What Coffee do you purchase for guests?

Tom105
Level 2
Austin, TX

What Coffee do you purchase for guests?

I am not a coffee drinker and am not sure what my coffee drinking guests will want. Do you provide guests with Coffee Beans w/ a Coffee Grinder or do you provide them with individual Coffee Packets? Any specific recommendations?

23 Replies 23
Karen-and-Brian0
Level 10
Bragg Creek, Canada

Hi @Tom105 We have a coffee maker that grinds the beans and also can be used with pre-ground coffee, so we supply both beans & ground coffee. PersonalIy like Starbucks, especially their Yukon blend (its organic) but we also supply Tim Hortons because it's "Canada's favourite coffee". It's up to you - personal preference really. - Karen

We supply beans and a grinder from a local roaster  (usually NOT Starbucks) as part of our welcome basket.  We also usually have some ground and some decaf on hand, in case folks aren't familiar with grinding.

 

Since you're not a coffee drinker, you should ask some friends who are for their recommendation, or find a good local coffee shop and ask their recommendation for a good breakfast coffee.  It is indeed a personal choice--for example, I wouldn't do Yukon blend from Starbucks for breakfast, but their Sumatra is wonderful for morning coffee.

 

Good luck with it!

Kate157
Level 10
SF, CA

@Tom105 We use a single serve Kuerig-type coffee maker. We put the pods (compostible pods from San Francisco Bay Company) in jars for the guests. We put both caf and de-caf along with small packets of cream and a small sugar bowl. It is very good coffee, and we buy everything in bulk from Amazon. We also put a good selection of teas and an electric kettle. It is very clean, one of the reasons I don't use grounds. Grounds are messy, no matter what you do, so I prefer the k-cup method.

@Tom105

I'd suggest you look at coffee capsule or pod machine options. If you are not a coffee drinker, it will be a huge bother to have to keep fresh beans readily available for guests and capules/pods are much easier to manage. If you don't want to bother with a machine, single cup drip bag/packets are also a good alternative. (More or less the same as having tea bags.)

 

Personally, I'd prefer to have a few instant coffee single serve packets over drip coffee made with stale coffee beans. Starbucks VIA instant is actually pretty okay~

Farah1
Level 10
Seattle, WA

@Tom105 I always purchase a 12oz ground coffee. I have a small jar that says "coffee" on it and I feel the jar with the ground coffee. I also provide a coffee maker in the kitchen. I have a smaller jar that says "sugar" on it and that is where I put the sugar packages. I fill them out as needed between guests. Some guests finish all the coffee and some not. Guests who stay longer sometimes ask for a refill or they purchase their own refill depending on their preference.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Tom105 I provide both instant coffee and ground filter coffee. I wouldn't personally bother with beans and a grinder as I think it is just more mess for the guests or I to clean up after. The guests who use the filter coffee tend to leave behind a bit of a mess even if they try to clean up after themselves. I have an espresso type coffee machine with a milk frother, but this rarely gets used (luckily as it's also a bit of a pain to keep cleaning) as I also have caffetieres, which are much quicker to use/clean.

 

It's good to have the instant coffee as an option for guests who can't be bothered to make the filter stuff. You can get some pretty good 'barrista' style ones that taste almost like filter. They come in little metal tins with a resealable lid. They are more expensive than the regular filter ones, but here anyway, they seem to often be on half price offer at the supermarkets, so it works out the same.

 

Re brands of coffee, I don't really have a preference, but usually buy Lavazza for filter. What I've found is, that guests who use a lot of the filter coffee often replace it before they leave, which no one does with the instant coffee, teas or sugar. I guess they feel bad because, even though it's been offered to them, it's expensive. So, I actually haven't had to buy any in a while!

 

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Aw nice conversation @Tom105. I don't drink much coffee myself (more of a tea drinker), but like @Huma0 I do have a cafetiere which I like because it gives off a lovely aroma and it is pretty hassle-free! I buy the ready ground coffee and keep it in a tin, because I don't use it that often it keeps fresher this way. I have cracked a couple of the glass parts of the cafetiere before in the past though, mainly from the dishwasher, so something to be aware of, but you might be able to get one which is more protected. 🙂

 

After the great responses here, what are you thinking now about coffee?

 


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Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Lizzie I have a couple of chrome cafetieres (or I think they call it a French Press in the USA) which don't have any glass and do the same thing. They're also the perfect size for one or two cups, so I don't get the wastage mentioned elsewhere in this thread. I also keep the ground coffee in a tin, but in the fridge, where it lasts for ages. 

Willow3
Level 10
Coupeville, WA

I have a kettle, tea bags, and freshly ground coffee along with a French Press in my guest room. I provide the same coffee I drink - Costco Columbian. I grind it fresh for each guest, but it's not "just ground" fresh though it is in an airtight container. 

Going on two years of hosting and we've had the same problems as others have mentioned and then some. Coffee grounds everywhere or they would brew a whole pot just to drink one cup. Then wee had a Keurig and some folks would drink $10 worth of pods in a day. These would also ask for nut-free or non-dairy or vegan creamers. Guests broke that machine anyway. ABB would not pay for it. We bought another Keurig and the guests were picky about what kind of coffee and creamer and organic sugar...and then broke the second machine. We did not buy a third. We let them harass the barista at the nearby coffee shop instead.

Wow, that's terrible! Did you try including "Coffee making for dummies" style instructions? I can't believe people would be so disrespectful.

 

John1080
Level 10
Westcliffe, CO

I learned from a very experienced host early on, whatever type you buy, put it in a glass canister. The more they know, the more they have to complain about was the thought and it seems to be true.

Andreas-and-Anna0
Level 10
West Vancouver, Canada

Ground coffee, dark roast and medium roast and a flavoured one.

Sarah3294
Level 2
Boulder Creek, CA

Sarah3294_0-1583941908418.jpeg

I’m a new host and this is my coffee/tea offerings. I also have filters and a pour over thingy.