For some Emiratis, getting the perfect cup of coffee no longer means heading to a café. Instead, they are spending thousands of dirhams on machines and learning how to make their preferred brew at home.
Obaid Ateeq Alkaabi knows the process well. The owner of Slow Drip estimates that he spent around Dh33,000 on coffee machines, equipment and tools, although the purchases initially had nothing to do with starting a business.
“I bought the machines first for myself, not for a business,” Obaid told Khaleej Times. “I wanted to learn about coffee.”
A longtime coffee lover, Obaid said making it at home gave him something he could not always get at cafés: complete control over the taste.
“At cafés, everyone makes the coffee according to their own taste, not mine,” he said. “So I bought these machines so I could make something according to my taste.”
For Obaid, even the process became part of the enjoyment.
“Everything, from choosing the beans and grinding them to preparing the coffee, is enjoyable,” he said. “From grinding to preparation to drinking it, I enjoy all of it.”
Before buying the equipment, Obaid said he would usually buy one or two cups every day, with each costing around Dh20 to Dh30. He now considers the money he spent on his home set-up an investment, saying it reduced how often he went to cafés and saved him time.
His interest eventually developed into a business. Obaid had grown up watching his family prepare Emirati coffee and began exploring speciality coffee years later.
After marrying in 2021, he bought professional equipment and continued practising at home before eventually launching Slow Drip.
Does a home machine need to cost thousands?
Despite spending around Dh33,000 himself, Obaid does not believe everyone needs expensive professional equipment.
For someone making only one or two cups a day, he said a machine costing around Dh5,000 could be enough. More expensive machines become more useful when producing larger numbers of drinks because they are better able to maintain temperature across multiple cups.
He said he regularly receives questions from people interested in buying machines, but his advice depends on what they actually want to do with one.
“You need to know what you want the machine for,” he said, explaining that personal use, learning and running a business all require different equipment and budgets.
Obaid believes the growing interest also reflects how deeply coffee is embedded in everyday life for many Emiratis.
“We Emiratis love coffee,” he said. “We grew up drinking Emirati coffee, and now we have developed and started drinking coffee in different ways. Every method has a different taste and different characteristics.”
Around Dh27,000 on coffee at home
For Um Reef, making coffee at home has become such a regular part of life that she now owns three machines, spending around Dh27,000 on her set-up.
Her family has owned coffee machines for years, but her own interest gradually shifted towards manual coffee making as she learned more about how grind size, water and other adjustments could change the espresso.
“I like to learn things myself,” she told Khaleej Times. “I like to research on my own, read on my own and see for myself.”
The learning process involved plenty of trial and error, but once she became comfortable with a manual machine, she preferred the result.
She said the espresso produced by the manual machine had a richer taste and cream than what she was used to from automatic machines.
Her preference for home coffee has also made café visits less appealing.
“I like home coffee more,” she said, explaining that she rarely goes to a café specifically for coffee. “If I order a coffee and it comes differently from how I want it, it bothers me, especially when I’ve paid for it and then I don’t even drink it.”
For Um Reef, buying a machine should ultimately depend on how much coffee someone actually drinks.
She said she would recommend one to someone who consumes coffee every day, but does not think an occasional drinker necessarily needs to make the same investment.
Rather than viewing the rise of home machines simply as a trend, she sees them as a practical purchase for people who genuinely use them regularly.
More than a decade of making coffee at home
Um Maktoum’s home coffee habit goes back even further. She bought her first machine around 2013 or 2014 and now owns three.
Before having the machines, buying coffee was part of her regular routine. She said she drank it almost every day, often having two cups.
Now, she says making it at home has helped her save money and changed how often she goes out specifically for coffee.
“If I used to go out three times a week at minimum, now I might go out once,” she said.
The savings, she added, go beyond the price of the coffee itself because going to a café can often mean spending on breakfast or other items too.
Like Um Reef, Um Maktoum eventually developed a preference for manual machines after beginning with an automatic one.
“With the manual machine, the coffee is stronger, better and more precise,” she said.
But she does not believe the most expensive machine is automatically the best choice.
“Why would I buy a Dh30,000 machine if a Dh7,000 one meets the needs of my home?” she said, explaining that someone making only a few cups each day does not necessarily need equipment designed to handle much larger volumes.
She also recommends considering how much effort someone wants to put into making coffee. An automatic machine may suit someone looking for speed and convenience, while a manual machine offers more control for those willing to learn how to use it.
What started as a way to enjoy better coffee at home has, for some, become part of their daily routine and even, in Obaid’s case, the beginning of a business.
With more Emiratis investing in their own set-ups, the café experience is no longer limited to the café. For some coffee lovers, their preferred cup is now the one they make themselves.
Source: Khaleej Times