Many people patronize a particular coffee bar (aka global coffee chain) simply because of the convenience of being able to take out a cup of their favorite brew. But as in any food-to-go service, there is a tendency for quality to suffer no matter how much they assure you of the care they put into preparing their products. Realistically, when an establishment churns out hundreds or maybe even thousands of cups of their coffee in a day, how much quality can actually be preserved?
For people who find that coffee is an indispensable part of their daily life, think of the times you had to endure the overly bitter or overly diluted coffee that is being served in your office kitchen or cafeteria? Guess what? You do not have to suffer in silence! Your day at work has to be productive, not miserable. Here are a few ideas that have been gathered from personal experience:
The most obvious--BYOC--bring your own coffee. Invest in a thermos bottle, prepare your coffee at home and bring it with you to your workplace. This will assure you of a constant supply of your own preferred coffee throughout the day. You might even save an officemate's sanity by sharing your homebrew with them.
Even instant coffee tastes better than stale coffee. And just what is stale coffee? Bland, flat, like brown colored hot water--you've tasted that a hundred times before right?
For the price of three cups from a coffee bar, you can buy yourself a small bottle of instant coffee and tuck it away in your desk drawer. Some brands even come in sachets similar to those where teabags are stored and good for one serving each. Then there are the fancier ones which come in different flavors like French vanilla, orange, etc. A bottle or can of those can last several days.
Be your office barista and become a star. This may be a bit trickier because this requires a sensible boss but needless to say, the reward is greater.
Start by asking your officemates what types of coffee they would rather have than the usual flat coffee in the company kitchen. If the officemates do not know much about coffee, you can even educate them on the different types of gourmet coffee beans around. Once you have a concensus, ask the boss if it would be okay to bring a different type of coffee to serve in office. You can even suggest to the boss that this idea will enhance productivity. If the boss agrees, do not forget to ask to be reimbursed. And if the boss does not agree, you still have ideas 1 and 2 to fall back to.
In today's fast paced go-go-go world, convenience is a concept that stands out and sadly it is at the expense of quality. How many times have you wished that you could have just "brown bagged" your lunch instead of standing in a long line just to endure a soggy meal served in a plastic box? The same can be said for coffee especially if you find it an indispensible part of your daily life.
With so many brands, flavors, and roasts of gourmet coffee to choose from nowadays and how easy they are to brew at home, why settle for the usual flat coffee when you can have its sweet aroma swirling out of your cup or bottle everyday? Spoiling yourself with it may require a little sacrifice, a little adjustment in your life style but just consider the fulfillment and the savings, and you probably will not feel as miserable through the course of your day.