AIBU to buy instant coffee for the builders.

[IloveConkers]

I’ve been giving the builders nespresso coffee and it’s grating on me and my pocket a bit! Is it super tight if go out and i buy them instant?

No, it’s fine, I’m sure they will be just as happy with instant.

I’m sure they wouldn’t mind they would probably be just grateful of anything . I’m sure some jobs they go to don’t offer them anything at all .

I’d be bankrupt from the amount of coffee my builders drink if it wasn’t instant!

It would be instant in my house as that's all that I have available.

We used to have a plumber/gasman who would always turn out quickly in an emergency, he used to say, half joking, we gave him good coffee, in a clean mug and that we paid promptly. Some things are worth keeping sweet, maybe you can buy some good quality instant coffee or do you have a cafetiere?

I’d lend them a kettle and put it on a tray with some mugs, sugar, a carton of milk & a jar of instant & let them get on with it.

Plenty of people like instant, and if you’re in a job where you expect others to make you hot drinks you should just be grateful for anything tbh! Any workmen I’ve had here take plenty of breaks through the day when they can go and get a Costa if they want to!

Unless I'm making a cup for myself I let them help themselves. Instant is fine.

I honestly think they will be grateful just to get a hot drink. My dp is a builder and is always so grateful when offered a hot drink by a customer. He wouldn't care if it was instant.

@RoyKentsChestHair

The builders you use must be different to my dp - he doesn't expect anything but appreciates the gesture if he gets offered a drink. And he def doesn't take loads of breaks or go near a Costa. Mostly a 10 hour day - takes lunch with him and barely stops! Think he's going wrong somewhere

Yep do it. We did this after a week as it was costing a fortune in coffee and me in time! They just made their own after a week.

Omg what on earth are you doing giving them Nespresso

I wouldn’t have started faffing around making nespresso for anyone in the first place unless I really liked them! That said I drink tea and not coffee so all coffee seems like a massive faff except instant!

I agree with setting up a drinks station “here’s the tea, coffee, milk and sugar, please help yourselves!” and pop a box of biscuits out for them to take.

Nothing against builders I just don’t have the time! And I dislike being cast as the “little woman” bringing out tea and coffee as I’m doing my job too!

@chocolatemonster

I honestly think they will be grateful just to get a hot drink. My dp is a builder and is always so grateful when offered a hot drink by a customer. He wouldn't care if it was instant.

@RoyKentsChestHair

The builders you use must be different to my dp - he doesn't expect anything but appreciates the gesture if he gets offered a drink. And he def doesn't take loads of breaks or go near a Costa. Mostly a 10 hour day - takes lunch with him and barely stops! Think he's going wrong somewhere

Where is he based? Sounds like an absolutely dream and we are looking for a builder

I'd say as long as you don't go and buy the cheapest one you can find I used instant for the workers we had here for some time and when they had nearly finished the job they actually came with a cartoon of milk and a jar of coffee because they said I'd made them so many coffees they wanted to replace them 🤣

We use instant for workmen but nespresso for us. I like instant sometimes too!

If they are there for more than a day or two I would definitely give them a kettle on a tray with acceptable instant (ie not the cheapest value range) and milk and let them crack on. I’m not making multiple hot drinks a day for weeks on end for workmen.

Well I would rather drink a cup of piss but since you're not a coffee shop then it's fine. You're under no obligation to give them any drinks. They are grown adults with money, land access to vehicles and shops, they can go buy coffee if they care what kind they are getting.

Oh how inhumane. You can’t possibly expect them to do a good job on instant coffee??? You’ll find your house in total disarray. Surely you can run to a nice large French press/cafetière. (Bodum do a very large bearable, entry-level one for a mere £40 or so) and give them a vacuum flask with fresh ground beans. Buy already ground if you must. Instant though, I ask you?!

I just of course. Get a big ol’ jar of instant, lend them the kettle and leave them to it. they really won’t care that much. By all means treat them to the odd round of Maccy Ds coffees if you want to keep them sweet.

I think a decent coffee and biscuit goes a long way to generate goodwill. Compared with the cost of the job, surely the cost of a few coffees is small fry? Seems a bit tight to give instant coffee (unless that's what you drink anyway)

If you genuinely feel bad about offering them instant, the Lavazza Prontissimo is actually not unbearable, and I’m a right coffee snob.

I'm American so, like most Americans, I think instant coffee is the work of the devil. I think any workmen who come to my house would agree. I'm not going to offer them anything that I wouldn't drink.

I wouldn’t give anyone instant, unless they asked. I’d just put out ground coffee and a press with the tea and milk and tell them to help themselves.

My discerning Latvian builder wouldn’t drink instant and I wouldn’t want offer anyone something I wouldn’t drink myself.

@chocolatemonster

I honestly think they will be grateful just to get a hot drink. My dp is a builder and is always so grateful when offered a hot drink by a customer. He wouldn't care if it was instant.

@RoyKentsChestHair

The builders you use must be different to my dp - he doesn't expect anything but appreciates the gesture if he gets offered a drink. And he def doesn't take loads of breaks or go near a Costa. Mostly a 10 hour day - takes lunch with him and barely stops! Think he's going wrong somewhere

@chocolatemonster. Does he fit kitchens? Are you in the SE? I just want someone good and trustworthy (with quite & time really). He can have hit drinks and snacks as often as he likes.