Luxury or Economy?

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, and boy do I have something special for you today! If there's one thing dads like, it's a good bargain. What dad doesn't want to save a little money? I know I do. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm one of the cheapest guys around, so take it from me--I would not be encouraging you to be lovers of espresso and espresso-based drinks if there wasn't a cost-effective way to do it. So how do we enjoy a luxury such as fine espresso in a cost-effective manner?
By far the most economical way to enjoy espresso and espresso-based drinks is to make it and drink it at home. A quick calculation reveals that a $3 latte purchased daily outside the home five days per week will cost you $60/month or $720/year to consume. That's a fairly conservative estimate. If you buy yourself a machine (a company like Nespresso makes a very easy-to-use, automatic machine) for $300 and make espresso in your home for $.70/day, your yearly total is $482, and that's just the first year including the price of the machine. Your second year of drinking espresso at home costs only $182. So it's clear that doing it yourself is the way to go for cost, but wait there's more! Then there's the benefit of dazzling your friends with a beautifully frothed cappuccino served in your living room. Imagine the glory, the prestige, the elegance. You: "Can I interest you in a cappuccino or perhaps a macchiato?" Your guest: "I would love a cappuccino...(pause)...would you like to have our season tickets to (insert favorite sports team or performance space). That's a just a small example of the power of fine coffee. Try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed. So this is my gift to you dads of the world--I offer you the possibility of remaining true to your penny-pinching principles without sacrificing your classy self. You CAN have it both ways. Tightwad and Man of the World. The world is your oyster. Slurp it up.

What Jimmy Says About Coffee

I don't need you to tell me how f------ good my coffee is. I'm the one who buys it--I know how good it is. When Bonnie goes shopping, she buys s---. I buy the gourmet expensive stuff, 'cause when I drink it, I wanna taste it.

-Jimmy

Coffee Consumption Worldwide

Per capita, the greatest coffee drinkers in the world are from Finland and Sweden; however, the United States imports/consumes more coffee than any other country--24 million bags (60 kg) per year. That's a lot of espresso, or is it? It's actually not. Here in the States, we drink mostly drip coffee, often in very large cups and with milk or cream and sugar. We don't really have espresso culture here the way they do in, say, Italy, France or Spain where drinkers consume espresso shots (at an espresso bar or at home) straight without any kind of dairy product and perhaps even without sugar. In recent years, coffee habits have begun to change in the United States, as the rise of Starbucks has done much to introduce Americans to espresso and espresso-based drinks. Nonetheless, drip coffee is still king here at home.