Hey ya Mac!
I have a love/hate with Starbucks. I think their coffee is wildly over rated and their OTC products are not the peak of the trade. But they are readily available and pretty consistent. Yes, I have a card and a balance on it.
When I am travelling I do end up with some of the canned product. Usually late in the afternoon when I need a boost to finish the day or when I'm actually staying in a motel and will need a caffeine source before any store is open. For that specifically they suit my purpose well.
Over priced and under the taste threshold. That about sums it up for me.
I truly like to 'find' good local roasters in my travels for my daily needs. On my summer trip I ended up with Folgers because I forgot to buy coffee at a mid sized town and ended up in Paulina, OR population 45. It turned out to be a good thing because my covid went active and I had to camp for a couple extra days. At least I had plenty of coffee and water...
@bigtom13 Hey Tom! I hope you're fine and thriving. You're right on Starbucks consistency which is something I totally like compared to most cafes. Although now, living in a small town with no access to it, I have to travel far just to get starbucks beans. With this accessible cans, I feel like I won't miss it much and not to mention, saves cost.
I only have a local cafe that I frequent to because the atmosphere is good yet the coffee was okay-ish but still better than the rest of the cafe in town. But like you though, these canned stuff is something I rely on when I am on the road and needed a quick fix otherwise, I'd rely on cafe/local coffee shop.
I am sorry you had covid, you know I thought that stuff is over but turns out it's flaring up all over again. Have a great day!
Ohhhh, boy. Can relying on local shops ever be hit or miss. You probably don't know, but you can hardly get a decent cup of coffee in Utah. Mormons don't drink coffee so they have no incentive to make it better, or something like that. It's REALLY bad.
So. One of the very best local roasters I have found in my travels is in Kaibab, Utah. Don't ask me how, I do not have a theory. I do stop and get coffee when I am anywhere in their footprint. Which isn't very big.
There was a shop in Joseph, Oregon. A dump of a place, but the sign said coffee shop so my friend and I went in. The place looked ready to fall down, the internet was just barely there, but the art and coffee and decor were amazing. We were in a bit of a hurry but we spent an hour there-drinking our first coffee and taking another with us. What a pleasant surprise on an epic ride.
Once you know the quality of the coffee shop the Starbucks cans can come into play pretty quick :)