[Closed] Costa (lot) Coffee

Milk?

In Coffee??

Are you a girl?

I avoid those places like the plague! Too much unnecessary choice. 🙄

Some time ago I started a thread about the self-heating tins of coffee, will see if I can find it.

Would definitely be cheaper!

Black tea in Scotland isn't it druid?

I had a Costa Gingerbread Latte today 😳

Finally the stupid cow .......

She might have been new to the job, she might have had domestic issues on her mind, her mother might have just died, she might have suffered from a temporary ear infection.

It was only a cup of coffee.

Was it nice........did you enjoy it ?

ernie - no, the skill she displayed turning a simple request into an over-complicated cup of what still turned out to be a white coffee can only have been developed with years of training.

Oh, and the burning desire to be an awkward ****.

It was ok, but I realised I'd only drank about a quids worth when I tipped the cold remains away today.

[i]Was it nice........did you enjoy it ?[/i]

For £3.79 I'd have expected a multiple ****ing orgasm.

Are people completely round the bend or what? £3.79 for a coffee!!! I hope you never complain about the price of.....anything really.

Flask of coffee anyone.....nice n hot....milk no problem

I know quite a lot about coffee, and make my own at home with our Gaggia Classic machine. I've been a fan of proper espresso since before it was fashionable in the UK (i.e. since the early 1970s).

But I've got absolutely no idea what all those stupid names for the stuff, written on the walls of British cafes, mean. And neither, I suspect, does anybody working or drinking in those places.

To my shame, I have once had an espresso in a Costa Coffee, and one in a Cafe Nero. I have never been to any other chain, and I hope never to again. Just drink tap water during the day. You can't go wrong.

My Mom swears that (many years ago) she once asked for a coffee without milk at a self-styled high class hotel. She was told "we don't serve coffee with milk - you'll have to have it without cream"

Milk in coffee ... LOL!

How MUCH! Bloody hell ... £3.79 does that come with gold dust?

I never drink at those "fashionable" coffee houses.

I bought an electric mug you can plug into the ciggie lighter socket at Mountain High for under a tenner. No muppetry allowed when we talk coffee.

The costa in our tesco is quite cheap and tastes good enough.

I think people are happy to pay these prices becsuse it makes them feel they are in Sex And The City or something

She's not a stupid cow, she's a 'Barista'. 🙄 Although from experience they do mean the same thing!

£3.79 for a coffee!!!

Don't buy coffee in Perth (no, the other one) then! $8.00 a cup in some places 😯

To be fair here, you did order a "white coffee" (which would normally indicate a filter coffee) and then ask for "double shot" which would indicate an espresso based drink... no wonder the poor girl working there was confused and confirmed your order a couple of times.

I think the reason people have this belief that coffee is so expensive is because they're ordering espresso based drinks, without really understanding the level of skill required to make one properly**
If you just want a cheap, basic coffee it maybe worth just ordering a filter coffee in future. You'll probably find it a lot more reasonably priced for your expectations 🙂

--
**By which I don't mean to imply that the standard of training and materials supplied to the employees of most coffee chains is likely to make one properly.

^ Agreed. I also think the standard of Costa at motorway services is appalling compared to the ones on your high street, which themselves are very average. That, along with the price gets my goat! I'll try and stop at Starbucks on the services for their freshbrew filter stuff - I appreciate that's not always possible!

For future reference - what you want is a "Flat White".

This is a double shot Americano with milk in, but not uber milky like a latte or cappucino, so you can drink it after midday.

They understand when you ask for a Flat White in Edinburgh now, but it may take a while to seep out to the provinces.

£3.79 though was the water shipped in from Fiji ??

This is probably a good time to ask...when you order a Cappuccino, obviously they froth the milk, but is it normal for the froth to take up a third of the cup. The last time I discovered enough change in my wallet, I walked out thinking 'this cup feels a bit light', sure enough, a few gulps later I was left with a load of froth.

So now I get Lattes (or flat white) as you seem to actually get a full cup.

A babychino is 50p at costa - great for the bairns. Hot milk, chocolate on top and a marshmallow on the side 🙂

Costa services on the M60/M62 -I asked for a double Maciatto (sp?) basically a single with an extra shot . They charged me for two Maciatto's. I asked why?! They pointed out its 2x. I pointed to the board that it says '40p extra shot' and they said 'no it doesn't apply'.

Asked for the manager and he repeated what the staff member said.

I asked others in the queue (as I thought I'd finally lost my marbles) but the whole queue agreed with me that it was bizarre.

The Manager relented but I imagine its the Franchise owner(s) pulling a fast one.

Niche coffee, anyone?

spooky_b329 - Member

when you order a Cappuccino, obviously they froth the milk, but is it normal for the froth to take up a third of the cup.

