Tipping

[MikeD]

Sidebar alert!

Good coffee (which can't be had at Starbucks, Peets, Costa, etc., and almost certainly won't be found at Your Local Coffee Shop) costs more than $2.10 per cup to source, purchase, roast and extract in a fashion that will result in "Good coffee".

If I go to, say, my kitchen (I roast my own coffee most of the time, have a commercial grinder, espresso machine, PID-controlled kettle, 3x v60 setup, etc), my cup of coffee will cost me somewhere around $1-$2, and I have no problem paying that. Most people who try my coffee are amazed ... for a reason: Coffee tastes amazing, if you just don't screw it up.
It's not even that hard not to screw it up! Source good coffee, find the best lots? That's kinda hard ... but there are people who do it for the industry. Purchase those lots, or purchase from someone who purchases those lots? Easy peasy! Roast coffee? It can take some time to learn how to do it, but even in the hands of a rank amateur, good results can be had. Use the coffee within two weeks, grind it within five minutes of extraction ... have a consistent grind setting, apply water at 198-204°F for an amount of time that corresponds to the grind setting, roast level and bean density, then remove the ground coffee... and bam, you're done. A great cup of coffee.

Now, if I go to Verve, Chromatic, Stumptown, Zoka, Sightglass, Bluebird, Bird Rock, Klatch, Grumpy, Counter Culture or even Intelligentsia, or a shop that does a good job with their coffee, I will pay $3-$6 for a 12oz cup, and it will generally be worth every penny to me... usually on par with my own coffee, sometimes a bit better, sometimes a bit worse.

So $2.11 for a cup of flipping coffee? Sounds like a deal, to me!

Now, for those of you who just use coffee as a caffeine delivery device... why not just get a vial of food-grade caffeine? Life's too short for bad coffee!

-Fox

At the end of the day, it's still coffee. [but I understand too that for a true coffee lover, that details do matter]

You can pay out the ass for Royal Purple motor oil, or you can change high quality regular oil at specified intervals; when both are going into a regular daily driver vehicle (not some race car or some far out example); and there won't be that much of a marked difference, certainly not worth the exhorbiant price difference.

Granted yes, we're talking the difference when it comes to coffee of only about $3 to $5, but that adds up eventually; unless money is no object.

 

[knot4u]

Sidebar alert!

Good coffee (which can't be had at Starbucks, Peets, Costa, etc., and almost certainly won't be found at Your Local Coffee Shop) costs more than $2.10 per cup to source, purchase, roast and extract in a fashion that will result in "Good coffee".

If I go to, say, my kitchen (I roast my own coffee most of the time, have a commercial grinder, espresso machine, PID-controlled kettle, 3x v60 setup, etc), my cup of coffee will cost me somewhere around $1-$2, and I have no problem paying that. Most people who try my coffee are amazed ... for a reason: Coffee tastes amazing, if you just don't screw it up.
It's not even that hard not to screw it up! Source good coffee, find the best lots? That's kinda hard ... but there are people who do it for the industry. Purchase those lots, or purchase from someone who purchases those lots? Easy peasy! Roast coffee? It can take some time to learn how to do it, but even in the hands of a rank amateur, good results can be had. Use the coffee within two weeks, grind it within five minutes of extraction ... have a consistent grind setting, apply water at 198-204°F for an amount of time that corresponds to the grind setting, roast level and bean density, then remove the ground coffee... and bam, you're done. A great cup of coffee.

Now, if I go to Verve, Chromatic, Stumptown, Zoka, Sightglass, Bluebird, Bird Rock, Klatch, Grumpy, Counter Culture or even Intelligentsia, or a shop that does a good job with their coffee, I will pay $3-$6 for a 12oz cup, and it will generally be worth every penny to me... usually on par with my own coffee, sometimes a bit better, sometimes a bit worse.

So $2.11 for a cup of flipping coffee? Sounds like a deal, to me!

Now, for those of you who just use coffee as a caffeine delivery device... why not just get a vial of food-grade caffeine? Life's too short for bad coffee!

-Fox

You certainly have done the research, invested in the equipment and experimented/trained for the perfect cup of coffee, I applaud your passion. I'll still stop at the ARCO on the right side of the road on my commute at 5:45am because it's convenient, cheap and at that hour I'm lacking time, passion and I'm not picky. I won't stop at the starbucks one block away because I don't like their coffee, much less their prices.

 

[Seggy]

I like airplane coffee.


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[knot4u]

I like airplane coffee.


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Airplane coffee is fine, airline coffee not so much.

 

[scooter2525]

I like the European method. Just include a service charge.

I just got a hot dog at Pinks here in Vegas and the lady that takes the order has a tip jar. For what, entering my order correctly?

Food prep or service I can see, but I think sometimes the tip jar can be tacky.

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[🦈💜]

At the end of the day, it's still coffee. [but I understand too that for a true coffee lover, that details do matter]

That depends on what your value proposition is for coffee. Schlitz is still beer, at the end of the day, but I'll have the Schneider-Weiss Tap 6, thank-you-very-much.

