Best and worst coffee shops/chains etc

[Bletchleyite]

The key to is was having a fresh catering sized large pot of tea (or even urn if demand required it) on the counter to just pour out. So long as that was freshened up and re-brewed frequently enough it would never be stewed - and as you say the costs of the ingredients for tea are so low that pouring away stewed tea if need to do so is of no significant cost to the business at all.

A greasy spoon by me has a large teapot on the counter and tops it up with a spoonful of leaves and a cup's worth of hot water each time they serve a customer. This seems to work quite well in producing strong but fresh tasting tea in an instant.

 

[WesternLancer]

A greasy spoon by me has a large teapot on the counter and tops it up with a spoonful of leaves and a cup's worth of hot water each time they serve a customer. This seems to work quite well in producing strong but fresh tasting tea in an instant.

Exactly the sort of thing I mean - such places sadly getting squeezed out of the market by the coffee chains and I suspect the potentially high levels of profitability provided by coffee shops (although profit margins on selling cups of tea will, I feel confident, certainly be very high per cup)
Plus of course consumer tastes changing over time.

 

[Wuggie Norple]

Surprised not to see more mentions of Benugo. They operate the cafes in many John Lewis branches, various museums, London railway stations, and an outlier at Skara Brae on Orkney.

I think they serve the best macchiato in Cardiff. And they have a loyalty card scheme where you buy 9 and get the 10th free - this helps to defray the otherwise rather high prices.

And for an independent recommendation in Cardiff, Aggie’s Cafe in Llandaff North serves Trinci coffee which is superb, especially if you are after a big caffeine hit.

 

[signed]

Cloud Picker Coffee in Dublin is a really good place, their cinnamon roll with the cream cloud is exquisite and even their batch brew ain't bad at all (which is a lot to say for me)
Great for early arrivals as they are in the arrivals hall of T1 as well.

Cafés Richard operates a few railway station stalls in France and they are very good as well, even if steeply priced.
Worst is Paul, their coffee is so invariably watered down and tasteless

 

[trainmania100]

I only ever go to Gregg's, and Costa regularly because;
- Greggs is cheap especially with reusable cup
- Double beans on Costa reusable cup so 5 coffees gets you enough beans for a large of any kind.

I do go to non chain occasionally, non franchised places but these usually charge a lot for a small size. Eg there are some bakeries in Lewes charging £4.50ish for syrup latte - which is ok - but the medium size isn't exactly medium ...at least when you compare it to the above

McDonalds ok for me but i only drink the toffee latte the otherwise I tend to find the coffee rather bitter

 

[THC]

I have a coffee subscription with Union Coffee and receive two bags - 400g - of single estate light roast beans each month. I grind and use them in a Melitta filter machine when working from home.

When on the road I'll usually find a decent independent - I find the quality is always better than the chains - or, if the hit is more important than the taste that day, I'll head to Prêt for a filter coffee. About 270mg of caffeine per cup, apparently

The irony of all this is that I live in Chelmsford, the city of 28 Costas...

THC

 

[Russel]

I get people not liking it, but not trying it is another level I feel!

I have a theory that a lot of the people who say they don't like coffee don't like it because all they have tried is cheap instant coffee rather than actual good, real coffee.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have a theory that a lot of the people who say they don't like coffee don't like it because all they have tried is cheap instant coffee rather than actual good, real coffee.

I'm fine with good quality instant eg the micro grind stuff, but it's a totally different drink to proper coffee.

 

[Bald Rick]

The irony of all this is that I live in Chelmsford, the city of 28 Costas...

Jeez that’s more than Spain.

(And I’m sorry about what is available to you. Costa is only off the bottom of my personal coffee shop charts because Greggs and Wetherspoons are fighting it out. I’d rather have maxpax).

 

[The Pelican]

I've always found it convenient that foamy milk on top of a coffee makes it easier to carry, such as returning to a train seat. Other hot drinks need to be offered with a similar topping!

 

[Broucek]

I've always found it convenient that foamy milk on top of a coffee makes it easier to carry, such as returning to a train seat. Other hot drinks need to be offered with a similar topping!

