I'm a house-brand kind of girl in all respects save two: personal care and coffee. The first came as the result of a lot of trial and error and years of skimping thinking "I'm not gonna pay that for something as superficial as moisturizer". More often than not, with skincare items at least, you get what you pay for in that cheaper products are often made with more dangerous chemicals.
The other area of my life where I don't get the cheapest thing available is coffee. Though I've had some delicious surprises with store-brands or otherwise cheap coffee tasting amazing, for the most part, it seems to me the price difference shows in the quality of the coffee. I, at least, think I can taste it. Some people don't, some people seem to be happy with any kind of coffee as it doesn't make much difference to their palate, so lucky them, I guess.
Morning coffee gone.
I think the first time I started paying attention to coffee brand was when I was 17 and had started living at my boyfriend's place. We'd get this pretty cheap, pretty ordinary Jacobs blend which tasted amazing (as all things seem to when you're 17 and in love), and for a while was all I would drink.
I'm very obsessive when it comes to my coffee. Once I discover a blend or brand I like, I'm drinking it obsessively until I get tired or it starts tasting like piss. I don't know how that happens, but anything in excess tends to turn to piss eventually, doesn't it? (pun maybe intended)
For most of 2024, I've been obsessed with Lavazza Oro coffee, this time thanks to my mom who brought some when we traveled to Venice for my birthday at the start of the year.
I prefer Oro. But that don't make me immune to a good deal when I see one.
Coffee has always been a tradition for us and we like to bring our own coffee (and ideally,our own moka pot) when we travel abroad. As people who take their morning coffee quite seriously, we like to have the first cup of the day at the Airbnb, instead of going out. Much as I enjoy the morning walk to get coffee and a good pastry, it doesn't usually compare (in my experience) to homemade in terms of quality (or value-for-money).
Anyway, my mom gets coffee based on good deals and she hadn't paid this Lavazza business particular mind when she first got it (though she loves all things Italian, so maybe in her way, she too is biased), but I was hooked from my first sip. What is this?!
Ever since, going into my obsessive mode, I've been drinking more or less Lavazza Oro. I actually carted back a kilo of it from Zurich, a city known for its high cost of living, but where I absurdly found an extremely good deal on this specific type of coffee. You shoulda seen me with those chunky bricks of coffee in my backpack, looking every bit the smuggler. I was worried they'd stop me in customs, because what kind of psycho travels with that much coffee? But hey, a deal's a deal.
Brick low-key intimidating my moka pot.
Anyway, is that expensive?
Here? So-and-so. It's 5-6 Euro a pack in Romania, which is considered a bit pricy, considering you can get coffee for half that. It's not the priciest on the market. I had a brief fling some time in spring with Davidoff (Rich Aroma) coffee, which is slightly pricier than Oro, but not by much. Still, in Romania, it would be considered quite fancy.
Is it worth it? I think so, but then, maybe it's purely a sentimental association, as my mom introduced me to both of these. I don't think it's the money, personally. I love a good deal on coffee at say Lidl or somewhere, but provided it's good coffee. And by that, I mean good taste (I don't equate quality with brand).
Why pay more when you can get your caffeine for less?
For me, at least on this count, it ties into self-care in a way. I've met people who get anything at random, yet claim to enjoy their morning coffee (or whatever time-of-day-coffee). And while for some, as I mentioned, it's a matter of genuinely not feeling a difference, others do, but don't think it's worth it to invest most in coffee.
That seems weird to me, especially since we all have a couple of small rituals we enjoy and that make our day a little better, like enjoying that morning coffee in peace. Since that's one of the new moments of enjoyment and self-indulgence you're getting in a day, why not invest that extra dollar or two to get a nicer experience?
That's how I see it, at least.
What about you?
