Peppersass wrote:Technical questions: What sort of equipment does Starbucks use these days for making espresso? Has it changed?

Since when? It was several years ago now (a decade?), Starbucks dumped their La Marzocco Linea machines for super-automatics. More recently they changed the model of super-auto they use, but they still use a super-auto . . .

Cheers,
Jason

zin1953 wrote:Since when? It was several years ago now (a decade?), Starbucks dumped their La Marzocco Linea machines for super-automatics. More recently they changed the model of super-auto they use, but they still use a super-auto . . .

Cheers,
Jason

This shows my ignorance of super automatics. I have so little interest in them I don't know what they look like!

Peppersass wrote:This shows my ignorance of super automatics. I have so little interest in them I don't know what they look like!

Hey Peppersass, thought I'd give you the opportunity to do a search on one of the makes of super-auto's that I've heard Starbucks use, they're made by Swiss manufacturer Schaerer, & I believe it's a quality machine.

Cheers,

Ted.

sbux uses thermoplan machines. In Europe they're called "Black&White".

Also from Switzerland. Makes you wonder what the Swiss have against good coffee. Almost all superautomatics are made there, nespresso is swiss and lets not forget nescafe which is swiss too.

Olympia Express doesn't really count as swiss since it was founded by an Italian.

Tried coffee a number of times from Black & White machines at J.D.Wetherspoons, a large pub chain here in the UK. While I don't doubt the machine may be capable of a decent result, on all occasions the end product was poor. Surprising as said company trumpet the exclusive use of Lavazza (a fair-trade variety).
This leads me to a question for members who might be able to answer, & that is, are fair-trade beans inferior to regularly sourced ones? I confess I've avoided buying them for fear that it may be the case, & the above experience may confirm this suspicion.

Cheers,

Ted.

Ted wrote:Tried coffee a number of times from Black & White machines at J.D.Wetherspoons, a large pub chain here in the UK. While I don't doubt the machine may be capable of a decent result, on all occasions the end product was poor. Surprising as said company trumpet the exclusive use of Lavazza (a fair-trade variety).
This leads me to a question for members who might be able to answer, & that is, are fair-trade beans inferior to regularly sourced ones? I confess I've avoided buying them for fear that it may be the case, & the above experience may confirm this suspicion.

Cheers,

Ted.

"Fair Trade" and "Rain forest alliance" and even "direct sourced" are another whole can of worms. All beans regardless of source can be good or bad. More likely it is stale beans in a poorly setup machine used by an unskilled operator If your buying fresh roasted beans of whatever source and "you" like them then its all good

Well, the company is slowly phasing out the Thermoplan Black&White "Verismo 801" and replacing them with the brand-stylized version of the Black&White 3, "Mastrena". Overall, the machine pulls a decent shot. Steaming is idiot-proofed with a backpressure steam wand w/very wet steam, an annoying pull-down steam "lever" with no practical reasoning behind it that I can think of (aside from variable pressure steam, which is pointless when you're trying to steam as much milk as fast as possible) and a driptray work area you're hard pressed to find room for more than a pitcher, cup and shot glasses. Also, they're mostly plastic, and the 5 lb main hopper cooks the beans as they sit on top of the hottest area of the machine.

But they're copper and shiny!

A super-auto is still a super-auto, and excellent shots do not and cannot from a super-auto.