Low Budget Starbucks? Or Handy, On the Go Joe?

This is a very interesting turn of events. Coffee-wise, that is.

This week, Starbucks (you may have heard of it -- little coffee shop?) introduced their Via Ready Brew, a portable sleeve of "instant" coffee that you just add water to, and there you have it: a great cup of Starbucks.

Or do you?

The premise of going to the coffee chain giant has always been that you can quaff a European-style espresso or latte or half-decaf cap that should taste much, much better than just your run of the mill Sanka or Maxwell House, made by a barista, after all. So when they've decided to flip the script on us, and are saying, here, take this sleeve of coffee and make your own, one wonders just what they're up to.

To be sure, it's a great marketing idea as we have maybe all been acquainted with that terrible cup of coffee we slug down just to have at an airport, conference call, small town hotel room, etc, wishing that we had our frothy lather of foamy milk mixed with eye-opening espresso. So, this, would be the next best thing. It sells for $2.95 for three packets, but does it devalue the "experience" of enjoying what we all may need anyway: a coffee break?

If you're curious about the taste, stop into your local Starbucks this Friday. They'll be conducting free tastes tests to see if customers can tell the difference.

[Via StarbucksVIA.com]