I drink more coffee than I do water, and that hasn’t changed a bit since I’ve been at Hofstra. Living on campus, I’ve come to rely on the coffee places on campus. I have tried each one of them more than once and came to the conclusion that Starbucks definitely has the best coffee. Let’s talk about it.
Despite how packed and long the lines can get, the coffee is worth the wait. It’s stronger than most, and when I need an energy boost, the coffee does its trick. Their hot and iced coffees tend to have a bolder flavor than Dunkin’s coffee. Starbucks’ espresso drinks, however, are a lot smoother and richer in flavor.
While I do like Dunkin’s coffee, and it is a close second to Starbucks, it tends to come off as bitter compared to the bold taste Starbucks coffee has. Dunkin’s hot espresso doesn’t have as much foam, and as a person who loves the airy taste, I am constantly left disappointed on that front. Starbucks has a great variety of hot and iced drinks, flavors, syrups, and toppings, which makes it easier to cater to a person’s individual taste.
I am also a sucker for holiday and themed drinks, especially Starbucks’ pumpkin spiced cold brew and chestnut praline latte. To add to that, when I do get a flavor like vanilla or caramel, I can never taste it or I can only taste it for one or two sips until it disappears. With Starbucks, the added syrup stays through the whole drink.
Au Bon Pain’s hot flavors do make an impression because despite the coffee taste, you can taste the vanilla or hazelnut in it as well. However, after the first couple of sips, I find their coffee to lack any sort of original taste and it just starts to feel like I am drinking hot water. With Starbucks, I am constantly reminded that what I am drinking is in fact coffee, and it never waters down. Their hot lattes do the same things as their hot coffee: they water down after a couple of minutes, and instead of becoming a pleasure to drink they become a chore.
Their iced coffees and lattes, while they do fare better on the front, still end up extremely watered down. Au Bon Pain also lacks a big variety and is pretty simple compared to Starbucks, where there are so many different drinks and combinations to try. I love trying new drinks on campus, and sometimes it even becomes a game of mine!
Einstein Bros, while not open this year on campus, their hot coffee and latte were always just okay, and I always felt like I was never getting enough whipped cream for me. Their iced coffees and espresso drinks are good, but once again they lack that variety.
Overall, I truly lose how I can cater my coffee order at Starbucks to really match my needs for the upcoming day. I also really enjoy the milk to coffee ratio. I don’t like an excessive amount of milk in my coffee but I do like a good amount and Starbucks continuously nails that for me. They also have plenty of milk substitutes, like coconut milk! The Starbucks on campus will always have a special place in my heart.
