Update: picked the $4 gas station coffee over the $9 latte and I still feel weird about it
Ran out of beans at home last Tuesday so I stopped at the Pilot off exit 112 and stood there staring at the two machines like an idiot. The fancy latte was nine bucks and the plain drip was four, and I had 8 hours of road ahead, so I went with the cheap one. Turns out it was way better than the latte I got at the fancy shop the week before, which tasted like hot milk with a sad hint of coffee. Now I'm questioning every expensive cup I've bought. What's the cheapest cup that actually shocked you?
Tbh the machine matters way more than the price. Was the Pilot one of those push-button ones where you pick the bean and grind size, or just a plain old pot sitting there?