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how to enjoy a pretty decent coffee at home

17/1/2012

49 Comments

 
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A marocchino with a couple of cookies from Persepolis

THE CONTENT OF THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED AND PUT ON ITS OWN PAGE HERE.


intro

_I am very, very far from being an expert in coffee. The art of the barista is just that - an art - and the world of producing, importing and roasting coffee is every bit as complex as that of the wine industry. But I love coffee and like to think that I know a good bean when I taste it. And really, for the majority of us that's it - source a good bean.

beans

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If I had my druthers, I'd always drink Square Mile coffee. They are superb roasters, founded by James Hoffmann (World Barista Champion 2007) and Anette Moldvaer (World Coffee Cup Tasting Champion 2007). Importantly, the date of roasting is on the packet, so you can ensure you drink it within one month for optimum enjoyment. But there's a load of great, independent roasters out there, such as Monmouth, Volcano (a local - SE21 - company) and Nude Espresso. And that's just London.

But I can only afford Square Mile now and again. So my skint standby is often Caffè Nero's Classico beans for the really good price of £4.95 for 500g. I know we should support the independents rather than the chains, and I most decidedly do, but this is a halfway decent bean and cheap to boot. Fuck it, I'm potless. If anyone knows a cheaper, acceptable bean, please get in contact and let me know (and remember, it's got to compete with £9.90 a kg).

grinding

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Unless you've got one of these bad boys (I have), I'd get the coffee shop to grind for you. It's a burr grinder. Blade grinders don't actually grind the beans, they decimate them. These actually do grind, so you have a uniform grain with the oils and flavour intact.

Otherwise, tell the shop what machine you're using to make your coffee and they'll grind the beans accordingly. Just buy small quantities to ensure freshness.

what to make it with

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For a mug of coffee all you need is a cafetiere and you're good to go. But if you're after an espresso-type shot, then do what every household in Italy does and use a moka pot (a stove-top espresso maker). At the time of writing, there was a one cup/40ml version on Amazon for £3.41. You'll not get a true espresso, of course, and certainly not the 'godshot' which is the aim of every good barista, but it'll more than do.

An actual espresso machine is kind of a 'nice to have' gadget, but only if you're cash-rich. I have actually got one - it was saved from the bailiffs along with all the rest of my kitchen equipment in a stroke of immense good fortune. But you'll still never achieve the results of a professional machine. And I can't see the attraction of the ones with the coffee pods, quite frankly, as you're stuck with the make of coffee they supply.

milk

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For espresso-based milk drinks, what you want to try and aim for is microfoam - a pourable, virtually liquid foam with the bubbles hardly visible. As opposed to 'dry' foam which has separated from the liquid. Making a proper microfoam is a barista skill, but you can get a sort of home kitchen approximation with a milk frother. Amazon have one of these from Aerolatte for £9.14. Warm your (full-fat) milk in the microwave or in a pan to no more than 70C (above that the protein curdles) and froth. Use two jugs in which to pour the milk back and forth a few times, in order to incorporate the bubbles into the liquid. Tap the jug onto your work surface a few times to pop any visible bubbles on the surface of the milk and give it a good swirl before pouring over your espresso shot.

If you're making a cappuccino, what you are most definitely not after is something like those monstrosities sold by the chains - a bucket of milk with a waiter standing by the side singing the Coffee Song. Rather wonderfully, Italy now has an officially certified recipe for a cappuccino:

It should be made with 25ml espresso and 125ml frothed milk. 100ml of cold (3-5C) fresh milk with at least 3.2% protein and 3.5% fat content must be frothed to 125ml, reaching a temperature of 55C. It then needs to be poured over 25ml certified Italian espresso in a white 160ml cup.

Bless 'em.

chocolate powder

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I use this from the Spanish Chocolate Co. It's quite sweet and is flavoured with vanillin and cinnamon. You can buy it at Asda.

sugar

Like the entire population of Italy, I have (white) sugar in my espresso - a scant half a teaspoon in a single shot. To me, it enhances, not masks, the flavour of the coffee. But that's just me.

Well that's my two penn'orth, such as it is. There'll be many of you more expert in this than me. So if you've got any suggestions, please do leave a comment.

UPDATE: @micks_tape strongly suggests binning the moka pot in favour of an Aeropress, as does Chloe in a comment below. New to me. I must get out more. Actually, I just must get out.

UPDATE: CostaBride says below that the Spanish chocolate powder is also available at Morrison's and Annika says Sainsbury's have it - guess it's easily available then!

UPDATE: Thane Prince, whom God preserve, gives a shout out below for the Nespresso range of machines.

