Ah, I see you're still torn between the chains. You know my allergy to all things Peets (everything is too bitter), so while I'm not a coffee drinker, I'd automatically default to Starbucks. In the absence of a good independent, of course...

That easy: Peets sells superior coffee and tea.

I don't know what "superior" means? It certainly doesn't mean "tastes better". Of course, I only know about one small niche -- good decaf. There, Starbucks crushes Peets. It's not close. Starbucks Sumatran Decaf is excellent. Maybe every other variety falls in Peets' favor, but I doubt it.

A pox on both their houses! We had a nice coffee house which was very local and offered almost everything starbucks or peets do. Also, the owners music taste was superior to most anyone, including mine. Lastly, local young music talent could come there and work for tips. But he got "bucked" over with three new starbucks within 2 miles. Peets and Starbucks are the wallmarts of coffeehouses. Can you imagine starbucks as the center of life for the beat generation? A suggestion: start a list of local coffeehouses that desrve (y)our support.

I agree. For sitting down and drinking a cup of coffee, a local coffeehouse is best. But I've tried many times to buy beans at local places and they are ALWAYS stale, and to ackowledge the sad truth, not really very good in the first place. So, for someone like me, who almost never sits down for a cup of coffee, the whole deal is which beans are best. Adding in my arrhythmic heart's demand for only decaf, and I have very peculiar demands. Which, I'm genuinely sorry to say, are best met by Starbucks.

Starbucks has always had watery coffee--compensated by the fact that it's over-roasted. I think that back during the dark old days when no one knew any better, Starbucks was doing the best it could. A victim of their own popularity, they got stuck with the "Starbucks taste"--watery and over-roasted.

As a bit of history, the Starbucks guys actually learned about coffee from the only real coffee roaster they could find back in the 70s ... Peet's.

Peet's, however, has its own issues. Although I love their coffee, they tend to like high-acid blends, particularly for their espresso. If you have a sensitive stomach (as my wife does), it can be trouble.

In Portland, we have a relatively new brand that's storming the market, and all the cool baristas go for it: Stumptown. Since Torrefazione died, it's the best in town:

www.stumptowncoffee.com

Major Dickason is my C.O. Hoorah!

Jeff A: My brother's shop in Portland serves Stumptowm coffee, and homemade pies too. Kids and Democratic and Green politicos are welcome:

Bipartisan Cafe
(503) 253-1051
7901 SE Stark St
Portland, OR 97215

Bipartisan Cafe Reviewed

Starbucks or Peets? The URL for Starbucks Store is busted; kept getting an error message. Peets came up OK, but I went into shock at the prices per pound. Starbucks has good coffee if you want to sit around and chat and use your laptop. I don't know about Peets by the cup because there isn't one in NYC.

But if you want coffee to drink at home, look into the Porto Rico Importing Co. for an incredible selection. The URL is:
http://www.portorico.com/ and you should at least read through their incredible list of coffees and blends at half the price and twice the quality of EITHER chain. Many, if not most, NY restaurants get their coffee from them. This is a third generation business, and they know their coffees. Their selection of loose teas is also amazing.

My personal favorite is their Danish blend at $5.99 a pound. They have so much variety you're bound to find something that appeals to you.

I want to compliment Starbucks on its diversity in their products and selections provided to the public. It's a wonderful business strategy to have so many store locations and wide-range of coffee-related products which only serve to push the name of "Starbucks" to the public and make it a household name. All these years, to be frank, I've always felt if only Starbucks could complete their well-known customer service and product with a genuinely great tasting coffee.

I do enjoy all the mixed coffee drinks; especially the blended frappucinos in the summer are fun. But do I ever feel I'm getting a great tasting cup of coffee? That's not what Starbucks is known for, unfortunately. For years I've had to use a coffee for home and office use that I consider to be the perfect cup of coffee, Graffeo's Coffee Roasting Company headquartered in S.F. Their coffee is the very best in coffee, with a rich full flavor that coffee should have. Not to mention they have a chemical free decaf (a swiss water process is used) which is healthy and has the full flavor of regular coffee, unlike other decaf coffees.

I wish Starbucks would use the same coffee, which would perfect their company! Starbucks is convenient, you don't have to go far to find a store nearby, but it is the MacDonald’s of, supposedly, coffee drinks. The coffee has no "punch" or good flavor when tasted without the camouflage of sugars and flavors. If only Starbucks would try Graffeo's coffee and then see if they could use the same coffee, they'll be impressed and then I can purchase real coffee from Starbucks each morning when I'm desperate for the real thing! This would even help you eliminate competition now and in the future. Not to mention, not being laughed at by the Europeans whose coffee is one of the epicurean delights of their cultures that many of us imitate.

I love the convenience of Starbucks, but I love Graffeo's coffee. How do I conveniently have both?

Thanks.

Lan

You see, Peet's doesn't have wireless Internet service for computers! Can you even imagine that? And Peet's doesn't even begin to understand coffee-shop atmosphere. So for work, it's Starbucks.

Maybe yours are benighted but up here in the Evergreen (Evergray right now) State have wireless joy in our Peet's.

No reason to go to SBUX. Though someone gave me a gift card which wil likely be used to refresh my young'uns with hot cocoa . . .

I have never had a Starbucks that wasn't watery and disappointing but then I did grow up with Peets (origins in SF with Peet as buyer and roaster). However,now have a major complaint. As a latte lover, my view is that the expresso should be expresso roast(forte) like the Italians who cannot make a bad coffee. Peets now uses Major Dickensons and even worse sour Garauda for several days a week for their expresso and it is terrible. (Also a few watery coffees but that is probably an inexperienced barista). Anyway, I would be very happy if others besides myself would complain to the Peets central pod. They seems to think it is a great idea but I don't think I should have to carry a Peets weekly schedule in my car.

i work for peet's and have always been told the reason we don't have wi-fi is because (and we mean this nicely) enough people already sit around for hours and hours nursing a small cup of coffee *without* the benefit of wifi. i myself have seen many people come in and leave our store because there's no place to sit because of the 'nursers'. we love our customers but we don't need one more reason for them to take up tables for 6 - 8 hours (and I am NOT exaggerating) with a $1.50 cup of coffee.

I have to disagree with DeeDee.

Peet's Garuda Blend makes a fabulous espresso (not "expresso") shot. It's sweet, smooth, and produces a thick and rich crema in the cup. You may have, unfortunately, been at the mercy of a barista who needed a bit more training on how to pull a great espresso shot.

Major Dickason's also makes a great espresso shot.

Don't fall prey to the romanticized notion that you can only use "espresso roast" for espresso. I think one of the reasons Peet's rotates their beans used each day is to introduce a wider variety and flavor profiles of different blends and growing regions to customers who wouldn't normally think twice about what they're drinking.

I live at 66048 Commonwealth in Seattle. Been up here before?

Portland's Stumptown does have nice coffee; however, their service is surly at best. Peet's kids are knowledgeable, friendly, and the coffee is still the best around.