Yup. 1/3 coffee, 1/3 milk, 1/3 foam. Standard cappuccino.

I stopped at Costa on the M4 Reading services early-ish one morning.
Stood at counter for a few minutes while a couple of girls pottered about with the coffee machine and till, neither spoke to me or even made eye-contact.

Eventually I asked 'are you open?'

to which one of them replied.... 'I don't know'

Okaaaay... bye then!

People working in motorway services in 'not-as-sharp-as-you' shocker.

Bless you all and your special cotton socks.

[img] [/img]

Customer in not having a clue what he's talking about shocker..

Let's hope some expensive coffee doesn't spoil your entire Christmas idyll....

Here's a tip - the prices are all on a big board on the wall. If you don't want to pay the price, don't use the shop and make other arrangements for hot drinks.

@BigJohn. Was your 'Mom' in America during this debacle?

I imagine if services were allowed to they'd charge you £1 to use the toilets.

Thank **** they have to provide this service FOC as part of their site/duty.

cuppacappycappacheeenoooo is indeed 1/3 1/3 1/3, lahhhdeeedahtay is usually a shot of expresso then the rest hot milk, sometimes topped with a small bit of steamed milk.. but not traditionally with the little dash of steamed milk if i remember correctly.

asking for what is a flat white with extra shots will confuse anyone working in a coffee vending establishment... I'm assuming you went in fully dressed and not dancing to songs nobody else can hear whilst wearing a camp-bed as a hat? If you did then its the barristers fault for not realising your mentally unhinged and just pouring you a glass of tap water and calling it holy water, then asking you to leave quietly.

you silly poor people, dont you know your overpriced hot drinks?

anyway, i'm off to sit in starbucks pretending to write something interesting on a Macbook through my thick rimmed glasses with no lenses feeling superior 😆

philconsequence - Member

<snip>
anyway, i'm off to sit in starbucks pretending to write something interesting on a Macbook through my thick rimmed glasses with no lenses feeling superior

I'm sitting at home having revved up the Rancillio peering at STW through thick lensed glasses and feeling slightly inferior....

What's an expresso?
Sounds like something you'd get told about at a breast feeding support group.

i'm sitting at home having loaded up the Gaggia with some of square mile roasters Finca bourbon Chimaltenago from Guatemala.
i'm typing this on a macbook pro but i don't wear glasses.
feeling slightly smug but only about not having to buy crap overpriced coffee from a motorway services.

Am guessing that TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR has never had to work day after day after day in a petrol station serving overpriced caffeine flavoured water to chippy blokes that can't read a big sign, with descriptions and prices, and everything.

Give her a break, is all I'm saying.

I think it's a bit much calling her a stupid cow. She obviously wasn't clear what you wanted and there was a break down in communication. I'm not surprised she was confused though, as I'm still not quite clear what you were after. Are you asking for 2 extra shots on top of your coffee or your coffee made with two shots? Sounds like you basically bought two drinks in one, which is why it's expensive and you are probably still totally wired from it, which is why you are so worked up about it all and calling people just trying to do a days job stupid cows...
Costa put 2 shots in most of their drinks anyway.

The Co-op are doing big jars of Nescafe for £4.

geoffj - Member
What's an expresso?

It's a veeeery fast Espresso... 🙂

So you want a Massimo Americano with 2 extra expresso's?

There was a good example on the radio a while back - someone who works a late shift and their train home gets in after all the shops have shut, so she buys small cartons of milk from the burger king in the station. Everytime she buys a carton of milk the till prompts the guys serving to tell her to 'Enjoy your meal'

Kenco anyone?

Sometimes the large drinks already have 2 shots of espresso, hence the confusion over the extra shot bit

Does anyone make a professional level espresso machine I can power off my car cigarette lighter socket? I'm thinking I could roast fresh beans on my exhaust manifold, use a hand grinder, then brew at leisure at the services. Has to be quicker, cheaper and easier than buying ready made.

BWD, you just need to drive round in one of these:

[img] [/img]

Personally I think the OP would be better off with a decaf and a bit of chill time 😀

What's this thread even about?

Customer and server in miscommunication.. hardly news is it? This happens to me often but I don't post on stw about it 🙂

BWD, you just need to drive round in one of these:

I do actually have one, but to be honest, I thought there was a very slight roughness to the coffee it produced, which I wasn't prepared to tolerate, so I'm looking for a solution which will produce professional-level coffee on the road. I'm thinking maybe a boot conversion for my chipped Skoda Oktavia VRS Turbot Diesel estate, maybe using the spare wheel well? Somebody here must have tried it?

This happens to me often but I don't post on stw about it

Yeah but to be fair I think the OP is probably still grumpy about the AA not treating his Home Start issue as a priority when they were being inundated with calls from people stranded on desolated snowbound roads.

What's this thread even about?

