Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

[troyboy1980]

im having trouble justifying the purchase a reasonable home espresso setup (~$2.5-3k) as opposed to just buying amazing quality shots from any of 3 local quality cafes im a regular at (top quality beans and baristas, pulled thru marzocco or synesso etc)

for just the purhase price (not including running costs) with this money i can buy:
two shots per day, every day, for a year and a half.
down to one shot a day and thats 3 years.
add in the associated costs of running a home setup for this time (repairs maintenance, cost of goods, wasteage etc) and who knows? point being its possibly (probably?) cheaper to just buy espresso shots than make them at home.

i get the joy of making my own coffee at the moment on my weekend job with commercial equipment.

so, aside from the beautiful fulfilling joy of creating something yourself in your own home for yourself and/or loved ones...

why do you make coffee at home?

and now that you are a home barista and are likely capable of regular god shots on your home setup:

do you still visit cafes?

why?

[lakeman]

Why?

1.I make coffee at home  for convenience as I am time poor , to help start the  day and  lastly to entertain friends.
2.I rarely have time to visit good cafes as
3. they are too far away and I make  better coffee  than my  local ones.


and lets face it
everyone loves playing with good looking toys !

[Ausnadian]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

We have one of the worst cafes in the world* 100m from my front door, but even so, the wife and I drink 4-6 coffees a day between us and dad always drops by when he is coming past. Then there is the wifes friends who are always around and when you add up the coffees made here in a week youd be looking at close to 35 per week on average. Multiply that by $4 and the savings are obvious.
That being said, its not about money, its about quality, and the ability to roast different origins and flavours, entertaining guests, convenience, and the fact that it is a hobby/love.

*I mean for coffee, the food is good, but the owner is a chef who is convinced she doesnt need training to be a barista and is arrogant enough to train the 15 year olds she employs at how to make good coffee.
oh and by world, clearly I havent visited every cafe in the world to make an accurate evaluation, but until I am proven there is worse coffee somewhere else, she will hold that title!

[specialpants]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

aside from the beautiful fulfilling joy of creating something yourself in your own home for yourself and/or loved ones... why do you make coffee at home?

Its a hobby/passion and like Lakeman said, I get to play with some nice toys in the morning. It adds a bit of time in the morning, but its enjoyable and I get to have a good cup of coffee.

do you still visit cafes?

why?

Sure do and for a variety of reasons including:
- time
- im not always at home
- i enjoy good food and good company etc

[cjt10]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

For me, various reasons, some have been stated.

1. I enjoy making coffee, not just drinking it. I like playing with the variables and having full control of the beans used.

2. I am time poor and for me it would be inconvenient to stop in at a coffee shop, not to mention all of the stuffing around trying to find one near me. I can get up on the weekend and enjoy a coffee (or three) all without leaving the comfort of my home.

for just the purhase price (not including running costs) with this money i can buy:
two shots per day, every day, for a year and a half.
down to one shot a day and thats 3 years.

The money for me doesnt come in to it. Whether its cheaper or more expensive is not a consideration for me but........what you havent taken into account is after 18 months I still have a set-up worth approx $1,700 (based on your $2.5 - $3k quote).

[Gnat]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

Definitely the enjoyment of making good coffee. There is something satisfying about nailing a great extraction. And its always nice to have some big shiny toys sitting on the benchtop to show off to visitors.

Oh and also theres the bit about getting to drink great coffee whenever you feel like it, without having to drive/walk to the local cafe.

[ddthiel]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

Time poor,  cash poor,  convenience for getting a good cuppa and the ability to entertain friends with better coffee than they are used to.

As a rule, I dont buy coffee anymore unless its green.

Okay - little mod here to brag: as sad as my set-up is, I have spent maybe $10 on equipment (technically, I bought the pressure cooker to use as a pressure cooker so I really got it from myself for free, second-hand, to roast coffee in - so that brings my expense on equipment down to $0). Brag Brag Brag.