UPDATE: @JudithFlanders tweets that the Algerian Coffee Stores always have a monthly offer for £5/500g which is 'always good, sometimes great'. However, looking online, these offers are £6. Maybe it's a quid cheaper at the actual store.

UPDATE: A few people have pointed out that I didn't mention the splendid Has Bean Coffee which was very remiss of me indeed.

UPDATE: Andy (an ex-barista) suggests that if you have to drink instant coffee make it Clipper's.

UPDATE: This is brilliant. @gothick roasts green coffee beans in a popcorn machine on the Kavey Eats blog by @KaveyF.
49 Comments
MrsDanvers
17/1/2012 00:53:53

No advice,but I'm with you on the coffee machines with pods, you are buying a brand coffee made to someone else's taste - what's the point? Not to mention to the environmental impact of the packaging.

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Siobhan
17/1/2012 00:53:58

I love your blog - thank you - a tasty new treat to read! Ikea do a milk frother for about £1.50 which is quite adequate - just a bit of a pain to get to one of their stores...but if you're heading that way anyway...
hurrah for more skint foodie projects!

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Chloe link
17/1/2012 01:11:03

Excellent advice for home brewing! I'd also add that a Porlex handgrinder and an aeropress is an excellent (and cheap) set of equipment to provide a short espresso like shot or longer filter coffee at home.
Loving your blog!

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nita
17/1/2012 01:23:58

I don't go anywhere without my cheap plastic coffee filter support (about £1), ground Monsooned Malabar coffee beans and a supply of filter papers. Takes about a minute for a mug of decent filter coffee. I don't waste my money on instant coffee

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Kavey link
17/1/2012 01:52:33

I am not a huge coffee drinker: I love the smell of freshly ground and brewed coffee more than the taste of it!
Last time I was in Waitrose, they had Columbian coffee beans which I'm sure were less than £5 for 500 grams.
And Aldi had coffee beans in a while back... my theory (probably bunkum but it's how my mind works) is that their strongest products are those that are popular across Europe and which mainland Europeans are most fussy about, so I'd include coffee, charcuterie and chocolate in that. And pickled gherkins. I love theirs. Might be worth checking theirs out. I'd guess same might be true of Lidl but don't have one near me whereas I'm in Aldi fairly regularly.
(Waitrose and Aldi are my two main supermarkets, both within 2 minutes walk of my house).

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Carlotta
17/1/2012 02:37:40

LOL!! You're more into coffee than I am :).
I get my beans ground at the coffeeshop, make a moka pot, pour a bit of hot milk in the cup, pour the coffee, pour bit more hot milk.
Sprinkle over cinnamon or cardamom or chocolate.

For really bad days, I whip some full fat cream to pour on top :)

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Andrea
17/1/2012 03:51:48

Like Kavey, I am not much of a coffee drinker but absolutely love the smell of good coffee.

I used to work in Camden and there's a little roasting place in Delancy St that always made me pause on the way past and breathe deeply to get a hit of the wonderful smell of freshly roasted/ground beans.

There's a nice article about it here: http://www.thecnj.com/review/food-drink/1228050106food01.html

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CostaBride link
17/1/2012 04:23:30

You can also get that chocolate powder at Morrisons

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Charles
17/1/2012 04:28:36

I understand the comments regarding the pod based coffee machines and I agree that you are constrained by the choice of the manufacturer however.... I have a Nespresso machine and they have a good range of coffee on offer and I must say that it makes a mighty good cup of coffee.

Noting MrsDanvers comment on the environment; I agree and I was very cautious with this. Whilst not yet recycled in the UK Nespresso do widly recycle on mainland Europe so there is hope for us on that front at some point.

All that said, I still have my trusty stove top expresso maker as back-up and will never part with it :-)

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Charles
17/1/2012 04:29:56

A note on storage; coffee keeps much better if kept cold so stick it in an air tight container and put it in the door of your fridge.

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Thane Prince link
17/1/2012 12:08:20

Nespresso do run a recycling service in the UK you can pick up the bags from their shops or order on line They provide free collection with largish orders of pods.
I have about four or five I've ways of making my morning coffee depends on the mood time etc. but do find Nespresso perfect for delivering a good cup of fresh tasting coffee with minimum fuss every time.

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Charles
17/1/2012 12:46:43

Thanks Thane, I didnt know that

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maria
17/1/2012 12:24:35

I have a cheap Cookworks espresso maker from Argos..works a treat.Favourite coffee beans Breakfast or Blue Mountain Blend from Pickering's in Ipswich good for regular filter coffee as well.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
17/1/2012 13:05:34

These are all great comments guys! I'm adding running updates to the post as appropriate. Need further feedback re the Aeropress - some people on Twitter say it can't do an espresso-type 'shot'.

