The Coffee Poet

Starbucks. When you say the name, it automatically conjures up an image: an upscale coffee bar with light wood, glass and chrome. The invigorating and inviting aroma of brewed coffee and the café atmosphere has made Starbucks the best-known specialty coffee roaster and server in the world. Starbucks has done an excellent job of branding their company - it is the only coffee brand that is on the list of 100 most recognized brands in the world. What makes the Starbucks brand and the Starbucks coffee experience so ubiquitous that it ranks up there alongside Google, McDonalds and Coca Cola in name and brand recognition?

Sheer size and Starbuck's number of locations has something to do with name recognition and popularity. With over 16,000 shops worldwide, Starbucks is certainly one of the most visible brands in the world. However, this is not a matter of the chicken or the egg - in order to become so visible, Starbucks had to start off with something special in the first place. It is that “something special” that defines the Starbucks coffee experience.

The Third Place

Since the opening of its first stores in Seattle, Starbucks has striven to be more than just a place where you buy coffee. Howard Schultz, company President and CEO, defined the atmosphere that Starbucks attempts to create when he said "We're in the business of human connection and humanity, creating communities in a third place between home and work."

The Third Place concept informs the design of Starbucks shops. While coffee takes center stage, the design is meant to make customers comfortable. To further customer comfort and social interaction, most Starbucks stores mix upholstered chairs and sofas with hard-backed chairs around tables. Most Starbucks stores offer free electricity to their customers so that they can plug in their laptops and all U.S. Starbucks offer Wi-Fi access through AT&T. In addition, many Starbucks feature a well-stocked reading and game shelf to encourage customers to settle in and hang out with friends for a while.

The Coffee Experience

More than anything else, of course, Starbucks is about the coffee. The company started out as a premium coffee roaster, and they stayed true to their roots by serving nothing but excellent coffee. As of early July 2008, Starbucks announced that they would be changing the way that coffee is made and served in their stores around the world in an effort to provide the best coffee experience possible. The changes will be rolled in across the U.S. by the end of 2008, and include a commitment to grind and brew many coffee varieties to order, as well as to discard any coffee that has been brewed for more than thirty minutes.

In order to enhance the coffee atmosphere, Starbucks employees are requested to avoid wearing strong perfumes that might interfere with the coffee aroma, and nearly all Starbucks around the world are non-smoking indoors. The preservation of the coffee-centric atmosphere was the reason that Starbucks abandoned its short-lived foray into serving breakfast sandwiches. According to some sources, the smell of the breakfast sandwiches overpowered the coffee aroma, making the coffee cafes smell like diners - an image that the company does not want to present.

All About the Coffee

The Starbucks coffee experience extends to brewing your own Starbucks coffee at home. The coffee roasts that Starbucks have chosen for sale are those that best reflect the rich coffee flavor and aroma of your local Starbucks. Those roasts tend to lean heavily toward darker roasts, because it is easier to maintain consistency of flavor across batches when roasting darker. Darker roasts also tend to be more 'coffee' flavored than lighter roasts, which allow the variations of region and season to be more readily apparent.

Since 2000, the Starbucks coffee experience has also included feeling good about your coffee choices. That's the year that Starbucks started selling its line of Fair Trade Certified coffee. As of 2005, Starbucks was the largest single buyer of Fair Trade certified coffee in the world, buying over 11.5 million pounds of FTC coffee - about 10% of the entire U.S. volume of Fair Trade sales. The amount accounted for about 6% of the company's total coffee buying for that year. While some activist groups pressure Starbucks to increase the percentage of Fair Trade coffee that it offers for sale, company spokespeople point out that they pay above market price for coffee and that they also deal with many small growers who can't afford the cost of Fair Trade certification.

The Starbucks Coffee Experience

The Starbucks coffee experience can be summed up in just a few words: great coffee in comfortable surroundings served by an attentive staff and produced by a company that cares about our world. With great tasting drinks and a commitment to creating a fun atmosphere, it is no wonder why Starbucks has become a household name.

2 RED STARBUCKS COFFEE MUGS.RED STARBUCKS MUG WITH WHITE FLOWERS, LARGE CUP,NICE

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Bunn O Matic VPR Commercial Airpot Coffee Maker Machine

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• 1500-watt single-cup brewing system for gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa
• Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
• Removable 48-ounce water reservoir; removable drip tray
• 2 brew-size options; 2-hour automatic shut-off; descale indicator
• Brewer requires 4 minutes of priming before being ready to use. See Product Manual below

Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System
Product Description
The Special Edition Brewing System is our mid-luxury home brewing system that offers a blend of styling and convenient features. The Special Edition features chrome accents, a blue, back lit LCD display and three brew size options. Programmable features include a Digital Clock, Adjustable Temperature and Auto On/Off. The 48-ounce removable water reservoir holds up to eight cups before refilling and for the removable drip tray allows for easy cleaning and the use of travel mugs.At initial set up, once the machine is filled with water, it will take approximately 4-minutes for the water will be heated. During the heating period the red light next to ‘HEATING’ on the LED Control Center will become illuminated. Once the water is heated, the red light will turn off and the Small Mug Button will flash. Press the Small Mug Button to start a cleansing brew. Pour the hot water into the sink. The Brewer may take 15 seconds to reheat water between brews during which time the red light next to ‘HEATING’ on the LED Control Center may be illuminated. When the water has heated, the red light will turn off. The one-time set-up process is now complete and you are ready to brew!
Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System

BRAND NIB Jura-Capresso Z7 Super Automatic Coffee Machine - Retails for $2,999

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Chicory has long been used as an alternative to coffee. Most New Orleans enjoy the combination of chicory and coffee and say the chicory compliments and mellows the bitter taste of regular coffee.

Chicory coffee looks the same when roasted and ground but has a hint of a chocolate aroma that is more alluring that regular coffee. It can taste quite different because of the amount of chicory added to the blend.

Many people say the best combination of chicory and coffee is often the traditional technique of the French, with a French coffee press. Can this really make a difference? Sure, there is a big difference when you choose among the various blends of chicory coffee and whether it is instant, French pressed or automatic drip. Most people who enjoy authentic chicory coffee will choose French pressed.

French pressed coffee is by far the strongest coffee. Chicory Coffee is made by placing the combination of coffee and water together in a French press machine and letting it brew for a while. Next you compress the plunger and force the chicory coffee grinds to the bottom of the French press.

The coffee grounds are in direct contact with the brewed water and the grounds are filtered in a way where the French press captures more of the chicory coffee flavor and essential oils.

You'll find that storefronts don't use the traditional French press these days. A quality chicory coffee blend, however, will still envelop your taste buds since it's a completely differently experience from regular coffee.

The history of adding chicory to coffee to augment the flavor began in the early 15th century. The tradition rapidly spread to the French, and became common in Europe because it was cheaper to combine the two ingredients.

As the French settled new colonies in New Orleans, they introduced this pleasing chicory coffee blend and it became quite popular. It is very much in style and can always be found in the French Quarter.

With its pleasing taste and aromatic qualities, chicory transforms your regular coffee into a beverage your taste buds will enjoy.

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