I didn't start the argument! I care about good coffee, but when there's a choice of Costa or Starbucks, whaddya gonna do? If I could teleport to Jacqmotte on the main square in Brussels for a cuppa I certainly would.

I'm sure that unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there's a good coffee place near you. Just because Starbucks and Costa are pretty easily spotted it does not mean they're your only options.

Tea's nicer. 🙂

EDIT

Oh christ here we go. I'm clearly far too much of a pleb for this thread

I care about good coffee, but when there's a choice of Costa or Starbucks, whaddya gonna do?

Well then it hardly seems fair to accuse me of being a snob about it when you know these places make poor coffee!

I'm sure that unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there's a good coffee place near you. Just because Starbucks and Costa are pretty easily spotted it does not mean they're your only options.

Just because you don't like their ubiquity doesn't mean they don't have a good product.

Milk? In coffee? Weirdos…..

If you can buy a Classic for less than £250 then that is cheap, otherwise standard retail price is around £299 or slightly more.

I am not a keen coffee with milk person but have to drink/make them because I want to be a Barista.

Cappuccino is alright but I prefer Americano (posh filter coffee LOL!) as that's where I feel good coffee taste like i.e. with good coffee beans.

There are only handful of good cafes that make good coffee and if you find a good one you will notice the different in the coffee.

😛

Whats happened to the price?!! Mind you I bought mine circa 2001 and binned it circa 2005.

Starbucks etc don't make poor coffee imo, they make quite drinkable coffee and they also do nice cakes and whatnot.

I've not found a fabulous coffee place in Cardiff yet. There was/is Candles which could sell you various coffees but it was cafetiere coffee which would be best black, and I don't necessarily go for that. I like espresso, but made from single provenance beans for example.

TBH when I need an espresso I dont mind whose it is. Although high street ones are VERY weak nowadays.

Starbucks etc don't make poor coffee imo, they make quite drinkable coffee and they also do nice cakes and whatnot.

I've not found a fabulous coffee place in Cardiff yet. There was/is Candles which could sell you various coffees but it was cafetiere coffee which would be best black, and I don't necessarily go for that. I like espresso, but made from single provenance beans for example.

The main problem I have with Starbucks is their milk, they do something that you previously suggested baristas do, using the automatic frother. This, in my opinion at least, creates horrible milk for coffees. I don't mind going into Starbucks for an espresso or something, but I won't have anything milk-based from there (unless it's a store I haven't been to before in the hope that they do things differently).

Having had various coffees as espresso, it can be a truly wondeful thing. Not all coffees are good like this, but most dark-ish roasts are.