When I started in this job a few months back, the guy who seemed to take ownership of the coffee machine went to some trouble to show me how to refill the water and where the beans are kept. He finished with a request that I wipe the machine over if there were any spills.
I made a mental note: **coffee**
The big question being, is this reflective of a whole workplace culture or is it just this guy? (on second thoughts, I was last employed six years ago and I don't think anyone worshipped coffee then like they do now so maybe no workplace is satisfied with a jar of instant any more....)
Mr Coffee Machine is transferring to a far away place and three of his duties now fall to me.
The first is buying coffee. I am not to buy it at inflated supermarket prices but to get it at the fruit shop. It was half price in the supermarket this week so I have broken rule #1 already.
The tea towels are to be washed, preferably soaked in nappy soaker first. The only way I'll be washing nasty stuff like that down the drain is if someone complains about the state of the tea towels but there is only one person who uses them and I'd look silly complaining. I probably wouldn't listen either.
My third inherited duty is refilling the plastic cups at the water fountains. I'm not sure how to break that rule, hints accepted!
I was thinking about the coffee machines of way back. Do you remember them? Did they have them in other parts of the world?
A coin and the press of a button would lead to a horrid little plastic cup dropping from a chute, your choice of coffee or chocolate powder would fall into the cup, sugar or whitener and boiling water. The drink was always plastic tainted and the flimsy cup burned fingers but somehow those days it was good enough. Not "good" but "good enough"
As I went about my work today, someone was waiting for their espresso from the machine and we got talking about those old machines.
"Remember those clunky old machines with the Nescafe?"
"Yes" he said "that was before we got spoilt......."
LOL. I remember being on coffee duty as part of the team of "women only" office kitchen slaves and making such foul coffee I was removed. But feeling guilty that the burden was thus shoved on other women and going to my boss and insisting the males do their fair share. I eventually won that battle.
ReplyDeleteBut coffee has been taken to a new extreme in sophistication.
Good luck!
XO
WWW
That's exactly the kind of story I would expect from you and I like it!
DeleteI don't have to actually make coffee, the machine does it all so there is no chance of stuffing up on the holy grail
I can remember many times when that "good enough" coffee from those machines kept me sane. Several late night emergency room visits with kids needing stitches, or late night air flights required "that "coffee just to make it though the night. And on those nights no one griped about the quality!
ReplyDeleteYes, I drank it from the student "lounge" on many cold, wet evenings at night school and it was just what we had. I might even go so far as to say we were grateful for something hot
DeleteI remember those machines. And they did the trick. I also remember when if you wanted water you went to the tap.
ReplyDeleteNot all progress is good progress. The bread I prefer these days isn't sliced either...
Haha! Yes! the water coolers are both just a few steps from a kitchen. I can't slice bread to save my life, it comes out crooked every time, but yes a good loaf is to die for!
DeleteFifty-one years ago I used to have a Swan coffee percolator on my office bookcase. I was fortunate to have my own office because the aroma must have been annoying to non-coffee drinkers. That was the last time I enjoyed such luxury in my career.
ReplyDeleteGraham, the aroma was probably annoying to the ones who wanted a cup!
DeleteMy parents had a percolator and my brother wanted to see down the spout one day. He got quite a burn. I dont think anyone under forty even knows what they are any more
I like a good rebel. You will have a better routine than Mr Obsessive. Before those old coffee machines we had the 60 cup coffee maker.
ReplyDeleteA sixty cup coffee maker? I haven't heard of those. Did you have all your school kids drinking it :)
DeleteI laughed at the part where you said you wouldn't listen to yourself even if you complained to yourself - funny!
ReplyDeleteI had to make coffee for one job I worked. It didn't bother me, it was stated up front, I didn't care. In my current job one of the bosses brought in one of those darn single cup maker which produces all the waste with the little cups or packets of coffee. (I don't drink coffee so I don't have to choose between it and being environmentally conscious as far as my own drinking habits go.) We all have our own mugs, even those of us who just drink water. Could you suggest that your "drinkers" bring in a mug, could they be stored on site, and they would be responsible for washing their own?
