Instant Coffee, Starbucks Style

I was surprised and delighted to receive a 2-pack of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew in the mail yesterday. I've been eager to try it, as I've heard from friends and former co-workers that it's quite good.

Instant coffee has never been anything like a regular part of my personal beverage portfolio. I can remember my dad making really instant coffee--his preferred method was to dissolve the powder in tap water then heat the mixture in the microwave oven, presumably to a ready-to-drink temperature, not wanting to be bothered to actually heat the water. Adults do strange things.

A trip to India to visit tea gardens provided another instant memory, as well as providing insight into the mind of the coffee drinker. Our guide for part of the trip, a very charming veteran of the tea business, was a coffee drinker. So even when we were staying in the house at the tea garden itself, where the fragrance of freshly fermented and delicious tea hung in the air, he demanded coffee each morning. It was clear from where the jar of crystals was kept, how long it took the host to find it and the condition of the jar that he was the only coffee drinker around, and that he had likely been served from that same jar for several years. We asked him how he could pass up such delicious tea in favor of clearly lousy coffee, he said simply, "I am a coffee drinker."

So instant coffee isn't something I've ever drunk --I've tasted it over the years, mostly in the context of work. I was not much of a coffee drinker before discovering specialty coffee in the mid-80s, shortly before I began working for Starbucks. So to me, the typical instant coffee simply isn't coffee. It may be warm, brown and occasionally drinkable, but it fundamentally doesn't taste like coffee. Its aroma is more like sweet cooked grain of some sort than it is like coffee. The flavor is vaguely sweet and toasty, but not what I think of as coffee.

The idea of a truly good-tasting instant coffee is certainly intriguing, and I never had any philosophical opposition to it. I was aware of and vaguely on the periphery of some of the early work done on instant coffee at Starbucks. The full flavor and high quality of every coffee in the Starbucks lineup created an enormous challenge, especially if matching the taste of fresh-brewed was the goal.

I'm not privy to what I would call the "sausage-making" aspect of the birth of VIA, and could not write about it if I was. So my reactions to what I received in the mail yesterday simply reflect my views as a guy who loves coffee and is more educated about coffee than the average consumer. (I honestly don't now how soluble coffee is made well enough to describe the process in a way that would be illuminating.)

OK, to start with, I was struck by the fact that the most eye-grabbing element on the mailer is the word INSTANT--all caps, bigger font than anything else. There is also a small Starbucks logo and a slightly larger "Starbucks VIA Ready Brew" identifier--since it's just plain text, I won't use the word "logo." The ingredients of the product are soluble coffee and microground coffee.

So...how did it taste? The packet contained one "stick" each of Italian Roast and Colombia. I tried the Italian Roast first because everyone I've spoken to both inside and outside Starbucks told me this was the better of the two offerings.

The first thing I noticed was the aroma, which was very pleasant, thanks to the presence of the microground coffee, an addition to the product that no doubt adds cost but makes it look and smell more like coffee. That great aroma disappeared pretty much immediately when I added the hot water; it was replaced with the smell that to me is instantly recognizable as soluble coffee. It was augmented by the smell of the microground coffee mixed with the hot water...which is NOT the same smell as the in-the-cup smell of freshly brewed coffee. Flavor-wise, I was surprised by the sharp/bitter taste of the coffee, and as it cooled, by the presence of some acidity in the cup. Both of these may sound bad, but they are very unusual in an instant coffee product. The bottom line for me: way above average for instant coffee, but not a match or substitute for fresh-brewed.

The Colombia smelled worse but in some ways tasted better. It was not the Starbucks Colombia I have known over the years, by any stretch. But because it's not a dark roast like the Italian (at least I assume that's what accounts for the difference), there is in some ways a fuller range of coffee flavor in the Colombia. It's clearly more lively and acidic than the Italian, so in that sense it's a more "complete" cup. However...it's not the cup for me. As impressive as it is to have this much coffee flavor in a soluble product, it doesn't hit the mark for me as a) fresh-brewed or b) the taste of Starbucks I know and love.

Even so, these are the best-tasting instant coffees I've ever had.

