double shot or strong coffee

askthecoffeeguy

I charge the same for decafe even though I grind to order and it costs me $12 per kg more than my regular coffee! Even so you have to take in to consideration the unique demands of your environment - and being student based (located @ melbourne uni) - I charge what I think students can afford, and I would no doubt charge more if I was located elsewhere Pat

GrindOnDemand

Pat, (hopefully) Swiss water decaf? Picked/roasted/decaffed by hand from yodelling Swiss nymphs, for the bloody price you're paying?! That's an absurd absorption to not pass on to the consumer! Mine's Swiss water, sourced by my usual bean-man, $5 I fork-out more per kg than the 'real' bean, & I grind the dubious bean myself (finer than usual, 'cause I find the whole water diluting process tends to wash away flavour/body). I did a blind taste-test with my regular addicts about a year ago (caff/decaf), and they could not pick the decaf (taste wise). Mine's fairly full bodied, with a chocolate-like presence & 'nutty/earthy' hint through to finish. Methinks there maybe a growing market there? - I've increased mine from about 1% to now 7% after 5 years ... heart palpatations, some decaf converts tell me is the reason. (??)

sketchy

Hi all GOD why would you charge an extra .50c for something that costs an extra .06c ($5 per kg extra 80 shots per kg), that sounds like a scam. LE

askthecoffeeguy

to cover the cost of wastage for a product that is not used as much - and for what I like to refer to as the "Harden the F*** Up" factor! P

GrindOnDemand

No scam happening Sketchy (LE) - considering the higher price I pay for the dubious decaf bean, then that I grind a/h, then vacu-pack it to refrigerated it to minimalise staleness because it's a 'now-&-then' audience, well I think an add-on of a mere .50c per shot is totally justified - because on marketing/pricing? My decaf consumer audience (weirdly???) is growing, appreciates the taste 'cause I source premium Swiss Water, & post prior post ... the market's growing. Sketchy, think pricing & your bottom line!

GrindOnDemand

Pat, replied simultaneously with you, maybe with same vibe to explain costing on a minimally used product.

sketchy

Hi I must be lucky then as i pay the same for both dacaf and normal and i can buy 250g 500g or 1 kg of decaf at a time so i only buy what i need to last no longer than 2 weeks. as it is roasted on the day of delivery it remains fresher longer and i only grind to order so less waste. I'm not saying you shouldn't make a profit but i don't see why some people should have to pay more for basically the same thing. I know i'm being picky but should we charge more for using lowfat milk as that costs me about 10% more to buy than full cream, or what about if someone wants 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf. 🙂 LE

chefrob

What if someone orders 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf? Tell them to make up their mind and you'll take their order once they have decided what they really want! But back to the topic of charging extra for single and double shots, or if the customer wants full, no-fat or soy "milk", it's a service and choice that we supply, with no extra cost. We charge $2.50 for an Espresso and $3 for milk based coffees. I've costed our coffees, and conclude that a milk based coffee (including wastage) costs us 60 cents to make from the raw ingredients. To take into account staff wages, rent, electricity, cost of fit-out or buying the business etc... then in a reasonably busy cafe, you multiply the cost of the items being sold (coffee here) by 3.333. If you can sell these products at higher prices, then that's all profit.

sketchy

That 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf is for 2 of my semi regulars . Both like long blacks strong flavoured but can't handle to much caffeine so asked if i could mix the 2. If they enjoy it i'll make it 🙂 LE

takeaim

i've had a few half caff regs too, they both told me it's a US thing.

chefrob

Hey! I tried a 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf today, and it tasted just as good as a regular full kicker caffiene. You could be onto something here! For the initial thread, when a client orders a strong coffee, I give them 40 mls instead of the usual 30 mls. When they order a weak coffee, I give them 20 mls. I use a volumetric machine and have it set for weak (20 mls), regular (30 mls) and strong (40 mls), obviously using a single handle. A double shot is a different kettle of monkeys, and I was considering charging more for this, but client loyalty and pleasing the client won out. My question is, am I doing the right thing by pouring 40 mls for a strong coffee, or should I just double shot it?

jordan23

so should i charge for double shot coffee? let say my bean is $25 per kg, included the waste 1 kg can make up to 80 -85 single shot coffee, 1 shot is about $0.32 if i don't charge for a double shot, which mean i almost double the cost of the coffee

askthecoffeeguy

Hi Jordan, I see from your profile that you're located in Sydney, in which case you may well need to charge extra where you can to cover your rent My only question is where do you draw the line? If you charge $3.50 already for a 'standard' coffee, then an extra $0.50 for a double shot, and another $0.50 for soy milk, that makes it $4.50 for a regular coffee, which is to my mind at least a hell of a lot to pay - but then again I'm not paying Sydney rent either... It also depends on how far you're willing to back yourself for making a brilliant coffee every time at that price I would gladly pay $5.00 for a coffee if I knew that every time I had one from the same place it was going to be of exceptional quality But if you're parting with that sort of dough and you end up having a crap coffee... well I for one would not come back! So at the end of the day its your call. Only you know what your client base is like, and only you have a knowledge of your coffee skills and expertise, and an awareness of your overheads. At the same time these are things that need to be worked out in advance prior to opening a new venture - and there should be very little room for second guessing Cheers, Pat

GrindOnDemand

Coffee-forum, I know ... but am I being anal for wishing to read through some readable & bloody proper grammar? I'm still trying to perfect my rosettas, not deciphering the Rosetta Stone!

askthecoffeeguy

perhaps you should ask sly and the family stone

GrindOnDemand

Somewhat cryptic Pat! Methinks ... does Rocky factor in there somewhere? Sequel no.58, Sly's gotta be a double-ristretto morning guy to survive, surely.

askthecoffeeguy

and rocky only features if he's my regular Rancillo guy - who flies by first thing in the morning to dose-up my beefed up Bezzera for barista basics and a quick shot (or should I say slow extraction) of espresso

GrindOnDemand

chefrob, you've hit the proverbial on the proverbial ... premium-price paid by the customer depends not only on the quality of the goods, but the whole 'feel' of your op. My reckoning, know your demographic's psyche, pitch the music & 'feel', then give them a bloody good coffee that gives 'em a yearn to return! Tony

donnas650

In Adelaide, if I could consistently get a double shot flat white $3-3.50, I would be happy. Also, assuming it tastes good. However, $4 would be where most places start, with the exception of a few places. Some places charge $4.50-$5 for a large and that isn't even a double shot. A new drive through coffee place called Muzz Buzz charge about $6 for a large double shot. And what is worst, their coffee is really bad. I only tried it once. Very American(I know, as the person with me at the time said so, and she is American). I have no issue with that, just bad coffee. I have also noticed recently(with yesterday being the most recent experience) that a lot of baristas(if you can call half of these people that) don't wipe or rinse the group head before making another coffee. Surely this is coffee making 101. Anyway, back to the topic, some places in Adelaide do charge for a double shot, some don't. It seems like no rules apply here and even bad coffee shops do well. Go Figure.

donnas650

I went to Greek on Halifax(Adelaide) yesterday and got two large(not huge) takeaway coffees. Based on size, I thought it had better be double shots. It cost $5 each. After I got the coffees, I asked what it would have been for a single shot(which would have meant a weak coffee) and I was told it would have been $4. This is the problem with coffee shops. Who is regulating this? I would gladly pay $5 for a great coffee. This wasn't one. Coffee shops can charge what they want for poor quality coffee and people will still buy from them. They can charge extra for an extra shot, soy, decaf or it just being a Friday. I just want a coffee thats strength is consistent with the size of the serving and I shouldn't have to pay extra for that.