I finally get why my buddy swears by his $12 Mr. Coffee and I don't know how to feel about it

Kim Mitchell · 2026-10-02T06:20:03.344978+00:00

My friend Dave has been making coffee in the same $12 Mr. Coffee drip machine since like 2016 and I finally asked him about it over beers on Friday. He said he went down the whole rabbit hole years back, bought a scale and a gooseneck kettle and a burr grinder, and then realized he was spending 20 minutes making a cup he drank in 3. Now he just scoops cheap grounds in, hits the button, and walks away. Part of me thinks he's throwing away something good, but another part of me watched him actually enjoy his coffee instead of fussing over bloom times. I spend $18 a bag on beans and 15 minutes on a pour over and honestly sometimes it tastes worse than his because I rush it. So which is it, is chasing the perfect cup worth the hassle, or does Dave have it right that good enough is good enough? Would love to hear from people who went deep and came back out the other side.

Librear

Loading…

I finally get why my buddy swears by his $12 Mr. Coffee and I don't know how to feel about it | Coffee Enthusiasts - Librear