Any other coffee geeks on here?
01 August 2008, 03:48 PM
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Any other coffee geeks on here?
Show yourselves here 
I'm merely a junior trainee geek but wish to learn from the more enlightened amongst you. Share your tips and secrets with me
I'm merely a junior trainee geek but wish to learn from the more enlightened amongst you. Share your tips and secrets with me
01 August 2008, 03:58 PM
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I used to experiment with coffee at the supermarket. Colombian this, Rwandan that, spicy, smoky, rich, smooth, you name it. But sadly perhaps, i still think Necafé Gold Blend is the best all round instant coffee on the shelves. Does that make me a heathen?
01 August 2008, 04:09 PM
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I'm very interested in perfecting the art of expresso making, I've already mastered pouring hot water from a kettle into a cup of instant granules
I want to know things like the right pressure and tools for tamping, where to buy the best knocking out box, the right temperature for milk etc etc
I had a latté in town today and the assistant poured the milk in first then laid the shot of expresso on the top which intrigued me, I've not seen it done like this before
I stirred it in to make it taste right
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01 August 2008, 04:34 PM
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It wasn't Costa no, we were trying one of Skipton's numerous (but a bit rubbish) coffee shops this morning, it's my new hobby I met a real life coffee geek at the Motor Show on Wednesday and he fuelled my passion even more by putting me onto such joys as CoffeeGeek - News, Reviews, Opinion and Community for Coffee and Espresso He then gave us a free 1 kilo tub of chocolate powder so I went home and immediately made mochas 
01 August 2008, 04:36 PM
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Or Camp! 
You don't use that powdered milk stuff as well do you?
01 August 2008, 04:40 PM
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Indeed, life's too short. So, I let others do the hard work. Should any of you coffee loving types find yourselves in this remote outpost that is my part of the world I strongly recommend a cup or 3 from these guys: Epic Espresso
01 August 2008, 05:36 PM
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Have you seen the documentary Black Gold? Check out the geeks at the start of that doing the taste testing - its like wine geeks.
I love cappucinos and gotta stop myself buying one at work every day.
Got myself a Krups machine and the espresso is fine (the ESE pods are rubbish though) but I have probs with the frothy milk. I use semi-skimmed and zap it in the microwave and use a battery frother rather than the machine attachment (takes longer, makes a mess then you gotta clean it). Never comes out the same as in the coffee shops - I notice they all use aluminium jugs so does that make a big difference?
Simon
P.S. Im sure my mum just told me that someone in a local coffee shop won uk barista championships lol.
I love cappucinos and gotta stop myself buying one at work every day.
Got myself a Krups machine and the espresso is fine (the ESE pods are rubbish though) but I have probs with the frothy milk. I use semi-skimmed and zap it in the microwave and use a battery frother rather than the machine attachment (takes longer, makes a mess then you gotta clean it). Never comes out the same as in the coffee shops - I notice they all use aluminium jugs so does that make a big difference?
Simon
P.S. Im sure my mum just told me that someone in a local coffee shop won uk barista championships lol.
01 August 2008, 05:45 PM
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I use a stainless jug with a bulbous bottom and can get a really good froth using skimmed The shape of the jug is really important apparently 
The shape of the jug is really important apparently
Last edited by Scoobychick; 02 August 2008 at 11:04 AM. Reason: Because I can't tell the difference between aluminium and stainless...
01 August 2008, 06:32 PM
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The machine that I always used heats up to 119C.
It was all lock-n-load coffee pods (supplied by Costa) which meant that all you did was position the cup(s) underneath and select the size you wanted (1 or 2 cups).
The methods were pretty much similar for all varieties. Espresso was just the pure shot in an espresso cup, while the Americana was served in a larger cup topped up with hot water (never tasted nice to me).
When it came to the others, the cappucino kept the condom on the heating element which helped to create the foam, while for all the others it was removed. Too be honest, the machine was pretty crap and we'd use the cup steamer to heat the milk too
Sometimes I'd get bored of waiting for the poxy thing and just use the microwave to heat the drinks up
It was all lock-n-load coffee pods (supplied by Costa) which meant that all you did was position the cup(s) underneath and select the size you wanted (1 or 2 cups).
The methods were pretty much similar for all varieties. Espresso was just the pure shot in an espresso cup, while the Americana was served in a larger cup topped up with hot water (never tasted nice to me).
When it came to the others, the cappucino kept the condom on the heating element which helped to create the foam, while for all the others it was removed. Too be honest, the machine was pretty crap and we'd use the cup steamer to heat the milk too
Sometimes I'd get bored of waiting for the poxy thing and just use the microwave to heat the drinks up
01 August 2008, 06:36 PM
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Top tip for instants, add the milk before the water and give it a really good stir first for a creamy taste
I was a big fan of the Gingerbread Starbucks Latte
but they don't do it anymore 
I was a big fan of the Gingerbread Starbucks Latte
but they don't do it anymore
01 August 2008, 06:37 PM
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01 August 2008, 11:10 PM
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I'm a latte drinker, so I guess I'm not really a coffee connisuer - see I cant even spell connsiu........
I used to be a Starbucks fan.. but their drinks have a really manky chalky texture to them
I like to go into town.. then enter a coffee type establishment. Then I place my order, hand over my many little discs of gold and wait.. sometimes I wait patiently, sometimes I huff and drum my little hand digits on the counter.
Sometimes it is worth the wait..mmm coffee paradise.. other times I feel like going back into the coffee type establishment and after having a dump in a cup, make the coffee monkey drink it, whilst shouting ' See what warm shoite really tastes like...'
or I simply grab a packet of ground stuff from somewhere like Whittards and make my own at home in my ickle coffee making thing pushy down thing... I can't be arsed hauling the giant espresso cappucino monster dating back to the mid 90's out of the cupboard
I used to be a Starbucks fan.. but their drinks have a really manky chalky texture to them I like to go into town.. then enter a coffee type establishment. Then I place my order, hand over my many little discs of gold and wait.. sometimes I wait patiently, sometimes I huff and drum my little hand digits on the counter.
Sometimes it is worth the wait..mmm coffee paradise.. other times I feel like going back into the coffee type establishment and after having a dump in a cup, make the coffee monkey drink it, whilst shouting ' See what warm shoite really tastes like...'
or I simply grab a packet of ground stuff from somewhere like Whittards and make my own at home in my ickle coffee making thing pushy down thing... I can't be arsed hauling the giant espresso cappucino monster dating back to the mid 90's out of the cupboard
01 August 2008, 11:11 PM
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that wasn't the sort of enlightenment you were looking for, was it Sal? 
01 August 2008, 11:17 PM
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The machines do take an hour to warm up if one of the muppets turn it off over night instead of leaving it on standby. That pissed me off so much when I would work 18 hours, wake up with a hangover, let in the cleaners, all with a killer hangover and no quickly available caffiene.