<p>I have never understood the Starbucks popularity… Well, maybe it makes sense. I guess most of us have become addicted to fats and sugar and Starbucks aims for that addiction. I am more addicted to coffee and almost always drink it black. Starbucks coffee is all but undrinkable without a load of cream and sugar. I usually head for dunkn donuts, 7-11 or even mcD’s. Even then I need to be careful and avoid grabbing the wrong pot. Nut flavored coffees seem to be popular. I think you also need to drink them with cream and sugar.</p>
<p>I’m a Starbucks fan - but pretty much always bring the beans home rather than buying their brew. I like Dunkin Donuts coffee okay but find that it is no cheaper than Starbucks for me because I have to use twice as much to get the flavor I like - I like it strong. Now that we have a local Wegman’s, I get my beans there.</p>
<p>Check out comedian Lewis Black’s hilarious “Starbucks–End of the Universe” routine. You’ll find an audio-only (and profanity-free) version on YouTube, posted by YouTube member Nathan1079 on May 23, 2007. You can reach the video indirectly through Google (search: Lewis Black Starbucks), or directly through YouTube.</p>
<p>This routine was part of Lewis Black’s 2004 “Rules of Enragement” tour. My daughter and I saw Black perform to a packed house. The audience screamed with laughter when he first uttered the word “Starbucks,” and they laughed uproariously throughout the routine. I think you’ll like it.</p>
<p>that was great - thanks for posting
Oh look!</p>
<p>LOL…I sent it on to my H & sons.</p>
<p>The best visual was the Escher staircases with Starbucks logos!</p>
<p>I hate coffee. Starbucks has done a brilliant job – much better than any of their competitors – of offering excellent non-coffee drinks. I’d prefer to support local shops when I want hot chocolate, but virtually all of them use powder, while Starbucks uses goo, which makes a MUCH better drink. There’s coffee and vanilla in their goo, too. No one but Ghirardelli makes skim-milk hot chocolate half as good as Starbucks, and there’s only one Ghirardelli where I live.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly much of the base Starbucks uses comes from Europe and is not cheap. The chocolate mix does come as a powder and is mixed with another syrup base to make the mocha mix that goes into all the chocolate drinks. Mixing that mocha base was a dirty job to be avoided.</p>
<p>scansmom – DD coffee has been available at the major supermarkets around me (CT) for several months. Maybe they’re doing a regional rollout? I used to buy 2# bags of Starbucks beans at Costco, but more recently have been buying Fair Trade French Roast at Trader Joe’s. Anyone know if Starbucks is fair trade? I have to say we do really enjoy their Christmas/Holiday blend when it’s available.</p>
<p>Starbucks is not about selling coffee. Actually they seem to sell hot chocolate with just a hint of burnt coffee flavor. I suspect Starbucks is mostly about brand recognition, atmosphere and trendiness. Trends tend to come and go. I can only hope that the next trendy chain will sell decent coffee.</p>
<p>I tend to buy the French or Italian roast beans from the drive thru - so no hot chocolate for me. I find some of the other beans are over-roasted but I like the expresso roasts there. Christmas Blend is also one of my favorites.</p>
<p>Starbucks is about A STRONG cup of coffee. They use about twice as much as “normal” in their drip coffee. It is very strong but once you are used to it everything else tastes weak and bland.</p>
<p>I thought it was strong just so it could survive dilution with 300-600 calories worth of syrup, mocha, and cream.</p>
<p>edad - I don’t know why you think everyone drinks sweet glop at Starbucks. I know many Starbucks’ drinkers and none of them drink anything with syrup or cream in it.</p>
<p>I love my chai tea latte from Starbucks. I also like that I can go anywhere in the world and have the same drink.</p>
<p>If you want a really good chai order it with no water. I usually get it with nonfat, no water, no foam extra hot and it’s great. Lots of strong chai taste and not too many calories. It’s my cold rainy afternoon pick-me-up.</p>
<p>I used to like Starbucks lattes back in the day that they were hand pulled and tasted great. Then Starbucks converted to the push button espresso machines and it just became expensive fast food. If I’m going to spend way too much money on a latte - it had better be a good one. I’d much rather support a locally owned place that does it the old fashioned way. And guess what - it tastes better too.</p>
<p>The standard Starbucks chai tea latte is 315 calories of fat and carbs when made with whole milk, but drops to 262 calories when made with non-fat milk.</p>
<p>I prefer Peet’s. The only time I go to Starbuck’s now is when I’m in the airport.</p>
<p>A std nonfat Grande Chai latte is only 200 calories.</p>
<p>[starbucks®</a> beverages](<a href=“http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_beverage_detail.asp]starbucks®”>http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_beverage_detail.asp)</p>
<p>Great! Barrons, thanks for posting that! I’m glad to see that my favorite treat, a tall Starbucks mocha frappuccino hold the whip cream, is only 200 calories, too, and also supplies 15% of calcium!</p>
<p>Starbucks can be very addictive ;):</p>
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<p>[Sunday</a> Buzz | Amazon’s Bezos nets $135M in rare stock sale | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2004197481&slug=sundaybuzz24&date=20080224]Sunday”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2004197481&slug=sundaybuzz24&date=20080224)</p>
<p>^^^It is the second story in the link.</p>