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85 Comments
- JasonHaley, on 09/30/2009, -3/+35"However, the company could face resistance from coffee purists who generally see instant coffee as inferior to brewed. "
Coffee purists don't drink at Starbucks, so don't worry about it. - maximilen, on 09/29/2009, -10/+30When I visited Germany last year I noticed that for some odd reason, instant coffee like Nescafé is considered the norm. It's thought of as being gourmet and upper-class even, while regular coffee is almost frowned upon. If you visit a German supermarket, you will see dozens, if not hundreds, of all variations of premium instant coffee products. I can't understand how the Germans could possibly like that vile, cheap-tasting *****. (And I'm not some pretentious gourmet coffee-drinking douche who flipped out when I couldn't have a proper latte or something.)
Now Italians on the other hand consider instant coffee sacrilege, an abomination to their culture and are generally repulsed by it. Fresh-ground beans made into steamy hot espresso using big, cool-looking machines are how the Italians do it. I think I like their style more. ***** instant coffee. - ugod666, on 09/30/2009, -1/+18I'm living in Germany and have to say that this is absolutely not true. there is instant coffee but it's not considered of being very good. I think you confounded something. when I'm in the supermarket there are about 2-4 diffferent instant coffees and the rest is normal coffee. Even in big supermarkets for retailers you won't find more than 4-6 different types of instant coffee.
- copypastry, on 09/29/2009, -4/+16I'm still going to drink coffee orally. No change there.
- astounded, on 09/30/2009, -5/+15"will change the way people drink coffee."
WTF, are you supposed to pore it into your ass?? - Berkana, on 09/30/2009, -0/+10Pour, not pore.
- happyimbecile, on 09/30/2009, -0/+9mmm, coffee bears...
- tugger, on 09/30/2009, -2/+10Brand dilution, right there.
- orientis, on 09/30/2009, -5/+13***** Starbucks too. The smooth pap they call coffee bears no resemblance to a real cappuccino or latte.
- greentable, on 09/30/2009, -1/+8But seriously, your coffee sucks.
- Berkana, on 09/30/2009, -2/+8Impromptu, eh? How do we know you weren't sent by your green mermaid overlordess to pitch VIA on social media, hmmm? ~_Ō
- sarchosis, on 09/30/2009, -6/+12Hey look, a bunch of people on the internet commenting negatively on something they've never seen/tried, what else is new.
- grgt1994, on 09/30/2009, -0/+5I think he meant bore.
- mrjoanofarc, on 09/30/2009, -6/+11Ahh, as I clicked the link I couldn't wait to see what negative comments awaited! The first one was pretty good... I'm not looking for a fight, but I do work at Starbucks as a lowly barista, and I've been INDOCTRINATED (well, not really)-- I *actually* like VIA!
VIA is instant coffee for those who like/use instant coffee-- who has a fancy espresso machine with them at all times? Say you're a coffee person, and you're traveling somewhere where you'll be staying at a hotel you KNOW will have some horrible third-party brand generic coffee. Now, you can bring some VIAs with you.
I've sampled it a ton at work... There's Italian Roast (bolder-- which I like better), and Colombia (mild). We sampled it against the drip-brew, doing a blind test, and though we could all tell which was which, it still tasted like Starbucks-- good coffee. You can't beat actual fresh brewed coffee, but this comes pretty close to it.
I took some home, and let me tell you: I didn't smell this when I was at work, because I was surrounded by it at the time, but when you put VIA with hot water, it smells like fresh brewed Starbucks coffee. No kidding.
I was actually surprised, cause I just poured it and stirred without really thinking about it... and then I smelled my work all of a sudden (the brewing coffee smell ;)! So, yeah... it smells like authentic Starbucks-roasted coffee.
We did ANOTHER taste-test, blind... except there was a twist. One of the coffees tasted, well, just gross. The other coffee tasted actually quite good-- and it was obviously Starbucks. But then it was revealed the gross coffee is some everyday brand of instant coffee people are drinking TODAY! And I would immediately recommend that people who drink that horrible stuff should switch to VIA right now.
People drink instant coffee. Bash it all you want-- it's not perfect. BUT we can't always have all the tools needed at hand (ground coffee-- or, whole beans and a grinder-- paper filters, an entire brewing machine, etc), therefore, instant coffee was invented.
And in this case, Starbucks has succeeded. I hope VIA does great!
And that's my unplanned, impromptu VIA pitch. - Philbert, on 09/30/2009, -0/+4I don't claim to be an expert but I believe most instant coffees are dehydrated while what Starbucks is offering is beans ground extremely fine.
- shadowq8, on 09/30/2009, -1/+5I sort of share your thoughts, instant coffee has been around for decades.
- robwhite1979, on 09/30/2009, -0/+3Hey, if they want to send me some free coffee because I posted a comment saying I liked their product on the internet I'll take it...
- akash8m, on 09/30/2009, -0/+3Each of the bags weigh 0.02 ounce I think and 10 of them cost $10.00, Starbucks is making a huge profit. The coffee tastes great, but the pricing is ridiculous.
- grgt1994, on 09/30/2009, -1/+4Right, last year's news because its being released now. Got it.
- Mujokan, on 09/30/2009, -0/+3http://www.drugs.com/cdi/caffeine-ergotamine-suppo ...
