What is the most expensive coffee you have seen?

dfk41

Market forces tell me, that price for speciality stuff is linked to scarcity rather than taste. If someone discovered a case of a particular wine that was thought to be long gone, it would cost an absolute fortune…..and that would be based on the fact that no one will ever open a bottle to see how good or bad it tastes

Doram

MWJB Why is one kind of bragging less ‘braggy’ than the the other kind? ;-) Different ends of the same stick.

Of course (I did say “to each their own”). I just question the focus that is given to money and to what that means for normal people who want to enjoy good coffee. I would also say that when shopping (for anything) and spending at the top end of the scale it is less of a challenge to get good quality than it is to find quality at the middle or lower end of the scale. I don’t condone bragging, but I would understand it more if someone shared a great coffee that didn’t cost an arm and a leg more than if they say that a very expensive coffee was nice (which is expected).

LMSC

Doram We know coffee prices have shot up — though frankly, what hasn’t these days? And “expensive coffee” is a subjective phrase. For some folks, anything north of £20 for a 220–250g bag feels like daylight robbery, while others barely flinch. These days, £9–£10 per 100g has become the going rate for filter or light roasts… and even then, we’re not exactly guaranteed a nice cup.

What do you usually drink? And what’s your typical spend on beans? I stick to straight-up filter — no milk-based drinks for me. Same for the family, though they’ll indulge in a Cortado or a flat white at the weekend, just to remind themselves they’re still human.

Doram

LMSC Doram We know coffee prices have shot up — though frankly, what hasn’t these days? And “expensive coffee” is a subjective phrase. For some folks, anything north of £20 for a 220–250g bag feels like daylight robbery, while others barely flinch. These days, £9–£10 per 100g has become the going rate for filter or light roasts… and even then, we’re not exactly guaranteed a nice cup.

Yes, prices have shot up considerably, but no - this doesn’t mean that you can only get high quality at these prices. Assuming £80-100 and over for a kilo of beans is the only option for quality is akin to thinking the only way to eat well is to outsource all your food preparation to Gordon Ramsay. You can do that, of course, or you can learn to cook (and shop), and eat well at a fraction of the price.

Personally, I usually buy green beans. You can see the sort of prices I pay here. And I don’t think this is so different for roasted coffee. I happen to be traveling. A couple of days ago I had an excellent coffee in this place in Gent. They very clearly knew what they were doing so I bought a bag of roasted beans to take home (a blend of Ethiopia and Colombia). It was 14 Euros (£12) for 500 grams.

MWJB

Doram You can do that, of course, or you can learn to cook (and shop), and eat well at a fraction of the price.

This could be seen as a suggestion that people are relying on price, rather than working on effective brewing. Whilst we’re all open to helpful hints & tips, assumptions like this are difficult to ascertain on a forum.

You seem certain that good quality, light roasts are out there, at cheap prices, can you recommend any?

Doram

MWJB You seem certain that good quality, light roasts are out there, at cheap prices, can you recommend any?

I have no pretence to know what anyone else would like, nor do I know (or care) about other people’s financial situation or attitude to money.

What I do see from my own experience is reputable businesses selling very high SCA scoring coffee for several times less than what is often perceived here as the minimum spend for anything remotely decent, and for me that is not the case.

Isn’t it the same with anything else? Some people will be happy with a £7 bottle of wine, some will say you have to spend £35 to get any quality, and for others anything under £500 is only good to pour down the sink. So I go back to my first message in this thread: to each their own.

LMSC

Great that you’ve managed to find a lovely coffee at that price — I’m sure others here might benefit from your find, so thanks for mentioning it. But I don’t think anyone’s intent is to brag about expensive coffee or suggest QA is assured at £80-£100 a KG.

Buying green beans is a different game entirely — great if you roast at home, but not really comparable for most people who buy roasted coffee.

Each to their own!

Clodius

Did some calculations for, making espresso (latte to be exact) at home (operational expenses only). We’re well below the high street cafe prices:

£30/kg: 79p per cup

£35/kg: 88p per cup

£40/kg: 97p per cup

£45/kg: £1.06 per cup

£50/kg: £1.15 per cup

£70/kg: £1.51 per cup

Patrick

dfk41 Market forces tell me, that price for speciality stuff is linked to scarcity rather than taste.

