After tasting three types of coffee beans and powder from Starbucks, I compiled this review after two sleepless nights

The later I slept last night, the more I wanted to "kneel down" to coffee the next day! For us office workers, a cup of coffee in the morning can save my "dog life". Not only does it satisfy my taste buds, but it also makes me sleepy quickly. It is not only a lifestyle, but also a work attitude.

For office workers who face computers every day, a cup of coffee represents salvation. Some people say that coffee is like its own taste, bitter at first, but becomes fragrant after a long time, making us miss the bitterness and bottomless black from time to time, and enjoy the excitement and passion brought by the bitterness.

Coffee tasting is actually a skill. For people who don’t know how to do it, it will smell and taste the same to them. But if you identify a brand to taste, things will become much simpler. Since there are still many newbies who love coffee but don’t know how to choose it, let’s start with “Starbucks” that everyone on earth knows!

After some research, we selected the three most popular Starbucks ground coffee powders and roasted coffee beans to be evaluated one by one.

I bought three types of coffee from the Starbucks Home Coffee flagship store on JD.com, namely Starbucks Caffe Verona imported coffee powder , Pike Place imported coffee beans and Italian espresso imported coffee beans . Then I "invited" out my moka pot and blew off the three feet of dust on it.

The main reason for using a moka pot instead of a hand brewing device is to save trouble, and compared to a set of hand brewing equipment, a moka pot does not take up much space. In addition, the moka pot can retain the original flavor of the coffee to a greater extent while simplifying the steps.

①Appearance and packaging

The capacity of all three types of coffee is 200g. Holding it in the hand, the imported Caffe Verona coffee powder feels a little heavier. The packaging is also very different: both Verona coffee powder and espresso beans are packaged in purple-brown packaging, and are marked with "Dark Roast". There are two flowers in the lower right corner of Verona, and a capital E in the lower right corner of espresso, which makes it easy to distinguish.

Pike Place coffee beans are packaged in golden brown and labeled "Medium Roast" with "Since 71" in the lower right corner.

One detail that deserves a red flower is that the openings of several coffee powder/bean bags are designed to be resealable multiple times, so they can be well preserved just by using the bags.

As for the secret of keeping it fresh, it actually comes from a small detail on the packaging. All three coffees have a round one-way exhaust valve on the front of the packaging to exhaust the carbon dioxide emitted by the freshly roasted coffee beans. At the same time, it can still block the entry of outside air to keep the coffee beans fresh and not oxidized.

② Powder/particle details

Let’s open the package and look at the specific details. You can see that the powder of the Verona coffee powder is very fine. I didn’t dare to breathe when I got close to it, for fear that it would fly away if I breathed!

The coffee beans of the other two types are also complete, with almost no broken beans, uniform in size, and full of beans without shriveling. The quality of "Starbucks" is different. In addition, the color of espresso beans is darker than that of Pike Place coffee beans. After all, the degree of roasting is different.

③ Baking degree

Now that we have mentioned the degree of roasting, let's compare these three coffees again. In fact, raw coffee beans themselves do not have much coffee aroma. Only after they are roasted can we smell the rich coffee aroma. Therefore, the roasting of coffee beans is a transformation process of the internal components of coffee beans. Only after roasting can we produce components that can release the coffee aroma, and we can clearly smell the aroma of coffee~

The quality of coffee bean roasting directly determines the aroma of coffee beans. Even if the raw coffee beans are good, you cannot get good roasted coffee beans if the coffee is not roasted well. Only by using good raw coffee beans and properly roasting them can you process good roasted coffee beans, which can provide a good prerequisite for making good coffee.

The roasting degrees of these three coffee powders/beans are:

Verona coffee powder - deep roasted (full flavor)

Pike Place Coffee Beans – Medium Roast (even flavor)

Espresso beans – dark roasted (rich flavor)

④Aroma description

As soon as you open the bag of Verona coffee powder, you will smell the very mellow coffee aroma. The deep roasted coffee beans are finely ground into coffee powder. A deep sniff will immediately make you feel surrounded by rich black cocoa. The aroma is very balanced, not pungent, and will make you instantly sober! People who love coffee really have to resist the urge to put it in their mouths immediately!

The aroma of Pike Place coffee beans is slightly gentler, which is also because the whole coffee beans are not ground into powder. It smells lighter, with authentic cocoa flavor and roasted nutty aroma.

The aroma of espresso beans is richer than that of Pike Place coffee beans. This is the beauty brought by deep roasting. What is more special is that in addition to the traditional cocoa flavor, it is also mixed with a caramel sweetness, and it does not smell as bitter as imagined.

⑤Specific taste

Having said so much, the coffee taste will be more convincing if we evaluate its specific taste.

I used a moka pot to make the Verona coffee powder. The method is actually very simple, not as complicated as you might imagine. First, add water to the moka pot, then add Starbucks coffee powder, and then connect the upper part of the moka pot to start heating. In less than 5 minutes, a cup of fragrant coffee came out.

The coffee made from Frona coffee powder has a mellow and rich taste. For someone like me who usually has a light taste, I didn't feel uncomfortable. The acidity is relatively low, but it is even a little sweet after a careful taste! On the contrary, the aftertaste is quite rich in dark cocoa texture, which is very suitable for a sleepy afternoon. It is a good choice to match it with milk chocolate, dark chocolate and caramel.

I used a semi-automatic coffee machine to make the other two coffee beans. The steps are very simple and can be operated with just one button.

The coffee made from Pike Place coffee beans tastes completely different from that of Verona coffee powder. Even people who don't know much about coffee can tell the difference in one sip. Arabica coffee beans from Latin America are used, which are relatively balanced in all aspects, with a slight and rich cocoa flavor and a roasted nut aroma. The taste is relatively light and the flavor is mellow. The acidity is higher than that of Verona, but the alcohol content is lower. It may be more suitable for people who like a light taste~

The coffee made from espresso beans tastes similar to Verona, but also has a fuller, caramel-like sweetness and a mellowness comparable to Verona. After a sip, the mellowness remains on the tip of your tongue. It is also the essence of Starbucks' exclusive handmade latte, and is also suitable for making various styles. Pairing it with caramel, chocolate and nuts will make the experience even more wonderful!

Based on the above comparison of the specific taste of these three coffee powders/beans, purely from the dimensions of acidity and body, they are:

Verona coffee powder——acid 1+mellow 5

Pike Place Coffee Beans——Acid 3+Mol 3

Espresso beans – acid 3 + alcohol 5

In fact, there is no good or bad taste. These three types of Starbucks coffee beans and powders have their own characteristics. It depends on your taste preference. For example, if you like light flavors, Pike Place coffee beans are recommended. If you like a mellower taste, you can choose espresso beans. If you like a mellow taste and enjoy the ritual of making coffee, you can also choose Verona coffee powder.

If you also like to make coffee at home or in the office instead of going to Starbucks to buy coffee or order takeout, this is the right choice.