Foamy milk, cream and syrups allow Starbucks to charge more and use horribel tasting beans (the taste is masked by the additions)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Foamy milk, cream and syrups allow Starbucks to charge more and use horribel tasting beans (the taste is masked by the additions)

Indeed. They are mostly a purveyor of coffee-based (and a few non-coffee-based) adult milkshakes, not quality coffee.

 

[Broucek]

Indeed. They are mostly a purveyor of coffee-based (and a few non-coffee-based) adult milkshakes, not quality coffee.

Amen

That said, Starbucks arguably played a role in improving the general quality of cafes on the high street by making them a desirable place to "hang out"

 

[Bletchleyite]

That said, Starbucks arguably played a role in improving the general quality of cafes on the high street by making them a desirable place to "hang out"

Yes, they did create a market for places to meet and "hang out" that didn't involve alcohol. Prior to their arrival (starting a trend for others) that didn't exist - it was the pub or nothing. You sort of could in McDs but until they started to go a bit coffee-shop-style in terms of interior they weren't a nice place for that, with hard plastic seats and clowns everywhere. Greasy spoons existed but at those you went in, scoffed and went out, you didn't block tables having a two hour meeting just over a cup of tea, nor did you work on a laptop, you'd be told to eff off if you did.

They were fairly decent to start with too, to be fair. They've just ens*****fied somewhat - more expensive, dirtier shops and poorer quality, making them by far the worst choice of the major chains.

That said the first fancy coffee I enjoyed wasn't the Bucks, it was the Costa at Liverpool Lime St somewhere in the late 90s. Prior to that I'd pick up an overheated, scalding polystyrene cup of Nescafe to take away from the old greasy spoon that was in the ugly, now removed building at the front corner or take a flask.

 

[martin2345uk]

I have a coffee subscription with Union Coffee and receive two bags - 400g - of single estate light roast beans each month. I grind and use them in a Melitta filter machine when working from home.

When on the road I'll usually find a decent independent - I find the quality is always better than the chains - or, if the hit is more important than the taste that day, I'll head to Prêt for a filter coffee. About 270mg of caffeine per cup, apparently

The irony of all this is that I live in Chelmsford, the city of 28 Costas...

THC

Fellow Chelmsfordian here, it's quite crazy the number of Costas and coffee shops in general!

 

[Russel]

Indeed. They are mostly a purveyor of coffee-based (and a few non-coffee-based) adult milkshakes, not quality coffee.

Agreed!

I struggle to call some of the syrupy, sugary dross that Starbucks churns out coffee given the extras almost completely mask the coffee flavour!

 

[themeone]

Starbucks seems to have gone out of its way to alienate customers in recent years by not taking cash, and taking various political stances. Added to that they traditionally had the most expensive, yet the weakest coffee, so all in all they don't tick too many boxes.

 

[Russel]

Starbucks seems to have gone out of its way to alienate customers in recent years by not taking cash, and taking various political stances. Added to that they traditionally had the most expensive, yet the weakest coffee, so all in all they don't tick too many boxes.

The only time I use Starbucks is at Christmas as they do a decent eggnog latte, but I didn't bother with that last year when I found out it was around £6.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Starbucks seems to have gone out of its way to alienate customers in recent years by not taking cash

Without wishing to kick off yet another cash debate more generally, the intersection between the sets "people who will pay a fiver for a coffee" and "people who don't have a payment card they use day to day" is going to be pretty close to zero.

and taking various political stances.

Not seen that, do you have examples?

Added to that they traditionally had the most expensive, yet the weakest coffee, so all in all they don't tick too many boxes.

They only put one shot in coffees that other companies put in two for (tall size), so yes that's an issue.

 

[m0ffy]

Of the big chains, Pret is my favourite, with Greggs in second place. Greggs coffee isn’t amazing, but it’s cheap and ubiquitous, and it can get a decent croissant. I’d rather go to a decent independent or one of the smaller, more specialist chains, like Redemption or Ozone.

