Starbucks expanding in Russia

[Larry1]

Gator,
I love "Breaking Bad".  I haven't seen the last season or two though and missed that episode.

As for brewing my coffee, I grind my beans in a burr grinder an ex-girlfriend gave me for Christmas 7-8 years ago and brew the coffee in a bonavita drip coffeemaker:

http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1800TH-Coffee-Thermal-Carafe/dp/B005YQZNO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1375571981&sr=1-1

The America's Test Kitchen reviewers all loved the Technivorm Moccamaster, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $279 for one.  Some of the reviews suggested the bonavita was nearly as good as the Technivorm, and I've been pretty satisfied with it.

I can't tell the difference between coffee made from beans ground in the burr grinder and those ground in the blade grinders I used to use.  You can pick up one of the latter for around $15-20 in any discount store.  But I definitely recommend grinding your own beans.

[SANDRO43]

the Turkish pot (inverted cone)  or  the moka pot (see Sandro's photo).

An interesting variation of the moka pot is the napoletana, i.e.  the Neapolitan coffee pot - the Neapolitans call it a' cuccumella (small pot) and have always maintained that theirs is the BEST coffee prepared in Italy.

A' cuccumella e' Napule

Unlike a Moka Express, a Napoletana does not use the pressure of steam to force the water through the coffee, relying instead on gravity...It consists of a bottom section filled with water, a filter section in the middle filled with finely ground coffee, and an upside-down pot placed on the top. When the water boils, the entire three-part coffee maker is flipped over to let the water filter through the coffee grounds. Once the water has dripped through the grounds, the water-boiling and filter sections are removed, and the coffee is served from the remaining pot. If coarse grounds are used, the coffee is brewed quite mildly. Using a very dark, finely ground roast, in the "Neapolitan" style, this method can produce a coffee that has a stronger flavor than an automatic drip brew maker.

A famous Neapolitan actor/playwright, Edoardo De Filippo, always maintained that to prepare a proper coffee, one had to put a small conical paper cap over the pot beak, presumably to prevent the early exit of steam from it and thus produce a stronger brew .

[cc3]

I suppose we are in bizzaro worlds because I pretty sure I've never paid less than 5 bucks for a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Never have I had a free refill

This price list is a year old, but for medium and large brewed coffees, the average price has not increased, year over year. You may be citing the price for SB's frou-frou coffees, labor intensive, with syrups, flavors and cream. I only drink manly, unflavored, unadulterated brewed coffee.   

http://starbuckspricelist.com/

The price, here, for a large brewed is only $1.75, even less than I previously quoted. I definitely think, on average, that the price for a large is closer to $2.

Free refills come with the free registration with SB online as a frequent buyer. For every 15 purchases, a member is awarded a certificate for any size of any drink sold at SB, including the most hyped, flavored, expensive desert-type drinks that are on the menu.

[SANDRO43]

The price of a bar espresso is regulated here - because it's included in the 'pannier' of prices used to determine our official rate of inflation - and is €0.90-1.00 now depending on the serving venue .

[Faux Pas]

This price list is a year old, but for medium and large brewed coffees, the average price has not increased, year over year. You may be citing the price for SB's frou-frou coffees, labor intensive, with syrups, flavors and cream. I only drink manly, unflavored, unadulterated brewed coffee.   

http://starbuckspricelist.com/

The price, here, for a large brewed is only $1.75, even less than I previously quoted. I definitely think, on average, that the price for a large is closer to $2.

Free refills come with the free registration with SB online as a frequent buyer. For every 15 purchases, a member is awarded a certificate for any size of any drink sold at SB, including the most hyped, flavored, expensive desert-type drinks that are on the menu.

Well I stand corrected, I suppose. My recollection is from memory and I can't remember one cup that was under two bucks as that menu reflects. But then again, I am not a Starbucks menu queer either. Most of my SB purchases have been in airports or hotels as I would not walk across the street to get to one. I commonly remember 3-4 bucks for a large regular coffee. I could be wrong and I am a more generous tipper than I remember 

[GQBlues]

I'm with cc3 here..
 
