Hmmmm.... maybe my flies have more attractive stuff than UCG .... becaue the buckets full of SB UCG don't seem to attract any. The gist of these messages was to keep trying to find a way that works for each store manager. /////////////////// snips from another thread on subject of SB: ]] I no longer get in the customer line, in case that annoys. I go over by the end of the counter where the opening is. The busy cashier may not want to be bothered with me, but another less busy person usually will ask if they can help me. ]] The woman running the place told me they do the grounds thing for gardening in spring because otherwise they aren't picked up. Even here in Louisiana. I told her I compost year round and I would be happy to pick them up. She did not mind saving them for someone but her main concern about saving them was they could not be left in the store overnight. I told her I probably could pick them up a few times a week and asked if I just stopped by if I could get what they had and she said sure. I was thrilled. ]] Our local starbucks puts UCG in heavy-duty trashbags (maybe 25lbs each), tie a knot in the top and places these in a neat wooden container on the back porch. They are available year round. I usually get 3-4 each trip and I don't even go inside! I have probably composted 10 bags of their grounds for every 1 cup I have purchased...:)[this post from mendopete .. so suspect the mendocino area] ]] Last week I finally went by my local Starbucks to ask about getting used grounds. The staff were really enthusiastic and said it was no problem at all, tell every gardener that I know about them. I took in two clean five gallon pails and they have filled them both every day for me for the last week! Today the manager stopped me and gave me some mumbo jumbo about not being able to have my clean, bag-lined white pails on his floor. Something about Starbucks policy or local health bylaws. He was unsure of why he was telling me that I could not leave buckets. I gave him my best "whatever is best for you, I just really appreciate your help :-)," and he agreed to keep supplying me, but I was left feeling somewhat uncomfortable. I had heard from some of the counter staff that the new manager was not big on saving grounds for gardeners, so I was not totally surprised. ]] As a former Starbucks employee, and a current AssMan at another chain coffee place, I can tell you that there *is* a bit of concern regarding buckets of grinds left sitting around. This isn't a problem, if people come to pick up the buckets.. but can result in a bit of a hassle for the store if they get forgotten for days on end. A couple of reasons. Space is one. The SB where I worked had virtually NO back room. A hallway with the manager's desk, shelving up to the ceiling, and the sink. There was no room for more than two people back there, let alone extra stuff. And yes.. that evil dreaded health board. Depending on who you have checking out the premises, there's no reasoning with these people if they see 'garbage' stored under your counters etc. Surprise inspections are a stressful thing, even for a place that knows they're up to code. Having something around that could get a frown from the inspector does get a managers heart racing. Having a 'fresh' bucket of grinds is usually managable. When you're not scared to open it and show the inspector. No mold, no smell. Just 'Grinds for Gardener Steve'. He'll be by at 4 to get em'. Not so bad. But if they've been sitting there a few days because Steve forgot *again* to pick them up.. that poses a bit of a problem. SB has gotten around this, by launching their Grounds for Gardeners' program. The grounds are labelled and actually displayed. This helps a great deal. And people who take a garbage bag, there's no complaint there. Though Im sad to see that most SB in my area now are combining ground garbage with other garbage. When I asked the other day, I was told they didn't do that until the spring. I suggested I just take their ground garbage off their hands, and they told me it was all combined. Boo. They said they only separate them in the warm months around here. It's disappointing. But it's good to hear that they're not all doing it. I wonder: In the cities that have composting programs. Toronto etc.. does SB and other coffee places have a'grounds bin' that goes? Or are those composting programs not for businesses? ]]FWIW, the SB near my home collects them on request. I call in the morning on a weekend, and by mid afternoon they've got a nice large trashbag full. They said they used to bag them without request, but not enough people took them, so they gave up. ]] After reading about their corporate commitment to give grounds away, I called my local Starbucks ahead of time, spoke with the manager and introduced myself. I work across the street two days a week and we agreed that I would bring in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day. I went to a local paint shop that supplies contractors (Sherwin-Williams) and they happily sold me 3 super solid plain grey 5 gallon buckets with very tight fitting lids for $3.50 CAD each (this could be a problem if closed by accident by SB people as they have to be pried open with a screwdriver... so far, I have just kept the lids in my car and no-one at SB has asked for one). I drop off the bucket in the morning and pick it up on my way home after work. People are friendly, even excited about seeing the grounds go to good use and usually offer to help me carry it out, which I decline. I want this to be easy as pie and a full bucket weighs about 30 lbs I think, so quite manageable for me to carry. ]] Some Starbucks supervisory folks and local "health" officials looking for minute "problems" have raised "issues" (I am a physician once worked for a county health department so I know how the system "works.") We've managed to overcome all objections. Support from local employees has ranged from one manager who had the employees come to her home to enjoy a meal based on the vegetables we'd been providing to an "eye-roller" greeting us with little enthusiasm. Just hang in there and remain unfailingly pleasant. ]] have been having poor results getting UCGs lately, but I walked in to Starbucks today, too embarrassed to ask for anymore, and the manager acually asked ME if I wanted any. She said she had "about 8 million tons of them" saved. I really almost teared up. :) It didn't turn out to be quite that much, but a good sized bag, and a nice barista even offered to carry them out for me! Yay! Here is a link that might be useful: Thank You SB thread

