Starbucks to improve espresso making!

[bruceb]

It seems that Starbucks is going to try to beat their bad reputation. Let's wish them good luck! Click here.

I guess somebody finally saw the writing on the wall. Now if they would just stop incinerating their beans...

[Gouezeri]

Yeah, 3 hours should fix it!

[bruceb]

I know, but at least they understand there is need for improvement. If they have a good program you can fix it in 3 hours, assuming the unlikely, that their baristas will take it seriously and not forget it all immediately. After all, they can already pull shots, know how to adjust the grinder and so on. If someone explains they finer details and they take it seriously it may cause an improvement. I'm not normally an optimistic person, but when a behemoth like Starbucks admits there's room for improvement I try to have a positive attitude towards it.

[chissit]

I noticed whilst out shopping the other day, that there was not a grinder in sight in the *$ in Meadowhall . I watched from above as the 'Barista' pressed the button to produce the shot then steamed around 1 ltr of milk by first creating an enormous amount of froth, then resting the pitcher on an upturned one whilst the dual steam wand was virtually at the bottom of the milk. I could see there was no effort at all to produce anything other than HOT milk and big bubbles...
Perhaps by removing the grinders and using bean to cup , the espresso will be consistent The stretching/steaming still needs attention, but I suppose it matches the espresso quite well...

[CakeBoy]

They might as well just heat mugs of milk and be done with it. Who would know the difference?

[keepitlikeasecret]

3 hours is very optimistic. Probably nothing more than a luxurious publicity stunt to be fair. Shultz is all about image of quality over actual quality it seems.

[Gouezeri]

Personally, I think the "publicity stunt" hypothesis is by far the most likely...
As for hot milk, mark, that's hot milk with syrup I'll have you know, it makes all the difference!

[Tristan]

I read that some local coffee shops in Starbucks areas are offering 'free coffee' during the 3 hours of Starbucks closure in an attempt to lure customers in.

[fred25]

yep... and as another competitor mentioned (in the Guardian I think): 'so they gonnna spend three hours telling the baristas how to press on a button?'

Good of them to admit there's a problem, but what *we* think is the solution and what *they* think is the solution might be 2 different things.... And (scary, that) *they* might be more right than us, as their goal is to maximise profit (which is fair enough), not necessarily better coffee....

[espressomattic]

Having had experience of dealing with McDonalds over here, I can see where they are coming from. Yes there is going to be an element of publicity to it, however they are not so stupid as to think they can carry on doing what they are doing. Obviously the coffee market is growing and *$ are going to have to raise the bar to keep up with the competition aren't they.

The have no doubt realised that to make more profit they are going to have to invest in more training to produce a better product. All the cynicism aside, the proof will be in the pudding.

It is a shame they moved to Auto's. They should have invested in this course of action ages ago and kept the true machines. They can do it here, why not there?

I think Fred is right. They are more right than us as their pardigm on coffee is not the same as our and never will be. Once you accept this, Starbucks no longer carries on being an issue and object of absolute critisism. Fair play to them in that case. They are a corporation and we are enthusiasts.