Coffee

[french frank]

Or you can buy a couple of tins of Illy and keep the nice tins with the screw tops. Then buy two different sorts of coffee, one for each tin, and make a blend: 'This is my own blend of wild Ethiopian arabica, with a deep, rainforest taste, and the drier South Sudanese mountain coffee from the Boma plateau. No milk, of course.'

[Zucchini]

This is my own blend of wild Ethiopian arabica, with a deep, rainforest taste, and the drier South Sudanese mountain coffee from the Boma plateau. No milk, of course.'

If you are had also named a ludicrously expensive retailer your message might have come from Vinnie de Pooh ...

[Pulcinella]

Or you could say that you're perfectly happy with Aldi's Strength 5 Italian Blend (we are!) but that it is of course the water that makes all the difference (it probably does: Yorkshire Water seems fine!) and invent some specially sourced () spring water that you buy exclusively from somewhere. Depends on the company you're making small talk with, I guess, ts, but could be fun, if you can keep a straight face!

[gurnemanz]

Or you can buy a couple of tins of Illy and keep the nice tins with the screw tops. Then buy two different sorts of coffee, one for each tin, and make a blend: 'This is my own blend of wild Ethiopian arabica, with a deep, rainforest taste, and the drier South Sudanese mountain coffee from the Boma plateau. No milk, of course.'

A trip to the ancient walled city of Harar in Eastern Ethiopia is fascinating. We visited the small Nure coffee roastery and brought back several bags of beans.

We have had our Delonghi Magnifica Bean to Cup machine for a couple of years and I don't know how we previously lived without it.

[teamsaint]

Or you could say that you're perfectly happy with Aldi's Strength 5 Italian Blend (we are!) but that it is of course the water that makes all the difference (it probably does: Yorkshire Water seems fine!) and invent some specially sourced () spring water that you buy exclusively from somewhere. Depends on the company you're making small talk with, I guess, ts, but could be fun, if you can keep a straight face!

In the end I went for Aldi Espresso strength 4 beans, which were at least Fairtrade. Seem to work OK in a cafetiere. Very smooth.

I'm working on the invented organic Wiltshire spring water ( Pewsey Pure ?!). Hopefully the folks I may have to chat with will be too busy eating, drinking, and talking business to expose my coffee limitations .

[Serial_Apologist]

It seems that the growing area for coffee is under threat from global warming in its main production regions, according to today's lunchtime news.

[vinteuil]

I'm working on the invented organic Wiltshire spring water ( Pewsey Pure ?!).

... nope. The Vale of Pewsey too calcareous. You need something that has come from the Devizes greensand. I suggest Mother Anthony's Well, at the foot of Roundway / Oliver's Castle -

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/13496/mother_anthonys_well.html

.

http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=11350

.

[Richard Tarleton]

I ordered some Café Direct Fair Trade Rich Roast from the Ethical Supermarket after searching for it online when T***o abruptly dropped it. It arrived today - a box of 6. But - which ever website I click on now, the first ad I see is for Cafe Direct Rich Roast. Wales Online, that French car hire one posted by ff, you name it, there it is. Presumably Google is behind this, as the Ethical Supermarket knows I've already got it.

[Stanfordian]

'Bellarom' Caffe Espresso from Lidl is excellent. It's a dark 100% Arabica Roast and we have been happily using it for some time. Last time I looked in Lidl it was £1.99 for a 200g tin. It reminds my slightly of Cafe Nero's own brand that I like to drink out.

[teamsaint]

Aldi nespresso compatible capsules , Cardamom.
Anybody tried these ?

Taste , unsurprisingly, like coffee with cardamom. I quite like them.

[Dave2002]

'Bellarom' Caffe Espresso from Lidl is excellent. It's a dark 100% Arabica Roast and we have been happily using it for some time. Last time I looked in Lidl it was £1.99 for a 200g tin. It reminds my slightly of Cafe Nero's own brand that I like to drink out.

We're not fond of the Espresso, but the other Bellarom beans which come on offer from time to time (perhaps every 4-6 months - e.g Crema) are good. Usually come in about 1 kg bags for around £9-10. I think they might even be in our store this week. We did have a bag of Espresso beans which we tried to give away, but I think in the end we mixed it in with other beans to get rid of it. There might be some similarity with a well known Italian brand - though I really don't know.

[Alison]

Doubtful if this marks me out as a connoisseur ... but I am enjoying the new coconut milk options at Costa.

Coconut Vanilla Latte especially recommended.

The number of New Costa outlets inChelmsford is pretty staggering.

[DoctorT]

Currently enjoying some nice coffee from Guatemala, bought in Braithwaite's in Dundee

[french frank]

Finally, finally, I got round to looking up what 'Off the boil' means, which I've thought about every morning but have forgotten to check.

Optimum temperature for pouring on to coffee is 205º, so once the water boils, leave it for 10 secs or so to cool slightly before pouring on to the coffee. (Useful tip I didn't know, reboil the water and top up in cup if you really like it piping hot - which I don't. Can't stand the coffee shops that serve great mugs of coffee too hot to drink.)

[Bryn]

Finally, finally, I got round to looking up what 'Off the boil' means, which I've thought about every morning but have forgotten to check.

Optimum temperature for pouring on to coffee is 205º, so once the water boils, leave it for 10 secs or so to cool slightly before pouring on to the coffee. (Useful tip I didn't know, reboil the water and top up in cup if you really like it piping hot - which I don't. Can't stand the coffee shops that serve great mugs of coffee too hot to drink.)

Around a decade ago an new coffee shoo "Brown Bag" opened near Windsor Castle. The owner had previously been a British Airways steward, trained by them in making coffee. He used a thermometer to judge the ;correct; temperature of the milk frothed for cappuccino. It;s not just the coffee itself must be off the boil..