Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - A bad cup of Tim Hortons? Is that Possible?

Baraka_Guru · 10-22-2006, 06:26 PM

Okay, I'm going to weigh in on this one:

Over the years, I've become a bit of a connaisseur of coffee. I consider it a beverage that can be held with similar esteem as other types of beverages, including wine and whiskey. The reason is because of the complexity involved in the production and preparation of the drink from the earth to the cup.

In my years of obsessively seeking the perfect cup of coffee, I've come to the conclusion that you really have to take matters into your own hands. My best coffees are the ones that I make at home with my French press and on-the-spot ground beans that were freshly roasted within a few days. There is a number of variables that go into what we simply call a "coffee." This is why there is such variation between Tim Horton's, Second Cup, Starbucks, etc. I've found that if I want the best, I need to do it myself.

Most chains just can't do it right for a number of reasons, including cost (Tim Hortons) and corporate ignorance (Starbucks). For starters, Starbucks overroasts their beans to give it that "burnt" flavour people seem to enjoy. (Bleh.) Tim Hortons customers are so price sensitive that they can't expect to get a decent cup of coffee, just one that "tastes good." I've had Tim Hortons coffee on a number of occasions, but as I've developed my tastes, I've lost all appreciation for their product.

Ordering a double double to me makes the drink taste like liquid coffee candy. So I had decided to start ordering a "regular," but even this was too sweet, so then I started to order "half-a-cream, half-a-sugar," but this would short circuit the employees' minds, so I had to resort to ordering only extra-large "regulars."

I then did a fateful thing: I ordered a small black coffee... Where in hell do they get their beans?! My conclusion is that Tim Hortons coffee tastes like ass. I will never order it black ever again... the cream and sugar is necessary to mask just how terrible it is. From that day forward, I only get Tim Hortons if I'm desperate.

10-22-2006, 06:26 PM	#18 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Okay, I'm going to weigh in on this one: Over the years, I've become a bit of a connaisseur of coffee. I consider it a beverage that can be held with similar esteem as other types of beverages, including wine and whiskey. The reason is because of the complexity involved in the production and preparation of the drink from the earth to the cup. In my years of obsessively seeking the perfect cup of coffee, I've come to the conclusion that you really have to take matters into your own hands. My best coffees are the ones that I make at home with my French press and on-the-spot ground beans that were freshly roasted within a few days. There is a number of variables that go into what we simply call a "coffee." This is why there is such variation between Tim Horton's, Second Cup, Starbucks, etc. I've found that if I want the best, I need to do it myself. Most chains just can't do it right for a number of reasons, including cost (Tim Hortons) and corporate ignorance (Starbucks). For starters, Starbucks overroasts their beans to give it that "burnt" flavour people seem to enjoy. (Bleh.) Tim Hortons customers are so price sensitive that they can't expect to get a decent cup of coffee, just one that "tastes good." I've had Tim Hortons coffee on a number of occasions, but as I've developed my tastes, I've lost all appreciation for their product. Ordering a double double to me makes the drink taste like liquid coffee candy. So I had decided to start ordering a "regular," but even this was too sweet, so then I started to order "half-a-cream, half-a-sugar," but this would short circuit the employees' minds, so I had to resort to ordering only extra-large "regulars." I then did a fateful thing: I ordered a small black coffee... Where in hell do they get their beans?! My conclusion is that Tim Hortons coffee tastes like ass. I will never order it black ever again... the cream and sugar is necessary to mask just how terrible it is. From that day forward, I only get Tim Hortons if I'm desperate. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 10-22-2006 at 06:32 PM.. Reason: two punctuation corrections