Why are 50-cent coins so unreliable for coffee machines?

Why is a quarter such a joke for vending machines?
Every single time I have some loose change, I have to steer clear of those quarters, because like 60% of the machines won't even take them... they just spit them right back at you.

Seriously, why?

Gerald Sanchez26 said:Why the hell aren't nickels reliable for vending machines?
Every single time I have loose change, I have to dodge those nickels because like 60% of the machines won't even take them...

Seriously, why?

Same headache every morning.

My gut feeling is that they aren't all exactly the same weight, and these machines are basically just rigged to react to how heavy the coin is. Anyway, I'm sure some nice guy who services the machines will pop up here to explain the actual science behind it, but until then, I’m putting my money on the weight thing.

Chloe Nguyen3 said:It’s the exact same struggle every single morning.

Personally, I suspect the weight isn't actually inconsistent, but rather that the machines themselves are sensitive to how much pressure is applied. Of course, I’m sure some charming technician will eventually swoop in to explain the mechanics behind this nonsense, but until then, I'm giving the machine a hard zero.

you basically have to rub it against the side of the machine first, because we all know that's the secret to making it work.🤷

I spent all day yesterday grinding away—probably hit the refresh button at least 15 times—and absolutely nothing. It’s the same story as that one day when I was staring at twenty bucks and getting nowhere. Total waste of time.

Rub it harder.

Jamie Davis9 said:you gotta rub it against the outside of the Keurig first, obviously. everyone knows that.🤷

Never heard that one before.🤷

It’s the exact same nonsense you run into with those parking meters. You drop a fifty-cent piece in and the machine doesn't even blink.

Chloe Nguyen3 said:I've never heard of 🤷

Look, feel free to give it a real try next time and then let me know if it actually worked 🙂

@Jeremy Sanders39/">@@Jeremy Sanders39
Twenty bucks isn't going to cut it, no way 🤷

Jamie Davis9 said:look, next time feel free to just rub it yourself and let me know if it actually worked 🙂

@Jeremy Sanders39/">@@Jeremy Sanders39
The vending machine definitely isn't taking nickels 🤷

I'll give it a shot, but you gotta tell me where exactly I'm supposed to be rubbing 😁 is it that big plastic thing, like an advertisement panel, or right above or below the coin slot? Where am I supposed to scrub this thing exactly?😁

Chloe Nguyen3 said:I'll give it a shot, but you're going to have to be specific about exactly what you're talking about. 😁 There’s that massive plastic advertising panel—you know, the one sitting right above or just below the coin slot—but I can't for the life of me remember exactly where I'm supposed to be scrubbing.😁

The best grip is right there, just above the coin slot. 🙂

Perhaps one ought to try rubbing it against bare skin. 😳

slywolf45 said:Maybe you should just rub it against bare skin. 😳

I can't speak for anyone else, but if it were me, I’d probably drop a couple of quarters on it. ☕

Brandon Castillo4 said:Rub harder.

I rubbed those twenty cents so hard I practically summoned a raccoon from under the vending machine.☕

Jamie Davis9 said:Look, feel free to rub them again next time and let me know if it actually works.🙂

@Jeremy Sanders39/">@@Jeremy Sanders39
The machine definitely isn't taking twenty cent pieces.🤷

It hasn't worked for me twice already. I have the best luck when my pocket is full of dimes; those things never give me trouble.😁

Back then, those coins were pure gold. 😁 We used to grab coffees and sodas at school without even thinking about the cost.

Jamie Davis9 said:I can't speak for anyone else, but if I were in that position, fifty cents would definitely slip through my fingers☕

I wasn't talking about using a vibrator for friction. But hey, sure, if that's where you want to take this, fine.

slywolf45 said:I wasn't talking about using a vibrator for friction, but hey, if you want to go there, fine.

Is it just me, or does your mind always seem to drift toward those kinds of associations?

Jamie Davis9 said:your mind always seems to wander down those particular paths, doesn't it?

Fair enough, you'd probably just go for the thigh rub.
Respect to the mother.

slywolf45 said:fine, fine, I guess I'd just rub it against my thigh.
A real saint, aren't we?

I'd probably just go for the Keurig, which is basically my routine anyway.☕

p.s. I can only imagine how you're going to twist my words this time.😛😁

Jamie Davis9 said:I’d probably end up tripping over the espresso machine, which—let's be honest—is my specialty. ☕

p.s. I can only imagine how you're going to read into this one. 😛😁

xe xe xe, sounds like quite the spectacle. 😛

Jamie Davis9 said:you gotta rub it against the outer casing of the Keurig first. common sense, really. 🤷

Yeah, obviously. The machine looks like it’s been through a war zone—honestly, you'd think a litter of kittens lived on it—but hey, at least it still works.