 

[Broucek]

Of the big chains, Pret is my favourite, with Greggs in second place. Greggs coffee isn’t amazing, but it’s cheap and ubiquitous, and it can get a decent croissant. I’d rather go to a decent independent or one of the smaller, more specialist chains, like Redemption or Ozone.

Yes, coffee in redemption is exceptional. It's dear but they do great work getting offenders into employment

 

[m0ffy]

Yes, coffee in redemption is exceptional. It's dear but they do great work getting offenders into employment

I used to regularly order coffee beans from them which led to my postie asking why I kept getting parcels from HMP The Mount.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I struggle to call some of the syrupy, sugary dross that Starbucks churns out coffee given the extras almost completely mask the coffee flavour!

I think the reason behind this is to increase footfall by bringing in "non-coffee" drinkers. A lot of people don't actually like the taste of coffee and so have to have it with lots of milk or sugar to make it sweet enough to mask the bitter coffee taste.

At which point I just think to myself, maybe just have a milkshake or a cup of tea!

 

[Bletchleyite]

At which point I just think to myself, maybe just have a milkshake or a cup of tea!

"If I can't have a proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot I'll have a cup of tea!" (Say it fast )

Yes, as I note above they're purveyors of adult milkshakes, not of quality coffee. Which is fine if that's what you want (aside from the dirty, unkempt shops and ludicrously high prices, and probably the weight you'll gain when you drink several a day before realising there's about 500 calories or more in each), but if you want actual coffee you'd be better off at McDs or Greggs, let alone a proper local coffee shop.

 

[BuhSnarf]

"If I can't have a proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot I'll have a cup of tea!" (Say it fast )

Yes, as I note above they're purveyors of adult milkshakes, not of quality coffee. Which is fine if that's what you want (aside from the dirty, unkempt shops and ludicrously high prices, and probably the weight you'll gain when you drink several a day before realising there's about 500 calories or more in each), but if you want actual coffee you'd be better off at McDs or Greggs, let alone a proper local coffee shop.

Yup, I went to black coffee a few years back and I've never gone back.

 

[Russel]

Yes, as I note above they're purveyors of adult milkshakes, not of quality coffee. Which is fine if that's what you want (aside from the dirty, unkempt shops and ludicrously high prices, and probably the weight you'll gain when you drink several a day before realising there's about 500 calories or more in each), but if you want actual coffee you'd be better off at McDs or Greggs, let alone a proper local coffee shop.

They opened a new drive-thru near me on the A5 about two years ago, the state of the place the last time I went in made it look like it had been there for much longer, I'm not quite sure how they managed that!

 

[themeone]

Talking of Starbucks, I hear that Costa is now taking over 26 Starbucks branches within Cineworld cinemas. Given the current state of the two coffee chains I'm not sure if that's an upgrade or a downgrade!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Talking of Starbucks, I hear that Costa is now taking over 26 Starbucks branches within Cineworld cinemas. Given the current state of the two coffee chains I'm not sure if that's an upgrade or a downgrade!

That will just be a swap of franchise. They will still be staffed by Cineworld staff and priced by Cineworld as they are now, it thus won't really make much difference.

 

[davetheguard]

I’d rather have maxpax).

I fear you -and I- might be showing our age with that. Travellers-Fare (sic) at it's very worst.

I used to quite like maxpax tea, even though it didn't actually taste anything like tea IMHO.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I fear you -and I- might be showing our age with that. Travellers-Fare (sic) at it's very worst.

I used to quite like maxpax tea, even though it didn't actually taste anything like tea IMHO.

There are some very good instant coffees these days, which I find plenty good enough for at home or for a flask. The microgrind ones like Kenco Millicano are really quite good (they incorporate a small quantity of very small coffee grinds and thus taste much more like the real thing, though it does give a slightly gritty, thick feel to the drink, particularly if you have it strong). But to hark back to Maxpax...really? I don't think even Starbucks on a bad day is worse than that. The one thing I would say is pretty vile is the near-universal use of UHT milk in places like the Netherlands and Switzerland. The latter is particularly flummoxing because of how there are cows everywhere!