Tea and coffee have been beloved beverages for centuries. Steeping tea leaves and brewing coffee beans obtained an art, establishing the right balance of sugar and flavor for the heated water. Nowadays, we have the option to roll up to the drive-through window of a coffee shop and pick up our delectable beverages. Though it is a choice of preference, when sipping our cup on a frostbitten morning, which do we prefer?
Both traditional methods and ordering a drink from a Starbucks have their crowd. As such, each also possesses advantages over each other and their own inconveniences.
Homemaking tea and coffee is a rather simple, easy-to-learn process that requires only a few ingredients, a little time, and a kettle or coffee machine. Though the latter can get pricy, it’s a one-time purchase and will last you for all your brewing or steeping years. As for ingredients, this is where making your own tea or coffee gets fun: it’s all up to you!
Different types of teas and coffees will usually be heated at different intervals, and can be purchased in the forms of tea bags and loose leaf for tea. Additionally, there is a plethora of different sorts of coffee to be purchased. Espresso, for instance, is made from blending hot water through fine, ground up coffee-beans. Sweeteners like honey and sugar are commonly used in teas, but there also many more bitter, richer varieties. Truth is, the individual gets the liberty in homemade drinks.
In response to if she feels homemaking your own tea is worthwhile, Sadie Lilly (10) says, “Yes, absolutely. Making your own tea is so much cheaper. You’re able to pick and choose your how you want your tea. With Starbucks, I feel like it’s more stuck and confined, but when you’re at home, you have a million possibilities.”
One argument for the preference of homemade drinks is that it’s certainly less expensive in the long run. Though Starbucks is often commented as being much too pricy, there are still several beverages that don’t exceed 5 dollars. For instance, a standard iced coffee will only take $2.75. As for a good coffee brand, such as Folgers, one container can last up to a month for $8.99.
Say you get a standard coffee from Starbucks every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. If you purchase a standard coffee three days a week, then you will spend $8.25 per week, and this is only one of the cheapest options! There are almost 5 weeks in a month, so per month on this routine you will total over 33 dollars. Comparing this same pattern to another popular Starbucks drink, $6 for a Pumpkin Spice Latte will add up to $72. What a catch to come with all your favorites!
The upsides to Starbucks would be the versatility in products and the time required. At Starbucks, though many of the beverages are more expensive, many possess ingredients that would be otherwise more difficult to assemble in the comfort of your own kitchen. Many people also feel they don’t have the ability to do so as well as Starbucks baristas are, of which create many of the same orders per day.
Let’s list the ingredients of per say, a Pumpkin Spice Latte. According to a basic online recipe, the following is needed: Espresso/coffee, milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and whipped cream. Though many of these you might have already at home, for all of the listed items, the price adds up to 31.08 dollars. That Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is looking a lot more worthwhile now. Though less elaborate drinks would be cheaper with homemaking, the more intricate ones are definitely not.
“I guess I can’t make it myself—I probably could, but I’d have to buy all the stuff and put in the time, and who wants to do that when you can just order it? They already have everything you need there,” states Rozhia Bayat (10), a Hidden Valley student who enjoys the occasional Starbucks visit before school.
When it’s all said and done, if you can afford it, who really minds the difference? Many of us appreciate both, if anything. It’s nice to be able to stir up your own tea just how you like it, but it’s just as nice to have preset options on a menu to decide on. Starbucks does not have to be such a daily thing, for yes, it can be quite expensive. Instead, it’s nice to indulge maybe only once in a while, go to a coffee shop with your pals, and have a chat.
So maybe that’s the difference we’re looking for. If you’re one of the types who likes a daily mug of coffee or tea, maybe it’s time to try a little dabble of your own home recipe. Alternatively, if you have friends, or really enjoy a Frappuccino with sprinkles on top, a coffee shop will be your right type of place.
“All of it is really about personal preference, the same applies to the kind of tea you should use. Definitely like higher quality tea is better, but if it’s black tea, green tea, or white tea, that’s kind of a personal thing. As for steeping, it’s all a process of trial and error and finding what you like,” Noel Lupton (9) details on the process of making tea.
