Are $1 Servo Coffees as Good as $4 Cafe Coffees?

Bellpop on 21/04/2019 - 13:56
Last edited 22/04/2019 - 10:53

Long time coffee drinker, first time coffee question writer.

While I love a latte or flat white from a nice little coffee shop and the ambience, of I’m on the go I find it hard to not save 75% and get one from Coles Express, 7/11, etc

Do you guys reckon you could tell the difference in a blind test? To be honest, I don’t think I could. Even if you could slightly tell, is 400% price increase enough to buy the $1 Latte?

As noted by a commenter, most things cost more when it comes to food and perception of quality, but I think the difference here is the 400% markup for coffee shop coffee. Over a year that’s a lot. $1 x 365 = $365. $4 x 365 = $1,460.

Poll Options

  • 277
    $1 Coffees do the job
  • 129
    I only go for the expensive stuff
  • 106
    Coffee tastes like dirt
Food & Grocery Coffee

Comments

  • jeozb on 22/04/2019 - 19:11

    imo —

    Great:
    - Cafe, or home/office with pro equipment and fresh beans

    Good:
    - 7 eleven coffee - I defs don't mind drinking them, totally worth the $1
    - home/office with pods - I have Vittoria pods at home, need double shot to work with milk but tastes fine for ~$1 per latte. Nespresso n co. would fit in this category. Imo I prefer these pods over 7 eleven still.

    Almost good:
    - Hungry Jack's "Shake and Win" free medium coffee - tastes more bland than either 7 eleven or coffee pods. Only drinking them if free.

    Meh:
    - Coles — "under $1" sound nice until I tasted myself then realize they're probably not even half as good as 7 eleven - hard to enjoy
    - Instant coffee

    Please don't touch:
    - I tried a coffee machine at Bob Jane, and a similar-looking one at one car dealer — ouch, strange tasting brownish milky water, I poured down the sink, don't know what's in there

    • Bellpop on 22/04/2019 - 20:09

      Please don’t touch 😂😂😂

  • sillyguy on 22/04/2019 - 20:05

    Duh, if you consider drinking $1 coffee may as well dont drink it and save ur dollar.

    Generally there is no diff between $1 and $4 coffee as lots of shop serve $4 ones as bad as $1 counterparts. However there is a huge gap between good coffee and bad coffee, factors including type, origin, roast, brew methods etc…

    Dont drink cheap or expensive coffee, drink good coffee made by people who know their coffee craft.

    • Bellpop on 22/04/2019 - 20:10

      But no barriers made $1 coffee so you’re saying avoid it right

      • sillyguy on 22/04/2019 - 20:55

        U meant barista made coffee?

        Anyone can become barista in 1 day or 2 via some training courses. So the term barista made coffee is just a marketing trick.

        If you just need a hot flat white in the morning without caring much about the enjoyment then get a machine that makes espresso shots and buy affordable pods in Aldi, heat ur milk in the microwave and u have ur flat white, cheaper than $1 if u drink every day I believe.

        However to enjoy the coffee to its full nature u need to visit a shop, just like eating out. There is much more to coffee than just espresso, eg pour over, cold brew, syphon etc.

        Hope it helps.

        • T1OOO on 22/04/2019 - 21:17
          +1

          U had me till the last bit go too hippsterish

  • slow on 22/04/2019 - 20:54
    +2

    I find 7-11 coffees are quite acceptable - not as good as a well made cafe coffee or what I can make at home, but better than a lot of badly made $4+ cafe coffees.

    At least they are consistent - you know what you are going to get

    I also find that the 7-11 machine makes a better cup than the Coles Express machine, especially the flat white - in particular the milk has a much more consistent creamier foam. At Coles you just get froth on top

  • T1OOO on 22/04/2019 - 21:14

    I give coffee places one go and that’s it. Fail me first time
    Never going back. Use bitter beans. Never going back. I don’t want it to be painful and nasty to drink!

    7/11 has definitely been added to a place where I would get one for sure. I’m not sure if they used to be terriable in the past but now are pretty decent.

  • coolroy on 22/04/2019 - 21:21
    +1

    If your coffee comes in a paper/cardboard cup its going to taste shit in my view.
    Much prefer fresh coffee in a quality coffee cup, be it china or glass depending on type of coffee.
    Then again i am the sort of person who is happy to express freight roast to order beans for my machine.

    Just depends on how much you enjoy your coffee i guess.
    Don't smoke or drink alcohol so great coffee is my vice.

