timmies vs starbucks

whenever we go on a road trip, 

 the same debate picks up every time...

will it be timmies or starbucks?

having grown up in ontario and also having lived in the east coast of canada 

we had very little choice for a travelling mug of coffee...tim hortons ruled the 401 hwy.

it was and still is such a treat to stop and get a cup to enjoy during the road trip.

because i don't take any sugar with my coffee, 

i appreciate the bite size timbits that make those first couple of sips simply delicious....

my favourite is the coconut chocolate... which, sadly, is becoming obsolete.

but as the coffee culture took off... 

another big player came into the scene.

i still remember my first cup of starbucks coffee... 

it was so dark and so thick... i wanted so much to ask for an accompanying cup of hot water 

however, i slowly got hooked...

while tim hortons feel more like a blue-collar hard working folks type of setting, 

where one can get a large black coffee single cream,

starbucks feels more like a fancy coffee/ meet your friends with extra hot, venti-double-frappuccino-but with non fat soy-milk instead type of venue.

at the beginning, all the choices were exciting... 

i would practise saying my order silently in my head as i waited in line.

today, the winning factors for me are heat and consistency... 

for this, timmies gain a point !!!

i have had coffee from many other independent cafes and i would gladly support them 

but they haven't seem to have figured out the importance of these factors...

nothing is more disappointing to get back in the car, 

put your feet up on the dash, ready for a long drive, 

and sip into a weak, lukewarm cup of coffee.

for ian, however...

 someone who utterly hates and avoids lineups,  starbucks wins.
 because for some reason, 

despite the complex ordering system, their lineups are always much shorter.

he doesn't mind paying extra for the same size, 

and he claims that the coffee is definitely better (here, he's talking buzz factor).

 this road trip coffee debate will definitely continue on our travels...

but for my daily fix... i'm proud to say that i've perfected my cuppa joe.

super hot, dark and creamy with no line ups !!!

erica

xoxo