Starbucks made their bones on high quality coffee, brewed and served by their expert baristas. Now, with people watching every dollar - and a lot more resistant to spending $4 bucks on a cup of coffee - Starbucks has been watching profits shrink and stores close.

So they've finally done what many people thought they'd never do: come out with an instant coffee.

They're calling it Via, and two flavors (Columbia and Italain Roast), hit the shelves nationwide in March. And from what I'm hearing and reading from people who were lucky enough to get the free samples before they sold out, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference between this instant and their fresh brewed. The reason for that is they microgrind the 100% arabica beans in a way that preserves the essential oils. Other instants haven't been able to do that.

But the most attractive feature has to be the price. Forget shelling out $3 or $4 for your morning jitter fix. A box of 12 Via packets is going to run you $9.95. Less than a dollar for Starbuck's quality joe. (And for a limited time, they'll give you free shipping too.)

Personally, part of why I went to Starbucks was to check out what interesting facial piercing today's barista was sporting, but for a fraction of the cost, I'll stick to brewing it at home.

www.starbucks.com.