I get it.  I really do.  It’s part ritual, part science.  Coffee cupping really does allow someone who really knows coffee to detect the nuances of a bean.  But, what does the end consumer do?  They usually take your meticulously crafted work, dump in two packs of sugar, maybe some cream, and chug it as they run out the door to work.

So, what’s the point of a snooty cupping session?  Do people really smell bread and other silly words that are overheard when describing coffee?  The same could be said for wine enthusiasts.  As I said, I’m sure it has it’s place, but even most of the self proclaimed coffee snobs that drink it black couldn’t talk intelligently about what they are consuming.  Shouldn’t you evaluate the product on the consumer level?

When I first started making coffee at home with the intent on “crafting” the result, I’m sure I made the mistake everyone makes.  I grabbed a bag of beans that said “espresso” and started in like a rhino trying to help a baby bird back into a nest…pretty ugly picture.  My main goal was to produce a product that was at least as good as Starbucks to save my family money ($3.50 a pop ads up).  It wasn’t hard to do that.  Starbucks really does suck.   It took about a year, but I managed to quickly graduate to seeking out the artisan roasters in my area for the beans, and getting a nice espresso machine, and cranking out a product that people now anticipate when they come over.  I did this all without coffee cupping.

So, why am I attempting to cup coffee now?  I’m curious.  Does it actually enhance my personal experience?  Will it make my product better now that I’m also roasting my own beans?  Really, what coffee cupping does is provide a standardized way for folks in the coffee business to evaluate and talk about coffee.  But, does in benefit the consumer?  If a cupping session reveals a Full City roasted Brazilian bean to have hints of bitter chocolate and black currant, does the person who will be dumping in two packs of Splenda before even tasting the beverage care?  No, no they don’t.  Do people like myself that actually ask for just a single shot of espresso benefit.  Yes, yes I do.  But, can you really educate the entire public on how to really evaluate coffee?  Starbucks is proof that you can’t.

Why am I ranting?  Because I can.  That’s just my opinion.  Of course, I could be wrong.

The coffee at Starbucks may suck balls, but as I sit here in a Starbucks killing time, I can’t help but be thankful for what Starbucks does offer.  The yogurt parfait (the one with berries) is quite a nice little breakfast.  The pastries are adequate for a snack.  There’s free WiFi, and I always get perverse pleasure out of the sheer befuddlement of the cashier when I refuse to order a drink.

The “cafe culture” that Starbucks has created is actually a bit like the Cult of Apple.  Both companies created (or rather perverted) a pre-existing product (or products).  Apple at least makes cool gadgets (whether or not you can stomach their business practices is a different issue).  Starbucks on the other hand, has completely wrecked the coffee they serve, but have convinced the people that it’s what they need (not want).  They did this by providing a community around the product that people found attractive.  In the computer age, free WiFi is a big deal.  So, the ability to come in, sit down, type up a mud-slinging blog piece about the very establishment providing the WiFi is really cool.  People meet for job interviews, tutoring sessions, short business meetings, blind dates, the list goes on.  And, while your here, have a drink.  Unless your me.  In which case, you pre-fill the Starbucks branded travel cup someone got you as a joke with a home roasted, home brewed latte and sit down without buying anything.

So, Starbucks is good for something, just not coffee.

Here’s a double shot of espresso with my Bezzera BZ-10.  The beans are Revolution Roasters Smooth Operator blend.