Jason Does a Taste Test of Starbuck's VIA

I was amused to find this post from Coffee Cup News in my Bloglines today, because I had just been in a Starbucks (for the first time in MONTHS) just the other night and saw the VIA instant coffee.

Between you and me, I think Starbucks is generally only a step or two above instant anyway...so I don't really plan on checking this out for myself. But if you've got ten minutes to kill, Jason does a blind taste test and gives you his thoughts not only on the VIA, but instant in general.

McDonalds McCafe

Not long ago, I was heading into an early shift at the pizza place I deliver for. It was inconvenient for me to stop anywhere but...McDonalds.

Now, when I first heard that McDonalds was coming out with espresso products, I scoffed. This McCafe nonsense was going to be just another half-assed attempt to draw in Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts customers.

I discovered, while sipping on a hot mocha, that while it was definitely an attempt to get a cut of the coffee house market...it was NOT half assed. The mocha was easily as good as anything I'd gotten at Starbucks. At least, since Starbucks went automatic.

While the two and a half buck price tag is a lil higher than what I usually go to Micky D's for (I mean, c'mon...$1 double cheesebuger, $1 fry, and a dollar Sundae makes a GREAT lunch) it's infinitely cheaper, and faster, than getting the same product from Starbucks.

And for the record, I've also tried their lattes (and if you like their flavored iced coffees, you'll like the flavored lattes) so I know it's not just mocha syrup covering bad coffee. It's not GREAT coffee...but it's very solid, especially for the price.