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[2.71828.....]

It might be just me, but isn't the eggnog latte just incredible?  I also love the chestnut praline latte and the pumpkin spice latte.  I really think the seasonal drinks should be offered year round.  But then, I would be spending even more money than I already do.

I should probably come up with some cost-effective way to enjoy these drinks and such without feeding the beast that is Starbucks, but it is just so good....and so convenient....

[Kirian]

I'm tired of Pumpkin Spice Fucking Everything.  I mean, I get that Starbucks has a good thing there, but did everyone and their sister have to copy it?

I don't drink coffee, so I can't comment on any of the rest...

[Roadrunner7671]

The coffee at Starbucks is fine, but the ingredients are disturbing if you care about your health at all.
Did I mention it's criminally overpriced?

[Chris is me]

The coffee at Starbucks is fine, but the ingredients are disturbing if you care about your health at all.

This is one of those fun urban myths that really doesn't have much basis in fact. Starbucks drinks are no different health wise than any other. To the extent that sugar / caffeine are "bad for you" mostly. You definitely make worse health decisions on a daily basis that you don't care about at all.

Did I mention it's criminally overpriced?

Hey, people are willing to pay it, whatever. It's not that much more than other local coffee shops.

[silverspawn]

Hey, people are willing to pay it, whatever. It's not that much more than other local coffee shops.

Not that this is a very helpful opinion, but I'd say all coffee shops are criminally and presumably inherently overpriced.

[Kirian]

Hey, people are willing to pay it, whatever. It's not that much more than other local coffee shops.

Not that this is a very helpful opinion, but I'd say all coffee shops are criminally and presumably inherently overpriced.

The regional coffee shop where we used to have game nights before I moved across the country, which had been a local coffee shop when I was in high school, sold plain black coffee for like a buck for 20 oz, with cream and sugar free.  No worse than any other reataurant.

[AdamH]

I'm not really a coffee guy, I'm more of a tea guy. Starbucks tea is nasty and it really doesn't help that they use low-quality water when you order it in the store (and before you ask, yes I have tried Tazo™ teas made with ærated Dasani™ like I use with the rest of my teas and I still don't like Tazo™). But this isn't about tea, I guess, is it? Well I guess I don't know of any seasonal Starbucks teas.

My wife and I tried the PSL this year for the first time. It was extremely mediocre. Like, it wasn't bad, but there are much better things out there. OTOH, my wife LOVES the creme brulee latte and has been counting down the days until she can get it.

But then we went to a local coffee shop near Purdue this weekend (Greyhouse, for the curious) and they had a non-seasonal creme brulee latte. It was really, really good. It's been a while since I had the Starbucks one but this one was better than what I remember the Starbucks one being.

[Witherweaver]

I got a venti peppermint Mocha the other day; it was about $6.20 (hot, not iced).  I was kind of shocked.

I think Starbucks tea is fine.. not their sugary tea-like drinks, but the straightup hot water and tea bag.  I'm pretty sure here (NYC) it's Teavana, not Tazo.

Also, I went to undergrad in Indiana, close to Purdue.

[Awaclus]

I think Starbucks tea is fine.. not their sugary tea-like drinks, but the straightup hot water and tea bag.

fine

tea bag

Uh...

[Witherweaver]

I don't get it.  They make "tea latte" type of things, but you can also order normal tea.

[Awaclus]

I don't get it.  They make "tea latte" type of things, but you can also order normal tea.

And then you apparently get hot water and a tea bag.

[Witherweaver]

I don't get it.  They make "tea latte" type of things, but you can also order normal tea.

And then you apparently get hot water and a tea bag.

Yes, they toss the bag at your face and then dump boiling water over your head.  It's a great all-around experience.

[jonts26]

I think Starbucks tea is fine.. not their sugary tea-like drinks, but the straightup hot water and tea bag.

fine

tea bag

Uh...

A lot of tea bags are fine. Not great, just fine. Twinnings makes some decent stuff for example. And if you're adding tons of milk/sugar, the quality of tea doesn't matter nearly as much. But it's true that if you've only ever had tea from a bag, you haven't really had the real experience.

[Witherweaver]

It's not common to get loose-leaf tea in America. 

But actually, why does it matter?  Doesn't the bag just... hold the leaves?  Does it distort the flavor?

[Kirian]

It's not common to get loose-leaf tea in America. 

But actually, why does it matter?  Doesn't the bag just... hold the leaves?  Does it distort the flavor?

I can only assume that we're intentionally conflating the word "tea bag" with its non-potable counterpart phrase, in order to make fun of someone who likes "tea bags."  It's funny, you see, because it involves genitalia.

And now the joke is explained and funnier.

[Witherweaver]

I'm not convinced that was actually the joke.  I can equally see it being a loose-leaf master race kind of thing.

[Awaclus]

It's not common to get loose-leaf tea in America. 

But actually, why does it matter?  Doesn't the bag just... hold the leaves?  Does it distort the flavor?

The bag itself doesn't do anything, but the leaves that come in tea bags are crushed.

[Witherweaver]

You'd be crushed, too, if someone put you in a bag.

[jonts26]

It's not common to get loose-leaf tea in America. 

But actually, why does it matter?  Doesn't the bag just... hold the leaves?  Does it distort the flavor?

loose leaf isn't common, but it's plenty easy to get if you care to look. Tea leaves expand when they steep, releasing their flavors. Tea in a bag doesn't have room to expand, so instead of full leaves, the tea is either crushed into finer particles, or they use the residual crushed byproduct from processing. The tea in bags is usually called dust or fannings. Tea dust has a high surface area to volume, and thus the tea oils dry up a lot faster, so the tea you get out of them is a bit ... stale? I guess thats the word. Also higher surface area leads to more tannins which makes tea dust a bit more bitter.

[Witherweaver]

It's not common to get loose-leaf tea in America. 

But actually, why does it matter?  Doesn't the bag just... hold the leaves?  Does it distort the flavor?

loose leaf isn't common, but it's plenty easy to get if you care to look. Tea leaves expand when they steep, releasing their flavors. Tea in a bag doesn't have room to expand, so instead of full leaves, the tea is either crushed into finer particles, or they use the residual crushed byproduct from processing. The tea in bags is usually called dust or fannings. Tea dust has a high surface area to volume, and thus the tea oils dry up a lot faster, so the tea you get out of them is a bit ... stale? I guess thats the word. Also higher surface area leads to more tannins which makes tea dust a bit more bitter.

F.DS: Your source for tea strategy.