Metro Espresso Survey: Round 3

Here is the last survey, which comes from Sarah in the Arlington area. An interesting observation, she gives some love to Maxwell House, but none to Starbucks.

1. When you buy coffee on the go, who do you patronize? (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, an espresso cart, Au Bon Pain...etc.)

I refuse to drink Starbucks under any condition. It is overrated and it is bitter. I try to find hole in the wall type coffee houses, or non-chains. Luckily, living in DC, there are plenty of those! If chains are my only options, I have found

that Marvelous Market is quite good, and depending on when the coffee was brewed. Dunkin' Donuts or Caribou.

2. What is your preferred coffee-based drink (drip, espresso, moka pot, French press, latte...etc), and why?

French press or drip are what I tend to go for with a tiny tiny tiny (seriously...tiny!) bit of skim milk and a sweet n low.

I like being able to nurse on a cup o' joe, rather than have to drink it quickly like an espresso.

3. In general, what is your favorite aspect about coffee? Explain (i.e culture, taste, social lubricant)

There really isn't anything that I don't like about coffee. It can be enjoyed with friends while chatting over what is going on in the news. During these economic troubling times, it is a great cheap date, as you can enjoy a time to get to know one another. It can help you stay up late when you procrastinate on a paper or a deadline. Depending on the coffee itself, it tastes delicious, and there are so many different ways that you can drink it!

4. What is your favorite coffee story? (i.e bad experience at Starbucks or amazing espresso)

I was meeting a friend for lunch one day near Dupont Circle. I was a little early, so I decided to get some coffee at a nearby coffee shop. I brought the coffee to Dupont Cirlcle and people watched while I waited for my friend. The weather was not too hot but not too cold,

and there were lots of people out and about to watch. There were couples on lunch dates, tourists walking through the center of the circle, and families taking afternoon strolls. While sipping on my coffee (which was delicious by the way!), I remember feeling very peaceful, content, and relaxed.

5. Folgers or Maxwell House? :-)

Neither, but if I had to choose, Maxwell House...the best part of waking up is NOT Foldger's in your cup. Maxwell House has a bit more flavor than the watered down Foldgers.

Metro Espresso Survey: Benjamin

I had a great initial turnout for the Metro Espresso survey and wanted to first spotlight Benjamin from Mocha Joe's Coffee Roasters. I still encourage readers to fill out the survey and send them to me. For details look at the post below or click here. I am excited to see how the responses compare with each other. Without further ado, here are Benjamin's responses:

1. When you buy coffee on the go, who do you patronize? (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, an espresso cart, Au Bon Pain...etc.)

I try to avoid chains at all cost. I regularly use Yelp or Urban Spoon on my iPhone to find the closest locally owned cafe. You never know what you are going to get but I like trying new places. With chains you tend to get consistency, but if you don't like their coffee it means you already know what to expect. If I'm in a pinch though, I will hit up a Dunkin' Donuts, cream and sugar.

2. What is your preferred coffee-based drink (drip, espresso, moka pot, French press, latte...etc), and why?

For regular coffee at home I prefer a light roast brewed with a French Press. I like the extra body that you get from using a French Press and I think the light roast gives you a wider range of tastes. The French Roasts tend to roast away some of my favorite flavors, even though it does bring out new flavors that some people find desirable. If I'm going to our cafe I almost always get a double short maple latte. I get a double short shot and double short cup because I like the milk to espresso ratio. In large lattes, the milk tends to mask the taste of the espresso.

3. In general, what is your favorite aspect about coffee? Explain (i.e culture, taste, social lubricant)

Well, tasting it... but the history, culture, artistry of roasting and science of brewing are pretty interesting as well.

4. What is your favorite coffee story? (i.e bad experience at Starbucks or amazing espresso)

I was a regular at a particular small cafe for a couple of months and the same Barista always seemed to be working the shift when I came in. She was friendly but totally spaced out and would mess up 90% of my orders. If I ordered a maple la[t]te I might get surprised with a mocha la[t]te, if I got a small light roast I might walk away with a large french roast. The cool thing about it though was that it broke me out of my "regular" drinks and I began to appreciate espresso drinks that I had never tried before.

5. Folgers or Maxwell House? :-)

Ha! I'd rather go without. If it comes down to that I'll just drink water =)

Metro Espresso Survey

(The foam looks so happy!)

In the spirit of creating a stronger community at Metro Espresso, I am asking Metro Espresso readers (meaning you!) to write responses to five simple questions about your coffee preferences. These responses will be featured in future blog posts. If you are new to coffee and feel you don't know enough to contribute; your opinion is doubly wanted. You probably know more than you think! The questions are as follows:

1. When you buy coffee on the go, who do you patronize? (Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, an espresso cart, Au Bon Pain...etc.)

2. What is your preferred coffee-based drink (drip, espresso, moka pot, French press, latte...etc), and why?

3. In general, what is your favorite aspect about coffee? Explain (i.e culture, taste, social lubricant)

4. What is your favorite coffee story? (i.e bad experience at Starbucks or amazing espresso)

5. Folgers or Maxwell House? :-)

Email your responses to duderino102 @ gmail dot com, and be featured on Metro Espresso. Be sure to explain your answers well, but no essays please! If you like Metro Espresso please follow me on Twitter, and ask me any coffee-related questions you have. Thank you!