Generally, our goal here at A & E Roastery is to include you in our love affair with coffee. We want you to join us on a journey into the art of coffee, the craft of coffee…the aromas, the flavors, the nuances of fairly grown and traded coffees. We offer real coffee made by and for real people. But can we get REALLY real for a minute?

Entirely aside from the lack of romance in every convenient “pod” of pre-packaged coffee, you should know what you are paying for, and as a consumer you should know just how much you are paying.

Coffee pods vs. beans

A recent analysis of the cost per pound, of coffee pods, versus the cost, per pound of bean coffees and their freshly ground brethren shows that you will pay much more for your pod coffee.  Apparently the cost of convenience is about $50/lb. (Fifty dollars!) Plus, in that wee plastic cup, that’s really all you get. None of the aforementioned romance…no customization of your coffee experience.

The New York Times describes what you DO get rather neatly:

“When it comes to single-serve systems, you’re not just paying for coffee, you’re paying for convenience and the technology that makes it possible to brew a single cup in seconds. Pop in the pod, push the button: it’s a sure thing every time. Supermarkets and specialty stores are filled with items that make it easier on you, and it’s up to the shopper to determine if it’s worth it.”

For comparison, we give you real coffee, with the real experience and the real art of it…at a real price of between $15.99/lb and $16.99/lb for most of our locally-roasted and expertly-selected organic coffee beans. For those with a serious coffee habit especially – the benefits of the authentic experience reveal themselves with crystal clarity!

But the difference may be all in the mindset of the drinker…again the NYT sums that up nicely:

“Where single-serve coffee falls on that spectrum depends on whether you regard coffee as something you make or something you drink.” In short, it depends on what you expect from the experience.

Generational perspectives may be another factor: not so long ago, people measured coffee in pounds. These days…we purchase our coffee in a cup. Have marketing and specifically-packaging changed the way we think about what we drink?

While you’re mulling that over (and perhaps sipping something delicious)…watch as this coffee artist reveals something entirely different with steamed milk as his muse.