I like the sound of that!I sometimes make what I call mocha milk, a glass of vanilla almond milk with a spoonful of instant coffee.
The coffee Lovers thread
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As long as it's organic, grown in the shade, fair trade and you brush your teeth right afterwards, no reason why you shouldn't enjoy your daily cuppa.
As long as it's organic, grown in the shade, fair trade and you brush your teeth right afterwards, no reason why you shouldn't enjoy your daily cuppa.
My main concern over here is finding decent coffee beans. The brand that isn't too bad is neither organic neither
Fair Trade. I enjoy and brush my teeth afterwards !
The best ground coffee for cafetieres is Sainsbury's Premium Blend ground coffee that comes from central America.
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Chryssie
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I do too most of the time though I admit sometimes I buy the pods when they are on clearance at TJ Maxx.
Exactly! Which is why the reusable pod is so great...I pack it with espresso. Nice and strong.I like the idea of the K-cup thing, but the environmental issues have kept me from getting one. Plus, they don't make a strong enough coffee for me.
@Amy SF , thank you for pulling this wonderful thread out of the archives
I do like coffee. A lot. Enough to have - hmm, let me count - 3 espresso machines at home.
A wonderful Rancilio Silvia that I bought in 2001 and still use every day
An even more wonderful Cimbali Junior (mine is gold, but could not find a picture) that is in storage in Europe, as it weighs about 35 kg, needs a mains water connection and takes up * a lot * of space in the kitchen.
I bought that machine off eBay mainly because it is a "double boiler" machine that is capable of providing steam and coffee at the same time, which the smaller, single-boiler machines can not. So when you want to make a lot of cappuccinos, with the smaller machines you need to make batches and it takes longer.
My wife, however, did not understand that simple logic and was questioning my purchase along the lines of "What do we need a second espresso machine for, and why does it have to be such a monster?" Also, the economies of buying a used (but newly serviced) machine from eBay for 500$ that costs about 4,000$ new did not appeal to her. Women....
And a small Dolce Gusto machine that my wife insisted on as we can get the capsules locally in Malaysia and it "does not make a mess".
I also had some Lavazza Coffee Point pod machines back in Germany for daily use in the office, but I sold these on eBay, as they use proprietary pods (much less waste than Nespresso) that are not available in Asia.
In the office in Malaysia, I am also using a Senseo machine, which is a bit of a challenge, as the only way to get the pads is to have somebody who travels to Germany bring some.
I also managed to get myself put in charge for acquiring a coffee machine for the office in Germany, so we got a Quickmill that makes real, good espresso, instead of the Jura that all the other deparements have...
So how do I like to drink my own coffee?
Either as soy cappuccino or as espresso (if the machine is capable of providing good espresso).
Frankly, when I learned about the horrors of the egg and dairy industry and decided to go vegan, the most daunting obstacle to me was the question, whether I would be able to still enjoy my cappuccino if I had to use soymilk instead of dairy milk. Still, it was a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but I managed
Best regards,
Andy
I do like coffee. A lot. Enough to have - hmm, let me count - 3 espresso machines at home.
A wonderful Rancilio Silvia that I bought in 2001 and still use every day
An even more wonderful Cimbali Junior (mine is gold, but could not find a picture) that is in storage in Europe, as it weighs about 35 kg, needs a mains water connection and takes up * a lot * of space in the kitchen.
I bought that machine off eBay mainly because it is a "double boiler" machine that is capable of providing steam and coffee at the same time, which the smaller, single-boiler machines can not. So when you want to make a lot of cappuccinos, with the smaller machines you need to make batches and it takes longer.
My wife, however, did not understand that simple logic and was questioning my purchase along the lines of "What do we need a second espresso machine for, and why does it have to be such a monster?" Also, the economies of buying a used (but newly serviced) machine from eBay for 500$ that costs about 4,000$ new did not appeal to her. Women....
And a small Dolce Gusto machine that my wife insisted on as we can get the capsules locally in Malaysia and it "does not make a mess"
.
I also had some Lavazza Coffee Point pod machines back in Germany for daily use in the office, but I sold these on eBay, as they use proprietary pods (much less waste than Nespresso) that are not available in Asia.