  • SonnyJday on 22/04/2019 - 21:42

    The guy at Coles express told me the small coffees are going up in cost from 80cents to 1 dollar soon, because of the rising cost of beans.

    • ts13 on 23/04/2019 - 03:41

      Actually, bean prices are rly low at the moment.

    • J5 on 23/04/2019 - 05:48

      The beans prob went up a buck a kilo

      So let’s call it 1 cent per cup

  • buffalo bill on 22/04/2019 - 22:45
    +1

    In my opinion, they're not as good, as you would expect from a $1 coffee. However I still buy and happily drink them. Although if like me, you usually get the medium or large, you're looking at less of a $ and % difference from a café coffee.

    Also really, how much is your time and/or fuel worth? If you're at a servo already, cheap coffee is fine but if you're in the city where the coffee is cheap anyway due to competition, hardly worth going out of your way to find a 7/11.

  • macrocephalic on 22/04/2019 - 23:24
    +1

    I can certainly taste the difference. That doesn't mean I haven't had plenty of barista made coffees which were worse than the $1 ones from 7eleven, but I can still tell the difference.

    That said, I still will happily buy the $1 ones as I think it's a more suitable price for a coffee day to day.

  • ts13 on 23/04/2019 - 03:40
    +1

    $1 coffees is a huge burden on the coffee industry. Note that most beans are usually handpicked in countries where labour is cheaper. Processed, etc. Starbucks pays literally pennies per kg (<$1 / kg) for their coffee due to their sheer buying power, whereas a local Aussie specialty coffee roaster would be paying upwards of $15 AUD / kg (direct trade).
    Note even if somewhere is “fair trade” doesn’t make it necessarily ethical. By all means, fair trade is better than not fair trade. But direct trade is better. Fair trade isn’t all that fair. And direct trade changes from transaction to transaction - but the thought that they are trying to do better by the grower usually means they want to support them.

    In Denmark (and rest of scandinavia) where wages are largely similar (and absurdly high imo) to what they are in Australia coffees are obscenely expensive. $3-5 AUD for black coffee, $5-9 AUD for milk coffee. I think these sorts of prices much more fairly reflect wage equality across all levels in the industry. Whether or not the money makes it back to the growers is another question. (Direct trade helps to eliminate a possible middle man though).

    tl;dr - Seemed expensive to me - but it’s what you know I guess. Same reason why $4 seems like sig. more than $1. For what you’re getting in a cafe: service, wages, wi-fi, rent, cost of cleaning cup or takeaway cup, milk, equipment, etc. etc. $4 is a very fair price to pay for a coffee. If anything, I think it’s on the low side. And an increase in price will help people to understand that they shouldn’t be entitled to cheap coffee and caffeine every day - but it is another respectable, good where quality is expensive and to respect the industry, it is worth paying for and lowering consumption if $$$ is an issue.

    • macrocephalic on 23/04/2019 - 10:46

      They aren't growing the coffee beans in Denmark, so the markup is all domestic - the coffee producers are still not getting any more money.

      You're conflating two issues. You're arguing that $1 coffees are too cheap because of third world labour (probably valid) but also suggesting that $4 is cheap because coffee shops have to provide a full experience. People who buy $1 servo coffees aren't going for the ambience, or the amenities, they just want a coffee. If you doubled the cost of beans then servo coffees would still only cost $1.50. Don't go pretending that $4 is a fair price for coffee just because some shops are set up differently - when servos can make a profit selling for less than half the price.

      It's like looking at a 7 series BMW and saying that $100k is a fair price for a car, and that $20k Hyundais are burdening the car market.

      • ProlapsedHeinous on 25/04/2019 - 02:02

        from a conversation I had with a 7-11 staff member, they reckon they are doing very well from these 1 dollar coffees, even if their machines cost >10k a piece. so drink up ladies and gents!

  • SydBoy on 23/04/2019 - 05:14
    -1

    Don't let Alan Jones to read this thread else he will start campaign for poor barista (Cole's & 7/11) and increase price by $10c per coffee 😂

    I always drink 7/11 as it is no difference to costly coffee !

    • imurgod on 23/04/2019 - 18:50

      It really is different in the same way Nescafe is different to real coffee.