I dump everything, filter and all.. it adds to the compost.... even old newspapers shredded a bit, egg shells, apple scraps, everything except meat , or bones.. it's amazing how fasr ir all turns to rich soil, I keep an old shovel in the garden, and cover the last 'dump' with a board to keep the coons and possums from digging it up... space it all over the garden and that way all the plants can tap into it... I use an old plastic Folgers coffee-can so it doesn't rust in the sink, it has a lid, and is unobtrusive, takes me abt. 3 days to fill it and then out it goes, give it a rinse and put it back in it's corner in the sink.... works for me.... sally

Metal caftan -- are you talking about a thermal carafe? I've seen those at Starbucks, and I have one from Gevalia, and I love it. It keeps the coffee warm for a couple of hours at least, and since it's not sitting on a burner, like a glass carafe, it doesn't become thick, strong, and burnt-tasting. It stays fresh, as if just brewed. You can find Gevalia offers in magazines (free coffee maker if you buy 1 lb. of coffee for $10 and become a member, but there's actually no obligation, you can cancel anytime). It's a great deal, and their coffee is good, but it's just too expensive (for me) in the long run. As for Starbucks, I don't honestly think that their coffeemakers are any better quality, and hence are surely overpriced. Bug Girl -- sorry I missed your San Francisco show! I used to live there, but didn't have cable and didn't know about cable access TV. I moved away in 1999 and then discovered cable access in Somerville, MA, where they have a great station! Now I'm living in a small New Mexico town with a very lame station. Keep up the good work!

This thread is definitely getting some mileage... Evaluating and recommending coffee, especially grading outlets that brew it is a nearly impossible task: Consistency in roasting coffee is the main thing that sets a master apart from the run of the mill roaster. Good espresso is almost always a blend of beans from different parts of the world all contributing to a certain aspect in the finished cup. The finished flavor of the combined beans is controlled by the taste buds of the roaster that does the blending. So the first challenge is finding a flavor profile that you like. The next challenge is getting that same flavor the next time they blend a batch for roasting. It's not too tough if their supply of green beans is large enough that they can simply follow a ratio of this bean and that bean the next time they blend from that stash of beans; they follow a recipe. The thing that sets the great roaster apart from the typical is the ability to achieve the same flavor profile when new beans come in from the growers. Simply using the bean from the same variety, even the same farmer, is not a guarantee because growing conditions alter the flavor of the bean from season to season. The master roaster must be able to tweak the recipe, and at times even introduce an entirely new varietal into the mix, in order to achieve the same flavor. This is no easy endeavor! So saying, "I like Luigi's espresso roast from ACME Roasters" is no guarantee that it will taste the same the next time you buy it. Add to this the short life span of a roasted bean before huge flavor differences occur (2 weeks max), the ability or lack of ability to properly grind and brew the stuff, the quality of your water, etc, etc- coffee is a very crazy culinary world of variables. I pride myself in having a very good knowledge of the subject, over twenty years of personal experience and pursuit, a ridiculously expensive set of brewing equipment; and I am constantly disappointing myself in my own ability to make a great cup of coffee. Espresso is the hardest. Even with pro equipment worth several thousand dollars and all of my skill, I think I can safely claim an 80% to 90% success rate in preparing what I consider a perfect shot. To get a success rate that consistent takes an almost insane degree of passion and concentration. There are definitly some exceptions but I find it so hard to buy a decent cup of coffee, I usually don't. To repeat what I said earlier about the genious of Starbucks- their roasting style is the best one for producing consistency regardless of the person preparing it, assuming that person has a modicum of training. The delicate nature and subtle nuances of a light to medium roast is traded at Starbucks for a robust, almost singular monotone flavour. I don't like the stuff but I understand so many that do, because of the consistency and lack of surprise. Follow your nose and your tastebuds. Not every flavor appeals to every person. Consider Liver and Onions for instance... michaelp Here is a link that might be useful: the prize...