Strictly Miscellaneous

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Magenta said:
Reading all these messages now... everything sounds so meticulous and delicious! Good luck!!! :D
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baking is a chemistry science project...

on the surface baking looks like just a few ingredients mixed in different proportions for a huge variety of results...but...it just isn't.

Gonna try to get a pic when I am done. I am going to try for a chocolate fade in the base whipped cream frosting. The rosettes wont have the fade...but I think that it might look ok if I did do it...but I really want the fresh cherries on the top to stand out on the rosettes.

still thinking about chocolate shavings and haven't come to a conclusion yet. Probably have to wait to see it finished and make an audible call at that time.
 
In case you haven't heard, Roe vs. Wade has been overturned. Personally, I didn't think I'd ever see it. Unsurprisingly, the left is going ballistic, with the potato-in-chief spewing all sorts of rubbish!
 
BeALamp said:
Because they charge as much for a cup of coffee as McD's does for a burger!
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That's part of the answer.

Starbucks owns coffee plantations, harvesters, washing stations, warehousing and roasters.

They have $1.20-$2/lb in the coffee that they sell for $12-16/lb. More than that in profits when they sell it by the cup.

The vinyl bags cost as well as the R/M on the equipment.

Green coffee of the specialty classification sells for up to $4-6/lb....Starbucks uses a more institutional grade bean in most instances even when single sourced. These are machine harvested...not by Juan Valdez picking one cherry at a time.

Then washing and drying and sorting is done by computer controlled equipment and then roasted to remove any sourness and leave nothing but bitterness behind.

(Yes its burnt and no special notes are left...on purpose to keep it standardized)

Then today it's a fully automatic machine that leaves no room for artistry for the barista.

A good espresso shot it perfectly dosed, compressed to exacting standards, then the hot water is at a specific pressure and volume through the "puck" for a specific time creating a very exacting volume of espresso.

It requires time and practice for a barista to become competent at this to create a quality espresso based drink.

Starbucks has replaced baristas with glorified button pushers. And standardized their coffee into monotonous crap.

About half of your independent coffee shops will make a better coffee than any Starbucks ever thought about today.
Including chains known as Kaldi's or Bongo Java. Good coffee requires a craftsman. Pure and simple. Kaldi's understands this and they have semi-automatic machines. Miles better than volumetric or fully automatic machines that Starbucks uses.
 
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I'm sure Starbuck's has long since been scooped up by international interests. That their mascot may be the false goddess (Nephilim) Astarte just adds to my determination to stay away from them!
 
Most people don't realize that she is holding her own legs in a "spread-eagle" or "spread-wide-open" fashion/position.

Just one of those hidden-in-plain-view things that most people don't pay any attention to...
 
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Magenta said:
No wonder I have never cared for them... :D
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Now a good barista in a decent neighborhood....they will make around $30/hr. Easy peasy all day long.

It only appears to be a fast food job. It isn't.
Pulling coffee shots pays over 60k/yr.
Wrapping burgers at McDonald's pays 15k/yr.

That heart or seahorse or tulip in the foam the barista draws...that tells you in a minute if they know what they are doing or not.
images
 
JohnDB said:
Now a good barista in a decent neighborhood....they will make around $30/hr. Easy peasy all day long.

It only appears to be a fast food job. It isn't.
Pulling coffee shots pays over 60k/yr.
Wrapping burgers at McDonald's pays 15k/yr.

That heart or seahorse or tulip in the foam the barista draws...that tells you in a minute if they know what they are doing or not.
images
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That was my next question.

I know everyone complains about the price of Starbucks...

So I was wondering how much places with actual real coffee that's correctly prepared costs in comparison?

What would the average price be for an ordinary (but yet extraordinary) Cup O' Joe at these places? (Like in TN and not NY.)
 
seoulsearch said:
That was my next question.

I know everyone complains about the price of Starbucks...

So I was wondering how much places with actual real coffee that's correctly prepared costs in comparison?

What would the average price be for an ordinary (but yet extraordinary) Cup O' Joe at these places? (Like in TN and not NY.)
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A regular drip cup of coffee is just $3.75.
Cupaccino or a Latte is obviously going to cost a lot more up to $7 not including taxes or tip....all depending on what you get in your coffee.

But this also isn't exactly folgers or maxwell house coffee either.

I'm one of those that doesn't order a $5/cup of espresso based coffees and then covers up the taste with a bunch of flavored syrups either. I like coffee....not the cup or the look of carrying a cup.

