We're all obviously free to spend our money as we wish, but I haven't quite figured out the reasoning for buying plain black brewed coffee at some place like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
To put this into context, I usually brew my own at home using a very cheap and simple drip brewer. I'll either buy ground coffee (8 O Clock, Seattle's Best, etc.) or get whole bean and grind my own. A $7 bag (12-14 oz) of ground coffee will last me a few weeks on average.
I kept hearing how Dunkin' Donuts supposedly sells the best tasting coffee, so I went to one, paid ~$2.99 for a large black coffee and tried it out. Aside from being a bit more bitter (maybe a lack of regular cleaning of the machine?) it tasted identical to a cup I could brew at home. No complaints, but hard to describe the experience as life changing. On a similar note, I've tried out coffees at other places like McDonalds, 7/11, QT and the experience is usually the same. Assuming they brew at the correct ratio, the only difference I can usually tell is whether there is a bitterness that can be attributed to machine age or cleaning.
I'm guessing most buy it for convenience, but I'm curious if anyone actually prefers to buy pre-brewed over making their own?
This discussion obviously excludes specialty drinks like frappucinos and others that require more than just coffee grounds and water.
To put this into context, I usually brew my own at home using a very cheap and simple drip brewer. I'll either buy ground coffee (8 O Clock, Seattle's Best, etc.) or get whole bean and grind my own. A $7 bag (12-14 oz) of ground coffee will last me a few weeks on average.
I kept hearing how Dunkin' Donuts supposedly sells the best tasting coffee, so I went to one, paid ~$2.99 for a large black coffee and tried it out. Aside from being a bit more bitter (maybe a lack of regular cleaning of the machine?) it tasted identical to a cup I could brew at home. No complaints, but hard to describe the experience as life changing. On a similar note, I've tried out coffees at other places like McDonalds, 7/11, QT and the experience is usually the same. Assuming they brew at the correct ratio, the only difference I can usually tell is whether there is a bitterness that can be attributed to machine age or cleaning.
I'm guessing most buy it for convenience, but I'm curious if anyone actually prefers to buy pre-brewed over making their own?
This discussion obviously excludes specialty drinks like frappucinos and others that require more than just coffee grounds and water.