You can pay out the ass for Royal Purple motor oil, or you can change high quality regular oil at specified intervals;

This is not a motor oil debate, unless you consider coffee to solely have the function of caffiene delivery... in which case, as I said, food-grade caffiene powder.

Granted yes, we're talking the difference when it comes to coffee of only about $3 to $5, but that adds up eventually; unless money is no object.

Some of the best coffee I've had has been very carefully selected/processed decaf.

What's your value proposition?

Coffee is an amazingly tasty beverage that 99% of people have never tasted.

-Fox

 

[🦈💜]

I like airplane coffee.

Me too, but not for the taste of the coffee.

-Fox

 

[MikeD]

That depends on what your value proposition is for coffee. Schlitz is still beer, at the end of the day, but I'll have the Schneider-Weiss Tap 6, thank-you-very-much.

Ahh...a snob now.

This is not a motor oil debate, unless you consider coffee to solely have the function of caffiene delivery... in which case, as I said, food-grade caffiene powder.

It's the price vs quality debate; using another comparison. Sometimes you're really getting what you're paying for, other times you're just a sucker to the marketing/branding and the popularity.

Some of the best coffee I've had has been very carefully selected/processed decaf.

What's your value proposition?

Coffee is an amazingly tasty beverage that 99% of people have never tasted.

-Fox

$6.50 for some venti latte at Starbucks isn't worth it to me. But then, some (maybe you, definitely me ) consider Starbucks to no more than commercialized flavored water. But they do make money, I'll give them that.

 

[SeanD]

I like airplane coffee.


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UA mainline does have some decent coffee. Alaska isnt bad either.

 

[Stomp16]

A think I'm about the only pilot I know who can't stand and therefore doesn't drink coffee. Blahhhhckk.

@ocdflyboy drinks 4 gallons of the stuff a day, surprised he hasn't commented yet.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

I don't know how @Seggy drinks airplane coffee...

I won't touch the stuff considering how often we MEL the potable water (yes, even the forward no lav water) for positive E. Coli and Coliform tests.

That, combined with the company procedure to dump the coffee in the lav toilet, plus the terrible blend of coffee... No like....

 

[MikeD]

I don't know how @Seggy drinks airplane coffee...

I won't touch the stuff considering how often we MEL the potable water (yes, even the forward no lav water) for positive E. Coli and Coliform tests.

That, combined with the company procedure to dump the coffee in the lav toilet, plus the terrible blend of coffee... No like....

Maybe they brew it McDonalds style at 1000 F, so all of the above are long dead by that time?

 

[Oxman]

A think I'm about the only pilot I know who can't stand and therefore doesn't drink coffee. Blahhhhckk.

@ocdflyboy drinks 4 gallons of the stufyetbes

Airplane coffee sucks in every form. That's why I don't leave the house until I have 3 cups of Seattle's Best #3 brewed strong. Then for those 1am freezing morning wake ups to go get a patient or organ there's this little beauty...

Just load it up with 3 scoops of coffee and 10 oz of water and you're good to go. This will put hair on your chest (@Stomp16 ).

 

[Stomp16]

Don't need anymore hair, that's what the scotch is for. You can keep your brown devil drink.

 

[Dan208B]

when I was captain, I would sometimes tip for my crew when I had a great crew. If I noticed that one of my crew didn't tip, I'd cover that too. "

I think it's nice you're willing to cover for someone, but when I was an FO I would always tip unless there was some issue. For instance, there was a driver at a JFK hotel that was flat out scary where I had to hold on to something during the ride. Or as other people mentioned, if perhaps they didn't even get out of the van. I always hoped we'd be on the same page, but it would upset me quite a bit if the captain didn't understand why i was doing that and would make a comment like "i tipped for you." On a separate note I remember we told our FAs in an Asian country one day that it was not customary to tip here and they should not do it. And 6 of them proceeded to give the guy US Cash upon arrival at the hotel. Some people aren't the smartest cookies.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I tip when I have cash on me, which is pretty rare.

 

[Stomp16]

I've always found aviation tipping is in direct correlation to your paycheck. If you're making good money then you're probably spreading the wealth around. I remember a time when I couldn't afford to tip anything due to starting wages and it scares the hell out of me to think about having to go back to that ever again.

 

[Oxman]

I've always found aviation tipping is in direct correlation to your paycheck. If you're making good money then you're probably spreading the wealth around.

No way! Way back when I was a parking valet on the weekends in Long Beach, NY, some doctor with his fat wife in a new fur coat came out to get their new Mercedes. He actually handed me 2 quarters. I put them back in his hand and said "don't worry about it". Then again when we had volunteer fireman fundraisers there. They would pull up in old beaters held together with tape and say here's $5 keep it up front.

 

[Stomp16]

The rich don't get rich by tossing money away. The rich people I know are tight-asses.

 

[Stomp16]

No way! Way back when I was a parking valet on the weekends in Long Beach, NY, some doctor with his fat wife in a new fur coat came out to get their new Mercedes. He actually handed me 2 quarters. I put them back in his hand and said "don't worry about it". Then again when we had volunteer fireman fundraisers there. They would pull up in old beaters held together with tape and say here's $5 keep it up front.

I think this fits well here. Bad quality recording, but the point is there.