2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

That's why the moka pot is best, never breaks, inexpensive, good coffee

Moka Pots are excellent - I have one of those too...

However, the espresso machine is a level above....

On 1/3/2026 at 6:44 PM, save the frogs said:

How much profit do you think they should make from each breakfast?

2 Baht?

Don't eat out every morning if it's too expensive for you.

100 Baht is nothing. Breakfast places back home are 10 times more expensive.

Obviously these types never ran a business

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Moka Pots are excellent - I have one of those too...

However, the espresso machine is a level above....

Yes of course they could should be better but they break and then it's a PITA getting repaired

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Moka Pots are excellent - I have one of those too...

However, the espresso machine is a level above....

Yes of course they could should be better but they break and then it's a PITA getting repaired

No problems with instant coffee... stick to that... Cold water, then you don't need to worry about a kettle breaking either.

I've rarely gotten a decent cup of coffee 'served' with any hotel breakfast, since preferring a dark roast. And very rarely been 'served' instant coffee. Though on the buffet / self serve style brekkie, brewed and or instant was available.

On the home brewing subject, have every possible contraption for making coffee, and I get the same results from each. Simply stick with the easiest to use & clean. A combination of French press, poured through a filter. If only drinking 1 cup (~215ml), then skip the use of French press.

For those on a budget, it doesn't get any cheaper or easier to use this, and emphasis on 'adjustable' ...

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I've rarely gotten a decent cup of coffee 'served' with any hotel breakfast, since preferring a dark roast. And very rarely been 'served' instant coffee. Though on the buffet / self serve style brekkie, brewed and or instant was available.

On the home brewing subject, have every possible contraption for making coffee, and I get the same results from each. Simply stick with the easiest to use & clean. A combination of French press, poured through a filter. If only drinking 1 cup (~215ml), then skip the use of French press.

For those on a budget, it doesn't get any cheaper or easier to use this, and emphasis on 'adjustable' ...

I have a collapsible dripper for packing in my suitcase. Takes Melita-style (trapezoid shape) filters which I can easily get on Lazada and the odd store here and there. You can also make your own dripper by just cutting off the top of a large plastic coke bottle. That will work with v60 (v shaped) filters but you can also just scrunch a trapezoid filer in there.

6 minutes ago, shdmn said:

I have a collapsible dripper for packing in my suitcase. Takes Melita-style filters which I can easily get on Lazada.

The 'adjustable' version, allows the coffee to 'brew' for about 5 min, or longer, if not a fine grind, instead of just pouring threw. Use half the amount of coffee with the adjustable vs non pour through.

A good cup of coffee is worth paying a little more for. The 3 in 1's are okay if that's all you want is a cup of coffee. If you want better, you pay a little more, as it's worth the price. Like richard said, Starbucks costs a hell of a lot more.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

A good cup of coffee is worth paying a little more for. The 3 in 1's are okay if that's all you want is a cup of coffee. If you want better, you pay a little more, as it's worth the price. Like richard said, Starbucks costs a hell of a lot more.

30 baht is cheap too.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

The 'adjustable' version, allows the coffee to 'brew' for about 5 min, or longer, if not a fine grind, instead of just pouring threw. Use half the amount of coffee with the adjustable vs non pour through.

The problem is that it's not very portable, that's why I use the collapsible silicon one instead. If I just wanted it for home use I would probably buy the Hario switch.

2 minutes ago, shdmn said:

The problem is that it's not very portable, that's why I use the collapsible silicon one instead. If I just wanted it for home use I would probably buy the Hario switch.

Knock off, does the same as the Hario, at fraction of the cost. For the price, I was surprised it worked quite well. We self drive, so half our kitchen travels with us 🙄

1 hour ago, shdmn said:

I have a collapsible dripper for packing in my suitcase. Takes Melita-style (trapezoid shape) filters which I can easily get on Lazada and the odd store here and there. You can also make your own dripper by just cutting off the top of a large plastic coke bottle. That will work with v60 (v shaped) filters but you can also just scrunch a trapezoid filer in there.

No, do not cut a coke bottle for this purpose. The material is not made to be used with heated water, it is unhealthy.

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Always a possibility - is that why you always take taxi's and refuse to own a car ?

7-11 has coffee for 30 Baht. It's proper coffee with good machines.

If I keep coffee at home, I end up drinking 3-4 cups a day.

Also depends if you invite people over often.

But 7-11 works for me.

Whatever works best for you.

Those machines are nice and look good on the kitchen counter and it is fun to make your own coffee.