Reply
chloe link
17/1/2012 13:18:46

re. the aeropress espresso shot - obviously the aeropress is not going to produce as much pressure as a coffee machine will, ie. 7-9 bar, which is quite extreme, so won't extract in quite the same way. However there is more pressure than any other filter method and enough to produce a similar, intense shot of coffee if a small quantity of water is used. Hope that helps!

Reply
The Skint Foodie
17/1/2012 13:49:28

Indeedly doodly.

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Lipozene link
8/9/2012 06:01:15

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Triona
17/1/2012 13:51:56

The aeropress is great but really only for a long coffee. For an espresso I find the bialetti invaluable. We dont have room for an espresso machine (otherwise we'd have one too) but the bialettis is a good substitute, you can still get lovely coffee. I find the aeropress handy for when you're out and about with acess to a kettle and little else.
The porlex grinder is amazing, but not cheap, the one i found on ebay was about €80. While it is far superior to our electric grinder (€45), it is not cheaper, and hand grinding is the last thing you want to do first thing in the moring.
The coffee pods are only economical if you rarely drink coffee but refuse to stoop to instant. Otherwise, cafetiere/bialetti are essentials.

Reply
Angela G
17/1/2012 14:46:03

Can't do without my stovetop moka pot, and love Bean14 coffee, roasted and packed/ground here in Guernsey. Love the blog, tweets, web-site etc....

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cara
17/1/2012 15:35:05

Lavaza. Preground I know but good value and several million Italians can't be wrong. In Dublin, Butlers coffee is always good. Great barrista action in Butlers coffee shops and you get to choose one of their harrrrlishus chocolate truffles to go with it.

Reply
Jules link
17/1/2012 16:40:51

a large milk carton, with only a small amount of milk in it can be shaken vigorously to produce a passable cold froth.

i don't know if you've experimented with cold brewed coffee but it's great, especially in summer.

i use the jug from my coffee machine, but any container will do. i just find it useful because i can use the measures on the side. use approximately 2 parts coffee to 8 parts cold water and leave for 24 hours, then filter.

to use dilute your concentrate about 1 to 2 with water, and add milk and sugar syrup to taste. over ice (you can freeze the concentrate as ice cubes and stir them into milk as well) it's much less bitter than regular coffee and so refreshing in summer!

i don't react well to caffeine so much anymore so i tend to go for taylors of harrogate take it easy which is low caffeine and quite passable. and it's often on offer as Asda

Reply
Chris Rusbridge
18/1/2012 00:41:34

Thanks for this. It was a revolution for me when I decided: life's too shrt for instant coffee!

Reply
Andy
18/1/2012 06:14:23

A tip from an ex-Barista. If you're going to drink an instant coffee, try Clipper's

Reply
Just Add Attitude link
19/1/2012 04:16:09

Congratulations on your blog which I found through a mention it got in last Saturday's Irish Times (saying that just in case you didn't know). I have bookmarked you and I am looking forward to future post.

Reply
Annika link
20/1/2012 06:58:41

You can also get the Spanish Hot Chocolate at Sainsbury's!

The IKEA milk frother is good, but its frothing power reduces after a while of using it, so it may be worth investing in a slightly more expensive product.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
20/1/2012 07:13:53

As I tweeted earlier today: 'Fuck the King's Speech, *this* is a film'. It's a video of @KaveyF roasting green beans in a popcorn machine bit.ly/yk9MZ0 Love it.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
20/1/2012 07:30:49

Oops! @Kavey F wants me to make clear that the above link is to a guest post on her blog by @gothick. Apologies for the mis-attribution.

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vince
11/2/2012 08:25:49

We sell Union Hand Roasted coffee in beans for about £5 which is as good as Squaremile IMHO We also sell ColaCao a Spanish drinking chocolate which if you buy hot chocolate in a cafe in Spain its invariably that.
Also theshedlikesfood said she was going to send me a book for you to pick up when you get your doughnuts, when its in I will DM you

Reply
Andrew
2/3/2012 05:43:42

I use a Moka pot, froth the heated milk in a 1 cup cafetiere by whizing the plunger up and down, and then use a spoon to hold back the lighter froth, which does a decent approximation of a proper cup. Never put chocolate powder on coffee though ;-)

Reply
Andrew
2/3/2012 05:47:20

oh, and Artisan Roast do fabulous coffees / beans / ground if you are in Edinburgh, and will deliver beans.

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  • blog
  • about
  • how
  • recipes
    • recipes
    • skint 'takeaways'
    • mid-week meals for the time-poor
    • cheese boards
    • coffee
  • spending
  • links
  • contact
  • spotify playlists