To think instant coffee is not a disaster?!

[Rafaroo]

Hi all

Just had a friend over for a coffee and I mentioned my Nespresso machine was broken, so I only had Instant coffee. (Azera). She looked horrified, wrinkled her nose and said 'Oh god no. No one I know still drinks Instant. God, I hope you get that sorted before the birthday on Sunday or everyone will complain'.

Ok...so now I am totally paranoid. For me it is not a big deal. If someone only has instant, I drink it. However, for all the coffee snobs out there.....am I making a fatal mistake if I dont have my Nespresso machine back in time for my daughters birthday on Sunday? In total 9 kids and their parents are coming over to our place. This is actually stressing me out. I don't want coffee-gate come Monday morning!

I drink water from the tap. Our tap water is very good. I do live in Scotland and our water does not contain fluoride. I live in a soft water area and can honestly say the water in the tap tastes the same as the bottled stuff.

@ThanksForAllTheFish see I think that would make a world of difference.

I live in a city and our water supply is heavily fluoridated.

Also my dp works at a chemical manufacturer upstream and I have met some of the operators. In dp's words 'if they had a brain cell between them they'd be dangerous'

instant coffee gives me indigestion.
so I'm will your friend.
but as a one off for a party any hot caffeinated drink will do

@ BillywigSting I also live in a large city but we are fortunate to have good water. I remember one time I was chatting to a work colleague who had just moved up from London. He was talking about running out of bottled water that morning so couldn’t make his squash for work. It took me a while to process that people used bottled water to make squash. He looked at me suspiciously when I tried to explain our tap water was fine to drink and tastes just the same as bottled water. In the end up it took 4 of us to convince him to even try the tap water. I suppose it really does depend on where you live. I have tried the water even further north - up the highlands and they have even nicer water. I couldn’t get enough of it.

My heart genuinely sinks when someone offers me coffee (yes please yes please) but then it turns out to be I stand (it’s an actually different drink and tastes nothing like ground coffee).

Instant coffee is disgusting muck. I like real coffee, and I like tea, but I don’t drink instant.

If I was a guest in someone’s house, and instant was the only coffee available, I would politely ask for a cup of tea instead.

I didn't know instant coffee was a thing until I moved to the UK. I don't like any coffee so I don't mind but nobody I know like constant coffee. Since I don't drink coffee people seem very grateful that I have non-instat coffee to offer when they come around.

.....
This thread's like a different planet don't drink tap water in London? Eh? Why? I don't do any sort of machine for coffee. That's just faff. Mind you, I'm a tea drinker beyond a coffee in the morning. With cold milk from the fridge (is that a bad thing? I've no idea) and a sugar.
So, in my house, you get Surrey tap water, PG Tips (will drink others in other houses, I'm not so rude), Douse Egberts gold blend. And milk. Guess that's why nobody visits....
Though, saying that, I can't imagine any one of my friends complaining about a drink in someone else's house. Surely that's just manners?

Our tap water smells like a swimming pool there's no way I'm drinking it as it comes out of the tap.

I used to live in Ireland and the tap water was lovely, almost sweet.

I have also on many occasions asked for tea when I know the only coffee available is instant

Douwe*

I drink tap water. Live in London. We fill up bottles from the tap and let them cool in the fridge.

*No grounds, did she think we wouldn’t notice?meaning? You like to taste grounds in your coffee?

meaning? You like to taste grounds in your coffee?

If you make filter coffee in a Cafetière, there’ll be grounds at the bottom because that’s how you make the coffee.

If you serve instant in a Cafetiere, there won’t be.

Awhhhh! I thought you meant there were no grounds actually in the coffee can you tell I've never used a cafetiere

We don't have capsule machines because of the recycling issue ( although I know it's now easier to get recyclable ones). We have a cafetière and three stove top espresso machines and an aero press. We also have instant decaf and normal. We buy decent brands of instant. I think people are snobs about coffee. My DH only gets his takeaway coffee from one ( independent) in town because all the others taste like shit ( they don't)

can you tell I've never used a cafetiere

Yes

However, much as I love proper coffee, there is no job I hate more than cleaning the grounds out of the cafetiere. Gritty, mucky little fuckers get everywhere.

I imagine a tiny pretty little Botoxed nose trying to wrinkle but only managing the tiniest puff of a changed facial position

I like good instant as much as proper coffee. To me they’re completely different but both nice. I’d not be rude and enough to turn my nose up at whatever I was offered though.

I didn't used to like coffee because I'd only ever tried instant, went to Italy on holiday when I was 18 and tried real coffee as it should be. It's a totally different drink. Instant is disgusting and I have tried azera.

As someone else has said when you drink coffee black you can really taste the difference.

Just to tell everyone... The Happy Belly Colombian from Amazon is absolutely delicious. I realised our french press was broken the other day when getting out the party stuff for xmas, so bought a new stainless steel one from Amazon and tried their ground coffee on a whim.

So damn smooth! (When using double filter on the press) No bitter taste, more fruity aftertaste.

DELICIOUS.

Instant coffee tastes like gravy to me. It's bears no resemblance to coffee. In the way a Kraft Cheese slice bears no resemblance to a slice of cheddar.

It's not about snobbery but taste.

Some people have tried the slice and the Cheddar and decide the Cheddar is to their taste and they now doesn't like the slice. To others, the Cheddar tastes horrible and prefer the slice.
Others haven't had the Cheddar, like the slice and that's fine.

"Wow I'm surprised to see so much snobbery! But then I mainly drink coffee for the buzz rather than the taste so would never turn my nose up at instant if I was tired...". Yes, precisely.
I drink Pukka Earl Grey with a hint of lavender at home, but I wouldn't go all Hyacinth Bouquet if I went to my friends and offered me a PG Tips. I would.be polite and remember my good manners and not be an obnoxious house guest.

Can i ask what the instant coffee haters do drink? (Cafetiere, filter machine, nespresso pods? No need to comment on environmental factors, I know some don't like the pods).

Cafetière mostly.

I have a nespresso, but don’t use it that much. The machine in work however makes a great cup, so I’m wondering what the difference is.

I am fantasising about getting a small bean to cup machine.

Bean to cup machine. Best money I ever spent.