Coffee or Convenience?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/24/its-true-americans-like-to-drink-bad-coffee/

In this recent article by the washington post, the trend of coffee drinkers to take convenience over quality is discussed at length. The article shows the trend (which is still rising) of americans to meander into their grocery store and buy pre-ground coffee off the store shelves – much to the behest of coffee connoisseurs such as myself (and probably you if you’re on this blog) who take pride in buying whole bean, freshly roasted coffee.

What the article doesn’t tell you, is this is a trend that has been taking place throughout the 20th century – the desire for coffee to be at your disposal quickly and effortlessly while you’re bleary eyed and groggy in those early A.M. hours is not, by any means, a new concept.

Electricity meets coffee

The Dulane CoffyRyte – a bit extreme of an example of an ad for the potential “future” of coffee back in 1952. But it shows how people wanted technology to get them their coffee faster and easier.

In the 1950’s an electric coffeemaker would probably have your grandmother doing backflips.  No more boiling water, no more pouring hot water. Just put some coffee in the filter, water in the tank, and plug it in. You now have coffee for the whole family, just like that.

This was very much the trend throughout the 20th century, as soon as electricity hit coffee, people never wanted to look back. My mother always says there were plenty of coffee machines, but there was only one Mr. Coffee – they were plugged by major sports athletes and movie stars everywhere. Naturally everyone wanted one.

A good example of a vintage (probably 70’s) automatic drip coffee machine. I actually have one of these at home – this one features a “timer” to start making your coffee automatically at a certain time.

People wanted their coffee fast and effortlessly, plus coupling it with the latest technology, these automatic drips being new, why should anyone want to look back?

Back to the Coffee Stone Age

Well, since coffee technology has stalled out in more recent years (don’t get me wrong, theres always a new product, a new electric brewer thats a bit different, but they’re not really doing anything function wise that hasn’t been done before) and the rising, albeit somewhat niche market, for craft coffee has appeared on the scene. Cafe’s are now adopting vintage methods of brewing coffee. The return to these “primitive,” time consuming methods of brewing coffee, coupled with potentially expensive high quality coffee is a dream come true for those of us who want a gourmet cup.

Yet as the washington post has laid out for us, this is by no means a big market. The majority of americans still want their coffee fast and easy – as they have for the past 70 years.

Do you want Coffee or Convenience?

Some see coffee as a delivery method for caffeine, and theres absolutely nothing wrong with that. Quality coffee is expensive, unless roasted at home, which is time consuming. Not to mention not everyone wants to boil water and risk spilling it all over their table and themselves at 6 A.M. every morning. Theres also the need for new brewing devices, which need purchasing before you can get started with pourover, french press, etc.

The only thing in the Washington post article that I cannot fully agree with is that “the average american tasting gourmet coffee and not appreciating it.” From my own personal expericence, my first taste of pour over was love at first sip. I know this isn’t the way it always is, some of my friends have found my freshly roasted coffee a bit “weird” for their tastes. So don’t feel bad if you don’t like craft coffee! You all can and should keep on keepin’ on with what works for you. The niche market of gourmet, freshly roasted coffee may not break through to the main stream, but it demands to be noticed in the age of convenient coffee.

What kind of coffee drinker are you? Gourmet coffee or bust? Caffeine is all I need? Maybe you hate coffee, who knows.

I’d love to hear what you think of this issue!

Once again – until next time, stay caffeinated my friends!