I don’t get it: coffee to go (and especially not on a bike!)
I’m one of the 8.8 million people in the Netherlands who crave a cup of coffee every day. You could definitely call it a mild addiction. I prefer to drink my coffee black, but every now and then I go on an adventure with, for example, this tompouce iced coffee. So I really do understand the love of coffee – there’s just one thing I simply don’t get: the coffee-to-go craze…
I’m lucky enough to have to cycle through Amsterdam’s Vondelpark every morning to get to the office. As I enjoy the park, I feast my eyes on the enthusiastic runners I slalom around and the exercise classes full of fanatics who dare to lie on their yoga mats among the dogs running wild. And there’s something else that catches my eye: all those people cycling around with a to-go cup of coffee.
Coffee to go: why?
The stingy Dutch person inside me emerges at lightning speed whenever I visit Amsterdam coffee shops or large coffee chains. I simply think €4.90 for a medium (I refuse to say ‘Grande’) black coffee is a ridiculous amount of money for a cup of coffee to go. The €7.15 you pay for a caramel frappuccino gives me even more of a rash. (It’s cheaper at the – not exactly inexpensive – W Hotel, where you also get good service and a cookie thrown in!)
But anyway, if you decide to get such an overpriced cup of coffee, why the hell would you take it with you on your bike? That’s just completely impractical, isn’t it?
Coffee-to-go craze
In American films and TV series, everyone gets coffee from the Starbucks around the corner all day long. In my mind, that was something only those ‘crazy’ Americans really did. By now, every kitchen and office in the Netherlands has a coffee machine. Why would you waste your hard-earned money on this nonsense? Starbucks coffee isn’t even (in my opinion) better than the Nespresso machine I have at home. Making a cup of coffee with that costs a maximum of €0.50 per cup (much cheaper if you buy own-brand pods), and you can easily pour it into a cardboard cup yourself.
Would someone please explain to me why we collectively spend so much money on this to-go craze? I really don’t get it.
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