dave mcdowell | blog

One of my Dad's favorite routines is to threaten that he will replace the bottled water I prefer with filtered tap water from our kitchen sink on my visits home. He thinks I won't notice the difference as long as I am drinking from a bottle out of the fridge. To my knowledge, the only time this test was conducted, I got wise after seeing the broken seal on a bottle in the fridge. So, when, after a dispute among my co-workers about the best cappuccino near the office, my boss suggested a Cappuccino Taste Test. I knew at least one of my readers -- dear old Dad -- would appreciate the post.

Methodology
-Collected 4 cappuccinos on my way to work starting with Bar Italia, Cafe Vergano, then Starbucks, and finally the free coffee machine on my floor
-Poured all 4 cappuccinos into identical paper cups with the competitor name written on the bottom of the cups
-Scooped remaining foam from the original takeaway cups into the corresponding identical cups
-Re-arranged the identical cups randomly on a serving tray and transported them to the kitchen
-Heated the identical cups simultaneously in the microwave for 30 seconds to level the playing field on temperature fluctuation since purchase
-Note, microwave had a spinning wheel mechanism, which further randomized the arrangement of the cups
-Put the identical cups back on a serving tray

Results
George (visual test only):
-Correctly identified 4 out of 4 cappuccinos by sight alone
-Favorite: Cafe Vergano
-Least favorite: Starbucks

Jon:
-Bar Italia: "Turpsy", which literally means 'of turpentine'. Generally used to describe medicinal tasting alcohol. In a sentence, "You are out on the Turps," means you are boozing it up
-Starbucks: "Tastes of nothing"
-7th floor coffee machine: "Okey"
-Cafe Vergano: "I'm waiting for one of these to knock me out"

After a 2nd round of tasting, Jon voted:
-Favorite: Bar Italia
-Least Favorite: Starbucks

Dave:
-Bar Italia: "The strongest"
-Starbucks: "Bland"
-7th floor coffee machine: "This is from the coffee machine"
-Cafe Vergano: "Mmmm"

After a 2nd round of tasting, I was split between Bar Italia and Cafe Vergano, with Bar Italia being stronger and Cafe Vergano being milkier. At the end of the test, though, I finished the Cafe Vergano

Price for a small (or tall, in Starbucks lingo) cappuccino:
Bar Italia: £2
Cafe Vergano: £1.80
Starbucks: £1.20
7th floor coffee machine: Free

Ambiance
Bar Italia: Feels 'authentic' despite the flat screen piping the latest Hip-Hop & R&B videos in the back. Great sandwiches, if you go at lunchtime. Bonus: Old men playing Joker's Wild slots in the corner, even at 8:30 in the morning
Cafe Vergano: Feels fairly corporate, but they do give you little chocolates to take away
-Starbucks: Located in 'Byte', our recently re-furbished, Jetsons-style corporate cafe
-7th floor coffee machine: Best location to pick up interoffice scuttlebutt

Conclusions:
Starbucks was the least preferred of all cappuccinos tested. So, from this reviewer's perspective there is no reason to pay £1.20 for a cappuccino at Starbucks when you can get a decent one for free from the new coffee machines on every floor of Yahoo!

If you are leaving the building for coffee, Bar Italia is the best bet if you like strong, hot cappuccinos (I say hot because of non-scientific experience outside the Cappuccino Taste Test.) Cafe Vergano is a good bet if you like a smoother, more temperate cappuccino.