“They’re never ready to work on time!” declares Noreen. She continues, “They give the impression that they’re better than the others, but they’re not! They’re full of bitterness. I’ve been burned so many times I don’t trust them any more.”

Is this vengeful workplace gossip, or is Noreen, an early childhood education specialist, expressing her frustration with something else?

As it turns out, Noreen isn’t speaking unkindly about her coworker -- unless of course, you consider the office coffee-pot to be a prominent member of the faculty. She’s talking about the eight-cup coffee-maker that sits on the counter in the teachers’ lounge. Unreliable, inadequate and downright dangerous are three ways Noreen would describe the coffee in her workplace.

On-site beverage service can be a welcome amenity for employees, but only if they appreciate what is being offered. Since taste is highly subjective, it could seem impossible to please every member of the team. Says Debbie, a human resource administrator, “If the employees don’t like it [their workplace coffee,] they’ll bring their own or buy it before they come in.” As a result, what could be an affordable way to foster productive collaboration among employees can easily become a source of unnecessary contention.

Joanne, a print and copy specialist, shudders at the thought of her workplace coffee. Her chief complaints are bitter coffee, and the imminent danger of an empty pot being left to burn on an unattended machine. She describes the office coffee-pot as a symbol of laziness. “No one wants to get the coffee brewing,” she explains. “They just want to drink it.”

Traditional drip coffee pots require additional effort. When someone actually has the initiative to brew a pot of coffee, the interest of preserving amicable relationships with coworkers predicates the need for consensus. Once it has been decided whether the pot will be decaf or regular, the brewing process often, with its own spectacular mess of ground coffee and water. After the coffee has consumed, someone is responsible to clean up, and this can breed resentment among coworkers, especially if one person’s vision of cleanliness is different than another’s.

For this reason, many offices have switched to pod-based systems. Steve, a pastoral minister, suggests that Keurigs are the way to go. “Each person can brew what they wish to brew,” he says, “and it is only the persons mug that requires cleaning afterwards.” Carol, a travel agent concurs. Anthony, a program director went as far as to bring a luxury espresso pod machine all the way from Italy (and the appropriate power converter) to his office so that his staff and guests can enjoy authentic personalized beverages, but a growing number of coffee and tea drinkers are moving away from this kind of system as they discover the drawbacks.

Mallon M. is a cleaning specialist and coffee afficionado. She has cleaned many coffee-pod systems in her career, most notably several Keurigs, and she can attest to the microbial jungle that can accumulate when a machine isn't properly maintained. "They get dirty because of all the standing water, and that hinders the taste of the coffee.

For the last decade, Joe, a healthcare executive has owned a less popular pod machine called Flavia. Originally he had one at his office, where the machine's lack of popularity was an advantage. Since few people own Flavia, it is less likely that coffee from the office will be taken home by employees.

He indicates that this is an otherwise common problem in offices that have a Keurig for their employees. Although not everyone can agree on what makes a great cup of coffee, there are many employees who can reach a consensus that their coffee is miserable. John, a catering specialist suggests, “Find a coffee that you like. Purchase a good double wall thermos and a cup. Pour your own all day at work. Done.”

Elena, a writer likes this idea, but found it to be an inconvenient solution. "I can't tell you how many thermoses I had collected in my desk, and forgot to bring home,” she laments, “I’ve also left an equal number on trains and buses, and they weren't cheap."

Joanne, who commented earlier about her office coffee-pot, sometimes goes off-site if she really needs caffeine. Debbie agrees that this can be productive, but only to a certain extent. “Sometimes taking a break with a coworker and walking outside can do great things, allow people to connect on a level they wouldn’t have otherwise. On the other hand, if there isn’t a place nearby people might need to take longer than needed to get that caffeine jolt.” This can prove to be inefficient when paid employee time is on longer than necessary coffee breaks. A company where employees have no other choice but to go offsite for coffee might be wasting more money than those who make it conveniently available to employees on-site.

In addition to being expensive, off-site coffee can contribute to an unhealthy and even lethargic workforce. Says Jessica who works in the performing arts, “If I go out to get coffee, I usually end up getting something elaborate that is overpriced and has way more sugar than I need.” Nik, an insurance broker and pastor loves meeting with friends over coffee, but doesn’t always have the same motivation to leave the office during the workday for a pick-me-up. He says that sometimes, it’s a strain on already depleted energy just to step away from his desk.

Joanne, who commented earlier about her office coffee-pot, sometimes goes off-site if she really needs caffeine. Debbie agrees that this can be productive, but only to a certain extent. “Sometimes taking a break with a coworker and walking outside can do great things, allow people to connect on a level they wouldn’t have otherwise. On the other hand, if there isn’t a place nearby people might need to take longer than needed to get that caffeine jolt.” This can prove to be inefficient when paid employee time is on longer than necessary coffee breaks. A company where employees have no other choice but to go offsite for coffee might be wasting more money than those who make it conveniently available to employees on-site.

In addition to being expensive, off-site coffee can contribute to an unhealthy and even lethargic workforce. Says Jessica who works in the performing arts, “If I go out to get coffee, I usually end up getting something elaborate that is overpriced and has way more sugar than I need.” Nik, an insurance broker and pastor loves meeting with friends over coffee, but doesn’t always have the same motivation to leave the office during the workday for a pick-me-up. He says that sometimes, it’s a strain on already depleted energy just to step away from his desk.