Any opinions out there on the taste of this espresso bean vs the Starbucks roast? Creama/darkness/taste? Thanks!
1168760
I agree that it's a little lighter. Crema is good, it's a basic espresso. Still looking for the perfect bean, but for the money, this is pretty close.
1168761
I think it's a little lighter in flavor but not lacking in any way. It's not bitter and there's a good amount of creama that is generated with our Seaco espresso maker.
1168762
The Italian roast is awesome and oily. In comparison to Starbucks this is less expensive and not as burnt tasting. In all I would say you can't beat the price
1168763
Starbucks coffee is good, but its reputation slightly exceeds its quality. The Coffee Bean Direct is excellent and you are not paying for the name.My wife and I adore a fine cup of coffee and this product satisfies us completely.Dark and strong, but not bitter. We continue to buy it and rely on its consistently good taste.
2121053
Joseph, I had my first cup of Barista Prima this morning. I found it to be much more bitter than Jet Fuel. I don't drink Jet Fuel for the extra caffeine; I do for the flavor. My taste still leans heavily toward Jet Fuel over Barista Prima, which I found to be too bitter. But I'm always open to trying new coffee!
57062
I have use a medium grind and espresso grind . I like espesso( really fine) ground coffee best. I personally like a bolder strong roast but I've never had a bad cup with another mil deter flavor. I still love this machine .
928302
We had a Keurig previously then went to the Bosch Tassimo, and then discovered the Nescafe' while in Europe this summer. We think the Nescafe' Dolce Gusto coffees, cappuccino,and latte macchiato beats both our previous coffee makers in taste by far. Great coffee!! Enjoy!!
1586412
They both are strong and good for espresso, but they have different taste. You may try which one you better like.
715881
My sister has a senseo and I used those pods. Even the regular coffee pods came out nice! I was very surprised at how good the latte/cappucino pods were. Unfortunately my coffee machine is out of commision since there is a leak somewhere and the espresso button sticks. Have to send out to fix :(
802418
i think it is much better. i have never liked starbucks. lavazza is stronger and smoother.
934172
I'm not a coffee expert, but from everything I have read and experienced, the quality, freshness of the roast and the grind will determine how good your coffee experience is. I would at least choose an espresso grind when choosing coffee beans. (Finer ground then coffee for drip machines)
2173436
I have never had a problem with dark and oily beans. We often use Starbucks darkest - the french roast, and never had a problem.
1426492
It is dark and rich. Comparable to French roast. Wonderful taste. I like this coffee better than Starbucks and the other retail chains. Really good cups of coffee.
2182278
It can be a bit of a jolt to learn that espresso machines are about half the cost of great espresso. I use this Gaggia Classic. My Rancillio grinder cost more. Think it through, there are many bean types and freshness varies. Both effect grind. If you buy truely fresh roasted beans they should be ground slightly coarser, still quite fine, for first 4 or 5 days. Then less fresh they dry out a little and need slightly finer grind to control 22sec brew time. Store whole beans in really air tight containers, non refrigerated. The "art" of great espresso is how you grind it. That takes long experience. If you get a truely fresh roast and grind just right you cup will fill with 50% golden foam and it will taste a little sweeter. I still need a little sugar but never milk or foam. Starbucks has an advantage with their always fresh roasts. By the time you can "pull" a good single shot 2oz espresso you might agree with me, LOL. They still give me trouble........... Happy Trails
1727198
Theodore, I'm just like you, after a great espresso with thick crema. How did it work out for you? Thanks, Don
534462
I does well. You can set the heat level and the time for roasting. You are going to judge the roast by sight and smell so you have to experiment a bit. Record your results so that you can duplicate the process. If you over roast and everything has carmelized you just have a dark and tasteless brew. I truly do love my SR500. I've learned that slightly lighter than a Full City roast gets most of my beans, whatever the source to the place that I like. Sometimes I adjust but that's normal with green beans from different sources and moisture content.
1417556
The CBTL machine only uses the CBTL pods, however they have several options between coffee, Chai tea as well as different tea flavors. All of which are delicious! Even the flavored coffee (which I am normally not a fan of ) tastes great. Especially as a latte. I had the CBTL machine, got the starbucks one and ended up with a better espresso out of the CBTL! If you are looking to make regular coffee any of the new machines would be dine, however if You are wanting a mocha ot a latte then I would go with the CBTL, or the Starbucks machine, due to the pressure they put out. The higher the bars of pressure the better the result for the espresso shots. Of course the bean quality matters as well. Good luck hope this helps.
340134
I've had pretty consistent results since I started grinding the beans myself. Before I had the grinder, I would have a nice crema to start with but not as much by the end of the bag. I also found a local roaster and that helped a lot. Seems like their beans have an oil sheen, not matte like Starbucks.Good luck.
2121020
I've only had the Fog Chaser and French Roast. I'm no connoisseur, but the Fog Chaser is more original and has a nice flavor. Not too bold and smooth (not bitter or too acidic). If you like other French Roast blends, you'd like theirs as well.
2128605
I personally like the Crema e Gusto much better. I think the Cream e Gusto is more creamy, and I also prefer the flavor. The best part of it is... Crema e Gusto is cheaper!