Why is iced coffee so expensive?

[Kwaipie]

Guest Commentary: As a former Starbucks whore, I recently made the switch to Peet's Coffee & Tea, I can't begin to tell you how much better their brew is. I drink straight black coffee, the price is about the same, there is no burnt roast flavor. I still stop at Starbies on the way home for an iced coffee (because I am madly in love with one of the baristas) but even that may be coming to an end, the flavor/experience cannot be compared. I highly recommend giving Peet's a try, I think you'll be surprised.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: AgentJean
I just don't get it. A 24oz cup of "hot" coffee can be had at wawa for around $1.25 but if you buy a 24oz cup of iced coffe it's going to run you closer to 2 bucks.

What's up with that?

what's wawa?

 

[AgentJean]

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: AgentJean
I just don't get it. A 24oz cup of "hot" coffee can be had at wawa for around $1.25 but if you buy a 24oz cup of iced coffe it's going to run you closer to 2 bucks.

What's up with that?

what's wawa?

http://wawa.com/ FTW.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: pontifex
speaking of expensive coffee, i heard that starbucks is raising their prices by $.09

It's just for the ones that use milk due to the cost of milk going up a lot.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: lozina
you pay extra for the National Gimmick Tax

Yup. It's the same reason that people will pay extra to have water shipped to them by truck, inside of plastic bottles, rather than use the water which comes out of their faucets at a very low cost.

Originally posted by: Xavier434
I can answer this by just reading the thread topic. This statement goes for all products in existence.

"If people will buy, then they will sell."

Welcome to capitalism.

Indeed. If there's a potential market, someone's going to want to make money off of it.
And in some cases, if there isn't a market, good advertising can create one. Diamond ring, anyone?

 

[nakedfrog]

What do you mean you don't have ice? You mean I gotta drink this coffee hot?

 

[Platypus]

.

 

[puffff]

Originally posted by: dullard
<- Dullard has a friend who owns a local coffee shop and a small coffee bean roasting company.

A quality iced coffee is far different from what is described above. A quality iced coffee is NOT hot coffee + ice + mixins. Sure, cheap crap can be made and called iced coffee, but you shouldn't be paying more for it (they may charge more, but you shouldn't waste your money on that crap).

No, what you want is a cold brewed coffee. Beans that are brewed cold require a lot more time, care, expense, and equipment. The best of all, is the Iced Toddy. You need the expensive Toddy equipment or coolers for brewing it: $$$. You need more time and labor: $$$. It all adds up. A quality iced coffee costs more to make, is drastically different, tastes far better (very little bitterness), and thus you pay more for it.

I can't stand normal hot coffee. But, I do enjoy an iced Toddy very rarely.

There needs to be a mechanism for bumping quality responses to the top of the thread so those less informed can be enlightened. :thumbsup:

 

[aldamon]

I always thought iced coffee was stupid. Half the cup is full of ice so when you're done with the coffee, all that's left is huge ice cubes. Smoothies are a better product. You get to drink the ice with the flavoring. Of course, smoothies are even more expensive than iced coffee so I'm still screwed. Damn.

 

[hiromizu]

Originally posted by: aircooled
At the starbucks I visit iced coffee is double strength coffee made like normal, then put in the refrigerator and poured over ice when you order. I guess the double strength part could be why.

Don't forget the much lower turnover rate caused by time needed to cool and store the stronger coffee - that process adds at least triple the cost of labor as well. Simple little things like that add up.

 

[Ns1]

this thread is quite informative. any easy way to do this yourself? (the "real" way?) maybe I can get off my expensive vietnamese iced coffee habit...

 

[ponyo]

It's expensive because of the electricity cost to store leftover day old coffee in the fridge. Next day it becomes ice coffee.

 

[AgentJean]

Originally posted by: Naustica
It's expensive because of the electricity cost to store leftover day old coffee in the fridge. Next day it becomes ice coffee.

It takes more engery to heat something from 75 degress to 160 degress than it does to cool something from 75 degress to round 35. That's basic thermal dynamics.

 

[RichieZ]

Iced coffee is brewed stronger, at least it is at starbucks

Myth #2

Instead of paying higher amounts for iced coffee, I can just buy regular coffee, ask for a cup of ice, and pour the coffee over that.

