How does Starbucks assess the quality of the beans it sources?

Starbucks assesses the quality of the beans it sources primarily through a team of trained coffee tasters. This rigorous evaluation process involves cupping, where tasters analyze the aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste of coffee beans to ensure they meet Starbucks' high quality standards. The expertise of these tasters is crucial because they can identify the nuances of different coffee beans, which reflects the company's commitment to sourcing only the finest products.

The alternative methods listed do not provide the same level of precise quality assessment. Customer reviews and online surveys might reflect consumer opinions but do not focus on the technical aspects of coffee quality. Additionally, collaboration with competitors is generally not a practice that would include sharing sensory analysis or bean quality assessments, as each company tends to maintain its proprietary sources and methods. Thus, trained coffee tasters remain the most reliable and consistent approach used by Starbucks to evaluate coffee quality.