Coffee connoisseurs

[Aperitif]

Use Nescafé?
I should cocoa.

 

[Globalti]

UHT the worst milk? No, there's worse. When I was living in halls in Spain breakfast used to consist of two massive kettles plonked down on each table, one containing coffee and the other diluted condensed milk. There was also a big bowl of cheap broken biscuits, which you would crush up in the coffee/milk mix to make a kind of ultra-high calorie porridge. One special days they would deep fry yesterday's bread and sprinkle it with sugar, which made a surprisingly nice change from soggy biscuits.

 

[Andrew_P]

I like Nespresso machines not terrible coffee, and nice and easy.

Post my morning commute, I go an buy a large skinny latte from Costa (never thought I would utter those words when did a large skimmed milk coffee turn in to that?) and one of the most irritating things is when they present a 50% Froth 35% milk and the balance in Expresso. I often have to ask a new person to remake it..

 

[Aperitif]

Every time I went to Arabia on business, I never, ever got the strong black coffee, but an insipid white version.
I was staying with a milk sheikh though.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

The worst milk I've ever had was when I was in a supermarket in Vienna just before Christmas and in a rush so instead of picking up cow's milk I accidentally bought goat milk and my tea tasted like goat's cheese. Grim grim grim.

Don't get me wrong, I love goat's cheese but I prefer my tea not to taste of it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Every time I went to Arabia on business, I never, ever got the strong black coffee, but an insipid white version.
I was staying with a milk sheikh though.

Dubai it?

 

[RoyPSB]

I have a Nespresso machine, which uses pods. The coffee is not as good as fresh ground, but I ca only tell the difference if I'm drinking the two back-to-back. Drink a Nespresso on its own and it produces a lovely, strong, rich coffee. As a comparison with the likes of Costa, Starbucks etc, the Nespresso works excellently.

The big benefit for me is that there is no cleaning and very little maintenance, the machine takes up little space and can keep the water up to the right temperature so there is little or no delay - when you want a cup, it's ready within seconds.

Ours has done around 4,000 cups now, with one de-scaling run and a quick rinse every 30 to 40 cups all that has been required. I love it and it's the only kitchen item that we would replace instantly if something did happen to it.

I know many people who have a philosophical issue with the pod machines but I can think of 6 people who have purchased one of their own after trying the coffee from ours.

Agree with this 100%. Would not be without my nespresso each morning.

 

[smutchin]

Only insipid if you make it too weak but it also is the easiest to make anywhere there isn't a machine. Albeit you may have to use ground coffee.
Why use decent coffee if you're going to taint it with the worst milk imaginable? You might as well use Nescafé

I'm mildly amused by the fact that Cubist disses real coffee made in a cafetiere but admits to drinking Milicano and Alta Rica.

Nothing wrong with cafetiere anyway - very convenient, as you say, and vastly preferable to any instant coffee. Some of my coffee-drinking colleagues have individual cafetieres for office use, but I have a Swissgold one-cup filter, which I find gives quite acceptable results. Another colleague has an Aeroporess, which I've had a go on and am very impressed by.

Whatever method you use, it's all about the beans. I usually get mine from Monmouth, which is close to the office so quite convenient. I don't have a grinder at work but I get small bags ground to order and aim to use them up within a few days. Even so, you do notice the deterioration between day one and day three.

d.

 

[BrumJim]

I'm an Aeropress man myself, and wouldn't change it for anything else, although it does use a lot of coffee for one cup.
However I buy ground coffee rather than the beans, and love Old Brown Java (or Monsooned Malabar), which excludes me from the elite coffee connoisseurs club.

The thing about Nespresso that I don't like is the fact that I am forced to buy little containers from Nescafé every time I want a coffee, rather than sourcing however I want.

 

[ceepeebee]

Aeropress here too - two scoops coffee (preferably from Volcano of West Norwood) and fill up to mark 3 on the aeropress. Top up with a bit more water in the mug and you're there.

The aeropress is a truly brilliant thing - I'm contemplating getting the metal mesh filter for it.

 

[Cubist]

I'm mildly amused by the fact that Cubist disses real coffee made in a cafetiere but admits to drinking Milicano and Alta Rica.

wrong with cafetiere anyway - very convenient, as you say, and vastly preferable to any instant coffee. Some of my coffee-drinking colleagues have individual cafetieres for office use, but I have a Swissgold one-cup filter, which I find gives quite acceptable results. Another colleague has an Aeroporess, which I've had a go on and am very impressed by.

Whatever method you use, it's all about the beans. I usually get mine from Monmouth, which is close to the office so quite convenient. I don't have a grinder at work but I get small bags ground to order and aim to use them up within a few days. Even so, you do notice the deterioration between day one and day three.

d.

I know, how dare I like one thing a d not theother. The hive mind will be livid.

 

[smutchin]

I know, how dare I like one thing a d not theother. The hive mind will be livid.

No skin off my nose - you drink whatever you like. But if you're coming over all hoity-toity about the superiority of espresso over cafetiere then drinking instant, don't be surprised if some of us raise a wry eyebrow.

d.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Good info on coffee making here:

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/pages/Brew-Guides.html

 

[Fab Foodie]

Aeropress here too - two scoops coffee (preferably from Volcano of West Norwood) and fill up to mark 3 on the aeropress. Top up with a bit more water in the mug and you're there.

The aeropress is a truly brilliant thing - I'm contemplating getting the metal mesh filter for it.

I think it's fab too. Much underated (and little known).
I use about 18g beans in the Porlex mini which at a very fine setting takes about 2 mins exercise to grind. Also fill to 3 and use the Hasbeans method (and for cafitiere/French press too), but I don't add any more water ... maybe I need to try.
I use Union Revalation beans from Waitrose, strong but mellow. Like all cofee making it takes time to get the technique sorted, but it's a fun process.