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Comment on Ask HN: Why doesn't Starbucks beat local coffee shops?parent

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How does over-roasting help with consistency?

On a similar note, dunkin serves light roasts. I'd presume they also want consistency?

It’s my understanding that Starbucks universally over-roasts their coffee to keep it consistent. Normally the roast time would depend on each individual batch.

Presumably they over-roast it because the most popular drinks have a lot of sugars and creams (Frappuccinos, etc.) so the coffee needs to be stronger. So, it’s not the over-roasting that makes it consistent, but the fact that every branch roasts it the same way.

Dunkin on the other hand seems to make a serious portion of their income from those boxes and their light roast black coffee, so they maintain consistency with a shorter roast time.

Of course most coffee places have various beans these days and this doesn’t always apply.

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