It’s like an epidemic. I’ve tried like 4-5 cafes now and it’s all like drinking battery acid. Do they just not care? Or do you think they believe it’s meant to be like this? If that’s the case I feel bad for them.

    • sping@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      There’s an entire universe of coffee between currently fashionable pale roasts and typical Starbucks destroyed black beans. That is not the alternative.

    • viking@infosec.pub
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      Caffeinated milkshakes, you mean?

      I’ll use them as a last resort, but not worth the money. The cold Americano is just about the only thing that I can drink that tastes ok, all other drinks are indeed bitter. I guess they are intended to be drunk with sugar.

      When it comes to fast food chains, honestly the McDonald’s coffee is the best of the bunch. Their flat whites are not bad at all.

      Worst is probably KFC.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Even their pour-over, which is all I get, is terrible.

        I agree McDonalds coffee is great. Not complex, but well-executed and consistent. Basically a cup of Folger’s, which is what I grew up on.

    • psud
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      My favourite mass market coffee is Lavazza Cafe Oro which is a medium dark roast. I drink it black in both espresso and french press and it has excellent flavour and no burnt flavours

      I recommend you try some medium roasts before condemning everything darker than light.

      Coffee that doesn’t mention its roast is usually medium

      • I have. Medium roasts are fine; it’s just that the darker the roast, the more bitterness and smoke (“roasty”) dominate the flavors. It’s like coconut milk: it’s fine in piña coladas and coconut shrimp; everywhere else, it just makes whatever it’s put into taste like coconut. While it’s an exaggeration to say that it’s all I taste, it’s sort of true in that its all I notice because I find it unpleasant.