Double-Shot (to) The Heart, And You’re To Blame
Written: Nov 16 '07 (Updated Nov 16 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Gives portable espresso a pretty good name.
Cons: Not quite as tasty as their frappuccino.
The Bottom Line: A good double-shot of espresso, with light cream. It’s enough to get you cruising, but not as good tasting as other bottled or canned coffee drinks.
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| customeright's Full Review: Starbucks Coffee Doubleshot Espresso & Cream 6.5 F... |
In the immortal words of John Bon Jovi: "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame, darling, you give love, a bad name (bad name)". Lets pretend that the 'shot' here is not a bullet from a gun, but liquid bullets from a can – caffeine. And that can is the Starbucks "doubleshot" Espresso & Cream coffee drink. While the song depicts love lost, this drink for a coffee lover, OK actually just a caffeine junkie, is love regained. And the shot isn't through the heart, it's to the heart. Like a defibrillator to a cardiac arrest patient, this stuff will get you going.
Form
Starbucks Espresso 'doubleshot' comes in a small can that contains 6.5 FL OZ (192 mL) of liquid motivation. The can is just the right size to put in a briefcase or laptop bag. It has a pop-top tab opener like a soda can. The only negative in the form is the pop-top itself. While there's no carbonation, be careful, for some reason the can has a consistent tendency to spray on opening.
Each can be found anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50 per can, depending on where you find it and in what quantity you buy.
Function
Function: it certainly does. While a typical 'shot' of espresso *only* contains about 64 milligrams of caffeine and an average cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams, a shot is only 1 oz, while a cup of coffee is 8 oz. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211). That's more than a 3-fold increase in caffeine content per fluid ounce! Plus, in this can you get 2 shots, which is 128 mg. total. That's not quite as much as two full cups of coffee, but then you also don't have to drink 16 oz. of coffee with cream and sugar to get nearly the same effect.
As far as health is concerned, it's probably 2 of one, 1/2 dozen of another, and I'm not an expert. I don't think drinking this over other creamy coffee drinks is healthier; it's just more 'go' in a smaller package. Maybe you can drink less? To me, just one can of this stuff seems to give me the same lift as 2 cups of coffee, and I normally just drink one of these at a time.
Contents
Ingredients: Brewed espresso coffee (water, coffee), reduced fat milk, sugar, cream, non fat milk, caramel color, ascorbic acid
Nutrition: Serving size: 1 can; Amount per serving: Calories: 140; Fat: 6g; Saturated fat: 3.5g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 70mg; Total carbs: 18g; Sugars: 17g; Protein: 4g; Calcium: 15%
Taste Scale
I have rather odd tastes with coffee. I like my 'joe' in different ways depending on how it's prepared in addition to the types of bean used, and why I'm drinking it. While some may see this as snobbish, I see myself as flexible, because while I am incredibly stingy within each category, I'm actually more adaptable than real coff-o-philes who wouldn't be caught dead drinking coffee from a can.
I boil my tastes down to 3 categories: 1) Pure enjoyment coffee, 2) a caffeine source, and 3) sweet-tooth coffee. While a true coffee purist wouldn't dream of touching a 'Frap' in a bottle, for me, I know what I'm drinking and why. All coffee cannot be measured by the same measuring stick!
My Taste Rating
In this case, I put the Starbucks doubleshot mostly in area #2: a caffeine source. So this stuff should not be considered merely for its enjoyment of coffee, or just for its sweet tooth satisfaction quality. It's a functional mix of caffeine-charged coffee, with a little sugar and cream. Within that frame of mind (category 2), the taste is really not bad. You can tell it's an espresso and not filter-brewed coffee. It's strong, but not overbearing. It's not as good as a fresh brewed shot of just-made espresso, or espresso in a cappuccino. But for its purpose, I give it a very good rating. The taste is good, just not incredibly good. And caffeine content, if you can rate that as a parameter of taste is great.
(Personal note: it's much better served cold than warm, and the can sprays less.)
Conclusion
Keeping in mind my 3 categories of coffee taste when sampling these drinks (coffee enjoyment purist, caffeine source, sweet tooth). If you don't expect fresh quality coffee or espresso taste, and you need something portable in a can, then this is a very good beverage. If you don't want super-sweet coffee concoctions, but you need a quick pick me up in a small size, then this is a great beverage. And for the price, which averages about
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
customeright
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Member: Alan
Location: Orlando, FL, USA
Reviews written: 71
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
Consultant by day, reviewer by night, but one thing I know: the customer's right!
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