The perfect endpoint.
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Thanks for reminding me of them. They’re just up the road from me but I’ve not tried them yet. When my current batch is depleted I’ll give them a (socially distanced) visit 
I agree - Starbucks espressos are foul. The coffee quality is atrocious. Bog standard Lavazza or Illy are a gazillion times better.
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Happy to see more happy Lelit users! They seem pretty uncommon at least in the US. I just love my little macchina.
I have a MoccaMaster at work that I use. With a Burr Coffee grinder.
When I got my Mara 62 in early 2018 it was new in the UK and the only machine on offer. They now seem to have a large range available.
I do like the idea of this, I was having a bit of a read yesterday. Any tips?
Yes, don’t dive headlong down the rabbit hole! Said semi-seriously 
Given where you are do you ever get to Bath? If so try http://www.colonnaandsmalls.co.uk/ . Have a look at their awards page. The coffee is lovely. Takes an age to come because of the attention to detail. They’ve also only fairly recently started serving a limited range of cakes etc. Because previously they didn’t want to distract from the taste of the coffee.
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Thanks - I will have a look. I was just looking at https://extractcoffee.co.uk/ in Bristol trying to find someone local-ish. I don’t fancy a machine right now, but more the dripper etc, so not ruinously expensive.
And, the I am reaching a point whereby I am happy (are we ever satisfied?) with the music set-up, so I need a new distraction!
There are many YouTube videos of people explaining their own techniques to prepare coffee such as the pour over which I personally enjoy.
The below video the man makes his coffee stronger than I do. I do 35 grams of beans to 630 grams of water. This translates to a 18 to 1 ratio
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Famous last words 
More seriously, finding a good local place where you can calibrate your palate is an excellent idea. Checking out James Hoffmann’s youtube channel is generally a good idea, and he’s got a film about what you can do without an espresso machine.
One thing everyone will tell you is how important the grinder is. Start there, and if you think you’re going to get into espresso at some point, get something that’ll do espresso grind, and preferably is good at single dosing (i.e, doesn’t leave heaps of old grinds in the exit chute).
Starbucks is McDonalds of Coffee. Drinkable, but nothing special. You can do better coffee at home with premium products. The Starbucks Instant VIA is decent for rushed brew.
Shouldn’t we be talking somewhat more seriously about the FQ? The Flavor Quality, that is? For instance, does the power cable used with the grinder influence “jitter”, thereby causing inconsistent particle size? Steel burrs, or ceramic? What about “old-fashioned” coffee grinders with cast steel parts and wooden boxes to catch the grind? Do they have a pronounced FQ which would be preferred by true connoisseurs? Do modern factory-produced machines just not have the right je-ne-sais-quoi?
Are all filters created equal? Paper? Bleached or unbleached? Gold? Wouldn’t the most transparent filters, FQ-wise, be made from platinum?
Is it really at all reasonable to consider steam machines, as opposed to pump machines? Are drip machines beyond the pale? Pour-overs? Cafetières? Really, how long does the correct FQ last in a French press, with all those grounds continuing to pollute the brew?
What is the optimal temperature for water? Hard water? Soft water? What is the correct temperature variance for altitudes? Variance for season? Variance for geography?
And don’t get me started on beans. I suppose a real expert would grow their own, in temperature-controlled greenhouses? And roasting? Wouldn’t anyone really prefer to use a $30,000 Swiss-built custom roaster? I mean, hot air popcorn poppers for roasting? Are we savages?!
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The innocents looking to get into the coffee hobby should note that in some circles, @Bill_Janssen’s post barely qualifies as satire, and that many of those questions have actually been asked.
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Hey that’s my line…and a bit of a bang on MCD which at least here of late at a few of of the MCD cafes I have tried makes a much better cup than starbucks ever has.
I think Australia dumped Starbucks and they at one time not so long ago had maybe only a dozen stores country wide left - maybe all gone now. And not a bad thing
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Starbucks coffee is mediocre. Bitter too.
McD makes an edible burger. Barely.
