Zagat Votes Starbucks Best Coffee

For all of you Starbucks haters out there --  it appears that you lose again. Zagat, one of the most trusted restaurant rating guides on the planet, has chosen Starbucks as 2010's number one stop for coffee drinkers.  I know that the Dunkin Donuts, McFrappe and Folgers crowd will take this hard, but your coffee just doesn't stack up. Check out the press release below and join me in toasting the Starbuck's dynasty with a grande cappuccino today.

Starbucks Voted Best Coffee by Zagat Survey

Zagat Survey Awards Starbucks Coffee Two First Place Honors Including Best Coffee

 SEATTLE, Aug 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starbucks Coffee Company /quotes/comstock/15*!sbux/quotes/nls/sbux (SBUX 23.94, -0.06, -0.23%) has been voted as No. 1 Best Coffee in the Fast Food and Quick Refreshment categories and as the No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain in Zagat's 2010 Survey of National Chain Restaurants released today. More than 6,500 surveyors participated in Zagat's online survey, and this is the second year surveyors have awarded Starbucks the top honor.

Besides having the best coffee among all quick service chains in the list, including Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Peet's Coffee & Tea, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks was voted as the Most Popular among the 25 chains included in the Quick Refreshment category.

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Have a Dry Cappuccino Next Time

Yesterday I stopped by my local Starbucks and asked for a dry cappuccino. The basic recipe for a traditional cappuccino is:

• Two shots of espresso
• 1/3 cup of steamed milk
• 1/3 froth from steamed milk

If you ask for it dry, then you add less milk and more froth. If you want it wet, you add more milk and less froth (note: this can sometimes seem very similar to a latte). You should be able to feel the difference in the weight of the drink the minute you are handed the cup. Dry cappuccino's are extremely light and a wet cappuccino feels a lot more like all the other drinks they serve at the Bucks.

I put this post up today because the "barista" at Starbucks yesterday took my order for a dry cappuccino with a knowing nod and then proceeded to give me a wet cappuccino. I had to have her make it again much to her aggravation. I am afraid that baristas at large chains are not always in tune with the nuances of mainline drinks. Mrs. DarkroastedDC adds that it also is possible that some baristas can't believe you will pay full price for that little milk and are worried that you will be upset by the lack of raw liquid in your drink. Interesting thought. Regardless, with a better understanding of cappuccino making you can help them get it right. 

Another Sign That The End is Near

Why must we continue to support the cold coffee lobby in this country. On a day when the weatherman has suggested that the temps will reach well into the 90s you will once again find me drinking coffee as God intended it to be. For those of you scoring at home, that means it will be hot! So imagine my chagrin when I read these statements in the Wall Street Journal yesterday:

"Some 1.2 billion cups of iced coffee were served outside the home in the 12 months that ended in May, a 6% increase over the previous 12 months, according to NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y. market-research firm."

 

 AAAccckkk! Stop the madness, the article goes on to state that, "In a nation overrun with frozen latte drinks, shockingly few people know how to make a respectable iced coffee at home."

The reason for this "problem" identified in the article is because there is no such thing as a respectable cup of cold coffee. Read the article for yourself and see what you think. I, for one, will remain firmly planted on my hot coffee soap box... at least until I change my mind.