Campus Vending Machine Coffee

The coffee vending machines in the engineering building charge $1.25 for a cup that tastes like heated water mixed with something once adjacent to a coffee bean. But the machines get used constantly because they're the only source of caffeine within a 5-minute walk at 11 PM when the library cafe is closed. Options include black, cream, sugar, and extra strong. The buttons light up when you press them, a small feedback detail that makes the transaction feel responsive even if the product is mediocre. The cup drops first, then the liquid pours. Watching the process through the small window is mildly entertaining in the way that all visible machinery is. But the coffee is bad. Not offensively bad, just flat and bland. Temperature hovers between warm and lukewarm by the time you get back to your desk. The machine exists because demand for late-night caffeine exceeds the supply of quality options. It fills that gap by being available rather than good.