Coffee Conundrum?

~*Plushroom*~

Just used my new stovepot today, after people raved about it here and someone kindly linked me to a picture so I knew what I was buying. I have to say it's brilliant, much quicker than our kettle and the coffee's gorgeous. Have made an expresso and a latte so far today, and both more than rival Costa's £2 ones!

Prepare for a caffeine high me in the coming hours I think, it's so much fun to do!

greatbigkev

Moving away slightly from the subject (but while the coffee fans are still reading!) I have another couple of questions.

My wife and I love drinking coffee and, while I really enjoy the stronger espresso-based drinks, she doesn't and much prefers filter coffee. However, our filter coffee at home never tastes as good as the shop-bought stuff.

So, what I'd like to know is, does anyone have a filter coffee-maker they can recommend? I don't mind if it's not particularly cheap cos coffee is our main vice (I'm teetotal and my missus rarely drinks).

Also, any suggestions on the best place to buy good coffee? There used to be a fair few coffee houses round but they seem to have disappeared. I'd love to be able to pick up some freshly-roasted coffee on the way home from work on a Friday that we can grind at home and enjoy at its best over the weekend. I'm particularly looking for places around central London (I work near St Paul's and go home via Fenchurch Street) but I expect there are other people who would like to know where to get some 'damn fine coffee'!

Kev

skipkoo

Hi Kev
Well, my OH is Belgian and they like to think they know a thing or two about coffee!! When he came to live here, there were two things he demanded....broadband and decent coffee!! We have a Kenwood filter coffee machine. We bought our original one in Belgian but needed to replace it a couple of years later, and picked up another Kenwood in Currys (could have been Comet as they are next to each other and I can never remember which is which!) Anyway, they come with washable gold coloured filters but I always buy paper filters and I am lazy and they are easier to clean up afterwards! The coffee we use, and it is the best we have tried both in the UK and in Europe, is Sainsburys own Continental Style ground coffee. It is flavour strenght 5 so strong but tastes great. I use one big scoop per mug of coffee.
Love it!!
S

Quasar

Latte, Italian for milk, is simply coffee with a lot of milk in it. We drink plenty of it in Italy.

I make it with good espresso and then put hot milk in it. This is what it is. Unfortunately the way it's made in coffee shops over here make its consitency a bit different.

If you want great taste you need top quality coffee, but that costs.

I have no fancy espresso maker - just an old fashioned "caffettiera", what we use in Italy for home made espresso.

Grumpysally

Just decided to give my stovetop coffee maker another chance. Got it from freecycle the other year and never really got the hang of it. Here goes.

nearlynewbie

I make my latte with a stove top coffe pot (bought for a few euros in an Italian market) and skiimed milk heated in the microwave and frothed up with a milk frother from IKEA- which was very cheap (can't remember exactly how much). I don't like it made with "real " expresso italian coffee as it puts my on too much of a caffeine high! So I make it with cheaper ready ground coffee as I use my coffee grinder to grind spices instead.

cmorgan

greatbigkev wrote: »

Also, any suggestions on the best place to buy good coffee? There used to be a fair few coffee houses round but they seem to have disappeared. I'd love to be able to pick up some freshly-roasted coffee on the way home from work on a Friday that we can grind at home and enjoy at its best over the weekend. I'm particularly looking for places around central London (I work near St Paul's and go home via Fenchurch Street) but I expect there are other people who would like to know where to get some 'damn fine coffee'!

Kev

I can personally recommend www.hasbean.co.uk for purchasing fresh roasted coffee beans. The coffee arrives within days of ordering and has the date it was roasted (or born) on (usually the day of despatch). Also I can recommed the forums on www.toomuchcoffee.co.uk for advice regarding different brewing methods.

cmorgan

If you are after frothy latte and don't have a frother / steam wand, put your heated milk / espresso mix in a cafetiere, place the cafetiere filter / plunger in the container and plunge rapidly (being careful the hot mix doesn't squirt out the top) several times. Hey presto frothy latte. Got this tip from the toomuchcoffee forum mentioned in previous post (sorry can't recall poster).

Seakay

Found this online today:

"In this country, cappuccino is a serving of espresso (about 2 ounces) with essentially similar amounts of milk and a rather stiff milk foam. Caffè latte is a serving of espresso with about three times as much milk, topped with a short head of foam. So a latte is milder and has a milkier taste.
While Starbucks has imposed rigid standards at every store in its chain, in practice in other coffeehouses and restaurants around the country, these drinks can vary substantially, and a cappuccino at one place could be similar to another coffeehouse’s latte, or even weaker. But not necessarily less expensive.... "
Might help a bit once you have your stovetop espresso maker.
(By the way, does anyone know if you can make espresso in a cafetiere? Is it a matter of the type of coffee, or is the method important?)

cmorgan

Seakay wrote: »

Found this online today:


(By the way, does anyone know if you can make espresso in a cafetiere? Is it a matter of the type of coffee, or is the method important?)

It is not possible to get any where near an espresso type coffee in a cafetiere. You need a fine grind for an espresso whereas cafetieres require a coarser grind. For a proper espresso having a high water pressure is important which is impossible in a cafetiere. The method that comes closest to an espresso without the expense of a proper machine is using the aerobie aeropress as in the link below;

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=53&products_id=631

Using the above is not a substitute for the real thing but the best your going to get without going the whole hog.

In terms of coffee type, some coffees suit espresso more than others but this is largely down to personal taste. Buying fresh beans and using a good coffee grinder capable of an even fine (espresso) grind are most important.

Hope this helps.