  • slow on 23/04/2019 - 06:18

    I also find that a lot of elf annointed coffee experts who dis the servo coffees have never actually tried one, but made up their mind that they must be bad because they didn't pay $4.50 for it.
    Had this exact conversation with someone at kids footy last week when they turned down my offer of getting one for them.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 07:19
      +2

      This is a good point. My wife refused to have one. Then one morning I got a text on the way home asking me to grab a latte. Was close to a Coles express so I got one there. Didn’t tell her it was from Coles. She loved it. Wanted to know which coffee shop it was from…

  • Name on 23/04/2019 - 07:07

    Price has nothing to do with it.

    There has been plenty of times I've thrown out a full cup of coffee from a Cafe because it tastes like crap and that is almost $5. Servo coffee is generally pretty crap so I don't bother trying any more. Prefer to have no coffee than bad coffee.

    When I'm somewhere new I try searching for "good coffee [suburb]" and sometimes it helps.

  • idonotknowwhy on 23/04/2019 - 07:44
    +1

    Missing the poll option where 7/11 coffee tastes better.
    It's somewhere in between. Some cafe coffee is shit, some is way better and a completely different experience.
    It's not just about the beans and barista, one day a barista can make an amazing coffee, another day the same barista will make a disgusting one.
    At least 7/11 coffee is consistent :)

    • macrocephalic on 23/04/2019 - 10:48
      +1

      It's consistently mediocre - which is fine because you only paid $1 for it. You can get a much better coffee from a good coffee shop, but you aren't guaranteed to go to any random coffee shop and get a better coffee - and you'll pay $4+ for it regardless.

  • Excelsior on 23/04/2019 - 09:01

    Tbh it doesn't take a connoisseur to taste the difference between a proper barista-made one (caveat: it also depends on the quality of beans/who makes the coffee) vs. a $1 one from the servo. But like many have said, if you're in need of an urgent caffeine hit, anything will do.

  • Ceri on 23/04/2019 - 10:32

    Aside from the better quality beans from some cafes, the milk frothing really does make a difference.
    The automatic coffee machine definitely can't make a very nice microfoam as well as a skilled barista with proper frothing machine.

    Personally I stay away from those servo machines unless I'm desperate, but also in the spirit of ozbargain, I try to go to coffee deals or cheaper cafes that still taste good.
    If you are located in Sydney CBD, I'd recommend Underground Espresso at QVB. Small regular coffee costs $2.5 but quality is on par if not better than the usual $3.5 coffee. Plus you can do Ritual app + piggyback etc to earn points.
    Hey You app now does 50c cashback via shopback too, so there might be other options for $2.5 coffees out there. Some cafes also do keep-cup discount.

    Of course not all $4 coffee is equal. For example maccas 'barista-made' coffee is overpriced and taste like crap, I'd rather get 7-eleven's coffee anytime.

  • JimB on 23/04/2019 - 11:07

    I drink it once in a while.

    Definitively not as good as a proper barista made coffee, but seems a step above any McCafe coffee I've ever head (had it a few times, sucker for punishment).

    For $1, it's the same price as my Nespresso Pods so I can't complain.

    I read that the Milk may not be fresh at 7-11. Everytime I visit in various places in Melbourne, there's more often than not a queue, or at least one person using it while I'm there.

    On a more serious matter, my free 7 Eleven Coffee Voucher barcode always shows an error on my app!

  • trapper on 23/04/2019 - 13:03
    +1

    If you drink coffee with no sugar you can easily taste the difference between good and bad coffee. With sugar, not so obvious.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 13:09

      I drink with sweetener. This might make the difference 🤔

    • imurgod on 23/04/2019 - 14:20

      Agree

  • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2019 - 13:05

    Personally, I rarely enjoy a takeaway coffee in the same way as I would enjoy a proper barista made flat white with the perfect textured milk with the microfoam and art done right.
    I remember going to one of the ultra high rated cafes in the Strand, and the difference between the "have here" coffee and that in the takeaway cup was striking. They put their top baristas on the dine in coffees with perfect art and presentation, while the take aways were just churned out, sloshed into the cup with no care at all.
    So my rule is I would always go for the 7/11 dollar coffee unless they make a better coffee than I could, and I'm dining in.
    If I want one to go, I'll ask then to leave the lid off, and make them stand by their presentation.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 13:08
      +1

      😂😂😂 Lid off. Good idea

      • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2019 - 13:11

        The other option for the 7/11 (or any auto coffee machine where you are doing the process) if possible cut the shot a little shorter (as they generally over extract), and add a little less milk to compensate. If you can't control the shot, pull the cup away for the last few seconds, or as you see the shot colour lighten. It will taste less bitter. Cut price 'piccolo'!

        • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 13:21
          +1

          Haha I’ll try this. Also try not to make eye contact with checkout chick as she walks off to clean my mess haha 👌

        • J5 on 23/04/2019 - 16:19
          +1

          That’s something I do and also drop a few secs of the beginning which is the strongest as the wife doesn’t like strong coffee

          Btw there is a milk button to hold for just hot milk ;) to top it up

  • imurgod on 23/04/2019 - 14:19

    As a Napolitano (the best place in Italy to get coffee), I can categorically say that $1 servo coffee can't even be called coffee.

    There is a huge difference that IMHO is akin to good scotch vs Johnny Walker Red Label.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 14:37

      Is this Jordan Shlansky?

      • imurgod on 23/04/2019 - 18:46

        Ha ha. I had to look him up. Never heard of him. Is he always in character?

        • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 18:59

          Always on Conan. Always acts that way. Funniest dude. BTW how awesome is the dude who down voted me 😂😂😂

          • imurgod on 23/04/2019 - 19:04

            @Bellpop: Pardon me, I meant to upvote you! Bloody fat fingers. Sorry!

            He is funny. I have to watch more videos of him.

            • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 19:06

              @imurgod: 😂😂

              Check out the one where they clean his desk. The best. Enjoy.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2019 - 15:46
    +1

    Not really a question as you provided the answer.

    In the morning I go to the automatic bean to cup machine in the office, then out to a barista later in the day.
    The difference is chalk and cheese, but both serve their purpose.

    Is a $4 well made coffee worth the markup? Yes, when I am not saving, No when I am on a budget.

    I nearly always regret a barista coffee outside of Sydney. (referring to regional and country NSW here, not other major cities, as I have little experience with those).
    Outside of Sydney, I stick with McDonals or 7/11. Far from perfect, but they usually always deliver to expectations.

  • Jackkkkkk on 23/04/2019 - 16:39
    +2

    if you conduct a blind test with Campos vs 7/11 beans, you can immediately tell which is better.

    I like them both depending if I can be bothered going to the cafe at Westfield vs the 7/11 1 minute down the road.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 16:42
      -1

      Can tell they’re different… but which is better?

  • minklet on 23/04/2019 - 17:05

    For a long black it's ok sometimes, but for anything else, absolutely not. I never used to drink coffee til I came to Australia but proper coffee here and in New Zealand is fantastic

  • marty64 on 23/04/2019 - 17:50
    +1

    Don't forget for the servo coffees you can do a double shot, heck a triple shot, a quadra shot or even a Pentashot for the same price. Then go to work to add milk from the work fridge.

    • Bellpop on 23/04/2019 - 18:00

      How does this work?

      • Ritchma on 23/04/2019 - 21:29

        Not sure about other petrol stations but 7/11 you select regular size short black first that only gives you a shot of coffee and then you select whatever you want. If I go to 7/11 I go for 2$ coffee, regular short black and large flat white

  • Unacceptable on 23/04/2019 - 21:20

    How often do they clean the machines? Inside the machined are made of plastic bits, milk is leaking and clogged and cockroaches are sometime sneaked in the machines causing issues. This is based on service calls that my friends received for automatic machines like those in 7/11.

    • Bellpop on 24/04/2019 - 19:57

      Gross 🤢

    • ProlapsedHeinous on 25/04/2019 - 02:09

      "cockroaches are sometime sneaked in the machines" I guess witness protection don't have the budget for motels anymore? Honestly that doesn't phase me…. what else do you expect for a buck… lmfao

      • SlappersOnly on 28/04/2019 - 01:38

        It’s just the way of life to be honest. I’ve heard some wild stories from electrician workmates that used to do repairs and maintenance for a bunch of major food processing factories. Hygiene is a state of mind

  • Ritchma on 23/04/2019 - 21:27
    +1

    The difference between strong flat white I get from my favorite cafe and 7/11 coffee is enormous. I'm 100% sure I would be able to tell them apart in blind test straight away possibly just by the smell. But to be honest sometimes when I get 4-5$ coffee from somewhere else it's not really that much different to 7/11 coffee. For some reason I don't like shell/coles express coffee at all. When I go to 7/11 I usually buy 2$ coffee and select regular short black first and then large flat white. Otherwise it tastes like warm milk…

    • Bellpop on 24/04/2019 - 19:57

      Is $2 two shots? Otherwise small ftw

  • rumchaser on 23/04/2019 - 22:05

    You can tell the difference but I still get 7/11 $2 coffee when I don’t make my own in the morning.
    For a treat I get either Gloria jeans or maccas caramel latte .

