Got a couple of hours to kill while my car gets a new set of shoes so I'm wandering around to kill time. Spot a Starbucks and as I haven't had the mis-pleasure of going into one since Adam was a lad, venture in; big mistake. Espresso machine has been dispensed with in favour of some push button misbegotten piece of junk. Against my better judgment and probably because I want to see how bad it is, order a single espresso. Comes minus anything you could call a crema. One sip and I'm done - tastes of nothing related to coffee but bitterness on steroids. Truly awful experience yet the place is packed. https://imgur.com/a/lpoRBzW

With a man of your experience and knowledge, you should know better than to succumb to these follies🤩

It's because you're meant to drink it with a pint of burning hot milk to partially counteract the bitterness

> @"Elcarajillo"#p64899 With a man of your experience and knowledge, you should know better than to succumb to these follies🤩 Yeah, I should have known better but there was a vicarious urge to see how bad it might be and I wasn't disappointed.

Have all Starbucks dispensed with traditional espresso machines in favour of some sort of pod gizmo. Didn't take much notice of the kit but it definitely wasn't a traditional one.

@"Systemic"#p64904 Think you'd have to make some effort to ensure a pod shot tasted that bad. Starbucks switched to super autos some years back.

Charbux here in the U.S. is for those that are too lazy to create their own concoctions or simply don't know FAR better can be had much easier/quicker/cheaper. Definitely more of a social media/fad type thing based on the customer base I've seen when driving past. For yrs I've said Charbux is like Apple in that you're paying for the claimed experience as the products are barely tolerable and overpriced jokes IMBHO.

Starbucks went to super autos only in the US in the late 90's early 00's. I have one of their cast off Mazzer Majors from that transition. They now use an in house proprietary machine "Mastrena" which is not only super auto, and auto foaming, it will queue shots. ![MASTRENA PREMIER FULLY AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE](https://res0.grays.com/handlers/imagehandler.ashx?t=sh&id=38032630&s=fl&index=0&ts=638170776430000000 "MASTRENA PREMIER FULLY AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE") ![MASTRENA PREMIER FULLY AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE](https://res2.grays.com/handlers/imagehandler.ashx?t=sh&id=38032632&s=fl&index=0&ts=638170776480000000 "MASTRENA PREMIER FULLY AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE")

Terrible coffee but they created a brand that people will always pay for. Seemingly they now also hold more money than most banks because you can pre load a card with cash. Genius.

their toasted luxury fruit loaf is lovely, no need for butter it is lovely and moist because of the amount of fruit in it, I stopped in one near Stirling in Scotland in early January and it was freezing inside the girl working there was sat wrapped in a blanket as we walked in, we sat in my car to have something to eat as it was too cold to sit inside the building itself, felt sorry for her as she had another 8 hours to go and she said they were never busy, it would be a long miserable shift I reckon

Well beyond undrinkable

drdre89

DavecUK Starbucks is shamefully bad, I am mystified as to why people go there…it can’t be for the coffee.

People are used to crap. They go to Starbucks for the social experience to get out of the house to avoid their family for an hour or so.

dutchy101

drdre89 People are used to ****. They go to Starbucks for the social experience to get out of the house to avoid their family for an hour or so.

This is what the pub was invented for

Brainbox

At Starbucks it is just about the sugar I guess. Starbucks marketeer: “Hmmmm, this coffee actually is pretty awful, maybe put some extra sugar in it to make it sell”. And a very successful marketing concept was created by accident.

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