What Guacamole Has to Do With Coffee

Today, Seth Godin wonders why anyone would buy Kraft guacamole a second time.

I think I understand why the folks at Kraft prefer to use modified food starch instead of avocados (cheaper, easier to source, keeps better) but what I don't understand is why people buy it more than once.

In fact, over time, a generation grows up thinking this is the 'regular kind' and wrinkling its nose at the chunky, irregular original kind.

How did we get programmed this way?

It's a good question.  Many people do appear to program themselves into believing that guacamole should be creamy and smooth instead of chunky, that Italian bread should have a soft crust, that all specialty coffee beans should be dark roasted.

Of course none of that is true.

So why do we keep going back to bad chain restaurants and buy processed supermarket foods we know are inauthentic.  Why does anyone order Coors Light ever?  Why isn't everyone a member of Slow Food?

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

But in a day and age when the most popular tv programs are reality shows where people willingly shame themselves for celebrity, maybe "shame on me" no longer matters.

Much has been written lately about the increase in teens drinking coffee.  But how many have actually had a cup of great coffee, unadorned by syrups and sugar?  Not all that many. 

Like Seth's guacamole example, this is why so many teens say they love coffee when in fact they're not drinking coffee - they're drinking caffeine-laden caramel-flavored milkshakes that require extra dark roasts in order to taste any coffee at all.  Give many teens an actual cup of good coffee, they won't drink it.

It's what Seth calls "marketing yourself into a corner".  Yet the chains are happily marketing these drinks to make this quarter's financials.   And when customer of those chains go elsewhere, they expect that other store buys into the same philosophy. 

Not everyone does.

Yesterday, Seth Godin commented on the positive business aspects of Starbucks offering tens of thousands of choices.  The point being that consumers like ordering exactly what they want because it's ego fulfilling.

But what if doing so is the wrong thing to do to the coffee? 

A common example:  Should we as coffee professionals purposely scald milk* and ruin a great shot of top quality espresso in order to fulfill an order for a 172-degree latte?  Or should we tell the customer we're not going to do that - using it as an opportunity for educating the customer on how to create the best coffee drink and why we prefer to do it "our" way. 

Maybe doing so good for business.  Or maybe it's not.

Whether you agree the above sentiments, at least you're thinking about it.  And that's a start.

*For those who don't know, milk scalds over about 155F (see Jason's comments below as he notes a higher temp).  The taste characteristics change considerably for the worse.  We stop steaming at 150 degrees as the temp will rise another 5-10 degrees in the pitcher before pouring.

Comments

[Silvia]

I turn my nose up at creamy guacamole, don't even give Starbucks the time of day and why can't a decent crusty loaf of real authentic Italian bread be found in Pittsburgh! Must I always have my parents bring it in from New Jersey. Rich and Melanie, thanks for bringing authenticity to my coffee!

[Dan]

You must be kidding or don't get out much to say quality bread can't be found in Pittsbrugh.

[Planet Art's Linda]

I'll leave coffee knowledge to you Rich, but as an almost vegetarian I'll let everyone in on this -- I order organic locally grown produce from this farm: kretschmannfarm.com. Highly recommend it, split it with someone, it's a lot.
Once you order it you'll have so many vegetables you can make your own sauces, soups, applesauce -- you'll never buy processed food again!!
Well, almost never.

[Rich]

Dan,
Just want to confirm you were replying to Sylvia and not us since we didn't say that... I can name four bakeries off the top of my head. But many folks around here people still like soft crusts like those on Mancini bread.

Sylvia... there's Mediterra, Allegro Hearth, Cafe Richard, Sunseri's bread in the Strip... probably more, but we stopped looking after finding Mediterra, which is who we use here.

[Byron]

As a company, the most important thing is to be true to your values. Starbucks isn't really about coffee, it's about making the "coffee shop" experience available to anyone, even people who don't like coffee that much.

I'm not a great coffee lover, in the sense that I don't have the same appreciation for great, untainted coffee that many aficionados celebrate. I like additives--sugar, honey, milk, cream, chocolate, or flavours. So the Starbucks beverages are really my cup of tea (Chai), or mocha, or...

But if I walk into a store where they tell me, "oh, I understand that you might be used to drinking coffee this way, but we find that this detracts from the taste of the drink. I recommend you try XYZ instead..." - then I can tell instantly that these people know about, and care about, coffee.

You'll never turn everyone into a coffee expert, but you can certainly succeed in converting the true coffee lovers to your offerings. And if they tell their friends what a "real coffee" should taste like, it will get the word out!

It all depends on your market. With a refined clientele, the customer isn't always right--and expects to be corrected. If people can come to you to *learn* about good coffee, this will help you in the end.

Cheers!

[Dan]

Rich,
I was replying to Syliva she was the one that made the bread comment. I know you use Mediterra at your shop.

One of our region's worst attributes is failing to recognize our region's best attributes. With Breadworks and Mediterra alone the state of Pittsburgh bread is just fine. And like you pointed out there are many more.

In that spirit, Rich let me point you to Parma Sausage in the strip, though I'm sure you're well aware. If you are still looking for a prosciutto supplier their own brand is close to that of the Italian imports, yet is a good bit less expensive and supports a local food maker.

[Rich]

Dan,
I've used both Parma's hot and sweet capicola (sold at Restaurant Depot), but not their prosciutto. Will look into it, but it would have to be at least as good - our best prosciutto panini customers are the orthodontists next door. They can tell a San Daniele from a Daniele, so I wouldn't be surprised if they can tell a "Parma brand" from a true "di Parma".

[Silvia]

To Dan and others who were offended by my comment about Italian bread in Pittsburgh. Yes, Mediterra and Breadworks is very good and I do enjoy it, but it still doesn't measure up to the wonderful semolina and flour bread that my dad brought home every day from DiPaolo's bakery in Newark, NJ. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but even Frank Sinatra had his bread flown in from Giordano's in Hackensack, NJ.

[Dan]

Rich,
In my opinion the Parma is by far the best domestic prosciutto I've had. Haven't tried the one from Iowa that you wrote about though.

Sylvia,
I wasn't offended, but your post said a decent loaf of bread can't be found here. I can understand you prefer bread from somewhere else, but there are plenty of good bakers here as well. Didn't mean to come across too strong. I'll pick up some Parma prosciutto to go along with that New Jersey bread as a peace offering!

[Jaime]

Great post rich. Really good piece.

[Jason Haeger]

I've told many customers that I will not burn their milk, but that I will get as close as I feel like I comfortably can to make their drink as hot as it can be while maintaining my own personal quality standards.

Although, milk doesn't scald at 155. it's closer to 165-170. I never take it past 165, but the standard is usually right around 150-155.

140 just feels lukewarm to me, and I believe most customers who order a hot drink would prefer their hot drink to be hot.

[Rich]

Jason,
Good point on the temp - I should have been more specific in that we stop steaming at 150 as the temp will increase another 5-10 degrees to between 155-160. At any rate, we won't go beyond that and at least with the Turner milk we use, even 165 is pushing it as it does seem to taste a bit scalded.