Tipsy Cake. . . and coffee. Help!

hybernia

lostinrates wrote: »

you paid WHAT for coffee? Coffee in italy is good and inexpensive usually, even in the central areas of rome and Milan! The tip to remember is that you pay more to sit down. The coffee is cheap, its a seat that's expensive. Because there are few public loos often ''a coffee'' is the cover charge for a loo break. To enjy an inexpensive coffee, stay at the bar like an italian, and rest your feet outside if you can find anywhere to sit!

I know, I know -- the perils of Tuscany, huh? We were staying in Montecatini Terme as a central base, a fairly undistinguished place EXCEPT its park is astonishing, seems bigger than the town itself, must be one of the most beautiful in Europe. And all the tourists who land there on coach tours vanish every morning to go tour somewhere else, which is wonderful. Less wonderful? Coffee at 3 Euros, which managed to reach 3.50 Euros in Lucca (also the same place where the rate for a Diet Coke was 3.80 Euro, a pavement caff in the main square opposite the corner pharmacy.)

The waitress provided no service at all and brought back 2 Euros in change for the two Cokes from a 10 Euro note. We asked her for the missing 40c. She stared blankly. We stared blankly back. Finally she went off and found the "forgotten" 40c. Which we kept -- I'm not paying nearly £4 a glass for a Diet Coke anywhere.

So no. Italy's not cheap -- or well: Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena and Lucca ain't cheap! We still loved the place though (our first visit. . .)

Kevie192

Stove top machines are ok but often the water gets too hot and causes a bitter tang to your drink... With cafetieres, the coffee is sitting in the water for a long time and again the coffee can be bitter.

I use a machine called an Aeropress to make my coffee and I have to say I think it's the best I have ever tasted. Because the coffee is only in the water for seconds and then pressure applied, the coffee is very smooth and rich. In fact, I know of two independent coffee shops here in Norwich that use the Aeropress system for most of their brews - one of which was a finalist in the UK barista championships this year, so she knows her coffee!

I got my Aeropress from here but they are available all over the place.

I did have an Aerolatte for the milk but I found the whizzing action left me with a milky counter and not much froth - plus it's cumbersome to get the coffee temp right. I now use a Latteccino to froth my milk... Not exactly MSE but you get what you pay for! There is so much very thick froth from this machine as well as a quantity of hot milk that I find it excellent. My MIL had to ask yesterday for a spoon to eat the froth at tue end of her coffee!

Oh my, that's a long post... I've been through the same process as you and tried sooooooo many coffee machines, pots, filters, cafetieres etc in search of a good cup of coffee at home and I'm very glad I've now found a system that works for me!

Here's a quick piccy of one of my cappuccinos (and HM carrot cupcake!)



HTH

Kevin