Addicted to Starbucks

On the first day of my Intro to Business class, we had some political/ethical debate over larger corportations in America, mostly about Starbucks and Wal-Mart. One girl went on some ethical rant about Wal-Mart, saying that they have bad practices about the way they conduct business, but she was not really specific. Then someone brought up Starbucks. So we got into a discussion on Wal-Mart and Starbucks. The teacher wanted to point out exactly what commodity means, which is basically something that is needed by people, like toothpaste. Starbucks, however is not a commodity, although I think technically it is. A commodity is something that can be sold in a free market, like coffee or toothpaste, regardless of whether it's a luxury or necessity. I think he should have made that distinction, instead of the commodity example.

I can already tell that the teacher is big on capitalism and a free-market economy. He assured us that no matter what, that as long as we stay ahead of the game and keep ourselves educated, we would almost be guaranteed a decent job somewhere.

Slightly off topic, someone brings up the fact that there is a study out that claims Starbucks has more caffeine than perhaps most regular coffee you would buy in a store or get at a gas station. I think my body knew this already, because I have been addicted to Starbucks coffee for a while now. But I can't tell what it is, whether it's the caffeine or the bold taste. I've tried numerous times switching brands and I just can't do it.

For instance:
I've bought a specialty coffee from a diner down the street called Hills Bros. Coffee that you can only order through a restaraunt supply company, so I bought a can from the diner directly. I didn't like my home-brew as much as I do however it is brewed at the diner.

I've bought Folgers, which I used to like, but now I can't stand.

I've bought Don Franciscos, which isn't too bad, but it's not my favorite.

I've bought some Ethiopian coffee at Costco a month or two ago, but it was gross.

I've been to a lot of coffeehouses, but none of them compare to whatever it is that I find gratifying about Starbucks coffee, not the place. But I don't think it's the caffeine issue, because I only drink one, maybe two cups of coffee a day, and I don't "crave" coffee in the middle of the day. And I don't like any other brand of coffee. But if I go for more than a day or two without a good cuppa, I definitely crave it. So, I'm mildly addicted. Ok, I admitted it.

Here is a story that backs the claim that Starbucks has more caffeine than most coffee. From the article:

"Scientists say that means it's easier to become physically dependent on caffeine if you're drinking Starbucks."

Go figure.

Here is one that says that Starbucks does have more caffeine, but the actual caffeine content changes from cup to cup, depending on certain factors.

Here is an article that says basically the same thing the first one does, claiming that Starbucks and other specialty coffee places have an average of 56% more caffeine than doughnut shop or gas station coffee.

Regardless of whether or not it's the caffeine, the taste, or my guess that it's both, I'm not stopping. And I've also made up my mind that I am not wasting my money on what my tastebuds consider second-rate coffee. So let me go dig up the French roast and fire up my espresso machine...

For my general rant on coffee culture, click here and here for the second part.