I use a Bialetti coffee maker, a little one, that I perk up, put on a tray and give it to the guest. They love it. No plastic and the coffee is strong as hell ;o
I fold in thirds and then under again before putting on the bar. Exactly like hotels do. Donāt have a photo! But it is just like hotels.
[quote=āChloe, post:19, topic:9671, full:trueā]
ā¦I worry that these machines are so ubiquitous as to be expected by guests. There was one in the last Airbnb room I stayed inā¦ There are plenty of alternative coffee machines that donāt have a glass carafe to clean/break and that will dispense a single cup of coffee at a time.[/quote]
Yikes! Are they really that bad to have around?
The one I bought, see above, had no carafe thingy. I just assumed you placed your own cup or mug there so I bought a few 49 cent mugs that fit the opening while at the GoodWill Store. Iām sure those foam or cardboard coffee cups will also work nicelyā¦ but thereās that waste factor, again.
Second, they make a $7 filter āpodā that fits the opening and allows you to use your own coffee then wash out and reuse over and over.
Yes, I agree guests will expect to see this and this thread is about making them happy, soooo
I donāt. In fact, I donāt generally book places that donāt have a proper coffee machine or a Melita manual cone. I travel with my own coffee blend. Of my guests, at least 10 have stated that the fact that we still grind our own beans and brew coffee properly was one of the reasons they chose our home. Coffee people have standards. The rest want convenience and donāt mind the waste.
I had a standard coffee maker with glass carafeā¦ That guests could not stop breaking. Literally every other guest broke the carafe. I finally resorted to a coffee station. You just fill your cup from the non breakable coffee holder. No breakage since. Iām a budget price and am not spending that much money on Nespresso, refill pods or anything else. I provide coffee, but I donāt tell guests in advance that I do. Just because I want to lower expectations.
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We have a thermal carafe. If someone breaks that, they deserve a cape!
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There can be both, if that will make them happy.
Simple solution: Buy Green Mountain coffee cups. They use biodegradable pods. Donāt know about the hormone disruption thoughā¦
Also, I use a little one cup machine by Black & Decker that uses these flat paper coffee pods. I use Melitta brand and you can find them on Amazon. Real cheap too.
Those sound like nice solutions, but Iād still be concerned about the plastic content in any of those products. Even if it says āBPA freeā it means nothing because there is a host of other chemicals besides bisphenol in most plastics.
This item was recommended by an older friend. No one has used it but Iām glad to have it on hand!
Hi @Cresentwrench,
Itās not what you dispense the coffee into thatās the problem in terms of waste, but rather the little plastic cups filled with ground coffee that those machines use. In a household of 2 coffee drinkers that average 2 cups of coffee a day, over 1600 of those little plastic cups are used and thrown away every year.
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Itās an option. They can chose to use it or not. Just like the toaster or the microwave.
To me, a Keurig would be a turn off. Not sure I would leave a bad review for it, but the environment is not a inconsequential issue.
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The space heater is a fire hazard (and in many cases more expensive than regular heat), especially when it is being used by guests who arenāt trained. Might want to talk to contractor about other options, or start up heat a little earlier.
@Cresentwrench, please donāt take all these negative comments to heart. People on this board can be very opinionated, which is good, but I know the tone of comments sometimes starts to sound a little harsh. I think most of us donāt mean it that way, and weāre glad to have you as part of this forum.
Regarding anotherās comment about those space heaters being a fire hazard, they are correct. That being said, they actually are a pretty efficient way to quickly heat a small space, and I think itās not a bad idea to have a small one in your bathroom for guests. I think the risk is very small and the potential for happy guests much greater.
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Interesting point. I have had 7 guests (first-timers) lately mention reading āAirbnb forumsā before trying Airbnb, and said they came away after reading them apprehensive about trying Airbnb in the first place, as a direct result. Tone is important.
Rule #3 in business - āKeep it Friendlyā.
[quote=āsomerair, post:34, topic:9671, full:trueā]
The space heater is a fire hazardā¦[/quote]
I think you could say that about a hair dryer, too. Some of them get much hotter than this little heater and the heat is way more focused out that nozzle. In fact, I use one to remove labels from shipping boxes. Should I not provide them access to a toaster, either?
Just to ease your concern, I tossed a bath towel over the Lasko heater in the picture, above, while it was running. Not only did it not light the towel on fire, it shut down in 45 seconds. It could not be restarted even after cooling for half an hour until the plug was removed from the outlet for another five minutes.
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Glad you have a space heater with some safety features to alleviate the fire hazard, but the fire hazard still exists and I still suggest you do some due diligence on how to fix your fundamental underlying problem in a safer and more cost effective way (and from a service perspective, one that doesnāt require manual adjustment by you or guests). My views on space heaters are mainstream, I would suggest doing some independent research on your own, talk to your fire department.
The hair dryer and toaster examples are not valid since those devices are not left unattended in the same way. Hair dryer almost no risk and toaster a degree of risk much smaller.
In any case do what you want. This forum is a place to exchange ideas, to learn from others, and by doing so to make ourselves richer/and or avoid major problems.
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Justbouth a set of umbrellas just like these and placed them in our Airbnb. Great idea.
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Which Keurig is that if I may ask? I plan on getting the Keurig K575 or K475. If yours is any of these two, Iād like to ask how well it works.