Customer and server in miscommunication.. hardly news is it? This happens to me often but I don't post on stw about it

Exactly! If only people would take a page out of your book and post only where relevant and with some level of restraint.

[i]chipped Skoda Oktavia VRS Turbot Diesel estate[/i]

Turbot Diesel?
Is that like fish oil or something? Still, you seem to have some chips with it too so I guess it works for you.

Am guessing that TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR has never had to work day after day after day in a petrol station serving overpriced caffeine flavoured water to chippy blokes that can't read a big sign, with descriptions and prices, and everything.

Give her a break, is all I'm saying.

i would like to think she got home and had a rant about this complete idiot that struggled with ordering what he wanted when everyone else seems to manage.

Exactly! If only people would take a page out of your book and post only where relevant and with some level of restraint

S'what I am saying innit. I post about some seriously inane crap but even I don't consider this worth remembering after I've left the shop!

What's an expresso?

Ha, sorry - must try harder not to post when pissed. My bad.

Am guessing that TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR has never had to work day after day after day in a petrol station serving overpriced caffeine flavoured water to chippy blokes that can't read a big sign, with descriptions and prices, and everything.

Give her a break, is all I'm saying.

No, I haven't worked in a Service Station (probably ranks quite highly with other jobs I wouldn't really want to do), and I'm quite capable of reading a sign thanks. Give her a break? Do you reckon, she's reading and will be upset?

I think it's a bit much calling her a stupid cow. She obviously wasn't clear what you wanted and there was a break down in communication. I'm not surprised she was confused though, as I'm still not quite clear what you were after. Are you asking for 2 extra shots on top of your coffee or your coffee made with two shots? Sounds like you basically bought two drinks in one, which is why it's expensive and you are probably still totally wired from it, which is why you are so worked up about it all and calling people just trying to do a days job stupid cows...
Costa put 2 shots in most of their drinks anyway.

A breakdown in communication? FFS, maybe my first few words went down the bizzarre road of asking for something not on the menu, due to my obviously retarded translation of various descriptions of available coffee, but let's just excuse my ignorance for a second and jump all the way to the second time I opened my gob and asked for an extra strong white coffee. Surely that's not such a preposterous request is it?

molgrips - Member
What's this thread even about?

Customer and server in miscommunication.. hardly news is it? This happens to me often but I don't post on stw about it

It's about coffee, and me being stupid apparently.

News? Ah, yes, sorry - forgot how jam packed full of news the Chat forum was.

i would like to think she got home and had a rant about this complete idiot that struggled with ordering what he wanted when everyone else seems to manage.

I would like to think she did too, and wouldn't be surprised in the least, considering her openly patronising, awkward and overly-complicated serving manner. I bet she's chews the ear off the poor sod that may have the unfortunate task of being her partner.

I think you should quote more people in your bitter comeback replies.

LOL @ djglover ! 😀

djglover - Member
I think you should quote more people in your bitter comeback replies.

There, now you're not left out.

Frikkin stalker!

😡

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR - Member

My bad.

I am going to kill you.

[b]"My bad"[/b]. Your bad what?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

**** off Flash.

That is an awful statement isn't it actually? Sorry - my [s]bad[/s] misuse of the English language.

i think that might get you the boot chap.

quick edit it.

www.rocketfuel.uk.com

openly patronising, awkward and overly-complicated

indeed 🙄

S'what I am saying innit. I post about some seriously inane crap but even I don't consider this worth remembering after I've left the shop!

You were there too?

For future reference I have managed to work out how to get a large white coffee out of these places. What you want is a large americano with some space in the cup and some cold milk.

Sometimes asking for white coffee gets you one made with heated milk which is disgusting

Or just have an espresso - but make sure you call it espresso not expresso

Swear filter avoidance - surely not. Asterix are commonly used in this manner, in many forms of literature and text, to throw a thin veil over expletives.

Should that be subject to temporary ban, then my subsequent self imposed ban (much to the joy of many, no doubt) would certainly exceed the quite frankly pathetic show of patronising muscle flexing.

One more point - with regards to paying a quite frankly ridiculous £3.79 for said cup of coffee - I was more than aware that I would be paying over the odds and on that basis I resisted a bacon butty from 'next door' for over £4 - I simply couldn't be bothered to work an extra seven and a half minutes that day to cover paying for it.

😐

I do believe you're right TJ. With hindsight, that should have been my request (plus extra espresso's).

As an aside - anyone based in Sheffield, try Cafe #9 in Nether Edge - it's run by an old family friend and really does do fantastic espresso's.

Swear filter avoidance - surely not.

have you not been on here much lately?

Yes, I've seen it nonk, but still stand by my point above/don't really care that much.

fairy nuff.

Exactly! If only people would take a page out of your book and post only where relevant and with some level of restraint.

*belated s*****