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 must be a complete philistine then, because I prefer Dowe Egberts Gold over any other type of coffee - freshly ground or otherwise. I find almost all Nespresso/posh/barista coffees far too bitter, whereas Dowe is very smooth.

Nespresso and similar are overrated. Get a cafetière or a stovepot device.
If Illy instant is better than Azeri, Azeri must be woeful.

1. Your friend is rude/an insecure snob
2. Nespresso isn’t that great, which makes your friend even more idiotic
3. Instant coffee is perfectly okay if you don’t have real coffee at home
4. The best instant coffee is Percol (Azera is okay though) - my MIL put me onto it - I think it’s the ‘Italian’ one that’s the best.

In short YANBU.

He was a coffee snob who never drinks instant because he can tell. I assume people who don’t like (decent) instant just make shit coffee.

Nope. Some of us can very much taste the difference. Not because we're snobs but because we genuinely love good coffee. Don't assume everyone is like your colleague. Sounds like he's just jumped on what he thinks is a bandwagon. Tell him to go drink some kombucha or something if he's trying to be cool.

Err...Azera. Sorry.

I always drink instant, I hate that strong barrista stuff. I'd draw the line at mellow birds though.

Ok, thanks everybody! Feeling a bit calmer now!

Seriously???

I would buy value instant coffee or squash and leave it to her choice.
Do people have such small lives ?

instant is fine and I'm lazy so have it at home most of the time. A nice latte when I'm out shopping is a treat but I think instant is probably healthier as well as less caffeine.

I prefer instant. I can't stand the nasty bitter gritty bits in the posh stuff.

You'd only get Azeera here no tea option unless you drink one of the herbal teas I keep in. Thankfully the people who come to my house don't think themselves special in their tastes.

I don't drink instant but would have enjoyed a cup of tea instead. She was rude.

DH drinks the cheapest instant that is nasty and he drinks it black. Blech.

Give them tea. Problem solv3d

Oh dear god. Nespresso don't have plastic pods they have aluminium which is infinitely recyclable and all ours go back for recycling. A months worth is about the equivalent of 6 cans of coke in aluminium.

Sorry OP instant is VILE. To me it tastes like strong beef gravy! I would reject it but wouldn't judge you if you had decent wine as an alternative.

I drink Aldi decaf, the freeze dried one. I honestly don't know anyone who has a coffee machine..... Most of the pod ones are an environmental disaster.

Had people refuse our Azera Intenso (what we always drink) in a snobby way, but if they accidentally drink it they often say how nice it is. Peeves me that one of the inlaws still refuses our instant (whilst wrinkling her nose) despite taking milk and 3 sugars anyway

OP I think you should crack out the jelly, party rings, birds trifle and bowls of wotsits - fuck it, in for a penny in for a pound!

They won’t give a shit what coffee you’re serving then from the sounds of it

Also even though the pods are technically recyclable it would be impossible to clean inside and only clean items can be recycled. Sorry to all those pod addicts, pretty sure they are carefully sorted back to landfill at the recycling point. At least it provides someone there with a job though

"Give them tea. Problem solved"

I feel about tea as some do about Coffee. Rooibos is my, go to. But I also like other blends. I will drink 'builder' tea, done weak and black.

I would never comment on what I was served.

I prefer instant! Find ground too strong & bitter

Instant is just quite a different drink. I associate it with old people - my parents drink it by the bucket load & regard making a pot of "real" coffee as something of a treat even using inexpensive beans.

DH and I rarely even have instant in. We have a chemex pot which we would use if the espresso machine broke!

Get a cafetiere....

Hyggemama is totally right re pods.

They are terrible - a way to quadruple the revenue from cheap beans while creating loads of waste pods.

I would never drink instant (Nespresso is only marginally better) only freshly made but if I were at someone else's house I would just happily drink tea instead rather than making a fuss.

Nespresso pods are recyclable. I send mine back everytime I order. I honestly can't enjoy a cup of instant. I prefer proper coffee from a machine but nespresso is definitely the biggest winner in terms of taste/cost/lack of fiddly bits to wash up.

Some people dislike instant, some flatly refuse to drink it. It doesn’t matter. The reaction of your friend was very rude. If I was offered a drink I dislike, I’d simply say ‘no thank you’ or ‘not right now thank you’.
I think Nespresso is overrated. I drink instant or fresh from cafetière, my coffee machine is a bit of a faff to use. I only offer fresh from cafetière if I have guests as I like the ritual of it. Otherwise it’s tea.