I prefer a nice, bespoke cup of absurdly priced coffee (or its derivatives) as anybody, and living in San Francisco I'm spoilt for choice. But like purchasing alcohol at a club, I can't help but feel like I'm dumping money into the ocean with those fancy coffee products. Once in a good while is fine, of course; a daily occurrence is questionable at best, especially if the endgame is merely to get caffeinated.
I do love and appreciate the highly artisan stuff, though.
For everyday purposes, I get my caffeine fix with my trusty Mr. Coffee machine and that industrial-sized bag of pre-ground beans from Costco. Sure it's probably the next worst coffee making method to instant mixes, but as I've said, caffeine is the important part, and I'm just trying to procure it on a daily basis as quick and efficient as possible. If I can take it intravenously, I would.