[Closed] PSA: free Costa coffee Tues 1st October

"I wouldn't drink that muck anyway" in 5.......4.......3.......

I had thought that 😂

Beats me why people go into Costa anyway. Surly, indifferent service being the norm, and below average coffee. Places are always rammed when nice, pleasant independents are empty.

Costa coffee made by a barrista is crap, overly bitter coffee at the best of times. Their take on the klix machine is even worse.

That do you Mashr?

This isn't even barista coffee, it's the vending machines that you get at service stations, etc, isn't it?

Our machines serve the same fresh signature Mocha Italia coffee beans and fresh semi-skimmed milk you would expect in our Costa Coffee stores, so the quality of your experience is never compromised.

So they don't need Barista's in their shops then!?

Full disclosure, I use Costa all the time, whether you think it's crap or not, it's waaay better (and much more caffeinated) than the coffee in the hospital canteen.

The two Costas I use most are surprisingly good - the coffee isn't artisan but they have no decent nearby competition. Chatty friendly staff, perfectly acceptable flat whites and one branch has a couple of baristas now producing decent latte art as well.

Haterz gonna hate, obviously.

Their machine stuff is shit though.

Beats me why people go into Costa anyway. Surly, indifferent service being the norm, and below average coffee. Places are always rammed when nice, pleasant independents are empty.

Not convinced, im sure some independents are capable of making better coffee than some costas, but really the average lumbersexual hipster isn't endowed with some mystical knowlege and power the average costa barrista isnt.

The trouble with the reputation of any chain is everyone's had a bad costa, nero or starbucks. And probably many more bad coffees from independant shops. But unlike a chain you cant tar all independant shops with the same brush.

Same with beer, you frequently get a shit pint in spoons, and in freehouses. But not all pints in spoons are shit, and some independant pubs are better than others. And then you get the new wave of craft beer bars, which are the beer equivelent of a costa coffee machine in a service station with the beer in kegs (i.e. a cheaper and more consistent way of getting beer to you at a better quality than most bars)

I'll be partaking, cheers OP.

I must be blessed with a crappy palate, it tastes OK to me.

My palete must also be pretty poor as I don't mind a Costa. The one at MK station is convenient, I can leave my bike outside whilst I get a hot drink (I won't call it coffee so I don't upset the aficionados of STW). The staff are always polite and friendly, unlike many of the patrons who simply bark their requirements at the server. However I've not tried the machine stuff so no idea how that compares.

Hipster bars are funny though - all that serious weighing and measuring. I was thinking (which obv nobody could know) of Portuguese or Italian cafes - where the coffee tastes great, and the service a calculated indifference. Still can't think of a decent Costa. My experience is London, my local that I used for ten years, twice a week, and service stations though. The one in Cobham services comes to mind.

Can you use a reusable cup in the Costa machines?

Our Costas here are quite decent, but all i drink is black coffee, nothing fancy pants.
Must say I prefer Coffee#1 by a Black Country mile though.

Beats me why people go into Costa anyway. Surly, indifferent service being the norm, and below average coffee. Places are always rammed when nice, pleasant independents are empty.

Not convinced, im sure some independents are capable of making better coffee than some costas, but really the average lumbersexual hipster isn’t endowed with some mystical knowlege and power the average costa barrista isnt.

You don't need mystical powers to make good coffee - you just start with decent quality beans that have been properly roasted (not incinerated, like most chains), then you spend time each day dialling the coffee in (usually changing the grind to optimise the extraction). You then weigh the coffee in and out, based on your recipe (say a 1:2 ratio) and ensure that it continues to extract in the same time (give or take a second or two) for the rest of the day. In terms of milk, you ensure that your staff have been trained to texture the milk correctly (microfoam that's well integrated with the steamed milk and not overheated, which ruins the flavour).

There are plenty of independents that don't do this (mainly ones that aren't really specialty coffee shops), but pretty much every town in the UK now has a decent independent that does. They probably won't charge you more than 20p more than a Costa coffee, yet you're usually getting a far superior coffee in every way (and are supporting a local business).

JP

CraigW

Member
Can you use a reusable cup in the Costa machines?

Yes

This would be so much better if they just moved the cups to the tills for the day, charge for a cup, free fill ups if you bring a disposable...missed opportunity...

Woo hoo - I shall partake, think Tuesday is going to be my first day back at work in a few months (just a couple of light days though next week as I am still smashed up from a car crash to the point that I aint going to be working in this particular field much longer).

Coffee will be required!

The problem with being a coffee snob is that there is also an element of taste. Someone may spend hours obtaining the perfect extraction, but if you don't like their blend then you aren't going to enjoy it.

And the idea that there's always a great independent being ignored is fanciful. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't. Sometimes there are nice independent cafes who have no idea about coffee. Sometimes the indies serve the flowery fruity coffee that is currently fashionable and I don't particularly like it.

If I only have chains then for me, Costa for Americanos and espresso; Starbucks for lattes, sweet dessert drinks and lunch. Starbucks is very dark, you might consider it burnt but it's just a dark roast which is a matter of taste; neither Costa or Nero aren't that dark so I dunno why the snobs call them burnt.

Re the machines - not as good as the shops obvs but still vastly better than nothing or instant.

The offer does exclude Northern Ireland machines

Looks like the backstop has kicked in!

Those machines are useful when you CBA to queue up, BUT their USP disappears as you have to queue up to pay for them, why can't they put a payment machine on there, which only dispenses after you've paid. In fact, why bother even paying if its that busy? doubt they'd investigate the odd coffee disappearing

BUT their USP disappears as you have to queue up to pay for them

I think their USP is petrol stations etc, when there's no barista alternative.

You don’t need mystical powers to make good coffee – you just get a spoonful out of the jar, stick it in the cup and add water.

Works for me anyway.  I'd be happy with a free Costa but most likely won't be getting the opportunity.