I know it may sound like heresy but I’m not a fan of Starbuck’s coffee. That’s right, I’m more a Dunking’ Donuts kind of guy. Lately, however, I’ve been drinking a lot of Starbuck’s coffee and really enjoying it. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me step back a bit and explain.
If you are going to take blogging seriously, especially if, as is the case with all of us here on Gear Diary, you actually do it IN ADDITION to ones vocation, there are a few key things you are going to need. You need a good computer or tablet, you need a decent chair and you need… Coffee- lots and lots of coffee. Pressed coffee is delicious and strong but it takes time to make and cleanup is a pain. My Cuisinart grind and brew coffee maker makes a good pot of coffee but it takes time to setup, the grinder sounds like a plane is taking off and the cleanup is easy but only so long as you have a dishwasher. If not clean up is a bear. That’s where Keurig’s brewing system comes in handy. As the company explains:
· The Keurig brewing system offers a coffee house quality cup of coffee for just a fraction of the cost with the convenience of brewing instantly (in under 60 seconds).
· Each K-Cup portion pack contains just the right amount of coffee to satisfy every taste profile (and there are over 250 flavor varieties of coffee, tea, hot cocoa and ice beverages!)
· The innovative K-Cup technology offers a great cup of coffee without the mess of grinding coffee beans and loading grounds into coffee filters.
I’ve had a Keurig at home and in my office for years. Joel reviewed the Keurig Elite Brewing System a while ago, and Wayne reviewed the Ultra B 50 before that. Most recently, Judie reviewed the Keurig’s Mini-Plus Personal Brewing System and had this to say about it,
What I Like: Brews a hot beverage in about a minute; available in five different colors; the Mini Plus is small enough that it doesn’t take up a tremendous amount of shelf space; K-Cups come in a wide variety of beverage choices
In other words, despite a few initial bumps when Judie first got the Mini Plus, we are all big fans of the Keurig’s system. That’s why, when I was offered a chance to sample some of Starbuck’s new K-Cups for the Keurig’s brewing system I jumped at the opportunity. As it says on the Starbuck’s website
Introducing Starbucks® brew now in K-Cup® Portion Packs. Finally, the taste you love from Starbucks is now available in K-Cup® Portion Packs. In each cup you will find 40 years of expertise sourcing and roasting the world’s finest coffee beans. Look for the following six varieties of Starbucks coffee K-Cup® Portion Packs and two varieties of Tazo® Tea K-Cup® Portion Packs where you buy groceries. And bring the aroma, body and rich flavor of the Starbucks Experience to your home.
So what do they have to offer?
The company was kind enough to send me a few K-Cups with their House Blend and their French Roast. They also sent an awesome Starbucks Ceramic Travel Tumblers. The house blend was a delicious, smooth cup of coffee. The real surprise was that, contrary to what I expected, the French Roast was neither too bitter nor too strong. It was bold but in a good, “get up and get going” kind of way.
In all I’m rather impressed with the flavor and am more than a bit surprised to find myself really liking Starbuck’s coffee for once. Bear in mind though that the Starbuck’s name and the K-Cup’s convenience don’t come cheap. A 30 pack of their House Blend is over $40. Then again, when you think about what you actually spend each time you stop into a Starbuck’s… This is kind of a deal… Right?
