I like coffee. But I don’t love coffee like some people do…I don’t need coffee to “get the day started” when I wake up. And I'm no coffee snob. I like it; I drink it; end of story.
I’ve bitched before about how our local convenience stores have all gone to these automatic machines that grind and brew cups individually – so no more drinking from a pot that’s been sitting there for who-knows-how-long, or coming in to find no coffee brewed because the clerks were too busy to make more. Now, instead of just pouring a cup and moving on, we stand in line, tapping our feet and waiting for the guy in front of us to figure out how to work the oh-so-complicated machine and get his damn coffee brewed. Ahh, progress...
A while back, Keurig coffeemakers became popular. Such convenience! Just pop the little pod into the machine and (snap your fingers), instant coffee! I resisted buying one for a couple of reasons, but finally bit the bullet and became a convert. Walmart sells one model, the K55 for $134.99. I found one on Facebook Marketplace - brand new and unused - for $25.00.
And now, after a year or so, the Keurig sits, no longer used, taking up space on my kitchen counter. I’ve gone back to just making conventional instant coffee. I can stick a saucepan of water on the stove and have it heated to boiling and poured in a cup before I can get my “Bob McMuffin” (my version of the McDonalds classic) made. Heating a cup of water in the microwave takes even less time and effort. Why do I need this Keurig again?
You have to keep refilling the Keurig supply reservoir after every two or three cups or so. Then you have to wait for it to heat up the water. Then you have the pod to dispose of. I buy a package of 48 “Donut Shop” pods from Walmart. At $14.88 per box, it works out to $0.31 per cup. On the other hand, an $8.59 container of instant coffee gives me 200 cups, which works out to be $0.05 per cup. And to me, they taste the same.
True, you can get all kinds of flavors and types of those coffee pods, so everyone in the fam can have their own special blend. But it’s just me in this house, and like I said, I’m no coffee snob. Give me any ol’ coffee and I’m happy. The Keurig is a neat invention, but - for me - it really doesn't do anything better than before.
4 comments:
I never got into the habit of drinking coffee. I can count the cups I drank in my lifetime on one hand and perhaps still have a finger left over. But when I was a working stiff, the Keurig did supply a lot of workplace harmony. No longer were people arguing about the communal coffeepot's lack of cleaning or about the SOB who drank the last cup and didn't remake the next pot. My mom had one of those on her countertop and really enjoyed the various flavors doctored up with different flavors of cream. As far as I know, it is now sitting in the basement and will probably be something I pass along for a song when I inherit it.
It's true, Ed, a Keurig does make a good community coffeemaker in an office or such- as long as someone keeps the water tank full. I suppose you could plumb one up so it had a constant supply - like the ice maker in your fridge, but that's not really practical for most households.
My friend Terry has a whole bunch of different flavors and brands that I can choose from when I go to his place. He'll offer up the selection like they're exotic candies from a Whitman Sampler. And I'm like, "I don't give a shit - just put regular coffee in the thing and hit the button, willya?"
In a lot of ways, having a cup of coffee is a social thing, much like smoking a cigarette although perhaps slightly less unhealthy. You sit or stand around, by yourself or with cohorts, sipping your coffee while it's piping hot, solving the world's problems. And the great thing about having coffee with coworkers is that there are usually donuts around ;-)
To Ed’s point, I could count the cups of coffee I’ve drunk in my life on one hand and still have all five fingers left. I have sipped it a few times but just can’t stand the taste. I made it through college and law school without ever acquiring the taste. For better or worse, I can’t say the same for beer, and I wish it had the same caloric value as coffee.
Merry Christmas, Bob!
Ohhhhh Bob, you made me laugh out loud. I cannot fathom how anyone makes it through law school without drinking LOTS of coffee. So, good for you! However, unlike you, I drink both beer *and* coffee - and coffee can be "not so healthy" if you load it up with sugar and whole milk as I've done all my life. As my diet evolves now that I'm undeniably in my mid-60's, I've been weaning myself off those additives and try to just drink it black. But as you say, it's an acquired taste. Nothing is really enjoyable if it's bitter...not me, not coffee, and especially not my ex-wife!
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