New to Coffee

mesc

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I am new to drinking coffee. My first experience was Starbucks, cuz it's the trendy thing to do I guess. It was awful. It had a very burnt taste to it and left a very bitter aftertaste. I have not tried it again, or any other for that matter cuz I am afraid that's what it all tastes like. Anybody out there that has had this similar experience or am I just not a coffee person?

I was was excited about getting a Keurig Machine but will hold off until I figure this out.
 

PinkRose

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Feb 28, 2008
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Hello "mesc"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website. If you use the handy search feature that's up at the right corner of your screen, you can search for other posts regarding Starbucks coffee. You will see a lot of interesting discussions that we've had in the past.

Most of us would never recommend Starbuck's coffee for someone's first experience drinking coffee. You are not alone in detecting the burnt taste of the coffee. It's basically what Starbucks is known for. They think it's okay to overroast their coffee.


If Starbucks was your very first experience drinking coffee, how did you know that it tasted "burnt"?????


Rose
 

mesc

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Hello "mesc"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website. If you use the handy search feature that's up at the right corner of your screen, you can search for other posts regarding Starbucks coffee. You will see a lot of interesting discussions that we've had in the past.

Most of us would never recommend Starbuck's coffee for someone's first experience drinking coffee. You are not alone in detecting the burnt taste of the coffee. It's basically what Starbucks is known for. They think it's okay to overroast their coffee.


If Starbucks was your very first experience drinking coffee, how did you know that it tasted "burnt"?????


Rose

I am not sure, that was just the best way to describe the taste. Is that weird??
 

PinkRose

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It's remarkable that you picked up on the burnt taste right away, especially since you never had coffee before.

By the way, I think the Keurig will probably make better coffee than what you get at Starbucks, but it will be an investment of money and time to figure out what kind of coffee you'll like.

There are other ways to make coffee. Have you considered anything else?


Rose
 
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BillG

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I am not sure, that was just the best way to describe the taste. Is that weird??

Hi Mesc,

I wouldn't let an experience at Starbucks determine anything! Who knows if the coffee you had was prepared properly. Even though it's a chain, they are not consistent. Like Rose mentioned, they are known for burnt tasting coffee (over roasting is a way of making cheaper beans more palatable and actually, more consistent). Next time you go, you can try asking for their lighter roast. Or better yet, maybe let the forum know where you live, and people might be able to suggest a decent independent coffee shop near you that offers better quality coffee than Starbucks.

I'm not a fan of the keurig system. It seems like it's designed purely for speed and convenience, but sacrifices on quality and flavor...to me, it's a waste of money and plastic. It doesn't heat the water hot enough, and it runs through the k-cup too quickly to bring out much flavor. For home brewing, I think investing in a good grinder, decent whole bean coffee, a kettle, and a simple pour over cone is ideal. If pour-over seems like too much work, even a regular automatic machine is better than a keurig, in my opinion.

Good luck!
Bill
 

PinkRose

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Mesc,

BillG had a good suggestion. If you let us know where you are located (state, city, etc. - not your street address) we may be able to offer suggestions for places where you can go to get a good cup of coffee.

Since you've never had coffee before, it's going to be difficult for you to decide what you like and don't like.
And, since you didn't like Starbucks coffee, you're probably not going to like coffee that's been brewed with dark roasted beans. Mediun roast or light roast probably will be best to start out with.

I'm also not a fan of the Keurig system, and there are much better ways to make coffee.

Will you be visiting friends or relatives over the upcoming Holiday season? Maybe you can sample the way they make their coffee and get more of a hands on education that way.

I'm guessing that you'll be adding lots of milk and sugar into whatever coffee you have. Most people who are new to drinking coffee need to ease themselves into acquiring a taste for it.

Rose
 
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