If you don’t drink coffee, what do you have at home for guests?

[Ducal]

Not really having a clue we have tended to buy in some kind of premium instant (is that an oxymoron?) but been wondering if we should upgrade to a cafetière or a machine.
We don’t often have guests but got a few things coming up in the next couple of months and we usually host Christmas.

I’d get a tin of a premium instant. Azeera or something like that.

I used to drink azera if I couldn't be bothered to make a proper coffee. Now I drink coffee bags. I've just discovered Waitrose own brand coffee bags. Cheaper than Taylors and come in a resealable bag.
Also if you can find illy instant granules it's nicer than azera.
But the coffee bags are great. I've just finished a cup! My DH meanwhile is firing up the coffee machine 😁

Coffee bags if you like your guests.

Jar of nescafe if you don't.

I'm a complete coffee snob but I wouldn't expect a non-coffee drinker to go to extreme effort for me. Good instant is fine (Percol Americano would be my choice, or Illy) or, as others have said, coffee bags.

If you wanted to offer proper coffee then I use a stainless steel dripper type, you just sit it on top of the cup add ground coffee and pour over water from the kettle, or an Aeropress would be equally simple. In that case it's best to buy a fresh package of ground coffee just before they arrive, I don't like it when ground coffee has been sitting around for a while. Again Illy is very acceptable, I would usually buy Bewley's rich roast if I need to buy from a supermarket, but I don't think it's available in the UK.

I tried a stovetop percolator but I found it a pain in the neck because you have to keep an eye on it all the time, if you get distracted and it doesn't get taken off the heat as soon as it stops perking the coffee can burn and taste nasty.

Yes that's the advantage of a filter machine - at least you can make enough for 6-8 at the same time, and you don't have to watch it.

I, too, would would say best to buy fresh before each visit (unless you are having several close together in which case you'll probably be okay as long as it's been stored well).

I love coffee but don’t drink any instant so would decline coffee and just have tea instead. I think it depends on who is visiting and whether they have instant coffee at home normally. I would say most people who have coffee machines/pots at home wouldn’t want a cup of instant coffee.

When I visit parents I always take my own small cafetière as they only drink instant coffee.

I am a coffee drinker with a machine and instant is absolutely fine- there are some good ones out there. I have a machine to reduce trips to coffee shops and it works for my wallet. You could always invest more in the sides that go with a coffee like biscuits.

If you are having guests (plural) then making multiple coffees with a machine is time consuming as you can usually only make one or two drinks at a time. You shouldn’t be playing barista when you’re not even drinking the coffee.

I think what I have learned from this thread is that coffee drinkers have very diverse tastes and preferences and therefore I should just stick to relatively nice instant and the caffeine addicts will take it and the particular ones will probably have packed a cafetière, a grinder and their favourite beans 😀

Just get a small cafetière and ground coffee.

I don’t really drink much tea, but I have decent tea bags and a tea pot for the one house guest who only drinks tea.

We don't drink coffee anymore so got rid of the machine, we just have a jar of instant coffee in for friends who drink it although most drink teas.

Agree on Azera.

I have a really good bean to cup machine that makes all kinds of coffees but I only ever use it for my first 2 cups in the morning. I don't want to be drinking "fancy" coffees all day long! It's too much. So the rest of the time I drink azera. It's the only instant I really like.

That said, if I'm a guest in someone's house. I'll just have whatever they have in.

I don't drink coffee.
I don't really know how to make coffee
We have Azera for guests, plumbers etc.

DH loves coffee though and had a large portfolio of coffee making equipment, for coffee loving guests who chance upon him being home. DM has stopped coming round if she thinks he might not be in!