By Lee Scott
How many of you can recall that long-standing instant coffee commercial that has aired for years on television?
You know, the one that depicts a young man returning home from college for Christmas break. He’s in the kitchen making coffee when his little sister comes downstairs and greets him just as the water is boiling. Really, how special is this guy to his parents if he has to actually boil water to make instant coffee?
Come on mom and dad, no coffeemaker?
Recently, I was reminded of that commercial when my old faithful coffeesmaker broke. I woke up, hit the button and … nothing. There was no bubbling sound as the water heated up; no dripping sound as the hot water seeped onto the freshly ground coffee; no aromas drifting throughout the kitchen with virtually no effort on my part.
So out of desperation, I opened the cabinet and found an old jar of instant coffee which I had bought last summer for making iced coffee.
Then I realized that rather than just pushing the start button on my coffeemaker, there was more to do. I had to pull out the tea kettle, boil the water and then put in the coffee.
Oh, the inhumanity of it all!
Truthfully, as I sat there sipping the coffee, it was not as bad as I had expected. It actually reminded me of years ago when I used instant coffee all the time.
But then came my Mr. Coffeemaker, then the Keurig-one cup maker and then the Krups bean grinder/coffeemaker. The coffee really has gotten better and better through the years.
And as I was sitting drinking the instant coffee that morning, I started to think about that college kid and his parents. Maybe mom and dad were not so dumb after all.
Here is the follow-up commercial scene that I imagine now: The college student walks into his college dorm and goes immediately to his coffeemaker and says to his college roommate, “Can you believe it? Mom and dad actually gave me instant coffee to drink over the Christmas break.”
Meanwhile at home, mom and dad have already taken out their DeLonghi Magnifica Espresso Maker and are enjoying their cappuccinos as dad says, “Too bad he couldn’t stay longer” as they sit there chuckling.
