Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Coffee between these two brands...

Which Coffee?

  • Tim Hortons Coffee

    Votes: 8 15.7%

  • Starbucks Coffee

    Votes: 23 45.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 20 39.2%
  • Total voters
    51
You can't really compare the two.

Tim Horton's is good and all, but it's not considered premium coffee. I'm talking about the regular brewed, whole bean coffee. Not any of that sugary vanilla/chocolate whatevers that they make from those machines.

Starbucks coffees are considered premium coffees (however, the Pike's Place stuff is just awful). If you buy their whole bean coffee, grind it and brew it properly, it makes amazing coffee.

Also, I've discovered the great whole bean coffee selection at Trader Joe's. They have around 18 or so different types. I've been enjoying a different coffee each week.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Tim's and miss getting my large double milk double sugar. But if I had the choice, I'd rather have a bag of Starbucks' Guatemala Antigua or Ethiopia Sidamo beans.

By the way..... the French Press is the way to go.

And.... I concur with rdowns' post.
 
Surely said:
Starbucks coffees are considered premium coffees (however, the Pike's Place stuff is just awful). If you buy their whole bean coffee, grind it and brew it properly, it makes amazing coffee.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Tim's and miss getting my large double milk double sugar. But if I had the choice, I'd rather have a bag of Starbucks' Guatemala Antigua or Ethiopia Sidamo beans.
Click to expand...

Sumatra or Caffe Verona are both good too. Probably not as earthy as what you're used to, but worth a try.

Gazebo Blend, available in the summer, is the best coffee I've ever had.
 
Starbucks' regular coffee really is crap. I like some of their other drinks, but it's hit or miss depending on if the person who makes it knows what they're doing. We don't have Tim Horton's where I am, so for regular coffee, DD it is.
 
MattG said:
Starbucks' regular coffee really is crap. I like some of their other drinks, but it's hit or miss depending on if the person who makes it knows what they're doing. We don't have Tim Horton's where I am, so for regular coffee, DD it is.
Click to expand...

I've had Dunkin's and mebbe it's just me and the few I've talked with but it always tastes thin and burned, and never comes out the same way twice.

...they make up for it, though: Half the time I've gone in with coupons for a free coffee, they take the coupone, read it, give me a coffee, and then give the coupon back. :rolleyes: It doesn't appear they train their employees well at all.

The people that work in Starbucks, ime, can be snippy on a regular basis but they always make it consistent and know what they're doing.

Local coffee houses are more friendly and somewhat knowledgeable, but it's hit or miss if you a consistently good latte.
 
^^^^ Agreed. I've experienced pretty much the same thing.


Melrose said:
Sumatra or Caffe Verona are both good too. Probably not as earthy as what you're used to, but worth a try.

Gazebo Blend, available in the summer, is the best coffee I've ever had.
Click to expand...

I like Sumatra, but I find Verona a little over-roasted for my tastes.

Gazebo Blend is very nice. The Guatemala Casi Cielo is one of my favorite seasonals too.


People seem to have this bias against Starbucks coffees because it's a big bad corporation. But they really do sell some good quality beans. Unfortunately, corporate forces the stores to brew their worst coffee (Pike Place) daily. I always order an Americano instead of a brewed coffee if they don't have anything good on (which is most of the time).

If you know how to properly grind and brew beans, the coffee will be good.


After around one year since I moved to LA from Canada, someone brought me a can of Tim Horton's coffee when they visited me. I brewed it, and it tasted kind of flat and a little chemically. The person who brought it thought it tasted just fine, as it always did. I was very surprised, because I drank Tim's every day when I lived in Toronto.

Dunkin' Donuts coffee is along the same lines as Tim Horton's coffee. Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Peet's, and Caribou are comparable with each other.
 
Juan Valdez chain in Columbia. If a country knows its coffee it is Columbia.
They don't put all that sugars, creamers, flavorings and the like in the coffee. Instead the coffee bean delivers the flavor.
 
Surely said:
People seem to have this bias against Starbucks coffees because it's a big bad corporation. But they really do sell some good quality beans. Unfortunately, corporate forces the stores to brew their worst coffee (Pike Place) daily. I always order an Americano instead of a brewed coffee if they don't have anything good on (which is most of the time).
Click to expand...

