McDonald's Corporation introduces CosMc's as a mostly coffee outpost

[Torrid]

On the road it’s easy enough to use a cone and filters, but would require a source of hot water, which many hotel rooms will have.

I felt that $2-$3 every couple of days was a decent trade off from not having to carry additional stuff in a duffle bag. I have done that in the past. The one I’m in now has a mini kitchen and a coffee maker, but I never know where I’m staying until 30 minutes before I’m at the hotel.

I do not eat out on the road unless I stay somewhere long enough that I eat my whole food supply. If I’m there that long I’m back on the clock for being left there. My coffee is my one spluge, 3 times a week.

 

[JonnyRingvald]

I just want a place that makes a good cup of black coffee. I spend too much time away from home living out of a bag to tow around a coffee maker. Sometimes the hotels I’m in have one. Dunkin seems to be my go to for a large coffee in some areas outside of my state. I just can’t get on with all the sugary mixed drinks though I understand that’s what sells most at those places.

I’m probably a hint yuppie with my coffee by your definition, but all I really want with coffee is familiarity. There’s a chain of gas stations in my state that has good coffee and more often than not I just want the same cup of coffee every time. I’d choose this gas stations dark roast over any other coffee I come across and it’s $2 for a 24oz. Lucky for me it’s the easiest to come by when I can’t make coffee at home.

Actually dumps like Charbux go the milk/sugar/flavor route to offset inferior coffees being used. The only reason that is done is to mask overdeveloped roasted batches which is usually done to hide lower tier coffee defects when green. The darker the roast the more 'roast' notes you pick up and the more 'inherent' notes (naturally occurring) are lost for the most part. I've yet to meet a single person that actually honestly likes anything they've had from any location in our entire state. Usually just a stop out of convenience.

 

[Torrid]

Actually dumps like Charbux go the milk/sugar/flavor route to offset inferior coffees being used. The only reason that is done is to mask overdeveloped roasted batches which is usually done to hide lower tier coffee defects when green. The darker the roast the more 'roast' notes you pick up and the more 'inherent' notes (naturally occurring) are lost for the most part. I've yet to meet a single person that actually honestly likes anything they've had from any location in our entire state. Usually just a stop out of convenience.

I'm not the typical coffee yuppie though. I honestly don't prefer their coffee, but when I do get it I want the dark roast. I really dislike light and medium roasts, but I do like the Pike Place on occasion which they call a medium. It seems darker to me and I think that's why I don't mind it.

One of the things touted in light and medium coffees is a nuttiness. I absolutely despise any hint of that in my coffee. I know that's a weird thing to dislike in a coffee but for me that means its absolutely undrinkable. Burn the beans, I want the roast.

 

[methusaleh]

Actually dumps like Charbux go the milk/sugar/flavor route to offset inferior coffees being used. The only reason that is done is to mask overdeveloped roasted batches which is usually done to hide lower tier coffee defects when green. The darker the roast the more 'roast' notes you pick up and the more 'inherent' notes (naturally occurring) are lost for the most part. I've yet to meet a single person that actually honestly likes anything they've had from any location in our entire state. Usually just a stop out of convenience.

You’re correct.

Keurig is a huge employer in my area. My neighbor works there and she’s got a big mouth despite their IPR paranoia.

She said the K-cup manufacturing lines run almost 24/7, I believe ten lines of machines, with each machine making 360 cups a minute.

What was most interesting was how she said identical beans are used for a wide range of companies who pay to put their name on it. She specifically said there’s some mediocre Starbucks variety that sells for big bucks in retail, yet is the bottom tier product for several other brands that sell it for far less.

She knows all the ins and outs of which brands they make which blends for but I can’t recall any others offhand.

 

[john_pifer]

This is targeting a newer demographic of “coffee” shops that offer mostly coffee-flavored (and non-coffee flavored) milkshakes and other mostly cold drinks.

At places like this, people who actually like traditional, brewed coffee, will be mostly out of luck.

One such outfit is called Dutch Bros. “Coffee”.

I put “coffee” in quotation marks because they don’t even offer brewed coffee.

At least, when I tried the place, they didn’t have it.

I was excited when I saw this new “coffee shop” chain come to our area, because I figured it MUST be better than Starbucks.

I stopped at the one in Murfreesboro over the summer, after taking my son to the Great American Air Show, hoping for a great cup of coffee on the way home.

No such luck.

