I only drink instant coffee at home - Nescafe Tasters Choice and I drink too much I'm sure. No sugar, just a little cream. I drink tea once a day and that's after dinner when I have a tea bag of Sleepytime tea, no sugar or cream.

Coffee is bought as beans from an independent trader. We grind fresh for each pot and use a cafetière. The variety depends on what he’s imported that week. It’s drunk black. Tea is is PG Tips, made in one person pot usually, and drunk with milk. Out and about I’ll usually have cappucino or plain tea if I’m thirsty. No sugar in any beverage. No cream and definitely no creamer.

I have a Rancilio Silvia espresso machine and a Rocky grinder. I usually buy the beans from a local specialty coffee and tea place. We like a couple of cappuccinos in the morning, and an espresso after dinner. We also have a French press for hubby to use if I'm not there to run the machine 😉 No sugar, but obviously there's milk in the cappuccino.

No instant coffee in the house. Ever. Hubby occasionally has tea.

I use water

I use tea bags, Hot Cinnamon Spice black tea from Harney & Sons…it’s delicious! My husband has a Keurig for coffee and likes the Green Mountain pods. On the weekend I make his coffee with a perculator and use Starbucks, already ground. He likes it strong!

As an aside, I get the impression that home espresso machines are much more common here in Australia than in the US.  This is a nation of espresso, latte and cappuccino drinkers, and, for better or worse, we are very demanding about the quality of the coffee we drink.

I like Inka, a coffee substitute from Poland made from grain. No caffeine. It doesn't bother my stomach. I put sugar-free caramel flavoring & stevia in it. In the evening my husband makes us Earl Grey tea or Bigelow English tea, from a tea bag. I often fix peppermint tea instead. ♥

My coffee is a French roast whole bean that is ground in some impossibly expensive grinder thingy and made very strong in one of those Moccamaster coffee makers. I take cream and sugar. I have been drinking coffee since I was around three months old. DH has gone through a couple of expensive Espresso machines that have grinders and cycles and lord knows what but recently he switched to a small push thing that sits on top of a cup. It is for camping but he loves it so much. He will forget to screw it together and dumps boiling coffee and grounds all over and most memorably recently also on me. He has his fads. Cafe Bustello at the moment. He drinks tea of various sorts, he loves Russian black teas. I think tea is for sissies(just kidding). If I drink tea which is not often it is a good Earl Grey.

"I get the impression that home espresso machines are much more common here in Australia than in the US.?"

From what source do you get this impression?

I believe among people of at least mid-level socio-economic means and especially those who have travel experience, home espresso machines are very common. As is espresso drinking when away from home. Things are a bit different since the pandemic period began with more people working at home but many people during their career years don't have breakfast or coffee at home and get it out, either as a stop enroute or purchased and taken in to work. Hence the presence of drive-through coffee places everywhere. Starbucks and many other kinds, all over, as I've seen in lesser numbers in Australia. All decent restaurants have espresso machines and even many McDonalds sell espresso coffee. It's usually quite drinkable in a pinch.

The US is a large country with a lot of people. Food habits and practices differ from place to place, the coasts being generally more similar to what I'll call modern and broader international tastes and practices than would be found in smaller towns and non-urban places in-between.

We bought a Pavoni many decades ago, long before the widespread advent of Starbucks and others and before the beginning of espresso and better coffee drinking habits in the US. It was REALLY expensive, nearly $1000 at the time, the equivalent in purchasing power of maybe $3-4K today. Good local beans were hard to find, I brought them home from Europe when returning from business and vacation trips and even had friends send us some a few times when we were running low and had no trips scheduled. I got tired of the muss and fuss (it was manual, with a pull handle) and today am happy getting espresso either out or using my Bialetti Moka pots as an approximation when at home.

How we make coffee today as partially described in the other thread and just above. We buy locally roasted beans, grind them in a burr grinder for each cup using a Hario ceramic pour-over cone and water that has just boiled and left a few moments to stop bubbling. The water is reheated to the same stage before additional amounts are added to the cone so the temperature remains very hot.

Or, as just before, a Bialetti Moka pot. It's a good approximation of espresso. But it all starts with the coffee - no matter what the process, even the best equipment and careful use thereof won't produce excellent coffee without using excellent beans.

I understand many people have less exposure to and less preference for really good coffee. I've no problem with that, tastes and priorities vary.

"From what source do you get this impression?"

From reading articles about coffee on Houzz.

"Hence the presence of drive-through coffee places everywhere. Starbucks and many other kinds, all over, as I've seen in lesser numbers in Australia. "

You'd be hard pressed to find a Starbucks in Australia. The chain collapsed here some years ago because their coffee wasn't good enough. They're trying to make a comeback, but only tourists drink the stuff. You can get better coffee at any cafe or bar, even in very small towns.

"All decent restaurants have espresso machines and even many McDonalds sell espresso coffee."

The concept of the McCafe originated here in Australia almost 30 years ago. Again, the standard coffee wasn't good enough. All McD's serve espresso coffee here.