StarBuck's is far more than just coffee or a trend, it's an American weekend lifestyle. It's a place to unwind, to meet, chat with new and familiar faces, to catch up with the world from the week's past and current events, a place to gaze at that cutie from 3 doors down hoping maybe today she'll finally recognize you exist.
 
...and let's be honest folks, Star Buck's didn't get to be as succesful today if they sold bad coffee/products/ambiance. Coffee Bean couldn't do it. Barnes and Noble didn't survive. Neither did Border Books.
 
You want honest to goodness Espresso? Great! Find yourself a local Italian coffee house and sip your cute little cup alone. Or just stay home alone.
 
With your local SB, sign-up, buy a jug and you can have as much coffee refill as you want. You just need to pay for the first cup, never more than a 'tall'.
 
Relax folks. Go outside, socialize. Humans are meant to be social animals. Enjoy a cup now and then. Even my wife, a lifelong tea devotee, finds herself 'appreciating' being able to walk to our neighborhood SB being greeted by the counter help/neighbors with her first name while enjoying her usual cup of Americano and taking advantage of their free WIFI. There's life outside that door that locks you in, you know.

[Faux Pas]

I'm with cc3 here..
 
StarBuck's is far more than just coffee or a trend, it's an American weekend lifestyle. It's a place to unwind, to meet, chat with new and familiar faces, to catch up with the world from the week's past and current events, a place to gaze at that cutie from 3 doors down hoping maybe today she'll finally recognize you exist.
 
...and let's be honest folks, Star Buck's didn't get to be as succesful today if they sold bad coffee/products/ambiance. Coffee Bean couldn't do it. Barnes and Noble didn't survive. Neither did Border Books.
 
You want honest to goodness Espresso? Great! Find yourself a local Italian coffee house and sip your cute little cup alone. Or just stay home alone.
 
With your local SB, sign-up, buy a jug and you can have as much coffee refill as you want. You just need to pay for the first cup, never more than a 'tall'.
 
Relax folks. Go outside, socialize. Humans are meant to be social animals. Enjoy a cup now and then. Even my wife, a lifelong tea devotee, finds herself 'appreciating' being able to walk to our neighborhood SB being greeted by the counter help/neighbors with her first name while enjoying her usual cup of Americano and taking advantage of their free WIFI. There's life outside that door that locks you in, you know.

C'mon GQ, you mean because those of us that haven't bought into the Starbucks branding and marketing must be shut ins, social rejects with no appreciation for the finer things in life?

Methinks you been drinking more kool-aid than coffee at Starbucks.

Waffle House has good coffee, made to order breakfast and most even have WIFI. You should check it out sometime. You'll probably even see some of the local SB patrons there 

[GQBlues]

C'mon GQ, you mean because those of us that haven't bought into the Starbucks branding and marketing must be shut ins, social rejects with no appreciation for the finer things in life?

Methinks you been drinking more kool-aid than coffee at Starbucks.

Waffle House has good coffee, made to order breakfast and most even have WIFI. You should check it out sometime. You'll probably even see some of the local SB patrons there 

Of you do get to go out once in a while     
 
Heck, if we had a Waffle House nearby I'd certainly mowsie on down and chill to find out what's going on. Unfortunately we don't. I don't mind IHops, Denny's, Norm's, etc..even with their 'bad' menu/pancakes as a matter of fact. More times than not, I can't have anything heavier than a pastry and coffee in the morning anyway.
 
Besides, I'm far too laid back to be confining my life with an *elitist* attitude. I'm not the type.

[Gator]

Faux Pas,
 
If you have limited your SB to airports, you may very well have paid close to $5 after tax.   Airport prices reflect a captive market and are well above the norm.

[Gator]

 
StarBuck's is far more than just coffee or a trend, it's an American weekend lifestyle. It's a place to unwind, to meet, chat with new and familiar faces, to catch up with the world from the week's past and current events, a place to gaze at that cutie from 3 doors down hoping maybe today she'll finally recognize you exist.
 

Sounds splendid except for one fact - the coffee is served in a paper cup.  An espresso in a paper cup about 6x larger than the coffee.  Ask Sandro if Italians drink espresso from a oversized paper cup. 