Iced coffee is brewed double strength before it's poured over ice in order to give it the regular strength of coffee. If you just buy a regular cup of coffee and pour it over ice, you're getting extremely week coffee that's half as strong as it should be.

 

[davestar]

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: dullard
<- Dullard has a friend who owns a local coffee shop and a small coffee bean roasting company.

A quality iced coffee is far different from what is described above. A quality iced coffee is NOT hot coffee + ice + mixins. Sure, cheap crap can be made and called iced coffee, but you shouldn't be paying more for it (they may charge more, but you shouldn't waste your money on that crap).

No, what you want is a cold brewed coffee. Beans that are brewed cold require a lot more time, care, expense, and equipment. The best of all, is the Iced Toddy. You need the expensive Toddy equipment or coolers for brewing it: $$$. You need more time and labor: $$$. It all adds up. A quality iced coffee costs more to make, is drastically different, tastes far better (very little bitterness), and thus you pay more for it.

I can't stand normal hot coffee. But, I do enjoy an iced Toddy very rarely.

There needs to be a mechanism for bumping quality responses to the top of the thread so those less informed can be enlightened. :thumbsup:

but that would eliminate half of ATOT's posts/traffic!!!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: davestar

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: dullard
<- Dullard has a friend who owns a local coffee shop and a small coffee bean roasting company.

A quality iced coffee is far different from what is described above. A quality iced coffee is NOT hot coffee + ice + mixins. Sure, cheap crap can be made and called iced coffee, but you shouldn't be paying more for it (they may charge more, but you shouldn't waste your money on that crap).

No, what you want is a cold brewed coffee. Beans that are brewed cold require a lot more time, care, expense, and equipment. The best of all, is the Iced Toddy. You need the expensive Toddy equipment or coolers for brewing it: $$$. You need more time and labor: $$$. It all adds up. A quality iced coffee costs more to make, is drastically different, tastes far better (very little bitterness), and thus you pay more for it.

I can't stand normal hot coffee. But, I do enjoy an iced Toddy very rarely.

There needs to be a mechanism for bumping quality responses to the top of the thread so those less informed can be enlightened. :thumbsup:

but that would eliminate half of ATOT's posts/traffic!!!

You mean more than half.

 

[Daishiki]

Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
Ice is really expensive!!!!!!11!111

They have to fight polar bears for it.

Polar bear vs. Grizzly

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: pontifex
speaking of expensive coffee, i heard that starbucks is raising their prices by $.09

milk prices have doubled over the past 12 months.

there's more labor in making iced coffee. plus at starbucks, by default you are charged Classic syrup (which is liquid sugar). if u dont want the iced coffee sweetened, it still costs the same. (think about holding the pickles on a hanburger, and still paying the same price.)

As long as coffee doesnt go over $4.99 (including tax) for the largest size, people who come to starbucks will still come to starbucks. once over the $5 price point, you're going to see a significant drop off. it's a psychological thing about pulling out a $5 bill, PLUS MORE $

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: rdubbz420
Don?t have an answer to your question, but it is very easily made.
Strong brewed coffee+ sweetened condensed milk +ice

thats thai coffee

edit:
add tapioka balls, and you have bubble tea.

 

[Evander]

Originally posted by: RichieZ
Iced coffee is brewed stronger, at least it is at starbucks

Myth #2

Instead of paying higher amounts for iced coffee, I can just buy regular coffee, ask for a cup of ice, and pour the coffee over that.

Iced coffee is brewed double strength before it's poured over ice in order to give it the regular strength of coffee. If you just buy a regular cup of coffee and pour it over ice, you're getting extremely week coffee that's half as strong as it should be.

"Gimme an ice coffee, no ice"

-that'll take care of that problem

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
Ice is really expensive!!!!!!11!111

They have to fight polar bears for it.

Funniest thing I've read all day.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
Ice is really expensive!!!!!!11!111

They have to fight polar bears for it.

Funniest thing I've read all day.

:thumbsup: LMAO

 

[0roo0roo]

strong brew? how about espresso?

add ice + condensed milk ftw!