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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To expect coffee?!?!

463 replies

ReplacementBusService · 13/04/2025 07:36

I've never posted a thread before. Please be kind to me as this is extremely serious and I might cry. Well, moderately serious

A couple of us have come to stay with friends who have recently moved away. I woke up early, as is normal for me. We've been told to help ourselves to breakfast etc if we want.

They do not have any coffee in their house. None. Zero. Nothing 😱

These are old friends of mine and wonderful people, and they used to drink the odd coffee but more tea drinkers really - but I was expecting some sort of coffee available. They're probably gonna have a lot of "down from London" visitors to stay now they've moved.

I have spent half an hour googling where I can get coffee on a Sunday morning round here. The options are limited or not early morning enough. I am beside myself. Or I would be if I had enough caffeine in my system to get a head of steam on.

YABU: bring your own coffee next time. These guys are now living a simple coffee free life in the country, get away with your high and mighty big city ways and bring your own

YANBU: it's normal to expect a bit of coffee in a house in this day and age. You'll be doing your hosts a favour if you mention this, or they're going to face hordes of desperate visitors with a dreadful level of unmet need in this new, country living phase of their lives, and the local community will be ravaged by coffee starved londoners desperately roaming the streets early doors like a host of annoying affluent zombies in nice trainers

OP posts:
Martymcfly24 · 13/04/2025 11:42

alwaysdeleteyourcookies · 13/04/2025 11:38

Equally, you can't expect people to have anything else when they're not coffee drinkers. Where I am, coffee is really expensive. Instant, too. And the pods I used to buy for guests. Now I have instant, when that's gone I'm not buying more.

I agree what do people expect if no one drinks coffee. You'll hardly have a coffee machine or pods if it's not used. Myself or DH don't drink coffee and I don't drink tea either so I buy a jar of instant in case of visitors but often have to throw it out if it goes hard.

alwaysdeleteyourcookies · 13/04/2025 11:38

BaronessBomburst · 13/04/2025 11:29

All these posters talking about sachets and jars. That's not coffee!
Instant is an abomination. It should be illegal. I'm surprised the EU never did anything about it.

Equally, you can't expect people to have anything else when they're not coffee drinkers. Where I am, coffee is really expensive. Instant, too. And the pods I used to buy for guests. Now I have instant, when that's gone I'm not buying more.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/04/2025 11:30

I drove up to my parents house (8+hours drive) my Dad has never in his life drunk coffee but had a jar in the cupboard.
After 48 hours I said "Dad I have a headache that would kill an elephant" he potters back with the jar "It was one your brother left" it was DE-CAFF"
No wonder I felt grim😆

In his defence he went off to the local Co-Op and bought some proper coffee.

My adult DS wouldn't think to buy it as he has never drunk coffee either

BaronessBomburst · 13/04/2025 11:29

All these posters talking about sachets and jars. That's not coffee!
Instant is an abomination. It should be illegal. I'm surprised the EU never did anything about it.

AreMyEyesGreen · 13/04/2025 11:22

We have a Sage coffee machine & bean grinder & they are my dh's precious things! He has ADHD & drinks a lot of coffee.

I like a nice coffee in the morning with breakfast & mostly, especially at weekends, have another midmorning. Dh could easily have 3 or 4 in a morning.

I won't drink instant coffee or those sachets of 'latte' etc they're utterly disgusting to me. I'd rather go without..

I drink tea occasionally. I only like like it, I don't love it & could go a month or more without drinking it. My colleague literally chain-drinks tea!

My parents drink a LOT of tea, though I've noticed, particularly with my mum that it's sort of an excuse to eat something sweet every single time. She would never just drink tea without a 'little biscuit / corner of a piece of cake ' etc so over the coitsw of a day / week she was eating a huge amount of crap. Her GP advised cutting back the sugar - she was outraged as in her mind she didn't eat a lot of sugary things (it was always 'half' this, 'break off a bit of that ' & because she didn't eat the whole slice or bar etc it didn't count)

She drinks a bit less tea now.

If we're away on holidays in apartment (we visit lots of cities) dh will go out & get us 2 coffees & pastries etc & bring them back & I'll have mine in bed.

No visitor to our house would go without a proper coffee & as many of them as they'd like!

But I think I'd be more bothered about guests being up & mooching around my house searching for coffee before 7am on a Sunday morning!!!

Hope you found your coffee !

Hastentoadd · 13/04/2025 11:13

ReplacementBusService · 13/04/2025 08:56

😁Mathematics say you're right, but my soul doesn't believe it unfortunately

Out of interest, At what time did you eventually get your coffee and from where

LazyArsedMagician · 13/04/2025 11:13

I am a coffee drinker, but I genuinely can't image staying anywhere, being offered the run of the kitchen and there not being coffee?? I'm not expecting a range of options - but not even a small jar of Nescafe?!

I don't drink tea but I always have teabags in the house for anyone that would like it. Not sure why coffee would be any different.

Monvelo · 13/04/2025 11:11

I had to leave the house at 6:45 recently to cycle then get a train, thought I'd get coffee at the station when changing trains but the cafe wasn't open yet, so no coffee from the horrible 5am start until 10am!! It was awful!

AzurePanda · 13/04/2025 11:08

I don’t drink tea or milk but always have both for visitors!

