Instant Coffee for guests?

[vagriller]

I appreciate all the comments, thanks! I was actually set on the idea of buying a nice coffemaker earlier today. Then I thought about it some more and realized that it will probably be used infrequently. Then I remembered all those times when I felt awkward for not being able to offer coffee to guests. Then I read here about ways I can still serve coffee without a coffeemaker! Besides, for the price of the coffeemaker I was considering, I can get half of that KA stand mixer I've been wanting ... (If the men are still following this, you've just gained insight into how a female mind works... )

At the end of the day, I guess it depends on how good a host one wants to be. A coffeemaker is probably essential to good entertaining. I've always felt the absence of a coffeemaker in my kitchen when we have guests. I guess it's high time to fix this problem. I guess the solution is to just buy a basic coffee drip model and save my money for that KA!

I would definitely not get a high end coffee maker. I have a $20 drip model that works great! And you can get them cheaper than that if you want. I could get them for free over here.

 

[Gretchen]

I had not noticed that the poster was in Thailand. If you don't want to serve coffee (I assume this is after dinner?) then I wouldn't. And maybe the poster that said instant coffee would be okay is correct. Is brewed coffee the "norm" in Thailand?

 

[Claire]

I happen to like ONE particular brand and type of instant coffee (Taster's Choice Hazelnut). But have Hawaii freinds who regularly send me various Kona and Maui coffees that I have on hand for fussy guests.

THAT SAID, no one should feel obligated to buy equipment and food for guests that they will never again use themselves. And it is a very, very poor guest who expects that. Many of us have very special guests who mean so much to us that we do go that extra mile. Since I rarely drink coffee any more (I have unsteady hands and caffeine makes it worse) and my husband is perfectly happy with the instant, we've gone without real coffee or a maker for it for years at a time, and our guests haven't been offended. I now have a poly-perk (cheapest coffee maker on the market, plus I don't have to worry about it breaking if it winds up in the back of my least accessible storage place), and brew coffee for guests that way. They seem happy enough with it (but that may be that I pay extra for good water, and have that $$$$$ Hawaiian coffee!).

We all have things that we are fussy about when we are in our own homes, and are paying for and preparing it outselves. But when you travel and/or are houseguests, I don't think it is right to expect to get things just your way in another person's home or country.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I live in Venezuela, where there are 4,000 ways of serving coffee.
ALWAYS fresh coffee.
If anyone served instant coffee here, they'd be lynched, stripped to the bone, rubbed with hot chilli powder, hung from a lamp post and left to the vultures.
(Only kidding!)

I'd try to avoid it - it doesn't take more than 10 minutes to make fresh ground coffee, even if you use a saucepan!

 

[DynArb]

I never offer instant coffee. You see good coffee is a widely available chance to please guests. That's why I always thoroughly choose the brand. Last half of a year I use Javaberry. It is the absolutely hit. When my guests feel this aroma they just become the best friends of my family. It is traditional coffee with outstanding bright taste. Highly recommend to use Javaberry or other coffee of high quality.

 

[lulu]

Instant is revoltingly common in Europe. We always have a jar. I know some English people who PREFER instant (???????). But, we have an Italian espresso maker in three sizes (each one was under 15 pounds sterling) and a cafetiere with a plunger. To have one or other shipped to you would be very inexpensive and then you can just buy ground coffee as an when you need it.

To spend a fortune on a piece of equipment that you will get little pleasure from is mad! Use the money on something YOU want!

 

[ChefJune]

Personally, I'd never serve instant coffee to anyone. I don't even have it in the house! Coffee will keep indefinitely if you wrap the package well and keep it in your freezer. I don't drink it all that often myself any more, but I always make it for dinner parties, and whenever someone is over who wants some.

 

[Reanie525i]

My question must have sounded really stupid huh? If you come from Asia, it won't have sounded as stupid since Asians generally don't mind getting served instant coffee/tea. However, in this day and age of designer coffees and teas, I guess people's tastes and sensibilities are improving ... and if I want to be a good host, I should invest in some nice gizmos... I'm glad to have heard it from you guys

Chopstix - There is no such thing as a "Dumb" Question - It's all a matter of taste and cultural differances - I learned something new about Asia and coffee customs! I do admit that I love my fresh coffee but would be gratefull for even instant coffee rather than no coffee at all!!

