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

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 !

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! :)

Originally Posted by 3D3B26302B263078707179490 link=1330002107/0#0 date=1330002107

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.

Originally Posted by 3D3B26302B263078707179490 link=1330002107/0#0 date=1330002107

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

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.

Originally Posted by 40465B4D565B4D050D0C04340 link=1330002107/0#0 date=1330002107

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).

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.

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.

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. :)

Originally Posted by 444D531617270 link=1330002107/4#4 date=1330035821

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.

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

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.

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.

Originally Posted by 5D5B46504B465018101119290 link=1330002107/0#0 date=1330002107

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 :D). 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

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.

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!

I work in the industry and so for me part of getting a decent set up for home use was so that I could spend even more time practising, perfecting my technique, and learning more about various coffees.

For me the thing I love most about coffee is that there is always something interesting to learn and something new to try. Even though my home set up is probably the envy of a lot of snobs, there are lots of other things I would still love to have.

I love the routine of making coffee at home, and the chance to relax and enjoy coffee in the home setting, rather than having a quick coffee before the start of a shift etc.

As for visiting cafes, I will admit that I dont just go anywhere for a coffee. But I love the specialty cafes who take pride in what they serve, and regularly visit them even though I have home equipment which allows me to make coffee as good as what I can get from cafes. I do this because I love the industry, I love socialising with like minded coffee enthusiasts, and I just love the idea of sitting in a cool cafe and just relaxing and enjoying a great cup. One of my favourite things is any cafe/restaurant who knows hospitality. Its great having those amazing cafes which feel like a home away from home.

Sorry for the crazy long post but this topic struck a chord with me. Take it easy and good luck with your decision.

cafe?
whats a cafe?

main reason I make my own coffee in the morning is due to time, 40 min commute to work and the coffee place near work is pretty ordinary, nothing on the way to quickly stop by either

every cafe around the area I work in is always so damn busy, sometimes to the point where its standing room only

basically i dont bother with cafes near work or home as they are always too busy, loud or overpriced

ive got a regular spot near a client which I sometimes stop by to treat myself

Originally Posted by 7B687B6C672F726B686D6B1E0 link=1330002107/15#15 date=1330166915

Sorry for the crazy long post but this topic struck a chord with me.

as did your post with me gary - cheers!

thank you all for taking the time, its great to hear your points of view; for me there is no greater question than why?

troy

I like roasting my own coffee at home and I like to be able to consume it how I like - at my leisure - which means espresso based most of the time

And working in the industry I require a decent machine setup to produce a quality coffee on par with what I can produce at work

And I still find the consistency of coffee in many cafes very questionable - and will often not risk disappointment when I know I can make a great tasting coffee myself, in my own time, and at my own pace - and if Im not completely happy with the result, then down the sink it goes and start over to produce a better end result

I also do some catering jobs and local fund raisers making coffee - and having a portable commercial coffee machine allows me to do this

But I guess mostly its to explore the subtle nuances of different coffees - if I want to continue to refine my palate and to increase my knowledge of my product - I need to be able to extract the coffe on a setup which is going to do the product justice...

P

I make at home because of the variability of the quality of coffee in a cafe on any given day, mood of the barista, quality of their supplies and how busy they are. You might get great coffee one morning when its slow, your barista has had good sleep and feels like making you a perfect cup. And bitter dishwater the next. I estimate that even visiting a great cafe with good baristas you still only get a good cup 60% of the time. So thats 40% of my money wasted. >:( Sure you can take it back but do you get a better coffee? Not usually. You just get the same thing back a 2nd time because thats all the barista is capable of, or they just dont like your attitude. The weakest link in shop coffee is the people making it.

I also work shifts so availability of good coffee at 2am is extremely limited. :( Having a home machine works wonders for me. And I get cafe quality coffee at home on my inexpensive setup. Although I dont have a commercial machine and grinder, I do have care and attention. Even the best machinery in the wrong hands can make awful coffee. ::) My experience is that you dont have to spend $3k-$5k just to get a coffee equal to your local.

Since Ive been home brewing I have bought a coffee from my local. It was quite simply awful compared to what I now make at home. Bitter and burnt, only the milk was good. :-
If I burn my shot, I grind and pull a better one. I dont stick it in a cup and cover it up with milk. ::)

I dont visit a lot of cafes, the last coffee I bought was from a coffee van and was a total disappointment. The person (I wont use the term barista) didnt even watch the pour (it was a gusher), she just placed the cup under the spout, hit the button and turned away to collect my money. She had all the gear you could ever need, but none of the passion.

Ill eat out any chance I get, but rarely drink coffee from a cafe, there have been too many let downs.

The whole coffee thing started for me when I was given a fairly serious machine and stumbled across this website while researching cleaning, maintenance etc. The bug bit, so I bought a grinder, then bought a better grinder. Made a tamper, then bought a better tamper. Found a roaster, then built better roasters. And so on.

Its ultimately about the coffee, but other real benefits are the learning experience and the enjoyment of getting it right more consistently, in a process that started with green beans.

Whats more satisfying, the godshot you buy, or the one you pour yourself?

Originally Posted by 5C4E564955585E525B5B58585A48443D0 link=1330002107/18#18 date=1330206046

But I guess mostly its to explore the subtle nuances of different coffees

nail on the head right there as far as im concerned....

ive tried to convince my partner that all that wine i drink is for exactly the same reason; im just trying to improve my palette!

i dont even go as far as $2K.
Rancilio Silvia plus Rocky Grinder doser plus a bottomless portafilter and Synesso double (19-21gr) basket/spring and a good espresso cup is ~$1400 all up.
I only buy beans from the outside, everything else is now home made. In my case its simple because I only make double espresso and double ristretto. No milk, no sugar.
From time to time i try a double espresso from the coffee shop and it just reinforces my decision to drink what I make.
It costs me about 60 cents to make a double espresso (based on 19-20 grams of coffee beans, no milk and no sugar). A white coffee may double this to ~$1.20 per cup. I live in Melbourne so I use tap water. If you use filtered water then add some more costs.
You can do the rest of the maths. :)

I have been drinking coffee since i was about 7 or 8 years old. Even though it was the instant stuff i still liked the taste. It wasnt until i was 26 i thought i would get my own machine and started to take it more seriously. I look back now and wonder why i took so long.
Since then, two things have happened, 1. My love for coffee and perfecting how i have it and how my friends and family may like it. 2. I now go to coffee shops and and cafes more than i use to as i also like to taste what other people have to offer.
At the end of the day though, i like the coffee that i produce. Like i see from a lot of the people on here you start with a basic machine then build up to buying something around 2-3k and not think twice about it. Why cause like anything else in life its a hobby and a great hobby at that that i like to share with other people. COFFEE RULES!!!!
:)

Hey folks, this is a great question.* One could also ask why cook a meal at home when you can visit so many fast food places.* :-X

Well, for me its genetic!* As the son of Italian post war migrants, I have no choice.* Growing up in my parents home there was always some kind of coffee making apparatus on the stove every day.* I didnt even know what instant coffee was or tasted like until my late teens.

Growing up with home coffee was fine enough, but then I was lucky to spent some time in Italy.* Ever since, Ive been trying to reproduce that coffee lifestyle in Australia.* All the time searching for Italian styled coffee bars where ever I go and at home Im always trying to achieve the perfect crema.*

So, thats my story.* Im sure there are thousands of other Italian descendants like me with the same story.* :)