Starbucks Poised to Launch 'Soluble' Coffee

Horror of horrors. An instant coffee from Starbucks? Either they have a serious technological advance on their hands or an equity-diluting idea. Time will tell ...

Starbucks will begin testing the soluble coffee -- a term that conjures up images of instant brands such as Folgers, Sanka and Brim -- by selling it in Starbucks cafes as early as next month. It's unclear as yet whether the company will also extend the product to supermarkets, where it already has a presence with ground Starbucks-branded coffee.

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