- Pyehole, on 09/30/2009, -1/+4I got a sample of it when I was back home in Seattle visiting friends a few months ago. I concur with your assessment, it's good stuff. I learned to drink coffee during High School (needed something to wake me up) and started with Maxwell House instant coffee which is pure swill. Via is nothing like that crap, it's a good cup of coffee.
- NCSD, on 09/30/2009, -3/+5Funny when you realize the company was built around a quality product and drove out the instant coffee market
- BigVi, on 09/30/2009, -3/+5Im pretty sure someone invented Instant Coffee a LONG time ago.
- positron, on 09/30/2009, -0/+2So the English have never heard of a french press then?
- mrgr8avill, on 09/30/2009, -0/+2What's funny to me is that Starbucks used to school their employees on how carefully they were to handle the beans. Beans came to stores vacuum packed. About a year ago, the vacuum packing stopped, and now the "reverence" seems to have ended entirely. Banks, hardware stores, casual dining, and now coffee houses -- Starbucks seems to be running the pendulum of
big company with a good idea about _______ grows like crazy;
customers flock from little companies to big company in droves, because little companies can't compete with ______;
big company gets so big that they are unable to maintain the level of _______ that made them so big to begin with;
big company's customers grow disen(franchised) and seek ________ from little companies;
Though I am not looking forward to poetry readings, I am looking forward to a resurgence in local coffee houses run by people who care about what they sell and actually have a live or die type committment to making that particular store the best it can be.
- Mujokan, on 09/30/2009, -0/+2Unlikely but I loled.
- mrjoanofarc, on 09/30/2009, -0/+2You know, one day I made a conscious decision not to shorten or tone down my thoughts just to appease other people.
- mpires, on 09/30/2009, -0/+2So what you're saying is, you are a coffee purist?
- astounded, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Oops.
- oakapple, on 09/30/2009, -1/+2Just to be clear, I spent 5 years working at the SSC (SBUX corporate HQ) - on the very same floor as Howard - before I left for greener pastures. It didn't take a brain surgeon to see the writing on the wall. Growth for the sake of growth, no thought to long term consequences - that is not built to last.
Additionally, I also tried Via way back in May when visiting some of my friends still working at the SSC. We all laughed at the thought of spending so much for a sub-par cup of coffee. No, it isn't bad....for instant; and no, people aren't going to pay $2 bucks a serving.
Before you dismiss this as a "screed", ask yourself how Joe Magazine reinvented journalism....remember Marzigran anyone? I'd say look it up - but I don't even think you can.... - sarchosis, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1I need to actually try it. My mom tried it and didn't like it, thought it tasted just like regular instant coffee. My friend who works at a Starbucks has had it, and he said he liked it, but he drank it mixed with cold milk, not mixed with hot water.
- Otto, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1It can't taste any worse than normal Starbucks.
Seriously, Starbucks coffee is total *****. Get some real coffee, it's like a world of difference. - sourc3, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Having actually tried it, and being a coffee snob who ran an independent coffee shop for a year, I've gotta say it's not bad. I won't touch instant coffee with a 10ft pole, but I'll drink Via in a pinch.
1. Come up with absurd idea to sell instant coffee
2. Figure out a way to make it good, then charge way too much for it.
3. ???
4. PROFIT! - musicbear, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1It's supposed to be a micro grind that will instantly dissolve in anything. They encourage you to try hot or cold water or milk or even try putting it into brownies and stuff.
- musicbear, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1You are correct sir! Someone actually paid attention. Now maybe someone will actually TRY it and THEN post about it...
- riverstyx, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Yeah because we all know instant coffee is new, right? Only losers and bums drink that mudslime.
- s0nicfreak, on 10/01/2009, -0/+1"The easiest way to make coffee is to make it the same way you do tea, to just drop some freeze-dried coffee in boiling water."
Uh, that's not how you make tea. - thumperings, on 09/30/2009, -1/+2You sound like some pretentious gourmet coffee-drinking douche who flipped out when he couldn't have a proper latte or something.
- TimtheTaxMan, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Call me skeptical.
- yakobusan, on 10/27/2009, -0/+1Dude, that's normal coffee, not instant. You can buy it finely grounded in bags, I guess that gave you the wrong idea.
- rhythmchanges, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1So just to be clear, taste aside...
Coffee picked and roasted, delivered to starbucks, hot water added = $2
Coffee picked and roasted, delivered to a factory where it is processed (freeze dried or whatever), shipped to a Starbucks, and then hot water added = $1
Sounds reasonable. - rhythmchanges, on 10/01/2009, -0/+1Ah... I thought the liquid had to be warm for the crystals to dissolve.
- MasterPain, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1It taste alot like coffee made with a french press. I thought it was pretty good alot better than foldgers crystals.
- MisterEThoughts, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Someone is trying to find how to make Profit!!!!
- Philbert, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Ex starbux employee here. :p
- s0nicfreak, on 10/01/2009, -0/+1This just in, coffee is hot, film at 11
- 100thwindow, on 11/21/2009, -0/+1*repeatedly clicks index fingers and thumbs together*
- 100thwindow, on 11/21/2009, -0/+1Indeed, I bought a can of this stuff called "Saraj Kafa" at a local arab market. I made a mug for myself thinking I could drink it like regular coffee; I took two or three good gulps from it and I was already suffering from a dizzying caffiene high.
- Pyehole, on 09/30/2009, -0/+1Based on diggs, I don't think the digg community thinks I am.
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