I really don't know where the vision of Starbucks as a bad company comes from. Yes, they're out to make money but they are good to work for and have been known to invest (heavily, at times) in their respective communities.

And I'm not a fan of Pike Place either. I wish they'd do something bolder. But then not everyone likes strong coffee, so...
 
Melrose said:
I really don't know where the vision of Starbucks as a bad company comes from. Yes, they're out to make money but they are good to work for and have been known to invest (heavily, at times) in their respective communities.

And I'm not a fan of Pike Place either. I wish they'd do something bolder. But then not everyone likes strong coffee, so...
Click to expand...

I don't really like it when the beans are too roasted. Tastes burnt to me, plus the extra roasting burns off more of that yummy caffeine that we all love.

Most people don't know that the darker the roast, the less caffeine content.

I'm currently enjoying a freshly French Press brewed cup of Trader Joe's Costa Rican Tarrazu, which is a medium-dark roast.
 
Coming from Toronto and having the choice of either or but I usually choose Starbucks... but I'm a big cream and sugar coffee drinker.....haven't worked up to drinking it black on a regular but I have and yes SB coffee is a lot stronger other than their 'Mild' roast lineup.

I usually do a Grande Bold(Be it a Verona or Yukon or whatever is on tap) with a four count of sugar and 1/10 of the cup of half and half cream... to think of it, its like a bolder version of Timmies double double.....

I do drink Tim's because there is one at my workplace. And usually have 2 medium double doubles during my shift.

Tim's is decent and addicting. Starbucks coffee isn't that expensive if you really compare it to a Timmies large. Grande=$2.05CAD LargeTims=about$1.50 Other than SB's coffee their other drinks cost a pretty penny ranging around the $4-5.00CAD mark.

Right now a good competitor to Tim Hortons deuce/deuce is McDonalds. I know I had a couple of Free cups during their promotion last week and their double doubles are just as good as Timmies... just a little sweeter. And if you're looking to save money their morning deal... any size coffee with a muffin for like less than $2.00 is a steal!

Quality wise it really depends on consistency. Tim Hortons is good when its busy because it's fresh! Starbucks is pretty consistent and with the equipment they use it's almost foolproof.
 
akswun said:
Coming from Toronto and having the choice of either or but I usually choose Starbucks... but I'm a big cream and sugar coffee drinker.....haven't worked up to drinking it black on a regular but I have and yes SB coffee is a lot stronger other than their 'Mild' roast lineup.

I usually do a Grande Bold(Be it a Verona or Yukon or whatever is on tap) with a four count of sugar and 1/10 of the cup of half and half cream... to think of it, its like a bolder version of Timmies double double.....

I do drink Tim's because there is one at my workplace. And usually have 2 medium double doubles during my shift.

Tim's is decent and addicting. Starbucks coffee isn't that expensive if you really compare it to a Timmies large. Grande=$2.05CAD LargeTims=about$1.50 Other than SB's coffee their other drinks cost a pretty penny ranging around the $4-5.00CAD mark.

Right now a good competitor to Tim Hortons deuce/deuce is McDonalds. I know I had a couple of Free cups during their promotion last week and their double doubles are just as good as Timmies... just a little sweeter. And if you're looking to save money their morning deal... any size coffee with a muffin for like less than $2.00 is a steal!
Click to expand...


You should really consider switching to milk instead of cream..... it'll add years to your life.:p

Starbucks is pretty consistent and with the equipment they use it's almost foolproof.
Click to expand...

That's not true. The regular coffee brewing equipment isn't anything special.
 
Surely said:
You should really consider switching to milk instead of cream..... it'll add years to your life.:p



That's not true. The regular coffee brewing equipment isn't anything special.
Click to expand...

yeah i've been thinking about it but its soo good... hell I used to brew my own coffee at home but brewing for one in such a big pot makes you drink like 3 cups no problem... so I've stuck to the instant crap(maxwell house) with the the same amount of half and half....

I like the creaminess of half and half... milk tastes watered down and yeah it may add years to my life but i also smoke... "we'll all die one day"... I see everyday at work....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back