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Great coffee is one of those things that doesn't scale. It requires labor at every stage. Expensive and slow. Getting OK coffee scales wonderfully. Easy and ch

Great coffee is one of those things that doesn't scale. It requires labor at every stage. Expensive and slow. Getting OK coffee scales wonderfully. Easy and cheap. You can still get tired of great coffee, or at least start to feel like it's routine rather than pleasant. I just feel like there are vetter things to spend time on that are more intellectually rewarding. Learning an old craft, or music, or reading a book. Or cooking. At least with cooking there is a real difference in the nutritional quality... I doubt that's true of fine coffee vs bad coffee.

stephen_g 4y ago
Great coffee can be commonly had, just probably not provided by a single vertically integrated entity. Here in Australia, we have hundreds of independent roasters, each supplying anything from a handful to hundreds of independent cafes each. It works well - you don’t go to a chain here expecting good coffee, if you’re somewhere you’re not familiar with, you just jump in Google Maps or something to find a decently rated cafe nearby and you should get good coffee. In terms of home prep, when many cafes are selling great beans all around the place, you can easily always have great coffee. Once my machine is warm it takes something like two or three minutes from bean to cup, including grinding, steaming milk, etc… I’ve only been doing it for 15 years but don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. I enjoy the tactility, the smell, the feel, and of course the end result. It’s a nice break from mentally taxing work!
- chmod600 4y ago
  I think you missed the point. Making coffee at home means counter space, machine maintenance, and keeping a stock of freshly-roasted beans. A trip to a cafe, ordering, and waiting, and going back is a minimum of 15 minutes (maybe if it's close and not busy you can do it in ten?). Instant is less than 30 seconds and easy to keep stocked. It sounds like you enjoy the ritual, so it's not wasted time. But it's not convenient for everyone every day.

stephen_g 4y ago

Great coffee can be commonly had, just probably not provided by a single vertically integrated entity. Here in Australia, we have hundreds of independent roasters, each supplying anything from a handful to hundreds of independent cafes each. It works well - you don’t go to a chain here expecting good coffee, if you’re somewhere you’re not familiar with, you just jump in Google Maps or something to find a decently rated cafe nearby and you should get good coffee. In terms of home prep, when many cafes are selling great beans all around the place, you can easily always have great coffee. Once my machine is warm it takes something like two or three minutes from bean to cup, including grinding, steaming milk, etc… I’ve only been doing it for 15 years but don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon. I enjoy the tactility, the smell, the feel, and of course the end result. It’s a nice break from mentally taxing work!

chmod600 4y ago
I think you missed the point. Making coffee at home means counter space, machine maintenance, and keeping a stock of freshly-roasted beans. A trip to a cafe, ordering, and waiting, and going back is a minimum of 15 minutes (maybe if it's close and not busy you can do it in ten?). Instant is less than 30 seconds and easy to keep stocked. It sounds like you enjoy the ritual, so it's not wasted time. But it's not convenient for everyone every day.