What Coffee Experts Think Of Starbucks When They're Being Honest

In its quest to be the go-to caffeine infusion center for everyone on the planet, Starbucks has amassed an enthusiastic horde of devotees who order untold amounts of the chain's beloved handcrafted drinks. Some are so enthralled with their daily morning ritual that they have created a secret society dedicated to everything fall as a tip of the hat to Starbucks' seasonal pumpkin-flavored beverages. Others, however, aren't admirers of the one-size-fits-all approach the coffee colossus takes to serve a cup of joe.

We're not talking about Dunkin' fans, although the qualified coffee experts The Takeout spoke with about the Green Mermaid didn't hesitate to dunk on the corporate chain. It's one thing to see how random people on the internet view Starbucks, but it's quite another to hear experts in the field spill the tea on how they really feel. While some did fairly point out that the coffee conglomerate has been successful in its own right, they didn't hold back on what, in their minds, it gets horribly wrong. Let's just say that you probably aren't going to see any of these folks in line when you place your next Starbucks order.

As a java aficionado and regional vice president of operations at Headcount Coffee, Marwyn Garcia isn't impressed with the mass-produced product that Starbucks has built an empire on. He indicated that the nature of distributing so many roasted coffee beans means that they likely sit idle in warehouses for too long, impacting the overall quality. "I've yet to find a freshly roasted bag; they're always super mega dark roast," he said. "We call it carbonized coffee. Oil slick inside the bags. It's definitely not fresh."

Still, Garcia did give credit where it was due, recognizing that Starbucks has a certain appeal that some independent chains have trouble duplicating. "They can make a cup of coffee taste exactly the same, ANYWHERE on the planet, whether it's in an airport, or a standalone cafe out in the middle of the busiest city," he said. "It always tastes the same. Always could be better."

When The Takeout asked Regan Caton, the founder and curator of "Coffee Table Art Book," about Starbucks, she had less to say about the actual flavor of its beverages than she did about how the chain has collectively shaped the way people view ordering coffee. "Starbucks helped define what modern coffee culture looks like at scale," she said. While that means nothing but good vibes for the customers who order pumpkin spice lattes in droves every fall, it still isn't everybody's cup of tea. "Starbucks feels bigger than the coffee itself. It carries meaning," Caton said. "Some see comfort and familiarity. Others see sameness."

For better or for worse, the company has become a phenomenon that represents a way of life for some people. "... I see Starbucks less as a flavor debate and more as a cultural marker," Caton said. "It represents consistency, travel ritual, accessibility, and in some cases creative solitude."

While some experts appreciate the impact Starbucks has had on civilization, Matt Filipovich, the founder of Same Sip Coffee in Chicago, thinks the chain has reduced a nuanced beverage to a standardized commodity. "Starbucks is becoming the McDonald's of coffee," he said. "It's all about speed and pumping out as many orders as possible — quantity over quality." He favors local cafes over the Green Mermaid, knowing he will receive a drink that showcases the TLC independent operators put into their product. "They put so much time and care into finding new roasters, producers, and flavors for customers to try."

Still, Filipovich did offer some order suggestions for folks who typically find Starbucks coffee off-putting. "Order something seasonal and sugary like their pumpkin cream cold brew," he said. However, Filipovich noted that even better coffee awaits those who make a trip to one of the somewhat elusive Starbucks Reserve roasteries. "The Starbucks Reserve specialty bourbon blend is a personal favorite, and the whole beans are overall preferred in favor of freshness," he said.

Most experts had at least one favorable thing to note about Starbucks, but that wasn't the case with Michael Cramer, the founder and product developer at Lardera Coffee. "Starbucks coffee is exactly what you'd expect from a corporate giant where the founders' passion has been spent, and most decisions are made by bean counters (pun intended), who need to please shareholders each quarter," he said.

Cramer argued that the experience a customer will get at a local cafe versus an industry behemoth is often going to be wildly different. "An owner of an independent coffee shop is probably more focused on delighting customers, and so probably spends more on beans and roasts them more frequently than Starbucks' distributed system would permit," he said. For that reason alone, Cramer concluded, "Local coffee shops are always preferable to the standardized, cookie-cutter, formulaic products on offer at Starbucks. There's no contest!"