This post is already close to the length at which an apology is normally made. So I'll save thoughts on when I might use VIA, the value proposition and other observations for another time.

The Big Five-0

Today is my 50th birthday. It's kind of shocking, really. I remember when I was maybe ten or twelve years old chatting with friends about the year 2000. We all reasonably assumed we'd be alive to see it, but that we'd be quite aged--most of us turned 41 that year. Fifty was simply beyond our comprehension.

I tend to compare myself each year with how I remember my parents at the same age. One thing that makes that difficult is that my folks, like many in their generation, had kids earlier than we did. So when my day was 50, I was 25. My girls are 15 and 14--growing up for sure, but still kids in most ways. This is one reason being 50 feels really different than I thought it would.

So having kids who are still kids keeps me feeling young, and having worked around so many people younger than I am does too. So there is not a lot of anxiety about being 50. And one great thing about "middle age" is that I can legitimately claim to have learned some things about life AND I'm still young enough to make changes and act on the things I've learned. That's a real blessing.

Nothing Stays the Same

A harrowing experience with a rented power tool inspired me to start a blog. Being laid off 12 days ago revived my interest in blogging and also freed up quite a few hours in my day. So I'm going to attempt to chronicle the job hunt process here, as well as pass on other bits of information and insight that interest me.

Here's my starting point: Anyone out there have any pointers for me? Or any jobs?

Concrete Plans

We've found someone to build the concrete steps in the front yard. This is a real sign of progress, as it will help give some shape and substance to what we're doing. We also have someone doing a bit of design work for us, so things are really moving.

The concrete work was supposed to start this past Wednesday, but Stacy got a call from the guy on Sunday. He was out elk hunting and was not planning to be back working if he didn't have an elk. The season ends tomorrow, so he'll be back in town and will hopefully start on Monday. Stacy was gracious about it, going so far as to say that while she normally comes down squarely on the side of the animals in the whole hunting equation, she would be rooting for him.

In the meantime, we've once again used a gasoline-powered tool in the yard. I'm happy to report that the roto-tiller is far superior machine to the sod cutter.

Several Things

I am surprised by how long it's been since my last post. We've been pretty busy, what with the Olympics, political conventions, school starting and of course, yard work. So in no particular order, here are a few comments on recent goings-on:

1. If the milkman is here, it must be Wednesday. I've always been pretty time-and-date conscious; I think I started wearing a watch in about second grade. (Today I have no idea where my watch is.) The work week has certain patterns and markers such that I pretty much always know what day it is. But a couple weeks ago, I spent a good five minutes sitting in the living room trying to figure out what day it was. I'm sure it was during the Olympics, when it was never quite clear what day it was--between China being 15 hours ahead of us and watching events live on Canadian TV and then seeing them rehashed and repeated seemingly a couple days later on NBC -- it got confusing at times. But once I realized the milkman had come that day, I finally knew for certain it was Wednesday.
2. Appliance Day. We took the plunge and bought some new appliances from my favorite purveyor, Albert Lee Appliance here in Seattle. We've replaced our fridge and washer/dryer, all of which are 10-14 years old. We got one of those cool front-loading, money-saving washers and a much better dryer than we had before. We bought a dishwasher too, but need to have some plumbing done before it can be installed. And we had to get an electrician out to change the outlet from a range outlet to a dryer outlet. We weren't aware of this condition and don't know what its implications are in terms of drying speed, but a load of clothes that formerly took over 2 hours to dry now dries in 34 minutes. (It is also the case that the new high efficiency washers like the one we bought remove more water during the spin cycle, so they go into the dryer considerably less wet than with the old technology.)
3. Retro-appliance acquisition. Stacy's sister visited from Arizona, and delivered a juicer that Stacy's mom is no longer using. It's an Acme (really!) Juicerator 5001. Not sure how old the actual machine is, but the manual that came with it has a 1962 copyright date. The manual is hilarious and worthy of a whole separate post at some point. Anyway, aside from some frequent problems with extreme vibration, I'm really enjoying making carrot-apple juice blends.
4. Food find. We went to Home Depot today (the one on Aurora around 120th Street in the north part of Seattle.) Bought some plants and a rake, and as we were leaving we noticed a "taco trailer" and decided to try it. It's nestled in among some nice old trees in the north end of the parking lot, and has a nice little seating area and great music. The food is prepared inside a rather slick looking black trailer. It's called "El Camion" ("the truck") and the food was very tasty. I had a pork tamale, which featured a very smooth, silky layer of masa surrounding a spicy pork mixture. Also a small soft taco with carne asada. We also tried a quesadilla. All were excellent, and it appears to be very popular with many of the Hispanic workers in the area--always a good sign.
5. Sarah Palin. I have to say something, or a few somethings. First: how do you run against a skit? McCain and Palin appear to be basing their wacky act on Dana Carvey's grumpy old man and Church Lady skits from Saturday Night Live. Second: nobody knew for sure when McCain selected her whether she was qualified. To me, the very nature of the campaign proves that she is not--she is simply playing a character, based partly on her own "story" but mostly created by the McCain campaign. It's simply not real, and her script is made up almost entirely of lies and insults. The McCain-Palin ticket should not be taken seriously. Third: I don't think Barack Obama is perfect, but for the Republicans to seriously question his experience and qualifications relative to Palin's is absurd. He has endured 19 months of intense scrutiny and won a gruelling battle to secure the nomination. She was the impulsive choice of one desperate man.

