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You guys were so helpful with my question about having a chest of drawers in the house so now I’m curious what you have share about coffee pots…
We’re planning to have a coffee station. My husband is a coffee fanatic and he’s excited to offer a small bag of beans from local roasters (I also plan to have ground coffee for the less discerning guests).
Is it crazy to invest $350 in the thermal pot Moccamaster? We have one and it’s a workhorse. I love it.
My thinking is that they’re simple to operate with few parts that could break or go bad so it could last years. My husband thinks it’s over-the-top and we should stick with a $80-100 pot.
Our house will hopefully rent for $145-195/night. Small bungalow in vibrant downtown neighborhood.
I don’t know what a MoccaMaster is. Is it easy to operate without directions? If not, stick with simpler options.
And get a machine with a double-walled metal carafe. The glass ones always end up broken and the coffee turns to sludge because it sits there and cooks. Uses energy that whole time, too.
In the UK we have WHICH which is a consumer organisation that you can sign up to for reviews on consumer products. Our newspapers and magazines have reviews on best buys for consumer goods.
Do you not have anything similar where you live @heh1975 so you check out reviews to decide what products to buy for your STR business.
The most important thing is its simplicity to operate.
Next is ‘guest proofing’ it. So the metal carafe that @PitonView suggests addresses that.
After that, it’s up to you. Economically you’ll likely never be able to prove that that expensive coffeemaker made any difference.
HOWEVER, if it excites you, and your excitement ‘leaks’ out to the guest, as surely it will, it can be one of those things that subliminally conveys to your guests your sense of care and that their stay at your property is a kind of ‘experience.’ That could be worthwhile in the long run.
If the Host to the property of which I am co-Host were reading this, she would say 'Nonsense!"
So reasonable people can differ, but if you get it, then, like me, you might tend to sometimes be on the unreasonable side of things.
We have a $1000US Gaggia espresso/cappuccino maker at our property. But that’s in addition to a Mr Coffee, a French press (metal), and a pour-over. The Mr. Coffee is used all the time.
I can’t prove that the espresso maker makes a difference, but a number of guests have been thrilled to see one. I leave a labels on it with directions, and a QR code that links to the on-line instruction manual. I’m not worried about it being stolen since we are a fly-to location. And since our price range is $500-$1500 US a night for a three bedroom that sleeps six, having an espresso maker is consistent with the price.
For $350, I would suggest a Keurig and a Mr. Coffee, a no-name cafetiere or some other inexpensive maker.
People would appreciate the option of a quick cup they did not have to ‘prepare’ with the Keurig.
I had an expensive Breville that not only brewed coffee, but ground the beans as well, in addition to a Keurig. The ‘cleanup’ for the Breville was onerous - the metal carafe was hard to clean and I had issues with folks pouring grounds down into the sink (!). My airbnb is not a luxury destination style place, but the guests I have are almost always business people that are used to finer things, so I was surprised at how many of them decided that the Keurig was their choice.
The key to cleaning metal carafes is using denture tablets to scour the insides. The problem is that (for me anyway) the guests just left everything in place, carafe full of cold coffee, grinder and even coffee basket en situ, until they used it next time. It gets really ugly quickly. A stained carafe is not easily explained…
We have a Keurig and a Mr. Coffee type coffee maker. The Keurig is on the counter, with a carousel of coffee pods. The Mr. Coffee is stored on top of the refrigerator, and we don’t supply grounds…So those who really love their personal grounds (and yes, we’ve had quite a few of those) can still make their pots of coffee. Most use the Keurig.
I’d never heard of it, but just Googled it. It does look like a nice little machine and like it wouldn’t be complicated to operate (although their website has zero explanation of how it works).
But that part that sticks out over the pot that holds the filter? I’d anticipate that getting broken off by guests at some point.
And there’s no reason you have to get a Keurig. Those pods are just more plastic garbage pollution. I’m a home share host and just have a simple French Press and a kettle and all my guests have known how to use it without any instruction, and many have said they make coffee the same way at home.
But to each his own.
We have Keurigs and cafetieres. I’ve had to replace a cafetiere in one of the apartments but that’s all - and I think it cost $13.99.
With an expensive machine, I’d be concerned that it could get damaged or nicked.
As your rental is only selling at under $200 per night, I’m pretty sure that your accountant might shake their head too.
Do you have excellent STR insurance that would cover breakage or loss, or is your deductible $350 or more?
Hosts generally keep spares of everything just in case. Are you prepared to have a spare costing you another $350? After all, if it’s in the listing (or photographs) and yet you can’t offer it to the guest because it’s been damaged or stolen you (in theory) are not providing the amenities you advertised.
That sounds like no big deal as long as you provide a cafetiere or some other way of making coffee but it has been known for guests to request refunds for amenities not available - and you don’t need the hassle.
In another post @muddy recently wrote that she has spare electric kettles and so on. You really should also keep a spare of your coffee maker and that will double your investment.
Yep, no electric kettle ever, and I’ve survived to tell the tale. By the time I’ve fed the cat, and ground my coffee, the stovetop kettle on my gas stove is boiling.
How easy it it go get this model to “pristine clean”? Being presented with previous guest’s residue was gross before COVID, and now even more so. (…and the level of residue we accept in our own home often isn’t the same for what a guest would be comfortable with).
I have one & adore it. I’ve had it for 12 years & it is as great today as it was when new.
In general I enjoy my guests BUT there is NO WAY I would put a Moccamaster in my rental. A cusinart drip coffee maker from Costco didn’t last 18 months in a rental because people abused it. I now have a $15 drip coffee maker & $60 keurig. Anything that is different from people are used to will be broken.
The Moccamaster has too many moving parts to assemble. It is a perk-o-lator so brews differently. They aren’t common. That’s $350 you don’t need to spend.
well in my case we have 3 listings and we live on site in our own house, so we always have a “spare” in our kitchen we could sub in straight away. We recently bought a Nespresso machine on Marketplace for $100 which included about $70 worth of pods, so we grabbed it to have a spare.
Moccamaster coffee makers are highly rated by coffee aficionados for making the best coffee at the perfect temperature.
It is a percolator/drip coffee maker which produces a smoother, more flavorful coffee.
Mine is a treasured gift. I hope it lasts forever.
The following review is from America’s Test Kitchen. They have an excellent TV show on Public Broadcasting Service, a magazine, & online presence. They accept no advertising so their information & product reviews are unbiased. They test their recipes many many times to insure the home cook will have the same results as their chefs. I like their work.