I use a burr grinder for coffee beans and lately drink Kona. I use half a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of half and half. At this moment I am having Earl Grey tea with a half teaspoon of sugar. It seems to be an afternoon thing with me lately. Maybe I need a little caffeine boost later in the day.

"From reading articles about coffee on Houzz."

This isn't a reasonable information source for your generalization.

""Hence the presence of drive-through coffee places everywhere. Starbucks and many other kinds, all over, as I've seen in lesser numbers in Australia. ""

Sorry, you seemed to have misunderstood my comment. I'll say it differently. There are many drive through coffee places all over most inhabited US regions I'm familiar with, not just Starbucks but many other ones too. I've seen lesser frequency of drive through coffee places in Australia though I have seen them.

"The concept of the McCafe originated here in Australia almost 30 years ago."

Haha. I've never heard of McCafe but I wonder how that matters.

Starbucks opened in California in the early 90s. There were urban coffee houses, many run by Italian immigrants and their offspring, long, long before that. The very pricey Pavoni I bought in the early 1980s was from such a place in SF's North Beach neighborhood, run by an Italian family.

I used to use a French press for my daily coffee, but recently bought an Australian espresso machine ;-) Not a super auto or any such, but a semi auto maybe.

I have a Moccamaster for when I entertain.

I grew up with parents who loved coffee. We had with a Moka pot, followed by a Gaggia, followed by a Pavoni and then I bought my mother a Linea Mini from La Marzocco. Plus there was a Melitta cone and a press pot available.

I remember Marilyn Vossavant being asked about what kind of deep conversations she and her husband, Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the artificial heart engaged in. This was back in the late 70s early 80s. She replied, We try to guess which restaurant's espresso machine is working before deciding where to have dinner. Those fancy copper and brass Cimbali (?) machines of my childhood were for looks only my parents said.

Espresso was popular on the coasts in America my whole childhood. The demographic group mattered, of course. In NYC you would find good coffee in nice restaurants as well as cheap ones, due to the large Italian population.

As for tea, I drink English breakfast and Earl Grey. My favorite brand is Tea Pigs. I used bags and lose tea both, depending on whether or not I am making a whole pot. I drink the breaksfat tea as a "builders brew" and the Earl Grey plain. I much prefer tea to coffee. Coffee is medicinal to me, unless I put a lot of sugar and cream in it, turning it into melted Hagaan Dasz ;-)

I boil my water in a kettle.

I usually drink iced tea and I make it in the Mr. tea maker with those Presweetened tea bags, (Lipton or Louisiana) zero calories and tastes great! I don't drink much coffee so I buy the pods or my coffee would be stale. Mostly cappuccino for me,

Jmm1837, when I bought the Linea Mini, your machine was the other contender, super nice piece of equipment you have.

I like my coffee black and quite full flavored so I prefer a French press....no machines. Received a Chemex as a wedding present back in the dark ages and used that for years until some catastrophe befell it. It was replaced with a French press and I have never looked back. I think I am on FP#4.

I buy local beans - the grocery carries 4 or 5 brands from area roasters - and I switch around. Different blends/flavors for different seasons :-) No additives - no sugar, milk or flavorings - just coffee. First thing that happens in the morning - the kettle goes on, the dog goes out and I fix the French press. Very little else happens until the pot is empty!

I do have a small sized latte maker but I use it rarely. My sister always makes me one when I visit and her big Italian machine does a much better job than my cheesy little Braun :-)

Can't tell you the last time I visited a Starbucks, even though this is the greater Seattle area - Starbucks Central - and there is one every block! But I do admit to driving through a McD's drive-in if I feel the need for a midmorning caffeine fix and their coffee is surprisingly good.

I also drink a lot of ice tea. I go through a full pitcher almost daily. Plain old Lipton's cold brew, unsweetened. Hot tea (English breakfast) I usually have only when feeling chilled or not quite right and that is sweetened and with lemon.

Zalco - it is. Mine's getting a bit worse for wear (it's about 12 years old now) but still going strong.

There's a strong coffee tradition in Australia, dating from the post-war period and the influx of Greek and Italian migrants, so somewhat comparable to New York in that sense. Melbourne in particular is a hub of laneway cafes serving high quality coffee, but the coffee culture is pretty much ubiquitous these days.

Fresh coffee beans, fine grind one cup at a time in my Keurig. If I have company I'll use my Kitchenaid coffee maker. I sometimes make a pot of French Press or a pot of espresso. I also have a stove top glass perculator and a Melitta drip pot. I'm covered.

For tea, I'll pop one or two bags of my Red Rose tea bags in a pot and pour hot water over top and let steep for a few minutes.

I drink both black.

"It's as least as good as source as any of yours."

I think first hand observation for this kind of stuff is much more informative than internet reading but you've previously shown that to be your favorite source, without always being able to understand the nature, veracity or quality of information you encounter.

I drink no coffee except when I travel. The best coffee I had was in Maui, but I've also had good coffee in Antiqua, Guatemala and in Italy. I was not impressed with the coffee in Costa Rica or Brazil.