A place that calls itself a “coffee shop”, had zero brewed coffee available.

But there were plenty of sugar-filled, cream-filled, and fruity, beverages to choose from.

To each his own, but man, it’s hard to find a great cup of black coffee anymore, which is why I try to just make mine at home.

 

[john_pifer]

In other words…these concept “coffee shops” are something your teenage daughter will love!

 

[y_p_w]

This is targeting a newer demographic of “coffee” shops that offer mostly coffee-flavored (and non-coffee flavored) milkshakes and other mostly cold drinks.

At places like this, people who actually like traditional, brewed coffee, will be mostly out of luck.

One such outfit is called Dutch Bros. “Coffee”.

I put “coffee” in quotation marks because they don’t even offer brewed coffee.

At least, when I tried the place, they didn’t have it.

I was excited when I saw this new “coffee shop” chain come to our area, because I figured it MUST be better than Starbucks.

I stopped at the one in Murfreesboro over the summer, after taking my son to the Great American Air Show, hoping for a great cup of coffee on the way home.

No such luck.

A place that calls itself a “coffee shop”, had zero brewed coffee available.

But there were plenty of sugar-filled, cream-filled, and fruity, beverages to choose from.

To each his own, but man, it’s hard to find a great cup of black coffee anymore, which is why I try to just make mine at home.

There's some controversy over whether or not espresso is "brewed coffee". Some claim it's just a different process and can still be considered brewed coffee. But at the very least Dutch Bros doesn't have drip coffee. They claim that they can make Americanos.

I've never been to one, but I saw several for the first time on a trip up the California coast.

 

[y_p_w]

I felt that $2-$3 every couple of days was a decent trade off from not having to carry additional stuff in a duffle bag. I have done that in the past. The one I’m in now has a mini kitchen and a coffee maker, but I never know where I’m staying until 30 minutes before I’m at the hotel.

I do not eat out on the road unless I stay somewhere long enough that I eat my whole food supply. If I’m there that long I’m back on the clock for being left there. My coffee is my one spluge, 3 times a week.

If I'm on the road, I'll just make do with whatever the hotel room has, but also I'll often bring along instant coffee. It's not ideal, but there is something to be said for the convenience. It's mostly those individual sealed packets like Nescafe Taster's Choice or Bustelo.

 

[john_pifer]

There's some controversy over whether or not espresso is "brewed coffee". Some claim it's just a different process and can still be considered brewed coffee. But at the very least Dutch Bros doesn't have drip coffee. They claim that they can make Americanos.

I've never been to one, but I saw several for the first time on a trip up the California coast.

I do enjoy espresso. But I drink it straight. What I love about it is the concentrated flavor and the fact that the process and the ratio (2:1 instead of typically, 16:1 or so for regular brewed coffee) amplify complexities and flavor.

However, that day, I just wanted brewed coffee. And while Americanos can be good, they’re not a substitute for regular ole brewed coffee.

And, to me, if you call yourself a coffee shop, and you’re in America, you should have brewed coffee.

 

[Dave Hess]

This new concept of stores seems more like a competition to Dutch Brothers coffee than to Starbucks.

 

[john_pifer]

This new concept of stores seems more like a competition to Dutch Brothers coffee than to Starbucks.

See post #25, above.

Beatcha to it!

 

[Dave Hess]

See post #25, above.

Beatcha to it!

I will admit I didn’t read all the posts.

Dutch Bros always have a crazy long line of vehicles.

 

[y_p_w]

I do enjoy espresso. But I drink it straight. What I love about it is the concentrated flavor and the fact that the process and the ratio (2:1 instead of typically, 16:1 or so for regular brewed coffee) amplify complexities and flavor.

However, that day, I just wanted brewed coffee. And while Americanos can be good, they’re not a substitute for regular ole brewed coffee.

And, to me, if you call yourself a coffee shop, and you’re in America, you should have brewed coffee.

I knew a lot of Italians since I worked at a multinational company where we had a lot of Italian expats. We were talking about espresso one day and I said something about understanding that espresso wasn't about maximizing the extraction of coffee flavor and caffeine. And from what I've heard, typical flat bottom basket drip coffee extracts around 90-95% of the caffeine, while espresso is closer to 50-60% since it has less exposure.

