$120 Coffee!?

As we prepare for 103rd AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo (April 29- May 2, 2012 in Long Beach California) new staff and organizers are sometimes surprised by the cost of things we take for granted....like our morning cup of coffee. In this guest posting, Jeff Newman (AOCS Senior Director, Programs), examines the the work (and cost!) for that cup of coffee.


$120 for a gallon coffee at a hotel?  It’s highway robbery!

The rule of thumb is that you can get 20 cups of coffee per gallon.  So, that coffee during the meeting’s morning break is costing around $6.00 per cup.  Seems awfully expensive for a simple cup of coffee; everyone knows you can make it a lot cheaper at home. 

My wife makes the coffee in our house.  In fact, she drives to the store to buy the coffee plus the filters, plus the cream, plus the sugar….you get the idea.  She pays for it all and then drives home. She insists that my son unloads the car.  She pays him his weekly allowance so she figures she should get something out of the deal.   We just bought a new super-fast coffee maker to match our newly refurbished kitchen.  Luckily, it works like a charm….for now, at least.   After making the coffee, my wife sets out my favorite coffee mug with all the accompaniments.  She prays I’ll use the napkin she also puts out to keep a coffee ring off the table; sometimes I remember.  Actually, when I stop to think about it, it’s quite the production in the morning.  When I’m done, my wife makes my son do the dishes; it’s that allowance thing again. 

Oh, did I mention our ever faithful watch dog, Goldy?  Nobody is going to steal my coffee!

See, I can make a cup of coffee a lot cheaper at home….just don’t tell my wife.

Thanks to Jeff for writing. I hope you enjoyed this guest post and I also hope to see you soon in Long Beach (not to worry, coffee breaks are included with your registration).

AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

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