Hastentoadd · 13/04/2025 11:08

BBT213 · 13/04/2025 11:01

Please be kind to me as this is extremely serious and I might cry. Well, moderately serious

I feel your view of extremely and even moderately serious need a slight rehaul 😂

It was said in jest I believe

TerrysCIockworkOrange · 13/04/2025 11:07

Very amused by the volume of incredibly serious replies you’ve had to this awful Sunday morning tragedy @ReplacementBusService . Dare I suggest that perhaps they too might be in need of a cup of coffee…

Hope you’ve found somewhere to get your fix by now! My morning coffee is the highlight of my morning, sad as that is

Hastentoadd · 13/04/2025 11:07

ReplacementBusService · 13/04/2025 07:36

I've never posted a thread before. Please be kind to me as this is extremely serious and I might cry. Well, moderately serious

A couple of us have come to stay with friends who have recently moved away. I woke up early, as is normal for me. We've been told to help ourselves to breakfast etc if we want.

They do not have any coffee in their house. None. Zero. Nothing 😱

These are old friends of mine and wonderful people, and they used to drink the odd coffee but more tea drinkers really - but I was expecting some sort of coffee available. They're probably gonna have a lot of "down from London" visitors to stay now they've moved.

I have spent half an hour googling where I can get coffee on a Sunday morning round here. The options are limited or not early morning enough. I am beside myself. Or I would be if I had enough caffeine in my system to get a head of steam on.

YABU: bring your own coffee next time. These guys are now living a simple coffee free life in the country, get away with your high and mighty big city ways and bring your own

YANBU: it's normal to expect a bit of coffee in a house in this day and age. You'll be doing your hosts a favour if you mention this, or they're going to face hordes of desperate visitors with a dreadful level of unmet need in this new, country living phase of their lives, and the local community will be ravaged by coffee starved londoners desperately roaming the streets early doors like a host of annoying affluent zombies in nice trainers

They should really have had coffee ( good hosting) but maybe it was an oversight, did they apologies for not having any

I would be googling as well

BBT213 · 13/04/2025 11:01

Please be kind to me as this is extremely serious and I might cry. Well, moderately serious

I feel your view of extremely and even moderately serious need a slight rehaul 😂

katepilar · 13/04/2025 11:00

YABVU. If you are this addicted to coffee, you should either bring some with you or ask your host to kindly have some for you available.

I know you said you are being serious but it sound more like a joke to me, sorry.

NoBodyIdRatherBe · 13/04/2025 10:59

Literally dying about how many serious replies you’re getting.

LemonadeSunshine · 13/04/2025 10:59

I have a little Nespresso Pixie bought specifically for UK holidays and weekends away, after a trip (self catering) with no capacity for making coffee.
Would I take it to someone else's house? Quite possibly!

AnnaBalfour · 13/04/2025 10:58

As PP said, my worst nightmare. Yes I would expect any home expecting guests to have coffee in!

Barney16 · 13/04/2025 10:57

I have coffee bags in my handbag ALWAYS. You need to be better prepared OP.

Blondebrownorred · 13/04/2025 10:56

Emanresuunknown · 13/04/2025 08:40

That's really rude. And very selfish 😳
When you have guests it's polite to offer up tea and coffee, these are pretty much expected in the UK. Much like you should have sugar and milk available even if you don't take them yourself.

You're a poor host if you think only of yourself.

None of my family or friends drink coffee so doesn't matter. DH will have latte from a coffee shop but that's it.

Askingforafriendofafriend · 13/04/2025 10:56

@ReplacementBusService people
dont seem to be getting the humour 😂 in your post!!! MN can be a very po-faced place 🙄

ps. Love your name!!!

Floatlikeafeather2 · 13/04/2025 10:52

DeskJotter · 13/04/2025 07:42

There will be local grocery stores open from 7. Just buy some? In fact, every convenience store will have a coffee machine, too.

There are vast swathes of the country where there are no convenient convenience stores, with or without coffee machines.

CandyCane457 · 13/04/2025 10:51

I feel if your need for a morning coffee is that strong that you’re “beside yourself” without any, then you probably should’ve taken some with you. A couple of sachets in your handbag or a little pot with some Nescafé in would’ve been easy to take.

XiCi · 13/04/2025 10:48

That would be a bit of a wake up call for me of how dependent I was on caffeine. I like a morning coffee but OP reaction is crazy.

Waitingfordoggo · 13/04/2025 10:45

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 13/04/2025 08:27

You do know most of your visitors drink tea because the jar you've got in the cupboard has been there so long...

I drink tea at my parents house because they drink instant coffee and it's never a decent one.

Well, the only regular visitors I have are my brother and his family, my BIL and a couple of friends. I know they are all tea drinkers because that is what they drink in their own homes when I go there.

If a coffee drinker comes round and asks for tea because they don’t fancy the instant coffee I have in the cupboard, there’s not much I can do about that. I’m not going to buy a coffee machine or ground coffee for the once-in-a-blue-moon visitor who likes real coffee!

RampantIvy · 13/04/2025 10:42

Empress13 · 13/04/2025 08:50

I’m sorry but being beside yourself for not having a coffee is a bit OTT. Just go out and get one

"Just got out and get one"

Not everyone lives somewhere where this is possible. Have you only ever lived in a town or city?

When I visited DD in Liverpool recently even the local coffee shops didn't open until 9.

Those of you who never drink hot drinks and don't even keep the means to make them in your home - do you let any overnight guests know that you are a poor host they need to bring their own?