rittem1 wrote:Interesting that you bring this up because I have noticed the same thing and I think it is because they don't feel comfortable charging for something they aren't necessarily proficient at making.

Simple customer relations, not shame.

+1

I don't think I'd continue to support a place that served poorly executed beverages. If the barista isn't comfortable with what they're making, they have larger issues to deal with then wondering why fewer people buy straight shots.

Yeah, I'm among the nearly 0% straight espresso drinkers according to the study. Stopped by Hidden House Coffee in San Juan Capistrano with my dad and got a batch brew Ethiopia for him and a straight shot and a honey El Salvador pour-over for me. The guy behind me got a straight shot too and a bag of beans, they roast and serve good coffee at Hidden House, and nice ceramic cups.

I ended up liking the sip of the Ethiopia batch brew I got my dad (blueberry bomb) better than my freshly prepared El Salvador, and the straight shot was great, and it was good to get out of the house and get a break from the Costco drip that my Mom brews up and celebrate International Coffee Day. I'm glad that their quality hasn't slipped since the last time I visited a couple years ago, they're in the historic Los Rios section of San Juan Capistrano, but it's not as accessible as it could be for people who need a walker or wheelchair to get around. They're one of the few places in Orange County, California that I feel it's worth the trip for coffee.

So, hopefully roasters will tailor their coffee so that it tastes good as a straight shot, but based on the statistics we're such a small market share that the temptation is there to roast for milk drinks.

Went to a place recently that took 3 tries to pull a properly timed shot of CCC Big Trouble. I still don't think they got it quite right but at least they didn't give me the 17sec first attempt. They are on my watch list.

Doesn't Starbucks use Square these days?
Given that they must be a quarter of all coffee shops in the country, I'd imagine these stats are heavily skewed their way.

bluesman wrote:There's just something comforting about eating and drinking from real vessels. Paper and flimsy plastic have an unpleasant feel, and not infrequently an unpleasant taste, that really reduce the pleasure of eating and drinking for me. If a shop only has paper, I won't get anything at all.

I prefer cups that are solid color inside (preferably white), so I can enjoy the beauty of my coffee while I drink it. I also realized long ago that I prefer simple plates that let me see and appreciate the food on them. My in-laws' dishes were rather ornate, and it occurred to me one day that the art of presentation and the beauty of the food were simply lost on them. Our everyday dishes are simple white with a fine blue line around the edge, and our good china has a narrow black and gold border that leaves the entire center of each plate pure white.

Don't you just love when you get a big set of Fiesta ware plates for a wedding gift? I mean who doesn't love a nice braised short rib w/polenta served over a neon blue plate?

My tableware these days is mostly thick white ceramic from a restaurant supply... over safe, broiler safe and heavy as hell.

SonVolt wrote:Don't you just love when you get a big set of Fiesta ware plates for a wedding gift?

Yes!!!

I actually have one original (and radioactive) red Fiesta saucer I found at a thrift shop years ago. I bought it because it matches my Fiesta Red '57 Fender P-bass, and I keep my guitar picks in it. But I don't handle it or use it under my coffee cups because the uranium oxide in the red glaze is probably still active.

Stereo Heathen wrote:Doesn't Starbucks use Square these days?
Given that they must be a quarter of all coffee shops in the country, I'd imagine these stats are heavily skewed their way.

Not sure if Starbucks use Square, but if they aren't represented in the stats then the stats are skewed given their market share. People like that stuff.

LukeFlynn wrote:It's amazing how many of my close friends don't understand what espresso is "I thought it was coffee brewed twice from special beans" or "isn't it just SUPER concentrated caffeine shots?"

Yep, espresso is misunderstood. I remember thinking you were only supposed to use "espresso" roasts to make espresso, and in most cafes I encounter it's still prepared in that Starbucks style with over-roasted beans lacking any nuance or subtlety (other than hints of chocolate. . . and freshly packed asphalt) not to mention the lack of barista technique. So no surprise not many people drink it.

Recently I ordered a straight shot at Joe Momma's Coffee in Avila Beach, Ca. The barista was so thrilled he offered me a second one on the house. The shot was very tasty, by the way.

Sad metric on the straight espresso. No wonder most espresso tastes like sh*t in America, sometimes even at the most reputable coffee shots. I had a straight shot from one of my favorite spots, a blue bottle in DTLA, that was pretty bad. When they serve milk-based drinks day in day out, some baristas lose focus on ensuring espresso quality. Maintaining consistency takes effort and but if few people notice, it doesn't matter. I have yet to visit a shop has not at one time or another failed on a shot. Fortunately most of them have a good attitude about redoing the shot for me.