Today's Lessons From the Garden

1. "Garden" sounds better than "yard."
2. When you decide to move a plant, it's a plant. When you actually move it, it's a tree.
3. I now believe there is a strong correlation between how long it takes to dig out a plant and how difficult it will be to move it, as well as to the size of the hole required for successfully re-planting it.
4. I will no longer assume that living things roughly twice my height are easy to move.
5. There are a lot of metaphors in the garden. I believe they are a type of fern.

What Not Working Feels Like

As mentioned earlier, I am taking six months off work. After 21 years of employment at a well-known coffee company, I’m taking advantage of a benefit offered by the company. In short, I’m taking six months off work without pay and returning to essentially the same job I have now.
As it turns out, the company I work for is going through some difficult times; many people I have known for years have lost their jobs in the last few months. So there is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about the future, which makes this an interesting time not to be there. On the one hand, I’m happy to be out of what had become a very challenging environment in which to work happily. But…not being there to support others and try to contribute is difficult – not to mention that because of the situation the company is in, it’s not at all clear what might be going on when I return.

Overall, though, this is a great time to be away; I was ready for a break and there are few better places to spend a summer than Seattle. Because this is an opportunity many never get, people are curious about it. Lots of people ask me what I’m ‘doing,’ as if keeping busy is either a) important or b) difficult. The quickest good answer I have is that I have quickly become really involved in my life, and it is really fun.

I’m not a workaholic; my habit is to arrive at the office just before 8:00 and leave just after 5:00. But…when one works at the same place for 21 years, especially a place where high emotional involvement with co-workers and the company, work can easily become something close to all-consuming. When you’re not at work, you think about work; the more you care, the more you think about it…and when things aren’t going particularly well, it’s a recipe for lots of angst. So while living that way doesn’t sound like much fun and is a bit self-indulgent, it’s a way of life that’s terribly easy to get used to.

Thankfully, it was easier than I thought it would be to leave the angst behind. One reason for this is that I actually am really busy—but it’s not the kind of busyness that comes from over-scheduling or even trying to keep busy. I consciously prepared for the time off work, and decided (with the help of a Life Coach!) to focus the summer on just enjoying the family and establishing some new habits and patterns—routine stuff like exercise, cooking, reading, grocery shopping and consciously doing nothing at times. These routines use up quite a bit of time, and I've found that approaching them intentionally (seeing them as opportunities to learn or have fun rather than as a nuisance) adds texture and meaning to each day. Taking more time to cook a simple meal, for example, is a very pure form of fun for me, and it increases the enjoyment of the food. Working in the yard is great exercise and has already affected the way I think about and value different types of work.

Learning to value these things as part of life rather than necessities that exist on the periphery (or as someone else’s responsibility) is a great lesson. And it’s a lesson that will inform the second part of my time away, which is more about the future, beginning when the kids go back to school in a couple of weeks. (Though it is apparent that the yard work will continue well into 2009.)