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Original poster

Coffee etiquette in the office

90 replies

hattie43 · 13/05/2024 18:16

In our office of 3 up to sometimes 6 we have long asked for a decent coffee machine so far to no avail .

This means I'm finding it difficult to go and grab a coffee without asking everyone else , but making a variety of coffee, hot chocolate, tea with our kettle takes so bloomin long .
Same with when I want a Starbucks I feel obliged to ask everyone else .

What do you do where you are , get your own or offer a ' round ' to everyone else .

OP posts:
ChrisS36 · 13/05/2024 21:52

Would not be allowed in many offices carrying too many hot drinks is a safety hazard.
Everyone gets their own drinks. Saves time too.

OneTC · 13/05/2024 21:50

When I worked in a small office we used to drink hundreds of cups of tea and approximately take turns making it.

Workaholic99 · 13/05/2024 21:47

I offer if there's only one other person in otherwise I just go and get one for me. Don't start a precedent if you don't mean to continue is my advice.

oObyeOo · 13/05/2024 21:46

PinotDragon · 13/05/2024 18:22

What about a cafetiere and mini milk frother? Or a cheap pod one. Ask all to chip in, problem solved.

This. Just buy a cafetiere. Make that then leave on the side for others to help themselves too.

HugeCwtch · 13/05/2024 21:43

NotJohnMajor · 13/05/2024 18:19

We get our own - we have a boiling water tap in the kitchenette; much quicker than a kettle - would your employers consider installing one?

Ew - I hate those things, they are not clean

mrsbyers · 13/05/2024 21:35

I always just stick to making my own and explain that a) I can’t be arsed making loads of different things and b) I usually just have one cup a day

Bollindger · 13/05/2024 21:33

When everyone is in just tell the truth, sorry guys but last time I treated you too coffee it was a one off, I can't afford it.
Could you all keep the cash and pay upfront for your coffees otherwise i will have to leave it as i only do my own.

badatdecisions · 13/05/2024 21:31

Someone in our office always asks and the rest of us politely decline. Seems bizarre that anyone would accept.

lightsandtunnels · 13/05/2024 20:51

I'd just stop asking OP. Just get up and make your own or if you're going out to get one then just say back in a bit.

PoppingTomorrow · 13/05/2024 20:37

hattie43 · 13/05/2024 18:23

That's the thing , if I get a Starbucks and offer others it's expected I'll pay as a treat , the others may offer round a pkt of biscuits but multiple coffees is expensive .

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Ach no if they always order but never reciprocate then stuff it, don't buy for them. Don't tell them you're going there if that helps. Make it an afterthought after you popped out for something else.

PeloMom · 13/05/2024 20:16

hattie43 · 13/05/2024 18:36

No I don't do that , tbh now I find myself not get a Starbucks because i feel awkward about coming in with nice coffee .

I ordered Deliveroo for 5 of us and it cost me about £30 , never again .

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lol that’s more of a treat from the boss on payday once in a blue moon thing than something colleagues expect
when I worked in office, if someone went to Starbucks etc, they’d say hey I’m going to Starbucks, anyone wants to come with? Then if people joined everyone would buy their own.

lalaloopyhead · 13/05/2024 20:11

We used to do rounds, but since COVID we moves to get your own - one good thing of the pandemic! Makes life so much easier, and means the lazy arses have to get up if they want a drink rather than waiting for someone else to do it.

SlothsNeverGetIll · 13/05/2024 20:09

I get my own. I would never offer to make or get drinks for others, to hell with that. It sounds like such a hassle, I'd end up dehydrated trying to avoid it!

andHelenknowsimmiserablenow · 13/05/2024 20:08

We used to have department coffee and tea rounds at our office. I hated it. I was always thirsty before the others so ended up doing more rounds than I had time for. During covid everyone had to do their own and only 1 person in the kitchen at 1 time.
After that I just carried on doing my own, it is much better, and saves loads of time.

Toxicinlawz · 13/05/2024 20:06

Katemax82 · 13/05/2024 20:03

My tassimo machine was about 30 quid and is great

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Yep me too. I actually prefer it to the more expensive machines!!

Katemax82 · 13/05/2024 20:03

PinotDragon · 13/05/2024 18:22

What about a cafetiere and mini milk frother? Or a cheap pod one. Ask all to chip in, problem solved.

My tassimo machine was about 30 quid and is great

Speakingofdinosaurs · 13/05/2024 19:50

I joined an office of 7 people who used to do the rounds of drinks - I hated it!
They didn’t all take turns & sometimes offered when I didn’t want one or didn’t take a turn when I did want one.
After about 6 weeks I just announced that I was going to make my own drinks from now on.
I think they weren’t that impressed to start with but soon got used to it and it was sooo much better for me.

Walkacrossthesand · 13/05/2024 19:31

I once worked part time in an office of full timers from multiple teams who all knew each other and did hot drink rounds. I rarely fancied one when they were offering, and when I did want one, really couldn't be doing with the faff of asking half a dozen people (most of whom I hardly knew) what they wanted. In the end I resorted to the flask strategy!

MountCaramel · 13/05/2024 19:28

https://www.amazon.co.uk/taylors-coffee-bag/s?k=taylors+coffee+bag

We club together to buy bug multi packs of coffee bags from Amazon or costco plus milk & sugar. They're essentially filter coffee in bags similar to tea bags.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/taylors-coffee-bag/s?k=taylors%20coffee%20bag&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-am-i-being-unreasonable-5074399-coffee-etiquette-in-the-office

RaraRachael · 13/05/2024 19:27

NotJohnMajor · 13/05/2024 18:19

We get our own - we have a boiling water tap in the kitchenette; much quicker than a kettle - would your employers consider installing one?

We had this in our staffrooms. In one place, everybody had their own jars of coffee or teabags - in the other, one person collected money from everybody once a term and bulk bought coffee, tea, sugar etc.

Both systems worked well.

YoureALizardHarry11 · 13/05/2024 19:24

Just get a £30 tassimo and split the cost of the machine and the pods? Unless anyone is particularly fussy about what they drink 🤣

Gcsunnyside23 · 13/05/2024 19:22

No way op, get your Starbucks and don't worry about it. I'd throw out a 'im off to starbucks' so others can come of give you money to get it for them but don't buy for them. If they ask and don't offer money ask them if they want to send it via PayPal or banking details

PosyPrettyToes · 13/05/2024 19:20

There’s 3 of us. I’m the only coffee drinker so I buy my own, but we all drink tea and we all take our tea the same way so we just make three teas whenever we want one.

KrisAkabusi · 13/05/2024 19:18

6-10 people in our office, depending on how many are working from home at a time. Everyone has always got their own.

RM2013 · 13/05/2024 19:14

BarcardiWithGadaffia · 13/05/2024 19:06

Why is that funny? It's really rude to accept drinks and notr offer to make them, ime that causes office resentment

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It was a lighthearted comment hence the emoji. I don’t consider myself rude and neither do my colleagues. More often than not I’m with a patient when the drinks get made which is why I probably make them less often than some but if I’m free and others are busy then I’m happy to make a tray of drinks