In the office in Malaysia, I am also using a Senseo machine, which is a bit of a challenge, as the only way to get the pads is to have somebody who travels to Germany bring some.
I also managed to get myself put in charge for acquiring a coffee machine for the office in Germany, so we got a Quickmill that makes real, good espresso, instead of the Jura that all the other deparements have...
So how do I like to drink my own coffee?
Either as soy cappuccino or as espresso (if the machine is capable of providing good espresso).
Frankly, when I learned about the horrors of the egg and dairy industry and decided to go vegan, the most daunting obstacle to me was the question, whether I would be able to still enjoy my cappuccino if I had to use soymilk instead of dairy milk. Still, it was a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but I managed
Best regards,
Andy
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I bring my pod and coffee grinds with me when I'm going somewhere and I know there's going to be a Keurig machine. [emoji38]
I don't trust that anyone is going to give me a good cup of coffee. Scary.
I don't trust that anyone is going to give me a good cup of coffee. Scary.
My pet peeve is that the Dolce Gusto (Nestle, cheaper system than "Nespresso") machine basically has 2 types of capsules ... the ones for making black coffee (e.g. espresso or ristretto) where one box contains 18 capsules to make 18 drinks, and the ones for mix drinks (e.g. cappuccino, chai latte, Caramel macchiato, chocolate) that contain 9 coffee capsules and 9 capsules with milk/sugar mixture, and you need to use 2 capsules to make one drink.
When I go shopping, typically the shops only have a wide selection of the mix drink variety and only very few (if at all) of the pure coffee capsules. If you compare the average price of a kg of coffee with that of milk powder and sugar, you get an idea why Nestle would prefer to sell the "mix drinks"...
On top of that, using that kind of capsules that has not only coffee, but also plastic, aluminum and silicone, is wasteful (ecologically and economically), albeit of course practical for people who only drink little coffee and do not want the coffee to go "off".
I solve that problem for myself by buying whole beans, keeping them in the deep freezer and only grinding them just before I make my coffee. Of course, grinding the coffee typically can lead to a mess, which is what my wife does not like about my way to make coffee...
When I go shopping, typically the shops only have a wide selection of the mix drink variety and only very few (if at all) of the pure coffee capsules. If you compare the average price of a kg of coffee with that of milk powder and sugar, you get an idea why Nestle would prefer to sell the "mix drinks"...
On top of that, using that kind of capsules that has not only coffee, but also plastic, aluminum and silicone, is wasteful (ecologically and economically), albeit of course practical for people who only drink little coffee and do not want the coffee to go "off".
I solve that problem for myself by buying whole beans, keeping them in the deep freezer and only grinding them just before I make my coffee. Of course, grinding the coffee typically can lead to a mess, which is what my wife does not like about my way to make coffee...
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I keep hearing that you should never freeze/refrigerate coffee but I keep mine in the fridge and I swear it keeps the coffee fresh and tasting great! If I leave it in the cupboard it goes stale.
I only ever store my coffee beans and ground coffee in the freezer and fridge. It keeps them fresh.
ledboots
Peace
Me too. We keep our house pretty warm most of the year, and I don't like the smell of coffee (unpopular opinion I know) so coffee goes in the freezer.
Yes, you definitely can tell the difference when the coffee is frozen. It never loses it's aroma.
Yes, that was also presented to me as a fact.
The first time I found out that ground coffee loses its aroma was when I had just got my coffee machine and grinder. I made coffee every day, and one day for whatever reason, after I had ground the beans, I did not make coffee, so just left them in the hopper. The next morning, I used the coffee I had ground the day before and that had been in the grinder over night to make my espresso. It tasted horrible - flat, no taste, nothing like the freshly ground coffee.
When you research what is important to make great coffee, most experts will tell you that a good grinder is probably even more important than a good espresso machine.
Since that event I have always been grinding just the amount of beans I use for the coffee. Now, most coffee grinders come with a large hopper and a large reservoir for the ground coffee, to enable quick access to the ground coffee in a coffeehouse. There is a so-called doser that - when the lever is agitated - should provide the exact amount for one espresso (7 grams of ground coffee), however, this only works when it is full with ground coffee. When it is only half full, the amount will not be correct. So I typically leave the hopper empty and only put inside the exact amount of beans I want to grind, then I completely grind them and empty all the ground coffee into the portafilter.
