High Price of Coffee????

[MyMugsHalfFull]

Wait a minute!

I remember when a large coffee was $1.25 to $3.50 depending on the amount of cream/sugar you put in!

Now you are telling me it can be almost $6!!!!!

That is a bit ridiculous for a coffee don't you think?

The price of coffee has increased 5 TIMES in the last few years?? Why is it that coffee is suffering such a high rate of inflation?

If this trend keeps up, I might as well just buy into my own coffee plantation! It would be cheaper in the long run!

Anyone else getting fed up with the high price of coffee???

 

[John P]

Several things to point out:

There are many high priced espresso drinks, for various reasons, an espresso drink is not the same as coffee --- so if you are not using the catch-all vernacular, compare apples to apples.

Short answer: Make your own!

Even if you buy exceptional whole bean for $25/lb, it will only cost you $.71 per cup! That's REALLY inexpensive. An equivalent caliber glass of wine will cost you about $15-20 for a slightly smaller serving. The idea that coffee is high priced is simply not true.

But...

If you want a skilled barista to make coffee for you, then you are paying for the coffee, the environment, and the expertise in their craft that it takes to make that cup, and that's going to cost you.


Poor quality coffee tends to be overpriced.

High quality coffee is vastly underpriced.

The places that can command $6 or more per cup are using top quality small-farm coffees that are craft brewed by hand and by the cup for each customer. This is a completely different beverage from seed to cup than the low quality, stale, and over roasted stuff we grew up with or that's typically batch brewed and served out of airpots.

The coffees we do range from $8-$14 per 8 oz cup, depending on the coffee. The only time anyone ever comments about price is when they wonder how we can do it for so little.

If you're looking for what's typically served in most coffee shops, you're looking for something else. And if you're not someone who has wine, craft beers, or eats many different regional cuisines, then your palate might not be appreciative of all the flavors in an exceptional cup of coffee.

But once you make the transition, you will never go back. And you will be happier for it!

 

[Indesio]

In Spain not so far, about 10 years, a coffe cost about 0,7$ on a cafe or a bar. When euro arribed, it went up to 1€, now it's near 1,4€ and rising. I'm talking about an espresso, a coffee with milk is agout 5-10 cents more.

It's rare a long coffe here. "American Coffee" called and served on a coffe with milk and costs the same, arround 1,5€. I know I have to pay the envoirement, the server and a large number of taxes and other fees. Local culture is to have an espresso and going. It's not habitual to spend large time or confortable seats. The common is taking it stand up. May have a look at the newspappers or TV (news or football). It's also a true, you never know where the coffee comes from and sometimes it's a blend with torrefato (someone should ban this way of roast), but generaly, it's an arabica, reciently roast. Near every day, a roaster sends a box and retires the rest.

One day I did my counts and confirmed, I can take a Blue Mountain coffe at home for the price of the bar. That day, I left visiting the bar.


Salu2.
Indesio.

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

I do appreciate different coffees of different cultures, and it's BETTER.

I'm talking about $6 for "Starbucks" average run of the mill coffee!

I don't mind paying $25 for a one pound bag of coffee from Cafe Britt (Costa Rica) or $23.50 a for a one pound bag of ArmomaNica (from Nicaragua) unless I am actually in those countries of course....

You get what you pay for, but lately they have been pawning off crap for high prices.

I understand that the higher quality places have higher prices, but they at least have VALUE as you mentioned. I feel a cup of coffee which costs $6 from "Starbucks" which they left the pot on overnight I'm sure... Is WAAAY too expensive!

 

[tankin_tummy]

I agree with Starbucks having overpriced specialty coffees. It is $5-$6 for a specialty like a pumpkin spice latte over here. I tried one and it was nothing fancy... tasted just like milk and syrup. I can go to the local roaster and pay $3-$5 for a good specialty coffee that tastes great.... and in a real mug (not paper). Starbucks regular coffee and americano is decently priced. I could to Tim Hortons for $1.25-$1.80 or Starbucks brew for $1.80-$2.00. I think starbucks is the obvious choice between those two, but I prefer a good cafe

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

Tim Hortons has some of the best coffee on the planet

I was never too fond of Starbucks to be honest. I like the cafes. The ambiance is better as mentioned before, and I don't know, I just think you get more bang for your buck.
I think today's society is more about let me see what crap I can pass off and make a buck, than quality coffee with less profit.

What they don't realize is that if they had the quality coffee for say $1 more, they would actually pull business away from other places..

Though I have to say the WORST most expensive cup of coffee I had was on a flight... $8... Small cup, and INSTANT coffee that they put through a coffee pot????

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

True... It is hard to find a place with decent ambiance, GOOD coffee, and DECENT prices... It's like you almost always have to sacrifice one for the other.. I remember a place that sold cups of coffee, it wasn't fancy coffee, but it tasted good, for about $0.25 a cup. The ambiance wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to be enjoyable.. Or it could have been that it was the only game in town at 2AM....