Instant coffee - social suicide?

[MrsFogi]

Over a number of months I've seen many threads expressing horror at the idea of drinking or serving instant coffee. So….I've become a bit paranoid. So mners - if I have a mum in for a cup of tea/coffee when they pick up their dc from my house am I committing social harakiri serving up instant coffee if they opt for that instead of tea? If I want to have or keep friends should I be brewing/grinding/working out how to use the coffee machine etc with a flourish?

I must admit that on the tea front I will always ask for coffee if I don't know if someone will have green tea in their house. I have sometimes considered bringing some green tea sachets in my handbag in case but have decided against on the grounds that I think it would be awfully rude of me to whip out my own teabag so I just opt for coffee as I'd prefer any coffee to tea that's not green (but that's a taste rather than snobbery thing [smiley face with halo icon]).

I carry rooibos teabags in my bag .

I haven't drunk instant coffee in over 20 years (aside from a couple of emergency situations). I'd much prefer tea to instant coffee.

What do you all do at work?
I have an espresso machine at home but drink instant at work.
I presumed all work places have value teabags, cheap instant coffee and a selection of stained chipped mugs?

So those of you that would be polite enough not to comment on my instant coffee ……would you judge me though?
In case it is of relevance, the instant in question is Carte Noire and for the purpose of full disclosure there is a coffee machine built in in our kitchen so you'd be sitting drinking your coffee, chatting to me with a coffee machine (that I have no idea how to use) behind me . Don't get all mn self-righteous on me though - this is in the etiquette section rather than the aibu boxing ring .

No judging from me.

IT wouldn't even cross my mind to judge.

Yes it seems to be. Which is a nightmare for me as I prefer instant. No I'm not being polite. A cup of 'proper' coffee is just not the same. :(

I think it's such a simple thing to do to offer cafetiere coffee (or learn how to use your own coffee machine) then why not just do it? A lot of people really don't like instant coffee and it's nice to be able to offer them a choice. I see being hospitable as having a number of things people might like to drink on offer (including herbal teas or water etc).

I would drink instant coffee, don't mind it sometimes, but would not be able to force down a weak, milky tea.

I've even considered carrying instant sachets and asking people who insist on serving me 'proper' coffee for a cup of hot water. But thay would be rude. ..

The coffee machine might make a sort of difference. I might think you had judged me and found me wanting if you were serving me instant when you had a gorgeous built in coffee machine (that I have wanted forever) just behind you.

I drink either. Instant if I'm making - cafetière if DP is.

That said Costa has grown on me.

I find all instant coffee vile to be honest so just use a cafetiere and a bag of ground. ( ground coffee, not actual dirt )
But if offered instant in someone else's house I would drink it with good grace. I think that's basic manners.

I work in a school and we always drink fresh coffee - those of us who drink it take turns to buy. I drink quite a lot so take in quite a lot. It's well worth it.
Would never serve instant to people, though would obviously always drink it when offered. I only know a couple of people who drink instant - I have tea at their houses out of preference. Couldn't use a Nespresso - not real enough. My absolute favourite ever coffee is freddo espresso in Greece. Why don't they do it here?

If you offered me instant coffee with a fancy coffee maker in the background I would be mortally offended, as clearly I'm not worth the effort of cleaning out the fancy pants coffee machine.

Its fine.

Oh dear I must learn to use the coffee machine as I'm clearly offending people which is the last thing I'd wish to do. Thanks for all the replies and I'll get back to enjoying the debate over instant vs real coffee .

Nespresso - not real enough

Pact coffee are putting real coffee in a pod

www.kickstarter.com/projects/600258854/the-best-coffee-youve-ever-made-now-in-a-pod

Wowee! I'm staggered at this thread.

I only have instant in the house, because I'm the only one in the family that drinks coffee. We rarely have guests, so fresh coffee would be wasted.

It's never occurred to me that my instant might be sneered at. In fact, I know that my friends would never sneer at my coffee.

Wi live nespresso coffees but have Percol americano and Alta Rica for instant(whichever is on offer)

That should say I have.....
Stupid ipad

Aldi own make instant. I am pure scum

I don't have instant in the house, and work provides heaps of cafétieres (plungers, as we call them) and a mountain of filter coffee. But - I would absolutely drink instant if I was offered it at someone else's house.

I live in a big coffee town and I'm sure I'm privately judged on my plunger offerings - most people have massive fuck-off machines, or we just go out for it - but no matter! People may secretly raise an eyebrow over these things, but if they otherwise like you, it really does not matter.

Re instant - the taste is improved if you spoon the granules into the mug, pour in some milk and then put the hot water in. If the hot water goes in first, it is virtually undrinkable!

I have a jar of instant. It's Moccona. So far, there's only one regular visitor who drinks coffee and he's never said anything.

Tea, though. I have (at quick squiz) about seven varieties of loose-leaf and three kinds of tea bag.

Proper Coffee is nasty stuff. Instant is good with cream and a boatload of sugar.

So, OP, if I came to yours, and drank coffee (unlikely but maybe there'd be an international tea shortage) and it was instant, I wouldn't give a flying.

Unless there was no milk and sugar. We'd be in a pickle then.