Coffee Conundrum?

babelfish

If we want a cappuccino I warm two cappuccino cups up with hot water and then use the one-cup filters from Douwe Egberts. I put a mug of milk in the microwave to warm it up (whole milk is best but I usually use semi-skimmed). I then whisk it with my hand held cappuccino whisk which makes lovely froth. Pour this on your coffee, spooning the froth out and then top with a sprinkle of hot chocolate. Mmm! Jamie Oliver puts some milk in an empty, plastic milk jug and gives it a good shake to get the same effect.

Ive never used a stove top coffee maker but you're all making my mouth water!

Essex-girl_2

Thank you everyone for this thread - I am a real coffee addict and wanted to start making proper Cappucino's & Mocha Chocolate at home. I was looking at the expensive expresso machines which are too much money for me & there were so many to chose from. But now have decided to get a stove top machine and a coffee bean grinder.

Couple of questions if you dont mind - do you store your coffee beans in the freezer - Ive heard they deteriate as soon as you open the packet.
Also for mocha should I be able to use drinking chocolate added to the milk?

Thank you.

M.E.

I use a stove top coffee maker.
One tip to get the best flavour from "ordinary" ground coffee (not espresso blend) is to heat up the coffee maker until just before it starts to bubble coffee through.
Then immediately turn the heat down, almost the lowest setting. The water will then take longer to go through the coffee, more flavour.
Heating the coffee maker too quickly overheats it and you get a burnt taste. Slowly does it... and the smell.... heaven.

greatbigkev
When we want a longer cup of coffee, or we are sharing an espresso, we simply add hot water to the cup of espresso and it makes a good (bigger) cup of coffee that is similar to the taste of a filter coffee.
So pour one espresso and then add hot water or hot milk to the other espresso. Bingo. Both of you get a cup of coffee you like, from one pot.

cmorgan

Essex-girl wrote: »

Couple of questions if you dont mind - do you store your coffee beans in the freezer - Ive heard they deteriate as soon as you open the packet.


Thank you.

Roasted coffee beans start to deterioate immediately after roasting and certainly should be used within 2 weeks of roasting. Green beans will keep for a couple of months. Which is why some coffee officianado's will buy green beans and roast their beans at home on a daily basis (not me too much hassle). This is why you should only buy beans from a source where you know when they have been roasted (see my earlier post). I would guess that vacuum packing and freezing will slow this process down but the beans will still deterioate. Best to buy roasted beans in small quantities and use as soon as possible (not usually a problem for myself) or buy green beans and roast at home.

cheerfulness4

I love the sound of these stove top coffee makers and seem to remember my dad using one years ago when I was a kiddie. I have a ceramic hob so I'm assuming that it wouldn't work on mine. Anyone know?

cmorgan

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

I have a ceramic hob so I'm assuming that it wouldn't work on mine. Anyone know?

Personally not used a stove top yet hoping to get a Bialetti Brikka from Santa. See no reason why it couldn't be used on a ceramic hob. Just needs a source of heat.

spaghetti_monster

I moved recently and dug out my stovetop espresso thingy... and it doesn't fit on my stove! It's so small it falls down between the metal bits (IFYSWIM)....
I think I will have to start improvising.... if anyone has any ideas...!

cmorgan

alex_w wrote: »

I moved recently and dug out my stovetop espresso thingy... and it doesn't fit on my stove! It's so small it falls down between the metal bits (IFYSWIM)....
I think I will have to start improvising.... if anyone has any ideas...!

Alex

I would guess something like this would work;

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!6280_10426

Olliebeak

lindadykes wrote: »

A sort of "cheats" version, not pretending this is authentic but it does taste quite good - better than the packet "latte" mixes and is cheap and with no additives that you can't pronounce IYKWIM!

4 heaped teaspoons of dried milk (not nasty additive full coffee creamer)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
sugar to taste

Add a little cold water to above in a mug and mix well, add boiling water and stir.

Instant Latte!

I am so glad to see that somebody else makes their 'special treat coffee' this way! Whenever I've told people what I do - I don't half get some funny looks - but it's gorgeous! Especially with demerara sugar (and I don't normally take sugar in anything)!

redcherry_girl

For a latte I think you can easily get away with using a caffetiere. I know it isn't the 100% proper way, but the end result is much the same as a cafe latte is so much weaker anyway. Use a small caffetiere and put in quite a lot of ground coffee. This is also useful because my other half prefers stronger coffee. So I just pour most of the coffee in his mug and a third of a mug in mine. Then I heat up some milk and (this is a trick I learned from my mum who makes heavenly coffee) let steam up. This is basically letting it just come up to the boil and removing it from the hob so it doesn't spill over the sides. This'll create some foam as well. Then I just pour it in and fill up my mug.

You can also make mocha's this way by adding a little drinking chocolate to the milk when you're heating it up. And if you've ever tried a hazelnut latte (I love these) you can buy small bottles of syrup in supermarkets now. I have to admit that's what I add when I fancy a treat. And it requires very little equipment. When I'm in a rush I have been known to do it with instant coffee too. Altho some might call this coffee sacrilege.

P.S I'm a student myself and I lack money and time so this is the easiest way for me.