More Jamaican Blue Mountain is sold than actually grown. No, that isn’t a joke. I was given some freshly roasted pukka JBM - it was enjoyable but nothing extraordinary and at the price they charge for it, £60.00 for 250grms, definitely not worth it IMO.

dfk41

Patrick Thanks to Grok:

Because genuine JBM is scarce, highly priced, and in strong demand, it has long been heavily counterfeited and mislabeled. The volume of coffee sold under the Blue Mountain name in some markets has exceeded Jamaica’s entire annual production.

Common forms of imitation include:

Completely different (cheaper) coffees from Central America, Asia, other Caribbean origins, or elsewhere simply labeled as Jamaican Blue Mountain.
“Blends” or “style” products that contain little or no actual JBM (sometimes as low as 10% or none). There is no regulated minimum percentage for blends, so these can be misleading.
Vague marketing terms like “Blue Mountain Blend,” “Blue Mountain Style,” “Jamaican Blend,” “Jamaica Inspired,” “Blue Jamaican,” or “Jamaican Mountain Coffee.”
Coffee grown in Jamaica but outside the protected Blue Mountain zone or below the required altitude (these may qualify as Jamaica High Mountain Supreme instead).

The name is a protected certification mark/geographical indication. Only coffee grown and processed under JACRA rules in the designated area can legally use “Jamaica Blue Mountain.” Counterfeiting has been described as a persistent, large-scale problem, including in markets such as China.

Patrick

Another ‘exclusive’ bean in Hawaiin Kona - retailing around £50.00 for 250grms. Like JBM, its price reflects its exclusivity.

Patrick

While on the subject, a very exclusive bean comes from the island of St Helena where Bonaparte spent his final holidays. Introduced to the island in 1733, the plants should not have thrived given the low altitude they were and still are grown. £150.00 for 250grms - ouch.

dfk41

I am still quit happy drinking my Cworks chocolate fondant blend @ £20 per kilo delivered (imminent price rise!) though I can appreciate better stuff!

Platypus

I suppose it’s like everything in life, “what you never have you never miss”.
I’ve been fortunate to try some lovely expensive beans which have been memorable but it’s all relative, what’s expensive and good for me wouldn’t be to someone else.
What probably gives me more pleasure is to find a relatively affordable coffee has been roasted well and gives surprisingly good results.

Rob666

dfk41 Likewise but we alternate it with Planet Java Monsooned Malabar.

dfk41

Rob666 Hi Rob, I drank MM for years and used to thoroughly enjoy it! I also drank a lot of Java Jampit which edges it for me. Coffee Compass used to do the JJ.

Rob666

dfk41 Hi David, my wife would stick with MM all the time, I prefer to ring the changes at least a bit. Used to use Compass a lot but a bit pricey now.

MWJB

Clodius making espresso (latte to be exact) at home (operational expenses only). We’re well below the high street cafe prices:

Whilst it is true that you are saving money in terms of total outlay per cup, the savings you are making on overheads & staff, compared to a shop, likely mean that you are paying more for your coffee & milk, than you would buying coffee from a specialty coffee shop.

A few years back Colin Harmon (3FE coffee) calculated that, in his case, only about 14% of the price of a cup reflected the price of coffee & milk. So, only around 56p of a £4 latte might be the ingredients in the drink?

I paid £4 for a latte the other day, really tasty coffee, costing about £40/kilo on their web store.

Clodius

@MWJB that’s correct, the price per cup is purely from operational cost perspective. It doesn’t take into consideration the gear and accessories, but I find it relevant to this discussion because we are comparing £25/kg vs £100/kg coffee, £0.79 vs £2.05 per cup.

When you go to a coffee shop, a restaurant etc. you are paying for the service, the environment and company.

dfk41

Clodius but I find it relevant to this discussion because we are comparing £25/kg vs £100/kg coffee, £0.79 vs £2.05 per cup.

I think the discussion started along different lines matey.

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