[editors note:  I haven't had anything worth ranting over lately. Seriously.  Every cup of coffee I've had from an establishment has been either delicious, or already ranted on previously.  So, I'll spare you any crapified coffee rants over places I've decided to re-try in hopes that their poop brew has changed, when in fact, no...they haven't.  This following rant is on ordering coffee, not necessarily the coffee itself...primarily because I was the barista in question.  I wouldn't rant about myself, of course.  Why rant on awesomeness?  Also, understand, that I'm not ranting about my church friends.  I love all of my church friends...and loved all of my previous customers.]

Last Sunday, I was given the opportunity by request to ‘man’ the espresso bar at our church.  I was excited for a few reasons:

1. I haven’t run an espresso bar in over a year
2. Their espresso bar is real. Not your push-button crap. Full on real-life espresso. Adjust the grind. Tamp the portafilter. Steam the milk. Pull the shot.
3. I’m picky about my espresso…which means, I can tell when a shot isn’t going to be good.  I’ll throw a shot away if I think it’s bad. Wasteful?  Heck yes. [side note: If you’re ordering a drink with 2 or more syrups, order decaf, or ask that your milk be ‘extra hot’, just know that I’ll give you a crappy shot.  I won’t waste a good shot on you because you won’t even taste it.

But I digress.  And know that this isn’t a slam against my church friends.  It’s the way they ordered it that reminded me of exact conversations I had with coffee shop customers, so very long ago. Read on…

Read the rest of this entry »

Starbucks New Instant Coffee - VIA

Today I took a most fortunate trip to my local Starbucks and was “secretly” given a sample of Starbucks new Instant Coffee called VIA. I’ve been waiting to try it ever since I heard the announcement via @starbucks on Twitter. Starbucks has been marketing this product as tasting  identical to their fresh brewed coffee in the store: I was skeptical to say the least.

Experience

The process was about as easy as one would hope. I opened the tiny pouch of “coffee dust” and emptied into a normal sized mug. The instant coffee powder actually smelled amazing.  I then filled a mug with 8 ounces of hot water and promptly stirred the concoction.

The ease of preparation is obviously a plus in any instant coffee situation, but this was quite nifty as I didn’t have to mess around with any extra containers or utensils to prepare my beverage.  I was also fortunate to have boiling water on tap at work, which cut out the boiling time.  Total preparation time was about 20 seconds.

The only thing some serious coffee goers may disapprove in this process is its quickness. I happen to enjoy grinding my own beans and pressing down the coffee press and pouring my coffee. For this reason, I give the experience a B+. For most people, they are looking for a no hassle, quick way to get a great cup of coffee. For them, the experience would no doubt deserve an A.

Experience Grade: B+

Taste

Even after reading many great reviews via Twitter (#VIA) I was still quite skeptical as I count myself a lover a good quality whole bean coffee, and I drink a lot of it: Preferably pressed or pouring through my portafilter at work. I really can’t say I’ve ever consumed any Instant Coffee other than the stuff I sneaked away when I was 9 during Sunday-school (explains some things).

I received the Italian Roast version of the VIA. They also are currently producing a Columbia, which I presume is a bit lighter in body. I was extremely impressed on my first sip. The coffee did taste fresh and at no point did it expel any fake stale flavors on my pallet. The aftertaste was quite tame, almost to tame for an Italian roast. The “edge” on the Italian Roast seemed to have been dumbed down a bit to accommodate an average pallet, but for good reason: This coffee is being marketed toward the average coffee drinker. As the coffee began to cool down, it didn’t seem to have any unique degradation with temperature change. The last sip still tastes good and normal and there was no weird residue at the bottom of my mug.

For the most part, the taste is what I would expect from an average roasted, normal quality cup of drip brewed coffee at any reputable coffeehouse, and much better than any other drip coffee you’d receive at a restaurant or fast food joint.

Taste Grade: A-

Starbucks VIA - In Hand

Value

Only after I tasted the coffee did I learn of price Starbucks is asking for these things. Currently, they are selling 3 packets (3 drinks) for $2.95 and 12 packets for $9.95, which averages out to around $1.00 a cup of coffee.

For me, this is where the deal ends. Given that I normally can purchase one pound of quality whole bean coffee for $10 which roughly produces 32 double shot americanos, I can almost consume 3 times the amount of quality coffee (If not better using different brewing methods) for the same price. So, Instead of paying $1.00 per cup of coffee, I am only spending 33 cents by purchasing whole beans and brewing my own.

This is only a deal assuming you don’t mind the time it takes to prepare your coffee. Some may find the 66 cent premium well worth it for being able to sleep in 5 minutes later.

Again, for me, The value is just not there. Bring the price down to 50 cents a cup, and I may be more interested in making VIA a semi regular part of my day.

Value Grade: D

Conclusion

All in all, I was impressed. I would definitely drink it again given the correct circumstances. (laziness, out of beans, in a hurry) I may even purchase a few to keep at my desk for emergency situations, or bring along to a restaurant with horrible coffee. If you are a regular drip coffee drinker who hates the hassle of purchasing whole beans and dealing with brewing equipment, VIA may be a great choice for you. For the experienced coffee drinker who enjoys the process of brewing and loves to experiment with exotic coffees and flavor profiles, you may not want to waste your money or time.

Overall Grade: B