Source
r/unpopularopinion•
Soft-Problem

Paying €4 for a cup of coffee is an act of stupidity

"I like the taste" – nah, you can homebrew an equal/better coffee for a tenth the price

"It's about the atmosphere of the place" – gway out of that, coffee shops are what the kids call 'basic', they play pop radio and have laminated wood surfaces and shit WiFi

"It's convenient" – did you have to queue to get it? Did you forget thermos flasks exist?

There's very little pleasure in the experience of getting an expensive coffee out at one of those places. People only do it because of herd psychology, because a lot of other people do it.

Posted Mar 22, 2022, 5:52 PM UTC

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[deleted]

12
Soft-ProblemOP•

Who is pretending what?

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[deleted]

4
Soft-ProblemOP•

you've lost me tbh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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[deleted]•

[deleted]

3
Giggalo_Joe•

Wait till you here about this place that serves a $5 milkshake.

6
Soft-ProblemOP•

they don't put bourbon in it or nothing?

4
CommunityPrize8110•

Says the guy who bought a 1200 dollar iPhone that has the same functionality as a 500 dollar Samsung. Jk, I have an iPhone as well.

5
Soft-ProblemOP•

which guy is that lol

3
strikingfirefly•

I'm not actually convinced I could brew the drinks I order for a 10th of the price. Especially when you factor in that I don't order the same thing every time so I'd have to buy ingredients for all the drinks I like for it to truly be comparable. Throw on the work required to make it and the fact that it may or may not taste as good...

It is also very convenient. I dont have to wait in line for it because online ordering exists. I order before I leave the house and pick it up on the way to work. It has never not been ready when I get there. I can't make a drink in less time than it takes me to order/pick up.

So I think its worth what I pay for it. It's a once a week (or less) treat for me.

3
beaconbay•

This is the truth. If you order an espresso drink with steamed milk there is no way you can make a better version at home unless you invest in the $6,000 la marzocco machine. I’ve tried a lot of the other “at home” espresso machines and the steam power is just not there.

But it’s also not worth the time to grind, measure,pull a single espresso shot and clean the machine every morning. A good café checks their calibration often so you don’t have to.

I like flat whites. I will pay for them.

2
vch01•

A moka pot will cost you a fraction of the price of an espresso machine.

0
beaconbay•

Yea… the two aren’t really comparable though are they? A moka pot’s temp is higher and pressure is lower. It produces shots that are more bitter and without créma. For me it tastes closer to a pour over than a shot pulled from an espresso machine.

I love my Moka but it isn’t really an alternative to an espresso machine flavor wise.

1
PandemicFling•

nah, you can homebrew an equal/better coffee for a tenth the price

You still need the coffee maker. That machine alone costs a lot.

​

are what the kids call 'basic'

Kids go out of their way to be different. Kids don't even usually drink coffee.

​

Now, there's an argument to be made that a lot of the $4 coffees aren't really that tasty, therefore they aren't worth the money. We could take that argument further and show that while we have been taught that something more expensive usually means it's of higher quality, that very teaching is being exploited in today's world, and thus is no longer valid in all or most circumstances.

But it was not this argument. This was just about "herd mentality" for not wanting to pour coffees into thermoses. "People only do it ..." says the expert at crying sour grapes at boujee coffee.

3
Error-tab404•

I may be stupid, but at least I’m happy

2
Soft-ProblemOP•

Why are you happy?

1
Error-tab404•

I feel like I’m doing something with my life. I just got my license and i feel so professional driving to get a coffee. Also, my favorite coffee also has espresso in it and I don’t have that fancy espresso machine in my house.

1
Soft-ProblemOP•

Congratulations on the license

3
Error-tab404•

Thank you!

0
Affectionate_Iron998•

Me and my $8 oat milk caramel macchiato are very happy thank you very much.

2
ludicrusmacaroni•

I'm getting 4€ 100g of instant coffee and when I work I always get some on a aluminium foil with me and a bottle of water to mix it.

And is not about being cheap is about being practical.

