“Do you want to grab a coffee sometime?” has become the opening line of choice for many hopeful people who are putting themselves out there in the dating world. And it’s often a preferred first-date strategy for those on the receiving end of a proposal. So why exactly does a coffee date make so much sense for the perfect first date? Why coffee instead of dinner – or drinks, hooking up over a workout, or attending events together? It turns out that there are actually quite a few reasons why you might want to do what other first-daters are doing, and embrace the casual coffee outing for a first-time meet up.

You Find a Little About Someone’s Character Over Coffee

When you meet up for a coffee date, you get to see how a person acts in a normal, real-life scenario. You get to see how patient your date is when he or she has to wait in line, and how they behave in public around strangers. You’ll notice manners (does he or she say “please” and “thank you” to the barista?) and you’ll find out how easy going (or not) he or she is, as your date orders a drink. And of course, that order they place during the coffee date may also come with a long and customized list of ways to froth the milk, requests to heat a drink to an ideal temperature, or an opportunity to see how they handle an incorrect order, etc.).

Coffee Is Definitely Cheap

You don’t have to be cheap on a first date. It is best you just spend what you feel comfortable spending, and what common sense dictates. But, if for any reason you need to keep costs low, a coffee date is a great way to do that. Of course, coffee from a coffee shop is more expensive than coffee brewed at home. But that’s beside the point because we’re not recommending you take anyone home on a first date. Just keep thinking about how $20 max at the café (that’s if you decide to throw in a sweet treat) compares to $50 at the movies or for drinks, or $100 or so for dinner and drinks. When you stack up the finances, a coffee date sounds like a pretty great idea.

Coffee Dates Come With Flexible Time Tables

A coffee outing makes a perfect first date because you can make it as quick or long lasting as you want. If you feel right away that things aren’t quite right between the two of you, you can chug down your coffee, say a nice “thank you,” and have the whole date over with in a snap. On the other hand, if you sense your first-date partner is your potential soul mate and both parties are enjoying the conversation and the vibe, then this type of date can linger until almost… whenever! And it can just as nicely transition into “Do you want to grab some dinner? I’m hungry,” and more fun into the night.

Coffee Keeps Us Clear-Headed

Last, but certainly not less important, this brew-filled date trumps “cocktail” first dates because we can keep our wits about us. There are no coffee goggles that will make your date seem more attractive, more in tune with what you’re saying, or more of anything that really isn’t there. Coffee dates (more so than with drink dates) allow us just shoot from the hip with who we really are, without giving away things about ourselves that should probably stay private on a first date. So what do you think about coffee dates as perfect first dates? Have you gone on one before or asked someone out on one?