• Woly [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Even by today's standards, I'd say it was decent. It was way more like a real coffee shop - the baristas would grind the beans, tamp it down, and make the espresso themselves. And it was only after Starbucks became popular that all these other coffee shops started popping up.

      • Woly [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Oh yeah, for sure. Especially in the Pacific Northwest, there were better coffee shops everywhere. But Starbucks had to at least get close to them in quality, because that's where their first stores were, and they weren't beating them on price. It was only once they started pushing for nationwide coverage and huge brand recognition that they tanked the quality of their product.

    • post_trains [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      grind the beans, tamp it down, and make the espresso

      I'm confused. I go to Starbucks like once or twice a year and apparently don't pay attention ... how do they make coffee?

      • Woly [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        They have automated machines that grind the coffee, pack it into the uhhh, thingy, and brew it to the desired strength all by pressing one button. The only thing the employee does now is whack out the used coffee grinds into a garbage can and put the (apparently it's called a portafilter?) back in place. They're basically fancy keurig machines.

        • post_trains [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Yeah, it’s a portafilter. That’s a troubling way to do things unless you don’t give a shit about the end product. Even the non-snob places will tamp and pull by hand. The snobby ones usually just have more temperamental roasts and will take time to calibrate for flavor a couple times a day.