian coffee house Tim Horton's.  Starbucks has always been too expensive.

They have Tims in the states? ( I'm assuming that's where you're from SPazzo.)

We have a lot of Tims here in Western New York.  I'm actually waiting to hear back from one of my local Tims regarding employment.

I've seen them around Boston too.

[3mnkids]

Instant coffee sucks.    Im not a big fan of starbucks anyway, I like Seattle's best coffee better. I usually get a large when im at Borders books. yummy.

[SkullBat308]

We have a lot of Tims here in Western New York.  I'm actually waiting to hear back from one of my local Tims regarding employment.

Yeah, that's where I work. It's alright I guess. The tips are good.

[SPazzo]

Yeah, I remember seeing a thing on the news about the Tims opening in New York.  It made news all over Canada.   

[the ghoul]

I love a good cup of coffee, and consider Starbucks to be the best in town here in Vegas.  I'm usually all about supporting the independents, but there was only one independent coffee shop here that had coffee as good as Starbucks, and they closed down a few years back.  I can make really good coffee at home very easily with a $40.00 coffee maker and a 15 dollar grinder, so I don't really understand why restaurants, convenient stores, and even many coffee shops can't seem to ever get it right.  Anyway, before I digress any further.  Someone gave me some of the Starbucks instant coffee to try.  While it is not as good as Starbuck's regular fresh brewed coffee, it's by far the best instant coffee I have ever tried, and better than many of the pre-ground coffees I have tried.  It's also better than AM/PM, 7-11, etc.  I liked it, and plan on getting some to take with me when I go on trips.  It's way better than the pre-ground coffee they provide for people to make in hotel rooms.  As for the question of how it dissolves in water if it is really ground coffee beans, I don't think it does dissolve in the water.  It is micro-ground, which causes the particles to not be noticeable in the coffee.  Of course, as with all coffee, one of the biggest mistakes people make is adding too much water or using too little coffee.  With the Starbucks instant,  I probably wouldn't want to use more than 6 ounces of water to a packet of coffee.

[Dennis]

I like Starbucks coffee too, stop at one in Alhambra on the way to work, I haven't taken the Via test and probably won't because I don't like instant coffee. There is one person who I hope will like it, a Marine Lance Corporal stationed in Afghanistan. Apparently he told his family in Alhambra that he really missed Starbucks coffee, they told the local Starbucks and now any one who wants can purchase Via instant for this Marine and they will ship it to him. It looks like he's going to get about 30 - 40 pounds of it.

[Mr. DS]

Starbucks to me is the equivillant of cocaine in a cup.  Expensive and it gives me the jitters.  No thanks...in any form.