Time Magazine Starbucks rant

[TC]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

The cafe part used to use semi-auto machines but now even they seem to be using some form of super-auto. The regular maccas have always used super-autos behind the counter though which dont even have a steam want. They put the milk in first than the shot in those machines as well (or maybe jsut later in the process but definately not first).

Yeah- bizarre....

In the beginning, when they were with Mocopan, they sent perhaps 6 sites worth of Melbourne McCafe staff through the academy and they all did Advanced espresso with me. They used real machines at their sites and there were quite a few staff who did really well. Perhaps they all got jobs that pay a fair wage and left? I guess most of their staff would be considered transient.

Mocopan actually did some work on their blend and for what it was, it was actually not too bad...

More recently (last year I think), they dumped Mocopan and aligned with Nestle which they apparently buy at $7 per kilo roasted and delivered . Not surprising that they have dumped their machines for superautos. With the rubbish beans that they are using, it wouldnt make much difference anyway.

Makes me think I must manufacture a superauto chip cooker, hamburger maker and checkout bimbo/himbo! Retirement here I come! ;D

[marcstolk]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

McDonalds Coffee is disgusting!

Wushoes, what did it taste like you ask? Id rather leave that horrible experience in the past and move on ;-) Seriously though, its very bland! Dont know how people drink the stuff.

Milky StarBucks Coffee - yep, fallen victim to this also... from the Coffee Cart at Westmead Childrens Hospital (Where my young Son was at the time). Be warned! Stay WELL away. Its foul!

These experiences really help you appreciate what you can do at home with the fresh stuff and decent skills.

Marc

[marcstolk]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

More recently (last year I think), they dumped Mocopan and aligned with Nestle which they apparently buy at $7 per kilo roasted and delivered .

This is where the coffee farmer gets ripped off and cant make a profit! Disgusting isnt it?

[TC]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Yeppers- companies like them and charbux are the reason fairtrade came to be in the first place- which is probably why fairtrade in most cases has little if anything to do with quality :

2mcm

[marcstolk]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

I have some FT ORG Ethiopian Harar which is just a stunning bean...But I do see your point though 2MCM

[Dimal]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Ive tried a couple of different Maccas McCafe Bar coffees and to be truthful, I wondered if they had actually put any coffee into the PF before hitting the Brew Switch .... The resulting brews were so weak I could barely taste any coffee at all.

Needless to say, after that I havent really been very enthusiastic about giving them another try. One of the Maccas in question was our local franchise and the other a few hundred Kms away in Coffs Harbour.... might have caught them both on a bad day :-? but thats it for me,

Mal.

[robusto]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

I switched on the radio at 5.00 AM once and the announcer came on, started his breakfast shift with a breathless rant about how the night before hed seen the worst film in history.

A film so bad he walked out on it. That it was singularly unfunny. Etc etc.

Well, that was a gauntlet for me. Could any film be THAT bad?

So that night I had to see for myself "Theres Something about Mary".

Im still in stitches laughing. That scene, eh.

So, all these less-than-rave reviews about McDonalds et al....Im gonna have to bite the bullet and try for myself. Ill wear a disguise, naturally, because I always said I wont be seen dead in there.

Can any coffee be THAT bad? Im dying to find out (no pun intended).

--Robusto

[JavaB]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Confession time... :

Yes, I have had McCafe a couple of times.... both capps...

Once it was, well coffee coloured milk with a sudsy froth and lots of chocolate....

About the only thing which was reasonable was the temperature... no repeat performances there :P

The other time was in Perth City, It looked like a cappuccino... and surprisingly tasted like a coffee from a middle range cafe here in Perth.... thats really faint praise as their coffees arent that good either but their gear is much better, and so should be their training...

From a super auto- almost certainly standard with little or no optimising adjustment - I thought it was pretty passable...... The only reason I went there was for a "social" coffee with some friends..... I could probably go back - but only if I had to!!! :-/

[mbg963]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Can any coffee be THAT bad? Im dying to find out (no pun intended).

--Robusto

Load up on Big Macs and fries then.. thatll get you there quick.

