coffee disappointments

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Either my taste is getting more and more specific, or it is increasingly harder to get a good latte or cappucino these days. I used to think that Peet's did a consistently better job than Starbucks at basic coffee beverages, but alas, that no longer seems to be the case. I think the only place left that can make a consistently good cappucino may be Torrefazione Italia. That's hard to get to, though, and of course may merely be an idealization by me because of the infrequency of my visits.

In any case, I am formulating a new theory that Peet's fans are merely the same breed of coffee drinking yuppie as Starbucks fans, but even snobbier. I think that there is no evidence that Peet's is any better at making consistently good espresso beverages than Starbucks, and may in fact be less consistent. However, because the Peet's stores are fewer in number, they seem more fancy and hardcore, and therefore your people who shun Starbucks often say they prefer Peet's, when in fact, they're really about the same in quality. Their coffee tastes different, I'll grant, and some may prefer one over the other, but fundamentally both chains are yuppie snobby chains that cater to a select group of people willing to pay too much for a fancy coffee drink. I think that Peet's has just somehow managed to convince its clientele that it is somehow even fancier and more elitist than mass-market Starbucks, without actually doing anything to prove that outside of selling even fewer choices than Starbucks.

Peet's has better tea, though, and fresher pastries, but Starbucks has better merchandise and toffee nut lattes.

Comments

[rabswom.livejournal.com]

ive never been to a peet's (do we even have them on the east coast?), but ive preferred their coffee to what ive had at starbucks.

starbucks is too much of a fan of the dark, dark roast, for my taste. also, i have political issues (related to the israeli-palestinian conflict) with going to starbucks. which is not to say that i dont ever go there, it just means that it makes me feel guilty, so im more likely to not go.

Re:

[yuda.livejournal.com]

No Peet's on the east coast. It's hard enough to even get the coffee here. (Actually, looks like there are a few up in Boston, but none in the Mid-Atlantic).

An interesting point of note is that the guy who started Starbucks learned how to roast beans from Peet. Sadly, Peet didn't teach him how to turn the roaster off afterwards.

Personally, I like going to Starbucks because of their good labor practicies; that far outweighs any Israeli issues for me.

I can't be bothered to leave two comments, so I'm going to reply to Sarcasma's comment here also: I'll go to locally-owned coffee houses if they (a) have good coffee and (b) actually have things in stock, but a poorly-run store is a poorly-run store and not worthy of my business no matter who owns it.

Re:

[phonemonkey.livejournal.com]

I'm really curious now - what are the Israeli issues relating to Starbucks? I thought that it was the other way round - pro-Israel people want to boycott Starbucks because they closed their Israel outlets (although it was for business not political reasons) but still have outlets in many Arab countries. Of course this is something I only know from Snopes, so please correct me: http://www.snopes.com/politics/israel/starbucks.asp

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

I expect the snobbiest of all are those of us who at every opportunity will shun, say, the well-run, giant-menued, overpriced Second Cup in favour of the local family-run, friendly-but-incompetent, perennially-out-of-stock-of-things place. It makes me feel virtuous, plus, they’re often basically out of coffee, which means it’s good for me too! :p

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I think it's hilarious how snobby we all can be about our hot drinks. I also think you're right: there isn't THAT much difference among the chains. It's mostly a matter of separating into camps.

(that said, Caribou Coffee does a white hot chocolate that rocks my little world)

Oh, and quite possibly the definitive Snobby Coffee Houst is Julius Meinl in Chicago, which is the only Meinl outside of Vienna.

Of course, they serve their coffee on a little tray with a glass of water, straws full of sugar, and a chocolate. So they get schmancy points.

[cropherb.livejournal.com]

I want schmancy points!