<p>Starbucks is a coffee-chain, but <a href="http://www.howardbehar.com/book.shtml">"It's not about the coffee"</a>. Their main focus is actually the personal experience of going there. They train their employees to remember regular's names (and not only that; the get loads of training on handling people, conversation tactics, and personal skills), they have that "your name on the cup" thing, and generally, their focus is actually the reception you get and how you <em>feel</em> going to Starbucks.</p>

<p>So while their coffee might be good, if one goes there and ignores all the other factors and solely focuses on the taste, one might find that there are better places in town.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-16T17:51:39.337Z
your name on the cup? Try again. Something laughably similar, yet insanely dissimilar (my record is "Keith") on the cup
Kate Gregory
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-18T20:04:15.933Z
I actually remember reading somewhere that they did that on purpose. Don't remember why tho.
Ludwik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T12:35:34.750Z
2015-01-28T12:35:34.750Z
Ludwik
<p>I like the answers already here, but want to add on a bit.</p>

<p>Coffee freshness is an extremely important variable when selecting coffee. There are roughly <a href="http://www.coffeeresearch.org/science/aromamain.htm">800 volatile molecular components</a> found in coffee and much of it evaporates within several days of resting and/or minutes after grinding. A true coffee snob is very interested in a "roast date" rather than a "best by date" because it gives you a read on freshness rather than the fabricated "expiration" that the roaster arbitrarily puts on the bag. Imagine selecting bread at a bakery and they won't tell you the day it's baked, it is rather mind boggling!</p>

<p>Since starbucks is an international chain, coffee freshness does not become a economical priority when servicing thousands of stores and millions of customers. Roasted coffee sits in warehouses until it is finally delivered and used by the barista or bought off the shelf by the consumer. It appears that Starbucks shelf-life is 12 months according to their <a href="http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/dcc4d0d527b14099a21cf664586bcfa1.pdf">Standards for Food Suppliers</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-25T09:34:22.620Z
Starbucks standard is 6 months for unopened, vacuum-sealed coffee with a CO2 escape valve. The "12 months" mentioned in the linked document is for holding *records* on a product, not the product itself.
luser droog
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-25T18:37:43.423Z
@luserdroog Ah good catch! Do you have a reference for the 6 months? I can make that change, thanks
rwyland
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T03:52:27.260Z
I know it just from working there. I'll try to find a public document that confirms it.
luser droog
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-30T21:51:00.383Z
2015-07-30T21:51:00.383Z
rwyland
<p>Business practices aside, Starbucks coffee seems to get a lot of derision from people who consider themselves coffee aficionados. Why is this? I can understand why one might not like the idea of an enormous creamy, iced, syrup-filled beverage, but is there anything wrong with their actual espresso?</p>

<p>An example of this common mindset is presented on <a href="http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/19/the-perils-of-coffee-snobbery/">Time.com</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[...] no coffee snob I know would be caught dead drinking a latte, especially the Starbucks latte they implied.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T13:02:59.380Z
I've posted a [meta question](http://meta.coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/36/do-we-consider-this-question-on-topic) about whether this is on topic or not
EdChum
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T13:06:27.897Z
@TimPost I've found a suitable quote that should suffice!
fredley
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T16:04:30.020Z
the question lends itself to discussing coffee drinking and what the coffee community considers to be quality coffee. I find it different than the question: Do *you* like Starbucks.
Mayo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T15:51:36.940Z
It's opinion based, but so is coffee in general.  I think the answer is a list of reasons for the opinion.  It's a very reasonable question for someone "getting into" specialty coffee who has friends who are already home roasting or the like.
Suspended User
<starbucks>
Why do some people sneer at Starbucks coffee?
fredley
# Why do some people sneer at Starbucks coffee?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-28)

Business practices aside, Starbucks coffee seems to get a lot of derision from people who consider themselves coffee aficionados. Why is this? I can understand why one might not like the idea of an enormous creamy, iced, syrup-filled beverage, but is there anything wrong with their actual espresso?

An example of this common mindset is presented on [Time.com](http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/19/the-perils-of-coffee-snobbery/):

> [...] no coffee snob I know would be caught dead drinking a latte, especially the Starbucks latte they implied.

**Tags:** starbucks

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I've posted a [meta question](http://meta.coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/36/do-we-consider-this-question-on-topic) about whether this is on topic or not  
> **username_0**: @TimPost I've found a suitable quote that should suffice!  
> **username_2**: the question lends itself to discussing coffee drinking and what the coffee community considers to be quality coffee. I find it different than the question: Do *you* like Starbucks.  
> **username_3**: It's opinion based, but so is coffee in general.  I think the answer is a list of reasons for the opinion.  It's a very reasonable question for someone "getting into" specialty coffee who has friends who are already home roasting or the like.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-01-28. Score: 13

Starbucks is a coffee-chain, but ["It's not about the coffee"](http://www.howardbehar.com/book.shtml). Their main focus is actually the personal experience of going there. They train their employees to remember regular's names (and not only that; the get loads of training on handling people, conversation tactics, and personal skills), they have that "your name on the cup" thing, and generally, their focus is actually the reception you get and how you *feel* going to Starbucks.

So while their coffee might be good, if one goes there and ignores all the other factors and solely focuses on the taste, one might find that there are better places in town.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: your name on the cup? Try again. Something laughably similar, yet insanely dissimilar (my record is "Keith") on the cup  
> **username_4**: I actually remember reading somewhere that they did that on purpose. Don't remember why tho.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-07-30. Score: 7

I like the answers already here, but want to add on a bit.

Coffee freshness is an extremely important variable when selecting coffee. There are roughly [800 volatile molecular components](http://www.coffeeresearch.org/science/aromamain.htm) found in coffee and much of it evaporates within several days of resting and/or minutes after grinding. A true coffee snob is very interested in a "roast date" rather than a "best by date" because it gives you a read on freshness rather than the fabricated "expiration" that the roaster arbitrarily puts on the bag. Imagine selecting bread at a bakery and they won't tell you the day it's baked, it is rather mind boggling!

Since starbucks is an international chain, coffee freshness does not become a economical priority when servicing thousands of stores and millions of customers. Roasted coffee sits in warehouses until it is finally delivered and used by the barista or bought off the shelf by the consumer. It appears that Starbucks shelf-life is 12 months according to their [Standards for Food Suppliers](http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/dcc4d0d527b14099a21cf664586bcfa1.pdf).

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Starbucks standard is 6 months for unopened, vacuum-sealed coffee with a CO2 escape valve. The "12 months" mentioned in the linked document is for holding *records* on a product, not the product itself.  
> **username_6**: @luserdroog Ah good catch! Do you have a reference for the 6 months? I can make that change, thanks  
> **username_7**: I know it just from working there. I'll try to find a public document that confirms it.  

---

