Why is there a picture of cheese in a post about Starbuck's coffee? Read on…

I'm a black coffee guy so I was pretty intrigued by the instant coffee packets that Starbuck's is now offering. Coffee crystals are not new and have never really caught on. I've never liked them at all. But sure enough, I could tell a huge difference between Maxwell House crystals and Starbuck's as I sipped them side by side.

Of the two flavors, Starbuck's Italian Roast tastes a bit better than the Columbian Blend. They're both approaching a cup of brewed coffee but not quite.  There's some sediment in the brew which apparantly helps the flavor and I would say that while they're both a bit sharp upfront, they also leave a pleasant aftertaste. Like the typical Starbuck's brew, cream and sugar would flatten out that sharpness and you'd likely be even more pleased with this product.

I don't know if that's enough to justify $.83 a cup. But here are the two things that get me over the fence, at least for now. First off,  it's water soluble so not only can you instantly make a cup of hot coffee but you can make an instant cup of iced coffee too… that's really nice. But the kicker is since it's water soluble you can cook with it. Add it to a rub and you won't get the grit from using coffee grounds. I can see the cheesecake with a thin layer of coffee in the center, like a virtual slice of Morbier… see the picture. There are some real interesting possibilities here.