[BillyB]

Starbucks will serve as a trendy place for you to suggest meeting the girls. 

Absolutely. I met a few ladies at coffee shops in the FSU. Sometimes I'd walked up to a lady's table, introduce myself and ask if I can sit down at her table. Except for one time, it's always a "yes". I once made lots of eye contact with a lady sitting with friends. As they got up and walked past my table, I asked the gal what her name was and since she was busy leaving with friends, I soon asked if I could call her and later we went out on a few dates. Starbucks will be a great place to meet ladies.


My wife likes Starbucks but she won't drink too much since she watches her weight. We go there about once a month. I took my wife to one of those bikini coffee stands since she was curious. I suspect many of those gals there were ex strippers due to the location of their tattoos going under their tan lines. Occasionally some of those gals got busted for showing boobs and bush for $20+ tips. Those places remain busy but it's not because of the coffee. I wonder if girls in bikinis will improve coffee consumption among FSU men as it does with American men? 

[Gator]

 I took my wife to one of those bikini coffee stands since she was curious. I suspect many of those gals there were ex strippers due to the location of their tattoos going under their tan lines. Occasionally some of those gals got busted for showing boobs and bush for $20+ tips. Those places remain busy but it's not because of the coffee.

No shit!    I have never heard of such places.   
 
 

[Hammer2722]

No shit!    I have never heard of such places.

Billy's right. We have quite a few of those bikini coffee stands around here. Some have been shut down because of prostitution and others for showing too much skin...

[Larry1]

I wonder if girls in bikinis will improve coffee consumption among FSU men as it does with American men?

I don't see why not.  I think girls in bikinis enhance nearly any experience.  When I lived in Florida I worked with a girl whose husband owned a lawncare service.  He employed a number of guys who took big commercial riding lawnmowers to customers' houses to mow their lawns.  It was a pretty competitive business.  Ideally you wanted to find some way other than price on which to compete.   I suggested to her that it might be a good idea if her husband hired some nice-looking girls to mow for him.  They could tan as they worked.  I figured guys might be happy to pay a few extra dollars a month to see pretty girls in bikinis mowing their lawn instead of the usual leathery guys who looked like they were on work-release from the county jail.

She was not keen on passing that idea along to her husband.    But a couple of years later I came home from the office early and noticed an attractive girl mowing my lawn wearing short shorts and a bikini top.  Someone else must have had the same idea.

[BillyB]

 I have never heard of such places.

Those places are spreading pretty fast so don't consider moving to the Seattle area just yet. Here's the website of one of the more popular bikini places in my town.
http://www.cowgirlsespresso.com/

[SANDRO43]

Ask Sandro if Italians drink espresso from a oversized paper cup.

Only from vending machines, and their paper cups have a capacity of about 3.5 oz. IINM.

Our bars always use porcelain cups to serve espressos, except in many southern areas where customers prefer miniature glasses so they can see what their drink looks like and complain if not to their habitual standard .

Many years ago in Palermo I was surprised in getting diminutive espressos in local bars - less than 1" in the cup. After a while I'd always ask for a double espresso there .

[ghost of moon goddess]

Many years ago in Palermo I was surprised in getting diminutive espressos in local bars - less than 1" in the cup.

poco ma buono!  hopefully it was with a rich crema on top ? 

[SANDRO43]

poco ma buono!  hopefully it was with a rich crema on top ? 

Not rich, just a thin layer. One could get a small whiff of taste, then it was over only too soon .

Anyway, they have a saying in our south that:

"Il caffé deve essere come un vero uomo: forte, bollente e scuro"
(Coffee shoiuld be like a real man: strong, hot, and dark)
 

[ML]

(Coffee should be like a real man: strong, hot, and dark)
 

Our Nordic guy members could be offended by this remark!!!!

[SANDRO43]

Our Nordic guy members could be offended by this remark!!!!

Serves those feeble, cold, pale Vikings right .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coffee_consumption_map-en.svg

They top statistics as bulk consumers, but their diluted brews fail to meet our southern men's strict standards .