I drink one cup of tea each morning - Twinings English Breakfast - made with a tea bag. I also have Fancy Keemun loose tea, which is my favorite but more trouble than I want to deal with most of the time, as the EB is good enough. I make it in a ceramic teapot and then pour it into a mug. When I was younger, I used to use a porcelain teapot and cups, but the tea got colder faster that way.

My brother roasts raw coffee beans and then makes drip coffee, but he likes blonde roast and weak coffee, and I think it tastes terrible. To each his own. I prefer Maui Kona, dark roast, but coffee tends to upset my stomach, especially if it has milk in it. I'll put up with that when I am traveling, but not when I am at home. I put Splenda in my tea - no milk or lemon.

I cannot stand the smell of coffee, makes me nauseous, let alone the taste. I make 2 pots of it every morning at work, one for the day people, one for the drivers, I put the filter in the thing, dump a package of coffee into it, press the button and open the doors to let the fumes out.

I drink green tea, but I only drink it ice cold. And I am not a tea connoisseur. I buy Lipton green tea bags. I bring 2 quarts of water to almost a boil, turn the heat off and put 12 tea bags in. With green tea you are supposed to let it steep for only 1 or 2 minutes but I let mine steep for 5-10 minutes. I do not get a bitter taste from it as cautioned by tea people. I have been told that the longer it steeps the more health benefits one gets from drinking it. And I have grown to like it very strong. Unsweetened over ice.

Overall I would consider myself more of a hot chocolate kind of gal.....

For the coffee itself, I use Illy for espresso and Peet's Major Dickason in the Moccamaster. I do not grind my own beans (I know that step is more impirtant than the coffee maker.)

Seems like everybody has their own personal style when it comes to coffee and tea - and lots of other stuff too. I was just thinking that social scientists might have some pretty good material in these types of threads😃

I do not care for burnt coffee, a.k.a. dark roast. I buy organic Honduran medium roast whole beans from Aldi, store them in a glass jar in my freezer and grind enough for a small pot - 2 large cups - every morning, using an old Melitta single cup cone to make pour through and I keep it hot in a Pyrex carafe on a little warming plate. I put a splash of heavy cream in the cup before adding the hot coffee. When I'm out of cream, I use half & half.

I cannot have caffeine after noon or I won't sleep that night, so coffee for me is a morning thing only. My grinder is an electric one by Braun, and I wipe it out every day with a soapy sponge, and also wash the cone and carafe every day. I haven't had a coffee machine in over 30 years. There's no room for one in my tiny kitchen anyway.

I like various types of tea and have both bags of green tea and loose black tea. My preference in tea is for flavored ones like jasmine, Earl Grey, and some of the citrus/fruity green teas too. Not that crazy about plain green tea. I also have a seasonal decaf green tea from Trader Joe's (Candy Cane) for drinking in the afternoons - usually cold, and I also have a cup of Sleepytime Extra every night before bed. I learned that if you want nice clear cold tea, pour cold water over the bags and steep in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

I would estimate 99.9% of my coffee and tea drinking is at home. I rarely, if ever, buy drinks when I'm out and about. I think my fresh brews taste better than anything I've ever bought prepared.

Oh, and I use distilled water, not tap.

I'm in the mood to try something new so I ordered a French Press, I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Lucille, be sure to buy appropriately ground beans for the press pot. Press pots need coarser beans than espresso, maybe a 4 if memory serves.

When I first moved to Washington state I was astonished to learn they believed they had invented coffee. I moved here from the San Francisco Bay area so you can see my confusion not to mention my years spent at Grannies down near the gulf coast with its strong French influence. I did in fact get fed coffee as a baby. Coffee was and still is a cult here. You had to speak the language to order a cup. If you did not you got a superior sneer from the barista. Too silly.

All dark roasts do not taste burnt like Star Bucks.

DH goes through phases of roasting his own (as did my Grannie's family) I have ordered him beans from all over the world and it is amazing how different the basic tastes can be. Some are absolutely muddy. Some Central American coffees can be muddy. Still some people like an earthy taste or that starchiness of Robusta. I like a bit of acid in my coffee. My brother once brought me some Columbian that was not legal to export. He sent it via Diplomatic pouch. That was wonderful coffee.

"Seems like everybody has their own personal style when it comes to coffee and tea"

Absolutely. My style is very fixed (time spent in Italy in my mid 20s converted my views on coffee forever!): that's a product of my life experiences and personal preferences, as are everyone else's styles. I've never been a tea drinker in spite of having grown up in a tea drinking family. Hubby has the occasional cup (usually English breakfast tea) but has come around to having a morning cappuccino with some enthusiasm.

The coffee beans here are mostly imported - Latin America, Africa, Vietnam, etc. - although local growers are getting in on the act at the boutique end of the business as well. Where I used to live, the local coffee roaster had a blend based primarily on beans from the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Good stuff. I personally like a blend of arabica and robusta beans.