The Perfect Cappuccino
by Amy Ferraris (the cappuccino review blog)

...And every time I go into a new coffee shop here in America, I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. All previous experience indicates that what I'm about to do will be a disaster, but I let myself get suckered into it anyway. American cappuccinos are typically way too large, far too hot, and served in paper cups whose steep sides make it impossible to fully experience the cappuccino in a single sip. They're also topped with stiff peaks that would be more at home on a key lime pie than a cup of coffee. Occasionally, they have been befouled with cinnamon.

But I can't stop searching. (cont'd)

Amy Ferraris wrote:I'm pleased to announce that the new trailer for THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO is now online. Please visit the site and take a look...

http://www.cappuccinomovie.com/?p=trailer

We're wrapping up the picture edit on the film and have already begun film festival submissions. This fall will be spent working on the score, the sound edit and mix, and the graphics/titles and final online. If all goes according to plan, we'll be premiering the film sometime in the first half of 2008. Stay tuned!

And in the meantime, if you've been wondering what to do with all that loose change that's rolling around in the back seat of your car... well, we're now set up to receive fully tax-deductible donations through our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Film Arts Foundation. Every cent helps!

http://www.cappuccinomovie.com/index.php?p=donate

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support of this project!
All the best,
Amy Ferraris

Amy poses the question, what makes it a "perfect cappuccino"? And why do I care so much?

"I insisted on drinking them at every meal, which is something you only do in Italy if you are very old, very sick, or a German tourist."
"I talked to baristas all over Italy and I came away really surprised at the dizzying array of variables that have to be controlled for the cappuccino to come out right."

Interesting history of espresso machine design and origins of cappuccino. Fascism and espresso. Did you know they're related?

"That [Starbucks] logo is everywhere I look. I mean everywhere. I can't quite put my finger on why, but the whole thing starts to creep me out a little."
"I'm a smoker, so obviously I do things that I know are wrong." -- frequent Starbucks customer.
Amy asks "...are there real-world consequences to the thousands of Starbucks that are blanketing America?"

Starbucks threatens a 3-employee roastery cafe in Tulsa, Oklahoma named "DoubleShot" claiming trademark infringement (owner says "They screwed with the wrong guy this time.")

Co-founder of Starbucks covers the bad old days of instant coffee to today. He disputes the claim that lots of customers means the product must be good. It's a social beverage.

$10,000 invested in Starbucks in 1992 would be worth almost $700,000 today (2007).

"I keep asking myself, 'Why do we all choose this?'"

Historically true of coffeehouses, but not for Starbucks. Researcher says "I spent 10 hours a week for 60 weeks in various Starbucks. I can only remember a dozen or so times that I saw strangers speak to each other."

In contrast, "A day at DoubleShot is basically a steady stream of familiar faces, inside jokes, and political rants."

"Sure, I care about the quality of the drink itself, but if that was all I cared about, I could have just put in some serious hours in my kitchen... but it never even occurred to me to do that."

Coffee bars traditionally buy from large roasters, but a new trend of corporate-owned cafes has emerged. Is this a sign of the future displacement of neighborhood cafes?

"The monopoly should at least invent a competitor" -- bookstore owner in Bologna offers free advice to Starbucks.

"It's just coffee!" "No, you have no idea what goes into this!" -- Ritual Coffee.
DoubleShot Coffee vs. Starbucks, Revisited. The other shoe drops?