Why is Starbucks coffee so bad? (11 reasons)
While Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee retailer, it also has its fair share of critics.
Are the critics right, why do they think Starbucks’ coffee is so bad? We investigated it and came up with some interesting details, so keep reading to find out more!
Why is Starbucks coffee so bad in 2022?
The most common criticism of Starbucks coffee is that it has a bitter taste because the beans are over-roasted in 2022. Additionally, various flavors, toppings, and cream are added to mask the bitterness. Starbucks coffee is too sweet for many people, which makes them unhealthy. They are also quite expensive, and the Italian name makes ordering more difficult.
To learn more about why Starbucks coffee is so bad, read on for these 11 reasons on the subject!
1. Over roasted bitterness
The biggest complaint of Starbucks critics (who are mostly self-identified coffee purists) is that the coffee has a bitter taste because the beans are over-roasted.
Additionally, critics argue that the beans are over-roasted because the batches are too large and the quality is uneven.
Roasting covers any variation in bean quality and flavor. It also gives coffee its bitter taste.
Some bloggers think Starbucks could get away with it because darker roasts contain so much caffeine that customers mistake it for premium coffee.
In other words, Starbucks is offering more caffeine in exchange for authentic coffee flavor, and most customers don’t even realize the trade-off exists.
However, on behalf of Starbucks it must be said that the company has heeded the criticism and recently launched its own light or blonde roast.
2. Sugary add-ons
As if bitterness wasn’t bad enough, Starbucks made things worse by trying to mask the bitterness with strong flavors and a sugar-laden syrup, critics added.
This does improve the taste, but it makes the Starbucks coffee drink very unhealthy.
3. Incomprehensible names
Anyone who just wants a regular cup of coffee will be stuck with Starbucks’ menu.
Not only do the coffees have fancy Italian names, but even the cup sizes are not in the order of small, medium, large, and extra large.
Conversely, at Starbucks, the cup sizes are Tall, Grande, Venti hot, Venti cold and Trenta, making it nearly impossible for customers to know how much coffee they ordered.
4. Overpriced
Starbucks coffee is expensive and much more expensive than similar items at other stores like Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s.
However, Starbucks customers don’t seem to mind the high prices, and they continue to buy coffee even as already high prices rise further.
5. Inferior coffee beans
Some coffee lovers believe that Starbucks is trying to escape using inferior beans by roasting them for a long time so that the main flavor is burnt coffee.
6. Stale coffee beans
While the bitter taste of Starbucks coffee has been debated, there is no doubt that Starbucks coffee beans are not freshly roasted, but rather stale.
This is because all Starbucks coffee beans are roasted in several processing centers before being shipped to stores.
By the time they reach the store, the coffee beans have lost their freshly roasted flavor.
Bloggers on Reddit believe that Starbucks coffee smells and tastes stale compared to the taste of freshly roasted beans.
7. Stick to dark roast uniformity and lose complexity and flavor
Coffee experts believe that the complex flavors of coffee beans can lose consistency when they are roasted for too long, just like Starbucks.
Roasting should release the coffee’s natural flavors, which can be nutty or fruity, with hints of blueberries and cherries.
8. Too sour
Coffee experts also feel that Starbucks coffee is too sour. In fact, that’s why a lot of people need sugar and cream to mask the taste.
Bloggers on Reddit believe that even Costco’s basic blend tastes better.
9. Too much sugar
Not only is Starbucks coffee too bitter and sour for some, it is also too sweet.
The fact that Starbucks is at the top of the “dessert in a coffee cup” wave isn’t to everyone’s taste.
There are a lot of people who find it weird to add syrup to coffee, and they don’t approve of the trend towards coffee as a dessert.
10. It doesn’t taste good
Critics who think Starbucks coffee doesn’t taste good may find some support from taste tests. Starbucks has consistently lost out on the taste test to McDonald’s for years.
Compared to the local third wave coffee shops and the kind you get in Italy, Starbucks coffee definitely loses in taste.
11. Anti-union
This criticism has nothing to do with the taste of the coffee, but Starbucks is definitely anti-union. The company is known as a good employer and offers many benefits to its employees.
However, Starbucks’ hostility to unions does leave a bitter taste.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on whether Starbucks chai tea contains caffeine, Starbucks honey blend, and whether Starbucks almond milk is sweetened.
in conclusion
Starbucks coffee has been criticized for being too bitter, and for adding too much flavor and sugar to mask the bitterness.
Critics also argue that Starbucks coffee is overpriced. In the end, it doesn’t taste that great, as it often loses out to McDonald’s in taste tests.