 

[ChefJune]

Choop, you don't need "gizmo's" just a good, basic 12-cup drip coffeemaker will have you ready for your dinner parties... for a one or two-cupper situation, I love the French press...

 

[DynArb]

Personally, I don't even have it in the house!

!!! Me too.

 

[FraidKnot]

i'm just curious, what kind of horrid event would cause you to drink instant coffee?

How about in the event of a natural disaster where you're boiling water on a grill or in a fireplace since plugging in the coffee maker won't get you anywhere?

I wish I could recall the name of the instant coffee this guy served where I used to work (we're talking 1977 or so)... had a red label and I think it started with a K. It wasn't anything I'd ever heard of before. Not Nescafe or Tasters Choice freeze-dried crap. It was a powder but it tasted like a nice rich freshly roasted cup of coffee. I can almost see the label in my mind. It will come to me eventually.

Fraidy

Ah! Just got it! It was simply called Kava!

 

[licia]

We never drink instant coffee - I don't buy it. BUT, I have had some very good instant coffee in the past - the problem was no two cups were ever the same, even if they were made exactly alike. DH drinks quite a lot of coffee and I drink 1/2 to 1 cup in the morning and another 1/2 in early afternoon. I like it a lot, just don't drink that much. I try to drink water instead of everything else.

 

[wannabechef]

I think it just fine serving instant coffee to a guest. It is the company and conversation that really matters. You seem to be a good host/hostess? just by wondering if this is ok. I have been to Asia many times and serve instant coffe in my home there. A coffee drinker can usually choke it down if my conversation is better than coffee.

 

[lindatooo]

I just looked and it seems I do have some instant coffee in my kitchen though I cannot say why. I would never drink the stuff and I would never serve a guest something I would not consume.

You can look for a Gevalia offer. They sell very good coffee. When you sign up many times they will send you a free coffee-maker. You can get about a lb of coffee AND a coffee maker for about $25.00. Freeze the coffee and it lasts nearly forever and you have a coffee maker!

I'm currently using a 12 cup coffee maker from them and I have a 4 cup in the attic....

It's a no loose situation!

2 in Or

 

[The Z]

It depends on your local culture and the quality of the available product. When I lived in Australia, instant coffee was pretty good and commonly used. When I moved back to the U.S. I bought what I thought was a quality product and it was positively vile. In addition, I found it fairly hard to find something as simple as an electric kettle in which to boil water. Of course I now prefer nicely brewed quality coffee from ground beans, but I must admit that I have a jar of Nestle Classico in my desk drawer at work, where they use Folger's drip in the machine.... yuck!

 

[mrsmac]

I won't use instant coffee even in Australia Z ! I think life is too short to drink instant coffee and i would prefer tea or anything else to instant coffee! You can buy a plunger very cheaply and just keep that for visitors if you don't drink coffee yourself. I have a moccona/ philips Senseo machine which makes very quick coffee easily but is still "proper" coffee, I think they are available elsewhere in th world. they are only about $120AU.

 

[jennH]

I used to drink instant cofee but i think the taste is too organic so everyday i would wake up a little eariler and make my own coffee.

 

[Lynan]

Shoot me down in flames people... ....

I drink HEAPS of instant coffee these days. And, I only drink decafe as my BP aint the best, but after 10 years living in Italy making AND drinking copious amounts of the stuff I happily now drink instant. And I like it!! OK, so once a day I have a ristretto at a bar or Cafe.

I have no idea what your instant coffee is like in Thailand, never had it there, but if you do feel the need to supply ' proper' coffee then a moka as has been suggested, would be a great, cheap way to go. Plus, I can tell you that most Italian households use a moka, NOT a fancy machine for their daily coffee fixes. At home when I do make ' proper' coffee, I use Lavazza, made in a moka. In fact I have 4 sizes of them.

 

[Ishbel]

Invest in a cafetiere. Sizes from one cup, upwards. It's as quick to make coffee in one of those as it is to brew a nice cup of tea.

 

[shpj4]

I don't drink instant coffee - I only like the taste of real coffee. I wish I could be of some help to you but I have no idea what the name of the coffee you are trying to remember is.

Good luck.