I love a good cup of coffee, be it a quick cup of instant or a lovingly made latte. A good cup of coffee and a biscuit or slice of cake is a simple, and relatively healthy pleasure. I must start out by stating that I am not a coffee snob, and that I primarily drink instant for the convenience of the thing.
However......... I do enjoy really good coffee, and want to discuss, and give a few tips and opinions.
My favourite drink is a really good Macchiato. For those who don't know of this, it is an espresso, topped off with a delicate small layer of milk foam. It's a little less harsh than a straight up espresso, so is great to drink if you are not sure of the quality of the coffee/barista in the place you are drinking, or if you're pulling the first shot of the day. The sweetness of the milk is a great foil to the strong espresso, especially if you are using a blend with some robusta in it.
My first plug goes to www.coffeegeek.com - they are far more knowledgable about all things coffee than I am, and if you are looking to learn more about coffee, it's a great place to go.
Right, onto my coffee tips
1) If you are buying instant, please, get some decent stuff. I like the Kenco single origin stuff :)
2) The same goes for beans. Find a good independant coffee merchant, and go in and talk. As with most things food and drink, specialist and independants are the best option. You can talk about blends and the suchlike, and get it ground to your requirements. If you can't find a merchant, buy Illy.
3) Buy in small quantities, About a fortnight is as long as coffee will be at its best once ground.
4) A good coffee maker is not cheap. the very lowest end of good gaggia machines are about £1000 new, plus your grinders and accessories. Below that, I would suggest Nespresso. Makes great coffee first shot to last, and has enough variety in the pods to keep you happy.
5) Don't drink at starbucks. It's terrible. the coffee is in the groups too long and it burns it. Find a good local coffee shop with great baristas using more hands on machines, and taste real coffee.
Finally, as I am rushing this off slightly due to the immense lateness of this second post, my guide to coffee if you are starting from cold/instant
Start off with a cafetiere/french press. mellow coffee, difficult to mess up, and drink it as you like. Once you get to know more about coffee, move onto a moka pot (classic stovetop espresso) and put in your favoured beans. A cup of this in the morning is the ONLY way to face the day, IMO. Then go from there! The possibilities are endless, but be warned, once you start, you will go from a £20 french press to looking at £10,000 la marzocco beasts.
Enjoy! and if you fancy something a little stronger, keep your eyes peeled for the cocktail guide that is about to be published on here too :)
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