Loading the dishwasher is my job so I am happy to load a few extra cups or glasses and we have a mountain of them so it's all completely manageable, I suppose I just need to put a case to somebody.
DeleteNow that i have said I am the only one to use tea towels, I'll probably find out that I'm not!
The accounting department should be applauding your purchasing skills.
ReplyDeleteNescafe and I parted company many years ago and since then I only drink tea at breakfast.
Coffee machines, I'd rather pass on that and drink water.
Alphie
English breakfast tea would probably be your drink, then?
DeleteI'm trying to drink more water, ginger tea is a good substitute
I have had two cups of tea and two cups of coffee in my life. I hate both. I really hot drinks. Jay Leno does, too. I remember coffee makers. One of the churches where I have lunch has coffee makers about two feet tall, commercial ones. I have never owned a coffee makers.
ReplyDeleteSoak tea towels in nappy soaker. nasty? You mean put the tea towels in with diapers? Yuck. How dirty can a tea towel get?
Oh, not with diapers, in a bleach that is designed to whiten and sanitise. It was sold as a nappy soak but now it's just used as a pre-wash soak.
DeleteI thought you would be a tea drinker, especially because you love it iced!
kylie,
DeleteThat is it, iced tea is wonderful all winter long. I drink hot chocolate because it is chocolate. Then, I need ice water to get it out of my mouth and settle my stomach.
I understand the nappy soak now.
During my working days, we had tea boys doing the rounds delivering hot cups of tea to all staff and from what I gather, things have not changed much even now though there are some very modern offices with tea and coffee machines. I haven't used a machine ever!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started work, there was a tea lady who took a trolley round with tea and biscuits for the managers but that's thirty years ago.
DeleteIt is such a genteel custom!
Would a tea boy bring spiced tea? That would be heaven
DeleteHow to rebel: Bamboo reusable cups for water instead of plastic cups!
ReplyDeleteI remember the old coffee machines - coffee, tea, chocolate, cola - and all these drinks came out of the same tube :-) The tea was always disgusting, so we also had a kettle.
Sx
I love bamboo cups!
DeleteFunny your machines had cola, I don't think I have seen that!
We had one of those coffee machines at my first "adult" jobs in a bank. At first the novelty of getting a "fresh" cup of coffee whenever I wanted sustained me but the TASTE! Gag...I tried doubling the milk powder and the sugar but nothing helped. I started bringing my own teabags!
ReplyDeletehaha, yes, the taste!!!
Deletedie hard caffeine addicts will put up with it though!
There are still plenty of coffee machines here, not just in offices but in cafes too. Sometimes they produce surprisingly good coffee. Maybe they've improved the technology and ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI've also noticed that hotel rooms increasingly have coffee makers rather than instant coffee. They can produce quite palatable coffee as well. I never drink instant coffee, it's disgusting.
I drink instant all the time because it's so easy! but only the best brand.
DeleteI had a vending machine coffee at The Northern General Hospital last week when I took a friend there for an appointment. I thought it was perfectly fine and it didn't taste of plastic at all. Like you I prefer instant coffee. Usually, I buy Italian freeze-dried coffee from Waitrose. I just can't be bothered with so-called real coffee. It is often grainy and tepid and far too fussy to make.
ReplyDeleteI hope vending machine coffee has improved in the last 20 years, I'm not surprised you found it acceptable.
DeleteInstant is ok in my book, it helps me appreciate espresso when I'm out
People are addicted to coffee nowadays but I'm happy with my Gold Blend instant decaffe, straight out the jar.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that you are no coffee snob!
DeleteNon fat, zero fat, espresso, double espresso, cappuccino,
ReplyDeletelatte, zero fat latte, chocolate latte. If you are the type of who
want to ensure lasting youthfulness not merely by looks in activities
too, Ganoderma coffee has to be your best companion. This
one in the purposes why I keep a way to obtain decaf within my kitchen.