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Coffee strategy

3 July 2008

I’ve decided on a strategy for dealing with all the coffee places around our office. All of them have different prices and different quality coffee, so I decided I needed a way to try out the different places systematically.

My new strategy is this: stick with one coffee place until I complete one of their coffee cards for a free coffee. This not only ensures I get the cheapest price possible at each location, but also gives me enough coffee to try so I can judge the quality.

I drink a regular flat white (a caffelatte without the foam on top, for those outside Australia) at every place.

Here are the ones I’ve tried so far:

  • Lime — My old regular place. Okay coffee, but varies a lot in quality. Cheap: $2.20 (no coffee card).
  • Brolga — Good coffee, very consistent. Expensive: $2.60 ($2.36 including discount).
  • Plan B — Good coffee, can vary a bit in milk frothiness. Moderately expensive: $2.50 ($2.27 including discount).

Would anyone like to recommend where to try next? I’ve got five coffees left on my card at Plan B.

I’ve created a map of the local area with the places I’ve tried. You should be able to edit it if you have a Google account.


Coffee around Atlassian (source)

 
Posted by Wes at 2008-07-03 12:47:20
How’d you get the coffee cups onto the Google map?
 
Posted by Matt Ryall at 2008-07-03 15:30:10
Hey, Wes. When you create a map, you can click on the item to change the details of the pushpin. Above where you edit the description, on the right-hand side, you can select a different icon.
 
Posted by Dave at 2008-07-05 18:29:02
Are we talking one coffee a day? I walk two blocks (Hunter to Bridge) and past six cafes to get very good coffee and great banana bread. That, and one of the waitresses is just mesmerising. I mean that in a she-must-be-a-movie-star-or-a-model-or-something kind of way. Point is, most days it is only one coffee, so you want it to be a good one, and there are associated perks to making an effort.

I tip almost every day, too, I never use the coffee cards they provide - but everyone knows what I order, and I’m immune to the price hikes because they know that I’ll be in there every day. I get preferential treatment when there’s a queue (only if I give the nod to let them know I’m in a hurry). If I went missing at sea, Ethel would probably be one of the first people to notice.

My suggestion would be to try each place only a couple of times, but once you find somewhere with a reason to revisit, keep going back. Become a regular, chat with staff, and it will all be worthwhile.
 
Posted by Matt Ryall at 2008-07-06 10:10:50
Well, I guess that’s the thing. I haven’t found that _special_ place yet: the cafe that gives me a reason to come back. Maybe that’s what I’m searching for.
 
Posted by James Roper at 2008-07-07 10:05:55
I go to Pulse on Kent Street (cafe with the Sacred Grounds umbrellas out the front). I’ve found the coffee there is consistently excellent, it’s $2.50 a coffee. I also go there because their coffee is fair trade, which I think is a good cause.
 

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