Later, I encountered a colleague who had worked on a project for Tchibo, the largest German coffee roaster. He said that in the offices of that company, he had drunk the best coffee he had ever tasted in his life. When he inquired about the "secret", the employees told him "It's very simple. In all our coffeehouses in Hamburg - and in the company headquarters - we only serve coffee that was roasted that very day". According to them, it is not only important that the coffee is freshly ground, but also freshly roasted. They suggested to him that if he did not want to grind the coffee daily, he should grind it the day he bought it and put it in the freezer, so it would keep its aroma. Which is why I now keep my beans in the freezer and only take them out when I make my coffee....
BTW, if you want to go deeper into this subject, take a look at this:
Coffee and Tea 101 | Pull a Perfect Shot | Seattle Coffee Gear (they use the same machine I use)
and CoffeeGeek - Defining What is the God Shot
But be forewarned. Serious coffee geeks (the people who would typically access that website) can be quite anal in their quest for the perfect coffee. I stop short of checking the ambient air humidity and adjusting the coarseness of the grind, which would be considered less then perfect by many discussing there....
But then, as I most of the time enjoy my coffee as cappuccino, it should be fine anyway.
When I enjoy an espresso, however, small things (especially wrong temperature) can lead to diminished enjoyment (most of the time: sour, flat or burnt tasting coffee)
The first time I found out that ground coffee loses its aroma was when I had just got my coffee machine and grinder. I made coffee every day, and one day for whatever reason, after I had ground the beans, I did not make coffee, so just left them in the hopper. The next morning, I used the coffee I had ground the day before and that had been in the grinder over night to make my espresso. It tasted horrible - flat, no taste, nothing like the freshly ground coffee.
When you research what is important to make great coffee, most experts will tell you that a good grinder is probably even more important than a good espresso machine.
Since that event I have always been grinding just the amount of beans I use for the coffee. Now, most coffee grinders come with a large hopper and a large reservoir for the ground coffee, to enable quick access to the ground coffee in a coffeehouse. There is a so-called doser that - when the lever is agitated - should provide the exact amount for one espresso (7 grams of ground coffee), however, this only works when it is full with ground coffee. When it is only half full, the amount will not be correct. So I typically leave the hopper empty and only put inside the exact amount of beans I want to grind, then I completely grind them and empty all the ground coffee into the portafilter.
Later, I encountered a colleague who had worked on a project for Tchibo, the largest German coffee roaster. He said that in the offices of that company, he had drunk the best coffee he had ever tasted in his life. When he inquired about the "secret", the employees told him "It's very simple. In all our coffeehouses in Hamburg - and in the company headquarters - we only serve coffee that was roasted that very day". According to them, it is not only important that the coffee is freshly ground, but also freshly roasted. They suggested to him that if he did not want to grind the coffee daily, he should grind it the day he bought it and put it in the freezer, so it would keep its aroma. Which is why I now keep my beans in the freezer and only take them out when I make my coffee....
BTW, if you want to go deeper into this subject, take a look at this:
Coffee and Tea 101 | Pull a Perfect Shot | Seattle Coffee Gear (they use the same machine I use)
and CoffeeGeek - Defining What is the God Shot
But be forewarned. Serious coffee geeks (the people who would typically access that website
) can be quite anal in their quest for the perfect coffee. I stop short of checking the ambient air humidity and adjusting the coarseness of the grind, which would be considered less then perfect by many discussing there....But then, as I most of the time enjoy my coffee as cappuccino, it should be fine anyway.
When I enjoy an espresso, however, small things (especially wrong temperature) can lead to diminished enjoyment (most of the time: sour, flat or burnt tasting coffee)
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Calliegirl
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A coffee connoisseur would probably have a heart attack if I tried to serve them what I've been drinking lately.
I put some store brand instant decaf in a glass with a little cocoa powder and sweetener or a flavored syrup, add a tiny bit of hot water to dissolve the crystals, then add some almond milk and fill with cold water.
I put some store brand instant decaf in a glass with a little cocoa powder and sweetener or a flavored syrup, add a tiny bit of hot water to dissolve the crystals, then add some almond milk and fill with cold water.