Nitro cold brew is nice...no sugar or milk needed. It tastes rich like it has cream but absolutely nothing in it but coffee. These are inexpensive as well....usually around the same as a cup of drip. And it's COLD. Good coffee is just fine cold. No bad flavors.

We use Starbucks as a price fixer. We will charge the same prices as Starbucks and have lower margins but can still operate successfully.

However, there's a gamble....not all independent coffee shops are all that good at roasting. I've run into 3 different popular roasters that can't roast well. Or they do something dumb with their beans afterwards.
Beans need a day to breathe after roasting....then they need to be nitrogen flushed and sealed off from all oxygen to last a long time.

Some don't flush the beans with nitrogen but do seal them. Some don't even heat seal the bags....even though they buy the bags made to do so....

Because it's got about two weeks before the beans are degrading.

But also the trick is to find someone who is meticulous in every aspect of pulling the shot and not asleep at the wheel. Which happens a lot too. Lots of schmucks operating coffee shops that get away with selling junk coffee. They waste really good coffee by pulling bad shots and then cover up the mistakes by flavored syrups. It's drinkable....but it's not the prize winning coffee that outshines Starbucks by a mile.

Training a barista and letting them get the experience takes time. A good bit of it. Two months minimum. Two years and they got it consistent. And there has to be an atmosphere of trying to reach excellence the whole time.

A difficult task to accomplish in today's disposable job marketplace.
 
JohnDB said:
A regular drip cup of coffee is just $3.75.
Cupaccino or a Latte is obviously going to cost a lot more up to $7 not including taxes or tip....all depending on what you get in your coffee.

But this also isn't exactly folgers or maxwell house coffee either.

I'm one of those that doesn't order a $5/cup of espresso based coffees and then covers up the taste with a bunch of flavored syrups either. I like coffee....not the cup or the look of carrying a cup.

Nitro cold brew is nice...no sugar or milk needed. It tastes rich like it has cream but absolutely nothing in it but coffee. These are inexpensive as well....usually around the same as a cup of drip. And it's COLD. Good coffee is just fine cold. No bad flavors.

We use Starbucks as a price fixer. We will charge the same prices as Starbucks and have lower margins but can still operate successfully.

However, there's a gamble....not all independent coffee shops are all that good at roasting. I've run into 3 different popular roasters that can't roast well. Or they do something dumb with their beans afterwards.
Beans need a day to breathe after roasting....then they need to be nitrogen flushed and sealed off from all oxygen to last a long time.

Some don't flush the beans with nitrogen but do seal them. Some don't even heat seal the bags....even though they buy the bags made to do so....

Because it's got about two weeks before the beans are degrading.

But also the trick is to find someone who is meticulous in every aspect of pulling the shot and not asleep at the wheel. Which happens a lot too. Lots of schmucks operating coffee shops that get away with selling junk coffee. They waste really good coffee by pulling bad shots and then cover up the mistakes by flavored syrups. It's drinkable....but it's not the prize winning coffee that outshines Starbucks by a mile.

Training a barista and letting them get the experience takes time. A good bit of it. Two months minimum. Two years and they got it consistent. And there has to be an atmosphere of trying to reach excellence the whole time.

A difficult task to accomplish in today's disposable job marketplace.
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Reading your posts makes me realize I've probably never had a real cup of coffee in my life. ☕

I really hope I get the chance to someday, because from your descriptions, I'm pretty sure it would be an epiphany. 😬
 
seoulsearch said:
Reading your posts makes me realize I've probably never had a real cup of coffee in my life. ☕

I really hope I get the chance to someday, because from your descriptions, I'm pretty sure it would be an epiphany. 😬
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Well it is very similar...and it tastes like coffee. But it's a very very good cup.

The first thing you need to know is do you like the sourness or the bitterness of coffee?
When we do coffee tastings...the very first thing we do is create a dialogue and understanding of the difference.
We give them bitter burnt rubber tasting coffee and then coffee that's all sour.

Then we get to sampling blends. Because after 5 different coffees most palates are mostly shot.

The smell, the taste, and heat are all in motion.
Women are the super tasters. They tend to be the best at this every time.

So....ready for a coffee tasting?
 
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This morning I'm drinking a Nicaraguan and Guatemala blend.

And the first sip was like a huge wave of heart assurance that there is a God and he isn't as mad at me as I think He is.

Or

"Where have you been? I've missed you so much!"
 
JohnDB said:
This morning I'm drinking a Nicaraguan and Guatemala blend.

And the first sip was like a huge wave of heart assurance that there is a God and he isn't as mad at me as I think He is.

Or

"Where have you been? I've missed you so much!"
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I'd go with the latter!
 
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