On Becoming a Coffee Luddite

Convenience. Consistency. Efficiency. These three words have drawn the focus of much of the coffee industry over the past decade or so. The prevailing wisdom is that every coffee drink must be exactly the same, made to exacting standards for the lowest possible cost, and crucially must be made fast.

Consumers don’t want to wait in line, the market research tells us. They don’t want to encounter any friction at all in their coffee-buying experience—if possible, they don’t even really want to speak to a person. Get in, get out, get caffeinated.

The rise of the coffee drive-thru is one clear example of this trend; the push for automation at every stage of the coffee-making process is another. As costs and competition increase, it makes sense that companies would try to streamline processes and make savings wherever they can—although, with the price of some of these automated devices, it seems clear that the cost-cutting they’re doing is mostly on labour.

The term “luddite” is today mostly used as a pejorative, aimed at people who question or reject the ever-increasing adoption of technology and its growing hold on modern life. But the Luddites weren’t particularly anti-technology—what they opposed was capitalists during the Industrial Revolution using technology to displace and exploit workers. 

My coffee luddism, then, is one that wants companies to prioritise their workers and the process of coffee-making over speed, efficiency, or perfect consistency. I’m fine waiting a few minutes for my drink, and having it not be exactly the same as during my last visit, if it means the barista is well-paid and enjoys their work. Is that too much to ask?