On 1/2/2026 at 10:05 PM, NickyLouie said:

We all know the breakfast coffee scam by now. Order an all-inclusive fry-up and it comes with a mug of tea or coffee—except the “coffee” is just a Nestlé sugar

Went to a breakfast place that charges 10 Baht extra for real coffee. They state explicitly that the coffee that is included is Nescafe.

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No problems with instant coffee... stick to that... Cold water, then you don't need to worry about a kettle breaking either.

Maybe ok for you but a mokapot is 100 times better than instant

22 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe ok for you but a mokapot is 100 times better than instant

It's hard to call any instant coffee ... coffee. I've tried just about every name brand instant, and 3/1, and none come close to the taste of brewed coffee. The 3/1s can pass for a crappy Cappuccino, especially if you add sugar to yours, maybe, but wouldn't call any of them coffee.

I enjoy the 3/1 for a quick fix, but not kidding myself, that it compares to a Cappuccino that I'd make myself.

6 hours ago, save the frogs said:

7-11 has coffee for 30 Baht. It's proper coffee with good machines.

If I keep coffee at home, I end up drinking 3-4 cups a day.

Also depends if you invite people over often.

But 7-11 works for me.

Whatever works best for you.

Those machines are nice and look good on the kitchen counter and it is fun to make your own coffee.

I've never tried the Coffee in 7-11... I'd reckon I'd get strange looks jumping on the scooter & hitting 7-11 for a coffee in my Hugh Hefner PJ's !!..

As you wrote - whatever works best for each of us.

The machines certainly take the most effort - they need to be 'dialed in' so the recipe is spot on and I used to be a lot more neurotic about that than I am now, ensuing the perfect grind size, to allow a 2:1 ratio (i.e. 38 gms of coffee (liquid) from 19 gms coffee) - pre-infused, and then pulled for 30 seconds.... either AA or AAA Arabica bean, preferably from Khun Chang Kian (in the north of Thailand) - medium to medium dark roasted. I haven't had a coffee at any coffee shop thats as good as this.

I don't care what it looks like (it actually takes up more space than I like).

A mistake I made - I 'should' have purchased a separate grinder / brewer set up (instead of the combined option - Breville Barista Pro).

Next is the Moka-Pot (I'm actually drinking a cup made by Moka Pot right now) - its less of an immersive process - the quality of coffee and grind size is paramount for a good brew. The Bialetti brewers, while original are not the best here (min is messy and sputs and creats uneven extraction towards the end of the brew - its also a little too easily) - I might have to get the 'newer' design of this brand which I'd hope has eradicated these flaws.

It takes a little practice get and get the technique down, the right amount of coffee, not tamped, but tapped down, the right amount of water etc so it brews without spurting - which involves moving it off and back on the heat at at the right times.

I have a Nespresso Volluto - which also makes great coffee, is incredibly easy to use when I just can't be bothered to brew properly - this is also great for making Decaf coffee (from decaf capsules) when I want one in the afternoon.

I have the French Press - these are always great, simple no fuss, I have a few different sizes - one for a single cup and one larger for a two cups worth. I use different pre-ground coffee for this one - usually becase I'll use this when travelling and brew with a finer expresso grind for the smaller brewer and go for a slightly muddy texture (which I like, others hate) - or I'll use a very slightly more coarse grind of Arabica-Robusta Mix (Bon-Cafe) which is good for the larger french-press, makes a longer coffee which I can drink over an hour (which I use when at work overseas - because its easy to take with me).

I have a picopresso for camping - A total faff, boil the water on the stove, dose out the coffee into the handheld machine, add the boiling water, then use the hand-pump to make the expresso shot... and if wanted, then heat milk with a frother-wand to make a latte... Great chilling on the bench at the side of a stream on a British Summer morning when camping - not so great when you want a quick-cup - its not a fast process !

A 7-11 would be ideal to walk to then - but we (Son and I) are usually too remote to walk anywhere and he's frying up some bacon.

And additional favourite which is off the usual path: an Electric Turkish Coffee Maker. I used on of these when working a lot in the Middle east - I used extra-fine grind coffee (as fine as possible) - it did what it's supposed to do, make great Turkish Coffee, muddy, and sediment has to be allowed to settle - sludge always remainging in the bottom of the cup (a lot like a 'cowboy coffee' which again is under-rated as its always 100% much better than any instant and when roughing it 'just dealing' with the bits is still better than instant.

