[Austin]

Originally Posted by bigmike787

Some of these places use a coffee concentrate type beverage. I initially thought that Jack in the Box had a good cup, but one day it was a bit off. I asked about their method and it turned out they had these big plastic bags with coffee concentrate in them. They then add hot water. This is done by a machine, so the mix is uniform. I think Burger King does this same thing with their Turbo Joe.

Ouch... I hated BK's coffee so that kind of makes sense.

[Rich]

It's okay to call Starbucks coffee hacks. Americans have been taught that theirs is the only real coffee. But it's burned and nasty tasting. What they do have is a lot of investors creating the empire. They have convenience (Starbucks are everywhere), consistency (the product tastes the same everywhere, even if it is burned) and they offer clean places for people to gather. But coffee lovers don't really go there for coffee.
I made a little comparison between Starbucks and my micro roasting coffee company last December. I think it's an honest appraisal. It's by comparing that we learn more.
http://wickedcoffees.com/what-does-starbucks-have-that-wicked-doesnt

[bigmike787]

Absolutely *$ are coffee hacks, but I would argue that *$ is responsible for making coffee consumers more aware of what they are drinking. Some people are fine with folgers and some are fine with *$. Then there are those of us who know there has to be something better, do a little research and discover the world of roasting. We either roast our own or buy from a reputable roaster. We learn things like the rule of 15's and that we should look for a roasted on date and not a use by date. We further our knowledge to know that different regions will produce a different cup and that even the degree of roast will result in a different cup when using the same bean. Some call us certifiably insane, but we're just coffee nuts!

[Austin]

I'm not insane I just refuse to drink swill.