going for coffee

Agree Waitrose coffee is V good & as it is free I always have one- it lasts just long enough for me to drive home. I do like Costa sometimes if I am out but now I have a Nespresso machine I do begrudge paying for coffee that I can make for a fraction of the price at home & is hotter & tastier- so I tend to wait until I get back.

My friend takes her own (decaffeinated) teabag with her when we go out and asks for a pot of water. She then mutters about paying for it but I have pointed out that she's used the venue's power, staff time, milk and sugar!!

Yes meandashy, Waitrose coffee is free if you have a "my waitrose" card. I get my daily fix from there, it's not bad coffee and you can have it on the go with lid on.

At a motorway service station we avoid expensive options like Costa, which have long queues. When available head for Greggs, which does a lovely big hot cup of filter coffee at lower price (I spend the saving on one of their fresh Belgian buns). Like others we avoid instant coffee.

A tip though, it you have to provide instant coffee for a number of people, make it in a pre-warmed large flask or thermal jug. Once the mix has sat a short time, its flavour develops and improves.

I don't drink coffee, although I do like the smell .

At least once a week I meet my dad at our local Costa's prior to taking him for his weekly shop. much to my DD's disgust as she works for the opposition . I tend to have a hot chocolate but I do quite enjoy watching them make my dad's coffee. I find it quite fascinating and almost ceremonious with all the little levers and steam etc. The price is worth it for the effort they put into it.

Waitrose coffee is free annodomini? ?
My daughter is a barista in a well known coffee chain. I prefer a different chains coffee & she's disgusted as the don't 'make' their coffee apparently!

Our village has three independent coffee shops, all are good, but one is exceptional, so that's the one we use!
Tea for one comes in a pot which fills at least three large cups, their Lattes are fantastic, and they do the best Mochas for miles around!
We also have a small, family run garden centre not far from us which has a wonderful coffee shop. It's small, off the beaten track and one could be forgiven for assuming it was 'nothing special' but it's run by an ex chef who used to have one of the best resaurants in Chester. He's semi retired now, the coffee shop is more of a hobby than a job to him, but his food is amazing, the drinks are superb and it's a great place to meet and eat/drink.
We very rarely use a 'chain' coffee shop, but if we can't find an independent, Costa are far superior to Starbuck's!

Espresso is a rip off. They give you half a tiny cup and charge the earth. I don't think it should cost more than 50p as it is such a little amount.

I love the idea of a coffee shop and I do like coffee but I don't like the prices! I'd visit coffee shops regularly if they were cheaper. And when I ask for a CUP of coffee, I mean a CUP of coffee not half filled flavoured hot water at a high price! I've sent the coffee back on a couple of occasions, I'm afraid.

I don't drink coffee in this country as it's too weak, too expensive and too big.
I wait till I'm in Spain where I know I'm going to get a decent cafe con leche, or a good strong cortado - or even a carajillo (coffee with brandy) - served to me at my table.

Went to my local book shop / cafe which has just opened after flooding last December ( Cumbria ). 2 insipid teas £5.00 ! Couple next table had 2 teas and scrambled eggs on toast. We were close to open kitchen and saw it being made. 1 slice of bread cut from loaf,toasted and buttered, 2 Sainsbury eggs for each portion = £18.00 ! Maybe I'm a tight ar** but in my mind that's way too much.

Yes definitely it's a rip-off. We don't use them if we possibly can avoid them and prefer a tea shop with real tea.

the only place I go out to for a hot drink is Coco Mountain, only 1.5 hours for me. The hot chocolate is to die for (I don't like coffee).

www.cocoamountain.co.uk

Though I really recommend it, you would have to be on holiday here to go. You may have seen them on Dragon's Den last year, when they were told they couldn't run a successful business in Durness. they are doing really well.

The faffing is part of the theatre of the modern coffee chain and the proprietors think it justifies the eye-watering charges they exact for their lukewarm beverages. I hate them with a vengeance. Here is a list of the things I cannot stand about coffee chains:-
-cold tea and coffee (Grrrr!)
-the expense
-dark red walls covered with ghastly pictures of coffee pickers
-pan pipe or, even worse, jazz, music blaring continually
-one single, filthy, disabled toilet (usually without toilet paper) with a queue of squirming punters outside catering for about eighty covers in the cafe
-machines which slow down rather than speed up the progress of drink making

Give me a nice tearoom any day. Hot tea, extra water for no extra charge, proper cake.

I was in waitrose at the weekend and had a coffee whilst walking around doing my shopping it was free for card holders and I shared it with OH it was a latte just the right temperature really nice Oh having the lions share I think. Just wondering how long it will last before someone complains!!

I never meet friends for coffee, as I rarely see them we tend to go out for a meal, but I do occasionally go out with my dad , his favourite cafe does amazing coffee but it takes around 5 minute form ordering to arrival, call me cynic, but as it's in an art gallery you look at stuff whilst you're waiting I'm sure some people must buy (it's not all expensive gorgeous earring are around a tenner)

But would you really be happy with instant coffee if you went out to a coffee shop? I can't abide the stuff and it's so quick and easy to make real at home that we always do it. (Cafetière).

After drinking huge amounts of awful instant coffee in both the army and at university I swore two things , 1. I would never drink instant coffee again. I really don't like it . And 2. I would never drink out of one of those coffee vending machines again.

I LOVE coffee in any shape or form so I'm prepared to pay and wait if necessary to get what I want. If I can I frequent small independent coffee shops . A barista recently explained to me that good coffee is never served with boiling water because it detracts from the sweetness of the milk and totally changes the flavour.

Intolerant as I am of caffeine, I steer clear of coffee shops unless I know that they serve really good hot chocolate. If you want coffee in a hurry, Waitrose seems to be the place to go to in this town. And it's free.

Isn't the faffing part of the experience though in some specialist cafes? There are so many options round here, nobody has to wait around if they don't choose to. Independent cafes galore, high end and more basic, as well as the usual chains, plus lots of church tearooms and coffee shops. DH loves his coffee, so tends to disappear for half an hour's peace when we're out shopping. I'm happier with a nice pot of Earl Grey.

In answer to the OP , yes I do get fed up. If I'm in town shopping I want a QUICK cup of coffee, but it is impossible these days. Mind you I don't want instant, but it doesn't take long to do a small cafetière.

Well aunty flo the church doesn't pay business rates and the staff are volunteers, not paying income tax or NIC.
I'm not saying you shouldn't support the church, they certainly need it but it's not a level playing field is it?
I do not own a cafe!

M and S is very slow I find.

We have five coffee shops in my little town, all independent. The nearest chain is about 20 miles away.

Speaking as a retired Barista I do not "Faff" when I make coffee! Admittedly I don't indulge in Latte art because I've never learned to do it, but really it's all quite straight forward _ one measure of espresso with either steamed or frothed milk, or water if you want an Americano. How hard is that? Much better than filter coffee that has been sitting in it's jug for half an hour and now tastes like Bovril.