    • Bellpop on 24/04/2019 - 19:57
      +2

      Maccas is pretty crappy in my experience

      • rumchaser on 25/04/2019 - 21:18

        Yeah it’s hit and miss sometimes but my local is fairly good

  • khelddar on 23/04/2019 - 22:46

    I like that there a quarter of the price but am lactose intolerant, if they had soy i'd been all in

    That said for black coffee or iced black coffee i don't mind it, taste fine

  • j4ck on 24/04/2019 - 07:16

    They're definitely not as good but I'll still drink them if there's nothing else open.

  • Brianqpr on 24/04/2019 - 12:46

    Huge difference between a good cafe coffee and the $1 servo versions. If there wasn't I'd be saving myself a lot of money.

  • OzBarAnon on 24/04/2019 - 18:04

    In my experience, 7Eleven coffees are pretty good as far as servo coffees go. I've also had the machine ones that you can get in BP and I can definitely tell the difference (7Eleven being way better, BP tasting very watered down and thin). That being said, depending on who's making your coffee, there is a noticeable difference between a 7Eleven and a cafe one (cafe ones will froth/steam the milk giving it a lighter and smoother texture than 7Eleven which I think just heats the milk), but I personally can't justify the price difference (my other coffee drinking friends do though).

    In short, yeah I can tell the difference. Normally can't be bothered spending the extra $ on a cafe even though it's better, but for $1, I'd only drink the 7Eleven ones. Other petrol station ones are trash.

    • Bellpop on 24/04/2019 - 20:16

      Not much talk re Coles Express $1 coffee. I don’t mind it.

  • Sirocco on 24/04/2019 - 19:36

    I tried to get used to the $1 coffee from 7/11. But alas it tastes like bitter shit.

    Lucky I don't need coffee to survive.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2019 - 20:00

    I've never tried servo coffees only because I'm a 1-coffee-a-day kinda guy and I would rather it was an excellent one .

  • T1OOO on 24/04/2019 - 20:11
    -1

    Stop the press. I just found out the large has just 1 shot of coffee! Wtf??!??

    • Bellpop on 24/04/2019 - 20:15
      -1

      Wowsers. That’s weird.

    • slow on 24/04/2019 - 20:56

      Yes, that is why for the same price of $2 you buy 2 small and get 1.5 times the coffee. Or you just get an espresso first in the same cup.

      • T1OOO on 25/04/2019 - 22:32

        This guy … all the answers…..

        Let the pressers roll again ..,,,

  • soundsdifferent on 24/04/2019 - 22:32
    +1

    IMO 90% of barista-made coffee is poorly made/ burnt and tastes worse than a machine made coffee. So in that sense, you may as well pay $1, but a well-made coffee is well worth the money but only if you know it'll be good. I "quit coffee" a few years ago, I went from buying barista made coffee every day to only buying it when I'm out with friends (Once a week/ fortnight). Now I am happy with a $1 coffee any day and when I treat myself to the real thing it is even better.

  • ego22 on 24/04/2019 - 22:36

    the extreme speed, no need to socialise or small talk and mostly no lines

    7/11 or coles coffee wins hands down. worth every cent.

  • lostn on 24/04/2019 - 23:47

    Not the same, but decent for $1.

    The cappuccino doesn't even get a sprinkle of chocolate onto the foam.

    • Neoika on 04/05/2019 - 16:27

      Some stores provide Choco sprinkles near the machine or you need to request it.

  • takemymoney on 03/05/2019 - 17:01

    the magic is simple: servo coffee always with milk. them is all about the proportion of milk. never, ever ask for a long black in a servo. certain disappointment.

  • yellowfever on 06/05/2019 - 14:17

    I enjoy a 7/11 small flat white everyday and for the bargain value of $1 you simply cannot get any better for the same price. It also tastes reasonably good most of the time. Even on the odd days where it tastes bitter or slightly watery, it’s still only $1.
    Yes a $4 coffee from a cafe is most likely better but not 400% better.

  • llanfachreth on 22/05/2019 - 14:15

    Saw this thread and thought I'd give the 7/11 coffee a try. Tastes like piss!

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