Coffee is a delectable and highly aromatic beverage whose roots can be traced back centuries ago to Ethiopia. Available today in different roasts and blends, the color ranges from a light cinnamon brown to blackish brown. Similarly, the flavor can vary from mild and light to bold and rich.
With an estimated 400 million cups of coffee enjoyed every day in America, this beverage is more widely consumed than water in the U.S. One popular name brand of coffee that is enjoyed daily is Starbucks. With over 32,000 locations worldwide, it has been reported that roughly 60 million people drink Starbucks weekly. One Starbucks blend, Pike Place Roast, is deeply ingrained in the chain’s history. It boasts of being a perfect blend for everyday enjoyment, offering coffee drinkers a smooth and well-rounded flavor.
Coffeeshop Heritage
Starbucks first opened its doors in Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market in 1971. Named after a character in Herman Melville’s iconic novel Moby Dick as an homage to early coffee trading done by sea, it was first established to sell worldly and fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices.
With business booming and expansion happening rapidly, it wasn’t long before coffeehouses were opened in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and even parts of Canada. In 1996, the first Starbucks coffeehouse was opened in Japan and, just two years after that, many popped up all over Europe. This famous chain eventually made its way to China in 1999.
Coffeeshop Beliefs
Starbucks believes in “investing in humanity” and giving back to the planet. Through various partnerships with coffee farmers and relationships established with customers and communities, Starbucks aims to keep its carbon footprint small and to eliminate waste. With a strong desire to have a positive impact and make everyone feel welcome, they strive to treat their employees with the utmost respect.
Pike Place Roast
This famous Starbucks blend, named after the original coffeehouse, is a medium roast coffee. This blend, with its delicate notes of cocoa and toasted nuts, was created in 2008. With the only ingredient being 100% arabica coffee, it’s the perfect blend to enjoy any time of day.
When compared to other types of Starbucks blends, this roast is high in caffeine. When brewed, this blend contains 19.5 mg of caffeine per ounce. Without any additives, there are zero sugars and only two calories in the Pike Place blend. The coffee beans used for this blend are harvested in Latin America.
How Does It Compare?
The only blend Starbucks offers with a higher caffeine content than Pike Place Roast is the Veranda Blend, a blonde roast containing 22.5 mg of caffeine per ounce when brewed. Since it is a different roast, it offers coffee drinkers a subtle malt flavor sprinkled with notes of baker’s chocolate.
Brewing Pike Place Roast
If you don’t want to get this smooth coffee at one of the popular coffee shop locations, you can buy it and brew it at home. Available as K-cup pods, whole bean, ground, instant, pods compatible with Vertuo machines, and aluminum capsules for Nespresso Original Line, this roast can be brewed using several different methods.
The Coffee Press
Starbucks recommends using a coffee press in its online video tutorial to make an exceptional cup of coffee at home:
You will also need a kettle or pot for boiling water, fresh coffee grounds, a tablespoon for measuring, a timer, and a cup to drink from.
- Place two tablespoons of coffee grounds, which should be coarsely ground (to the consistency of sea salt), into your coffee press.
- Bring 6 oz of water to a boil. Once it is boiling, allow it to set and cool for 30 seconds. Ideally, the water temperature should be about 200°F.
- Once the water has cooled down to the correct temperature, pour the hot water on top of the coffee grounds, filling up the coffee press. Place the plunger on top of the press and allow the coffee to steep for four minutes. Set a timer to be sure that the coffee sits for just the right amount of time.
- After four minutes, you can gently plunge the coffee. Then, pour your fresh cup of coffee and enjoy! At this time, if you choose, you can add any sweeteners or extras to enhance your coffee’s taste.
Making coffee with this method is not only easy but the result has also been described as intensely flavorful and syrupy.
Brewing & Caffeine
The method of how the coffee blend is brewed can impact the caffeine level in a fresh cup of Pike Place Roast. Another factor that can alter the caffeine level is how much (or how little) of the coffee is used when it is brewed.
To be sure you are achieving the best cup of coffee possible, with the intended flavor and caffeine, be sure to follow the company’s recommendations for proper brewing guidelines. Aside from the coffee press, Starbucks also provides instructions for brewing methods utilizing a drip brewer, a Moka pot, a Chemex, and more.
Conclusion
Coffee is an extremely popular beverage in America and all over the world. Starbucks, an admired brand that was founded in 1971, has taken the world by storm. Named after an iconic character in a 19th-century novel, it is now the largest coffeehouse company in the U.S.
Pike Place Roast, a famous blend crafted in 2008 by Starbucks, was named after the original flagship location located in the renowned Pike Place Market in Seattle. This medium roast blend is currently the second-highest caffeinated blend offered to customers.
With 19.5 mg of caffeine per brewed ounce, it packs a powerful punch. It also offers a smooth and well-rounded taste with subtle hints of chocolate and toasted nuts. Available both through Starbucks itself and at various grocery stores and online markets, this blend is perfect for everyday coffee enthusiasts.
