I lied. There are such things as dumb questions, but they’re rare and probably never have to do with specialty coffee. Still, there are those questions that appear dumb to the person asking, but those are really just based in ignorance – not stupidity.

In this series I’ll be answering some basic and even some odd questions I’ve been asked about specialty coffee brewing. Hopefully you’ll learn something or at least be reminded of the fundamentals. Let’s go!

Why don’t you like Starbucks?

It’s not that I don’t like Starbucks. I love their desert items, which dominate most of the menu. It’s the coffee I despise.

It’s taken from hundreds of sources all across the world and roasted as if it was a single type of bean for the sake of uniformity. The result is a bad-tasting drink.

The only good thing is that it tastes equally bad all across the world. But I love their desert drinks.

What do you have against K-Cups?

Keurig coffee machines are really special. They deliver a cup of coffee in record time with minimal effort. However, they also do a horrible job at bringing out balanced flavors of coffee for a number of reasons.

Temperature, grind size, and machine technique all play significant roles in why the coffee from a K-Cup is less tasteful than a cup brewed from an Aeropress or siphon. Still, I don’t know of a manual brewing method that can combat the Keurig’s convenience.

Coffee isn’t grown in America?

It sure isn’t.

Coffee grows very well in tropical climates around the equator between certain elevations. Unfortunately, America doesn’t have any places that meet the proper conditions in the mainland.

Hawaii grows decent coffee, but that’s about it. Everything else grown in America will probably be of poor quality.

Can you make vanilla lattes with a french press?

No. Just no.

That’s it for Part 1 of No Such Thing as a Dumb Question! Come back and there will be a second installment in a few weeks. Or a few months. I don’t really know. I’ll write Part 2 whenever I feel like writing it. So just continue coming back. Forever.