The way one of the Italians explained it, the idea isn't to maximize extraction, but to get the "best" part of the coffee out while minimizing less desirable parts. The same is often done with the amount of coffee in drip or French press where a higher amount of coffee is used on the premise that it reduces "overextraction". I've seen recommendations for those preferring less concentrated coffee to brew at 2 tablespoons per 6 oz, but then add hot water to reduce strength rather than extracting with that much water, where it allegedly pulls out more of the undesirable (especially bitter) parts.

At work we had a variety of espresso machines, although our first was a small Saeco manual machine. I was tasked with buying the coffee and my manager would reimburse me. Their favorite was actually Illy, which one store had a better price than any place else - at least for a while. But they preferred the ESE pods, which were convenient and consistent, but didn't produce results as good as a well tamped pull - even with already ground coffee. I got pretty good at it, although it was frustrating learning where too loose and it lacked flavor, or to packed and it might even leak since it couldn't handle the pressure through the grinds. But that was glorious when done well. The machine did eventually fail. I was charged with repairing it during my spare time, and I found a place that sold repair parts - especially the gaskets.

But eventually the boiler started to leak and we got a Saeco super auto. That was generally pretty easy to use and most of the people in the office made Americanos with it. It also had its own grinder, but it still didn't make as good an espresso as the manual machine with a well tamped pull.

 

[NYEngineer]

I’ll never darken the doorway of a CosMc. Nothing on that menu interests me.
I make coffee at home or I’ll get 7-11 or Bob Evans or Circle K or Waawaa.
I used to drink Pikes or Americanos at Starbucks but I got tired of the prices and the lines.

 

[GSCJR]

I knew a lot of Italians since I worked at a multinational company where we had a lot of Italian expats. We were talking about espresso one day and I said something about understanding that espresso wasn't about maximizing the extraction of coffee flavor and caffeine. And from what I've heard, typical flat bottom basket drip coffee extracts around 90-95% of the caffeine, while espresso is closer to 50-60% since it has less exposure.

The way one of the Italians explained it, the idea isn't to maximize extraction, but to get the "best" part of the coffee out while minimizing less desirable parts. The same is often done with the amount of coffee in drip or French press where a higher amount of coffee is used on the premise that it reduces "overextraction". I've seen recommendations for those preferring less concentrated coffee to brew at 2 tablespoons per 6 oz, but then add hot water to reduce strength rather than extracting with that much water, where it allegedly pulls out more of the undesirable (especially bitter) parts.

At work we had a variety of espresso machines, although our first was a small Saeco manual machine. I was tasked with buying the coffee and my manager would reimburse me. Their favorite was actually Illy, which one store had a better price than any place else - at least for a while. But they preferred the ESE pods, which were convenient and consistent, but didn't produce results as good as a well tamped pull - even with already ground coffee. I got pretty good at it, although it was frustrating learning where too loose and it lacked flavor, or to packed and it might even leak since it couldn't handle the pressure through the grinds. But that was glorious when done well. The machine did eventually fail. I was charged with repairing it during my spare time, and I found a place that sold repair parts - especially the gaskets.

But eventually the boiler started to leak and we got a Saeco super auto. That was generally pretty easy to use and most of the people in the office made Americanos with it. It also had its own grinder, but it still didn't make as good an espresso as the manual machine with a well tamped pull.

Bravo!

 

[GSCJR]

In other words…these concept “coffee shops” are something your teenage daughter will love!

Exactly!

 

[#18FAN]

There are still yuppies 35 years later?

We just call them surfers now days

 

[#18FAN]

It was to easy

 

[Carmudgeon]

They aren't going after starbucks. They are targeting buyers that have evolved their buying preferences. They may be using a Starbucks like selling model though. It's no surprise b/c Coffee houses have been blowing up left & right. This is the big corp getting in on the money pie.

I would not agree with the Starbucks characterization either.

The McCafés I've encountered in Europe are set up like actual cafés, or Starbucks.

Even those attached to a regular McDonald's have a separate counter specifically for those offerings.

Not just branding for the coffee they serve in a typical Mickey D's.

mccafe europe - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[fantastic]

I would not agree with the Starbucks characterization either.

The McCafés I've encountered in Europe are set up like actual cafés, or Starbucks.

Even those attached to a regular McDonald's have a separate counter specifically for those offerings.

Not just branding for the coffee they serve in a typical Mickey D's.

mccafe europe - Google Search

www.google.com

Yeah, that definitely looks like a coffee store counter w/the donuts in glass case lol.