1
itsmebaldyhere•

gway out of that

With a statement like that I have to ask, you Irish too?

1
DirtyStinky•

You can say that about so much stuff today so why even bother to stop with coffee? Your overpriced phone, new clothes you dont really need, new shoes you dont need, your brand clothing that isnt special, going out to eat in general, etc. Hell why even buy soda when all you need is water to hydrate? People dont buy stuff to have it they buy it because it makes them feel good and that includes overpriced coffee.

1
Soft-ProblemOP•

Your overpriced phone, new clothes you dont really need, new shoes you dont need, your brand clothing that isnt special, going out to eat in general, etc. Hell why even buy soda when all you need is water to hydrate?

tbh I agree with most of these. Haven't had a 'soda' in nearly twenty years, my laptop is 13 years old, etc.

People dont buy stuff to have it they buy it because it makes them feel good and that includes overpriced coffee.

Read my post. I find it hard to believe that drinking a mediocre coffee in a mediocre ambiance is that pleasurable.

1
DirtyStinky•

Maybe not you, but theres your problem. Youre looking at something solely from your own perspective. Someone DOES enjoy that coffee maybe it makes their day, maybe their morning, or maybe the 5 minutes it took them to drink it. Does it really matter? Just because you cant enjoy it because you cant justify the price does not mean someone else cant say “hey i like having a morning coffee because its a nice start to my day”.

1
Cl3v3nS•

Nah, you just go to shit cafes.

1
Soft-ProblemOP•

I've found some that are better than others, but the tweenypop playlist is a particularly common curse

2
Cl3v3nS•

I do agree that pop music is a big turnoff in cafes, but those types of cafes are meant to appeal to certain groups of people. Cafes that serve good coffee usually play jazz.

0
Soft-ProblemOP•

Cafes that serve good coffee usually play jazz.

This sounds like a good rule-of-thumb tbh

2
Cl3v3nS•

Yea, places that blare pop music usually serve coffee that’s more geared towards people who prefer their coffee sweet and filled with milk. Also, try to find places that roast their own beans since their coffee tends to taste much better.

0
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[deleted]

1
Cinraka•

Good job you live in a free society where you are welcome to do whatever the hell you want, AND bitch on reddit that other people do things differently.

Feel better?

1
TheBigSalad84•

I actually agree with this and lol at the folks getting salty at you for expressing a clearly unpopular opinion in the checks notes UNPOPULAR OPINION THREAD!

I bought my coffee maker for $18 three years ago. It's paid for itself a thousand times over and I never have to stand in line with the unwashed masses or wade through drive-thru traffic.

1
[deleted]•

>"It's about the atmosphere of the place" – gway out of that, coffee shops are what the

>kids call 'basic', they play pop radio and have laminated wood surfaces and shit WiFi

Basic isnt a bad thing, and your experience will vary. Coffee houses are historical places where the smart and cool people gather. I do realize the 90s are over... but I have stopped into The Common Grounds (local to cleveland) and it looks the same with updated characters.

1
pakkz00•

I dont go buying coffee all the time or anything but I’ve never had one better than the Java chip Frappuccino from Starbucks

1
PersimmonAdvanced459•

Extra points if they take a photo to their coffee

1
youchasechickens•

Most mornings a black coffee at home does the trick but sometimes I want a mocha freeze without going through the hassle of making it. Drive threw coffee places are super convenient. Plus it's in the budget so why not treat your self?

1
BobAgg•

If you are talking about waiting in line for 15 minutes for a cardboard cup of shit coffee from a chain coffee shop. Agreed. However not all coffee shops are equal. I’m sat out in the garden of my local independent coffee shop in Scotland right now. It’s a beautiful spring morning and my flat white is £2.50/€3. It was a tremendous decision. I’m in no rush to leave. I might have another one. Sure,I’m only five minutes walk from my house and could have coffee at home but this is a great start to my day.

1
TheDeathofRats42069•

Tell me you're poor without telling me you're poor. Stay mad brokeass

1