Each all have pro's and cons'... Expresso Machine makes the best coffee hands down - so much so I don't bother getting coffee from anywhere else whenever in Thailand.

The other options have additional layers of convenience and come with me when travelling.

Most important is quality of coffee and grind-sizing.

Another facet of making our own coffee - we have control over the beans we chose - in a commercial venture cost is more of an issue and there maybe compromise on the beans.

Someone on here mentioned they get very good coffee from Shopee - 100% Arabica Doi Chang - medium dark roast.

I ordered it on their recommendation was was nicely surprised - good coffee.

As mentioned - the espresso machine could break down - its been 'in for service' once - which was inexpensive - but a ball-ache as its heavy and a PITA to lumber across to the shop - it also needs descaling from time to time, back-flushing etc - Its just more work and I can see why people won't like it, especially for the cost - but the end produce is just 'better' - richer, smoother, better textured... once we've spoiled ourselves with coffee at that level, other coffee while enjoyable, is noticeably just not as good - sometimes I don't want the compromise.

Final note: the Express Machine makes an absolutely 'mean-killer' Expresso Martini !!!

- Espresso double-shot.

- Vodka

- Mr Black Coffee Liqueur / Or Kahlua

- Rigorously shake in an iced mixer (with a spring thingy inside) and decant.

Wake me up and F*** me up !!! - as the saying goes - its a good fun hit if heading out.

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe ok for you but a mokapot is 100 times better than instant

100% agree - just finished a Moko-Pot coffee while writing that last post... I think I have another, there's a risk of the next post being even longer !!!!

Going back to the origins of this thread.

I was recently 'travelling' outside of BKK... I never have breakfasts in hotels where possible as the breakfast is usually rubbish.... very very few hotels in the world have a 'decent' buffet breakfast and the coffee is a nearly always crap...

So no breakfast and heading out to a decent breakfast spot is always a better option (if on my own).

Thus: heading out for breakfast saw exactly the same thing the Op discusses.

Full English Breakfast - Upgrade for 50 baht to 'real coffee'... instead of the included option (which I guess was going to be instant).

It was a complete no-brainer.... I really don't know what the Ops complaint is about - if you want a better cup of coffee than instant - it has to be paid for. I think thats a lot more fair than including a 'good coffee' for a slightly higher price of the breakfast and non-coffee drinkers are going to miss out.

On 2/14/2026 at 4:23 PM, msbkk said:

No, do not cut a coke bottle for this purpose. The material is not made to be used with heated water, it is unhealthy.

Most of the water comes out the bottom of the filter in the middle, so little if any will touch the plastic. You can also cut off the opening to make it even wider and less likely to touch. Also, if you are worried about that then I have some bad news for you about everything else you eat/drink/inhale on a daily basis in Thailand.

20 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe ok for you but a mokapot is 100 times better than instant

Unfiltered coffee raises your cholesterol, so I would only drink that after pouring it through a paper filter afterwards. Also, most mokapots I have seen are made out of aluminum. Boiling water in that causes the aluminum to leech into the water. You can get stainless steel ones but I think they are more expensive.

46 minutes ago, shdmn said:

Unfiltered coffee raises your cholesterol, so I would only drink that after pouring it through a paper filter afterwards. Also, most mokapots I have seen are made out of aluminum. Boiling water in that causes the aluminum to leech into the water. You can get stainless steel ones but I think they are more expensive.

It is correct that unfiltered coffee can raise cholesterol. 1 or 2 cups a day should however be without any risk except if you suffer from high cholesterol levels already.

52 minutes ago, shdmn said:

Unfiltered coffee raises your cholesterol, so I would only drink that after pouring it through a paper filter afterwards. Also, most mokapots I have seen are made out of aluminum. Boiling water in that causes the aluminum to leech into the water. You can get stainless steel ones but I think they are more expensive.

Yes, and I bought a Stainless Steel one just for that reason. And you can detect a slight metallic taste difference, aluminum vs SS.

I pour my French press through a filter, to avoid any fine grind in my drink, not for the miniscule cafestol and kahweol that it catches.

2 hours ago, shdmn said:

Unfiltered coffee raises your cholesterol, so I would only drink that after pouring it through a paper filter afterwards. Also, most mokapots I have seen are made out of aluminum. Boiling water in that causes the aluminum to leech into the water. You can get stainless steel ones but I think they are more expensive.

mokapot filters are about a satang each, treat yourself, it won't be the aluminium that kills people most likely rubbish diet

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe ok for you but a mokapot is 100 times better than instant

I heard it was 87 times better