Having things I don't like for guests?

[Softly Spoken]

So I don't drink coffee. Can't stand it. I don't have it in the house right now. I have a coffeemaker in the basement, but I would like to get rid of it.

Knowing that some people do enjoy coffee, am I obligated to at minimum keep some instant on hand for entertaining?
I would do it if someone were coming for an extended/overnight situation, but what about the occasional drop-in?

If someone came to my house today, I could offer them milk (soy, regular or lactose free), juice, filtered water, hot cocoa, tea, and instant apple cider. Is that enough?

What is the minimum to offer someone to be polite?

I am assuming food isn't necessary, but I would want to keep people hydrated. 

[oceanus]

Well, you aren’t obligated to keep coffee in the house, but it would be nice to have a bit on hand.  Lots of people do drink coffee.  A friend keeps instant packets she got when traveling just for that purpose.  (It’s really good!).  When offering, I suggest saying “I only have instant, but you’re welcome to it.)

I don’t usually but bottled water but I keep a couple bottles and also a few small iced teas just to offer to a visitor.

[TylerBelle]

No, you are not obligated to keep coffee on hand. If you don't care for it and it isn't usually in your house, then you are doing fine without it there. I'm a coffee drinker (w/creamer-sugar) myself, but if my host didn't offer it to me, though actually I doubt I would even cross my mind that I wasn't getting it, I wouldn't feel cheated or anything.

With what you have listed as offerings, you are being quite generous with your hospitality. And if any guest you may have grouses about not specifically getting coffee, then shame on them and they can trot themselves down to the nearest coffeehouse on the way home. The minimum I'd say to offer guests is two or three options.

[Outdoor Girl]

You aren't required to keep coffee on hand but you are required to provide directions to the nearest coffee shop.   

I don't think anyone should have to keep anything in the house that they are morally opposed to or allergic to for guests.  I do think it is nice to keep things on hand that regular guests would like to have.

So, for example, a vegetarian wouldn't keep meat in the house or someone allergic to peanuts wouldn't provide peanut butter.  But like the OP, I don't drink coffee.  I do keep coffee in the house for my Dad and other guests, using a French press to make it.  I don't buy cream but I do keep powdered creamer on hand.  I don't think I'm obligated in any way to do this but I like to.

[Hmmmmm]

I love coffee but wouldn't expect to drink it at a friends house who doesn't drink coffee. I know several families who do not consume soda and I don't believe they need to keep any on hand even though the fast majority of Americans drink some type of soda.

I would have a coffee pot on hand for anytime you do have overnight guests staying for a few days.

[Library Dragon]

You're not required too.  I don't drink coffee and DH would have his daily cup at the hospital cafeteria.  I did keep a box of coffee singles in the house.  Think tea bags, but filled with coffee instead.  When my hard core coffee drinking PIL or friends visited I could serve the beverage of their preference without much fuss or expense. 

[that_one_girl]

If you don't want to have coffee in your house, then you aren't obligated to.   
However, a basket in the guest room with packets of instant powdered drinks of several types would be a nice touch and make your guests feel really welcome.

[Softly Spoken]

You aren't required to keep coffee on hand but you are required to provide directions to the nearest coffee shop.   

Well, in that case:
1) "There is a Starbucks one block up and one block left, right on the corner. You can't miss it: it is the place playing jazz with big windows to allow us to view the Urban Laptop User in their natural habitat."
2) "My brother makes a great espresso and is two houses up."

 

[AngelicGamer]

You aren't required to keep coffee on hand but you are required to provide directions to the nearest coffee shop.   

Well, in that case:
1) "There is a Starbucks one block up and one block left, right on the corner. You can't miss it: it is the place playing jazz with big windows to allow us to view the Urban Laptop User in their natural habitat."
2) "My brother makes a great espresso and is two houses up."

 

LOL at the second one.  I love it!

As a person addicted to coffee, I'm able to visit friends who don't have a coffee maker / coffee in house and I survive.  I'll either get a cup if we go out for breakfast, see if there's a Starbucks / coffee shop I can pop into when we're out and about (usually with friends in tow because they love Starbucks too), or substitute coffee with soda or a nice caffeinated tea in the morning.  And I survive these week to 10 day visits, sometimes just on the Mt Dew in the morning alone. 

[RingTailedLemur]

We had this conversation on here not long ago, and I got absolutely slammed in-thread and via PM for saying not only would I not have it in the house (the smell makes me gag, so I described it as "yuck" which is how it makes me feel) but any guests who insisted on having it would have to deal with it/the cups themselves.

Apparently that is "not good hosting".

However, I rarely have guests to my home and those that do come are such close friends that they don't mind.  I've never had a guest be upset that I don't have coffee, especially as I have a wide variety of drinks on hand (and make great tea!)

[peaches]

For drop-ins, I'd say no, especially since you have so many other options.

For overnight guests, you don't have to provide coffee, but I think it's nice. I'd keep instant on hand for them; instant coffee has really improved over the years! Some people can't get started in the a.m. without coffee.

I think you can discard the cumbersome coffeemaker.

[CrochetFanatic]

No, it's not required.  If you want to get rid of the coffee pot (whether it's taking up too much space, or you simply don't want it), go for it.  There are other alternatives, such as the ones you suggested.  That's actually a pretty good assortment, and I think most people I know would gratefully accept it. 

There is also instant coffee, as some others have mentioned.  They also sell "coffee singles", which is essentially real coffee (not instant) in teabags; people can steep their own individual cups.  We tried those and powdered creamer once when we went upstate, and we were pleasantly surprised.  Those might be hard to find, depending on where you are, but it can be ordered online.

If you can't even stand the smell of coffee, and simply don't want it in your home, you could just say "No, I'm sorry, I don't have any.  But I have this, this, and this.".  The people in my life who I know would throw a fit about no coffee (or beer, or soda, whatever isn't there) being in the house are people who don't get invited over anyway. 

[blarg314]

For drop-in guests, I don't think it's necessary.

If you're inviting people over for dinner and after dinner coffee is a normal thing culturally, it's nice to have but not required.

If you've got overnight coffee drinking guests, then having coffee available is good hosting.

As an aside - if you're offering instant coffee, make sure you offer it as instant coffee, rather than just saying "cup of coffee".  Some coffee drinkers don't mind instant, for others, it's  like being offered a coke, and getting a diet caffeine free generic cola, or being offered a beer and getting a non alcoholic beer, and they'd prefer to say no.

As another aside - one alternative to keeping instant on hand is the little single cup filters. One tiny filter fits over the cup, and you get a fresh brewed cup of coffee, without having to stock the instant stuff, or coffee making apparatus. They're individually sealed, so going stale is less of an issue than with regular coffee grounds.

[katycoo]

Look, I'd live.  Or bring my own if I knew.  But its such a small thing that so many people do drink, I'd keep a stash on hand.  I personally don't drink tea but I keep it in the house for people I know who do.  To me it just seems thoughtful.

[Winterlight]

I don't keep coffee on hand because I don't drink it and rarely have guests. However, if I did have a lot of coffee-drinking guests I'd keep some around, even if it's just instant.