Starbucks burnt roast must be made so that after you add a cup of whipped cream and god knows what other kind of syrup etc they put in to turn an espresso into a $5 designer drink, you can somehow taste some form of coffee through all the other crap that's in there.

Burnt sludge must have passed the focus group's taste test on that score.

I can honestly say that I have never had an espresso shot in any shop boutique or not that anywhere equals what I can pull at home with the right beans and roast.

Rancilio Sylvia/Rocky are the least expensive home maker/grinder that can achieve that over the long haul.

Now all they need is to come out with a carbon fibre line.