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CletusDSpuckler t1_jaehicr wrote

Reply to comment by Yoursaname in ELI5- Given the average cost of a cup of coffee is marked up about ~80%, why hasn’t a company come in and charge significantly less to take a greater share of the market? by Educational_Sir3783

When did the world decide that dark roast coffee was the only choice?

I can only buy one bag of coffee at Costco that isn't dark or French roast. My all-time favorite cup of coffee is a Kona light roast peaberry, fresh brewed at the source.

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bulksalty t1_jaeirin wrote

When running a national food chain one of the most important characteristics is making all your products taste pretty similar. Your prime customer is someone who comes in regularly and gets the thing he expects each time.

With coffee that means you want all your coffee to taste the same day after day, and year after year. Doesn't matter if your buyers bought extra beans from Brazil or Sumatra or Ethiopia because those were the years those nations had perfect weather and bumper crops so your bill of materials is down 15%, the coffee needs to be the same or close to the same every single cup.

So roasting enough that most of the flavors are coming from the roast is a really good way to ensure consistency. And because everyone's chain coffee is like that, they want their home coffee to be like that too. So dark roasts sell better and soon light/medium roasts become a niche product.

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bobatsfight t1_jaewtuv wrote

With Starbucks they’re over brewing typically because their customers don’t like the taste of coffee so much but coffee flavored cream and sugar. When you’re drinking just black coffee it’s not for you.

Although their nitro is the way to go if you like smooth black coffee.

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markovianprocess t1_jaf3ke0 wrote

Yeah, "Charbucks" dark roast espressos are good for standing up to lattes and other drinks that are 90% milk. Real espresso aficionados/3rd Wave coffee snobs tend to prefer lighter roasts.

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