[dski]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

Why do you make coffee at home?

I think its a very personal thing. I put it off for a very lng time as I used to live seconds from great coffee. Now, I make coffee at home because I often work from home, and there are no proper coffee shops in the vicinity.

Its not a money factor for me, but I do resent the "inverse cost to quality ratio" that seems to apply in Brisabane. Now that I do brew at home, it has become a great hobby, as others have said. Buying green beans has introduced another level to that hobby, and also saves me a little money.

I will always visit cafes as I enjoy doing so.

I would debate the "necessity" to fork out 3G for a set up required to make just 1 or 2 coffees a day. Though once you go commercial its hard to go back. If you had such a set up, it should go for many years, so you can adjust your sums accordingly...

Its a very personal thing.

[troyboy1980]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

Whether its cheaper or more expensive is not a consideration for me but........what you havent taken into account is after 18 months I still have a set-up worth approx $1,700 (based on your $2.5 - $3k quote).

good point - i hadnt considered resale value at all.

[scarey]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

Or alternatively factor in a two to three + decade useful lifespan typical for equipment in that price range with fairly modest maintenance costs.

[Paolo]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?


If I had a fabulous cafe close by I would frequent it at least once per week.

I live on the Central Coast of NSW between Sydney and Newcastle. The Central Coast is a Godshot desert as far as cafes go.

On visiting Sydney, I do make a point of going to a certain cafe near Broadway whenever time allows.
The rest of the time I partake of my own roasted beans and truly fabulous coffee on a daily basis.

I reckon that if I wasnt able to roast my own beans that I would most likely sell all of my gear. The longer that I am a Coffeesnob, the more I realize that using freshly roasted beans ie before they are 10 days maximum post-roast is the only way to go.

I also really enjoy being part of the whole process from green to shot to consumption.

[Stan]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

I like the effort one has to go through to get a better cup. I have and still do drink coffee from cafes but have yet to find one that exceeds what I have at home. I have been to two cafes that are very close to what I drink at home but they are not close enough to visit everyday.

I think it is an excellent hobby that gives me something to do with what spare time I have available. It creates a relaxing start to the day making the coffee because you cannot speed it up and get great results. I like the fact that I control the process from green bean to cup and I can add variations to change the experience some work others well they become fertilizer.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

why do you make coffee at home?

and now that you are a home barista and are likely capable of regular god shots on your home setup:

do you still visit cafes?

Notwithstanding the valid points raised above re the residual value of equipment, its got little to do with $$ for me. One, I dont fancy my favourite barista entering my bedroom at 7am (my 3rd fav. barista maybe ). Two, I quite enjoy taking 4-5 minutes to make a great cup of coffee at home, then relax with a book/crossword before getting ready for work. And finally, because what I make is invariably better than other easily accessible options. Still have a coffee at the cafe near my work, a couple of quite solid baristas but commercial (de-gassed) beans.
BOSW

[richard_m_h]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

At home I make coffee that suits my taste and I can play with the full range of single origin coffees and whatever blend takes my fancy.

[greenman]

Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

I graduated from instant to home made espresso in the quest for a better home made coffee.
I then discovered Coffeesnobs and a whole new world opened up before my eyes, the compulsion to purchase shiny new grinders, espresso machines, milk jugs, naked portafilters, popcorn machine, breadmakers/heatguns and then a 2kg roaster, tampers, ACF cups, pourovers, plungers, Clever Drippers and the list goes on...................
Coffee has become a passion for me, being able to start out with green beans, roast them and then brew them in the various contraptions at my disposal and share these brews with friends and family is a truly satisfying experience
Through coffee I have met many great like-minded people from all walks of life both in the industry and home enthusiasts who relish the opportunity to share our coffee journeys and I have made many friendships along the way
I still visit quality cafes regularly with family and friends, the Perth cafe scene is very healthy with new cafes sprouting up on a regular basis!