Some people won’t like what I’m about to say.
But I believe this topic is an important one for anyone who loves stellar coffee.
I’m tempted to be over-simplistic, to frame Starbucks as the “bad guy” in this comparison automatically, but the real answer to the question is more nuanced. We need to be careful about how we talk about it.
Starbucks vs specialty coffee. Are they the same? Are they different?
Yes. Also no. And maybe. Here's what you'll find out...
- First, What Is Specialty Coffee Really?
- 4 Ways To Identify Specialty Coffee
- Why Many Don't Consider Starbucks 'Specialty'
- So…. Is Starbucks Specialty Coffee Or Not?
Let's jump in.
First, What Is Specialty Coffee Really?
In our blog, What Makes Specialty Coffee Special?, we define specialty coffee as…
“... an approach to coffee that is fueled by globally conscious ethics, a rich appreciation for quality and diversity, and a thriving community that spans the globe.”
Of course, that’s honestly pretty vague - and we made it that way intentionally.
Specialty coffee looks different around the world. We wanted to emphasize the mindset and attitude of specialty coffee, rather than the specific attributes.
The love for quality is the key to specialty coffee.
However, did go another layer deeper in that same blog:
- Specialty coffee prioritizes relationships. This leads to ethical sourcing, and sustainable practices on and off the farm. Coffee purchases aren’t impersonal transactions - they’re relational.
- Specialty coffee pursues quality. An incredibly grown and processed coffee and roast it in a way that highlights the best, freshest flavors
- Specialty coffee is a community. Made up of a global network of people who want to make coffee more ethical, sustainable, and delicious. Though it may source, roast, and brew differently, the basic communal goals are the same.
These definitions are more meaningful, but we can still go deeper. Let’s look at a very precise definition for specialty coffee.
Read: Skip The Coffee Aisle, Here's How To Find The World's Best Coffee
Specialty-grade coffee beans are beans that score 80-100 points using a relatively objective scoring system outlined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and have little to no defects.
There we go. Clear, defined, and fairly objective.
But, on a practical level, how do we tell if a company exemplifies these values and upholds these definitions? I’ll show you how I do it.
4 Ways To Identify Specialty Coffee
Here are a few “tests” many of us use to identify how deeply involved in the specialty community a coffee company is (compared to the regular commodity industry).
- The coffee origin test. Does the coffee packaging transparently give you information about the coffee’s origin region, processing method, or farm. Usually, the more information a roaster gives you, the more proud they are of their high-quality partner farms.
- The roast date test. Does the coffee packaging give you an exact date when the coffee was roasted, or a vague “best by” date? Honesty about the specific roast date indicates that the roaster prioritizes freshness and isn’t trying to trick you into buying stale coffee.
- The flavor descriptor test. Does the company describe their coffee with detailed flavor notes, or are the descriptions bland and general? Specific flavor notes (like blueberry or cinnamon) tend to indicate higher quality, more nuanced coffees.
- The roast level test. How dark are the beans? Are they oily and black-as-night? Super dark roasts destroy the unique, natural flavors in coffee and end up tasting dull and bitter.
Note: a company doesn’t have to pass all of these tests to be considered “specialty”. However, the more tests a company fails, the more skeptical you should be.
Read: How To Read Coffee Packaging Like A Pro
Why Many Don't Consider Starbucks 'Specialty'
To many, Starbucks doesn’t meet the standards we just discussed.
- They don’t publish specific roast dates on coffee bags (their beans are often weeks or months old when you buy them)
- They don’t usually publish specific information on the coffee origins
- They tend to have more general flavor notes
Read: 3 Reasons Buying Cheap Coffee Is Bad For The World
Starbucks fails several important tests.
Does that definitively mean they’re not specialty coffee?
Not necessarily. Here’s why.
Before There Was Specialty Coffee, There Was Starbucks
The idea of “specialty coffee” is a relatively new one.
The phrase didn’t really start appearing until the late 1980s when a few coffee roasters and cafes started roasting coffee lighter, brewing coffee via manual methods, and being more transparent about their coffee sourcing.
Read: How Much Should You Pay For Coffee Beans?
But before specialty coffee, before light roasting was mainstream, before manual methods became ‘in’, before origin transparency - there was Starbucks.
Starbucks, along with a few smaller companies, created America’s coffee culture. Before, everyone drank cheap, low-grade black coffee from pots at home.
Starbucks popularized espresso, got people excited about coffee from different countries, and introduced a whole new realm of drinks that were considered at the time - ironically - “specialty” (think flavored lattes and other creative coffee drinks).
Starbucks pioneered cafe culture, opened the door to more expensive and higher-quality coffees, and paved the way for the modern specialty coffee industry.
Without Starbucks, we wouldn’t have specialty coffee.
Read: Skip The Coffee Aisle, Here's How To Find The World's Best Coffee
Why Starbucks Doesn’t Pass Many Tests
As you know, Starbucks isn’t a small chain of shots. They’re a global empire.
When we look at how Starbucks developed, it’s easy to see why the company fails to pass many of the specialty coffee tests that we’ve developed in the last few years.
- Starbucks grew at an incredible rate. They prioritized consistency and customer experience, which meant they had to source more coffees from more farmers to keep up with demand (meaning they had to buy beans that weren’t A-Grade to keep up).
- Starbucks prioritized consistency over quality. To keep flavors as consistent as possible between states and countries, they had to roast the beans fairly dark in a way that would destroy some of the nuances but create a more uniform flavor.
- Starbucks targeted mass appeal. To reach to a broader market and not scare people away, they never published very specific flavor notes to avoid being labeled a brand for snobs.
Read: The Difference Between Light, Medium, And Dark Roast Coffee
In order to grow, they had to cut potential for quality, nuance, and diversity. However, we have to remember that they were still at the forefront of transparency and quality at the time.
The Few Tests Starbucks Does Pass
Starbucks still has some attributes that make people wonder if they still fall within the specialty coffee umbrella.
For example, Starbucks is still considered by many a leader in ethical sourcing.
- 99% of their coffee is labeled “ethical” according to Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices, a system established by sustainability organization SCS Global Services.
- Their sourcing’s impact on the environment and local economy can be measured, graded, and quantified.
Though there are definitely legitimate concerns about the effectiveness of this approach, it’s at least a system that encourages some measure of accountability.
Read: Fair Trade VS Direct Trade Coffee: Which Is Better For Coffee Sustainability?
Starbucks rides the fence in a few other areas:
- Starbucks (kinda) follows the specialty coffee trends. Their cafes are filled with drinks and brewers that are beloved by the specialty coffee community, such as cold brew coffee, french presses, and pour over brewers.
- Starbucks is a community participant in the specialty coffee industry. Their scientists speak at coffee events, their baristas compete in high-level competitions, and they even sponsor the big SCAA trade show every year.
Read: Gifting Coffee Beans: 3 Things To Do (And 3 To Avoid)
So…. Is Starbucks Specialty Coffee Or Not?
The general attitude is that Starbucks sacrifices quality for scale. We're grateful that Starbucks made specialty coffee possible and that they slowly follow and validate the trends of the specialty community.
For these reasons, I only give Starbucks an honorary “specialty” label.
Otherwise, it’s over roasted, lacks nuance, and isn’t selected with nearly as much scrutiny as coffees are chosen from other specialty coffee companies.
It's why I strongly suggest buying coffee beans from a fresh-focused company instead...
