a word on coffee...

after sampling coffees from both McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, I feel that I am adequately prepared to comment on the quality and flavor of each. Why? Because I see a rising popularity with some of these chain places for their coffees and I feel that I need to comment on it.

I think I can sum it all up in one phrase that I use quite often (because it is a universal maxim in which we all should guide our purchases with):

You get what you pay for.

There's a reason the specialty coffee places are so much more expensive... because the product is better. Actually there are a lot of reasons why it's more expensive, but this is the main one. My main gripe is that Americans seem to think that the evil clown and the dotheads have better coffee than say, Starbucks. I admit, SBX is a little strong... but that's sort of how coffee is supposed to taste, kids. Coffee has a very strong, sometimes bitter initial taste on the palate and as the aroma rises up through your sinus cavity, you pick up other flavors and notes... sometimes even a natural sweetness (as can be found in a good shot of espresso). In fact coffee's intense aromas are often used in the perfume trade to 'cleanse' the sinuses after sampling a fragrance, by sniffing a cup of fresh roasted beans.

The coffee tradition was brought here from Europe, where strong coffee is as plentiful as quality wine and decent drinking water. We aren't Europeans, I know that, JimBob 'Merrican... but the point that I am trying to make is that the tradition isn't respected and that we have allowed ourselves to be fooled into drinking cheap, flavorless coffee because it's cheaper to buy, process and sell at a lower price, while still making a pretty decent profit. International Delights and CoffeeMate don't help the matter, because I see fat-ass housefrauen dropping half a bottle of French Vanilla or Irish Creme into their morning coffee... why? Because the coffee doesn't taste like anything, so why not make it taste like something we like? That's the logic behind it.

Like eyecare, I am passionate about coffee... mainly because I worked in the industry for a while. I have had both excellent coffee and crummy stuff and I have been shown the difference by my past employers. They all said that the problem is the market is so over-flooded with junk. The stuff at the grocery store isn't much better... hell, even the Starbuck's choices I'd steer clear of. You don't know how long that stuff has been sitting, and coffee is like any other perishable good in that it goes bad over time... even faster if it's ground.

I am not advocating anyone stop buying coffee from the chains or drinking the cheap stuff... if you're cheap about coffee and don't mind poor quality, I won't ever be able to change your mind. I just ask that you do find a moment in your lives to check out a good cup of coffee somewhere, sometime (don't resort to Starbuck's, either)... there's all kinds of little independent cafes tucked in around your area. Just look for them and go in with an open mind... you and they will both be happy that you did.