(Disclaimer to Macas lawyers - I didnt write the above :-X

[LindaD]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Just reading all of these posts about "Maccas Coffee" is making me laugh so hard my sides hurt!

Ok, I will let you in on a little secret. The two machines that Maccas have are slightly different.

One is fully automatic. This is grinding, extracting AND frothing of milk, and all at 60 degrees temp. It has to be. O.H and S. This is the "Espresso Pronto" sort of a "no waiting coffee". It is weaker in taste and the milk frothing technique is typical for a machine made coffee. This is actually designed for Drive-thru, quick and easy. I wont even touch the stuff. We had a machine for 2 weeks and it sat and did nothing, so to the store manager at the time I said, "This is a waste of space. Can we ditch it?" and he agreed. That was 2 1/2 years ago.

The other machine, the same as the Pronto, grinds and extracts, perfect amount (I make sure it does!) in the proper time, but doesnt froth. This is done by hand, all trained by me. AND it is done properly, or they get re-trained.

Our store is small and handles drive-thru pretty well. I believe that customers SHOULD get what they paid for. None of that horrid fully auto stuff for us!

[robusto]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Just reading all of these posts about "Maccas Coffee" is making me laugh so hard my sides hurt!

Ok, I will let you in on a little secret. The two machines that Maccas have are slightly different.

One is fully automatic. This is grinding, extracting AND frothing of milk, and all at 60 degrees temp. It has to be. O.H and S. This is the "Espresso Pronto" sort of a "no waiting coffee". It is weaker in taste and the milk frothing technique is typical for a machine made coffee. This is actually designed for Drive-thru, quick and easy. I wont even touch the stuff. We had a machine for 2 weeks and it sat and did nothing, so to the store manager at the time I said, "This is a waste of space. Can we ditch it?" and he agreed. That was 2 1/2 years ago.

The other machine, the same as the Pronto, grinds and extracts, perfect amount (I make sure it does!) in the proper time, but doesnt froth. This is done by hand, all trained by me. AND it is done properly, or they get re-trained.

Our store is small and handles drive-thru pretty well. I believe that customers SHOULD get what they paid for. None of that horrid fully auto stuff for us!

Maccas Chicka, can i begin by saying you are very very brave joining this argument, given the heat generated by these posts. Well done and thanks for shedding light on the subject.

Now, am I right, then, that when some people say Maccas coffee is good, they are referring to the second type mentioned,  and when others say it is %+@XZ%#$  they are referring to the drive-through product?

--Robusto

[JavaB]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

Robusto...

I think my coffees came from the two different machines Maccas Chicka described.

They were both in the "restaurant" area - the first was in suburbia at a reasonably small Maccas with a drive through..... As far as I can recall (been trying to forget) they only had one machine.

The second was in the City, bigger Maccas without a drive through. Milk was well textured so it sounds like the second type of machine.... again only one machine.

Maybe its up to the manager of that store which they use.

[Thundergod]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

The said dirty steam wand I spied at my local Mickey Ds was obviously on then the second type of machine.

Last time I was in the burger counter was busy and a senior looking worker was flitting about the coffee machine area.
Didnt seem to be doing anything constructive and didnt offer to help out at the busy section.
Must be a perk to get the café shift (nothing to do).


Back to Charbucks - I passed one this afternoon on the way back from an interview.
I paused to look in the window after spying a customer perched at a window seat with what at first glance appeared to be a milkshake (the container was huge).
It was then I noticed the logo and realised where I was.

I couldnt drink that much coffee in one go. Whats the point?

[robusto]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

The said dirty steam wand I spied at my local Mickey Ds was obviously on then the second type of machine.

Last time I was in the burger counter was busy and a senior looking worker was flitting about the coffee machine area.
Didnt seem to be doing anything constructive and didnt offer to help out at the busy section.
Must be a perk to get the cafe shift (nothing to do).

So, being senior, Thundergod, this person you spied must have been considerably older than the other staff....at least 17 years old would you say?

(Couldnt resist!!)

--Robusto

[Thundergod]

Re: Time Magazine Starbucks rant

I reckon she could have even been 18.