I love coffee but...

[rosalan]

Coffee, even in a French railway station can be wonderful, the same anywhere in Spain. In the UK however we cannot compete in my opinion. I have tried at home with expensive coffee makers, Cafetieres, Mockas and various percolators without getting close to European coffee taste. This week I tried the simplest method; boiling water in a saucepan, throwing in a couple of measures and pouring it out through a fine metal mesh. It was as good as any coffee to my surprise and better than most.
Is it our water that spoils the taste?

 

[Langtoftlad]

Coffee, even in a French railway station can be wonderful, the same anywhere in Spain. In the UK however we cannot compete in my opinion. I have tried at home with expensive coffee makers, Cafetieres, Mockas and various percolators without getting close to European coffee taste. This week I tried the simplest method; boiling water in a saucepan, throwing in a couple of measures and pouring it out through a fine metal mesh. It was as good as any coffee to my surprise and better than most.
Is it our water that spoils the taste?

As with most things experienced on holiday, it is the location & the atmosphere.
Many a disappointment is had by bringing home that wonderful Metaxa 7*

If you think it's the water, have you tried using Evian [other brands available]

 

[Riverbankannie]

My son is a nerd about his coffee making and after research has found that Tesco brand spring water is the best.
Mind you anything is better than the heavily chlorinated Bristol Water.

 

[Lee337]

Could be the coffee beans used as well as the water quality. I switched to buying freshly roasted coffee & grind it myself around 18 months ago from https://coffeebeanshop.co.uk/ It's worth paying the extra & they roast it to order & usually I'll receive it the next day.

Far better quality than anything I've bought from a supermarket or coffee shop.

I use a french press or Cafetiere mostly but also have a DeLonghi for espresso with an added milk steamer so I can have a Latte or Cortado when I fancy. About as close as I can ge to the taste & quality of some of the coffee I've drunk abroad.

Currently I'm using Peruvian Tunki which is a nice smooth coffee which is suited to both espresso & cafetiere & always use filtered water at 85oC

 

[Jim]

A few years ago my daughter bought me a bean to cup Delonghi machine. I love it. Most coffee shop coffees don't compare. And their service is superb.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Langtoftlad]

<Broken link removed>

 

[Richard n Ann]

Can't remember the last time I had a coffee was probably out of a machine when we were working at a Lincoln factory, 2 or 3 years ago. And that's because the machine tea is even worse

 

[gus-lopez]

I¡ve never found a decent coffee in France even on the 1 occasion they actually made it with an expresso machine. Tasted of chicory/barley sugar. every other place I have stopped has been vending machines

 

[Trevor Wbm]

I'm a heathen - I stick to Instant. At least the level of disappointment is pretty consistent.

 

[The Old Man]

Could be the coffee beans used as well as the water quality. I switched to buying freshly roasted coffee & grind it myself around 18 months ago from https://coffeebeanshop.co.uk/ It's worth paying the extra & they roast it to order & usually I'll receive it the next day.

Far better quality than anything I've bought from a supermarket or coffee shop.

I use a french press or Cafetiere mostly but also have a DeLonghi for espresso with an added milk steamer so I can have a Latte or Cortado when I fancy. About as close as I can ge to the taste & quality of some of the coffee I've drunk abroad.

Currently I'm using Peruvian Tunki which is a nice smooth coffee which is suited to both espresso & cafetiere & always use filtered water at 85oC

Same combination in the van, at home just the French Press or walk to the coffee shop!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Norfolk Nige]

A few years ago my daughter bought me a bean to cup Delonghi machine. I love it. Most coffee shop coffees don't compare. And their service is superb.

We have the same. Bought a Delonghi Magnifica, makes superb coffee. Can’t beat fresh bean to cup. I have to say when I want a coffee when out I find McDonalds hard to beat. I drink black Americano

 

[34127]

Delonghi bean to cup makes my coffee better than any that I have had from coffee shops. The type of bean and freshness is very important as is the size of grind and pouring time. The offerings of the likes of Starbucks, Costa and Nero are quite poor in my opinion.

 

[Viennese]

Cafe creme in France is such a disappointment these days. I remember when you got it in a big bowl to dip your croissant or toast in. Now it's weak and frothy - Costa or Caffe Nero tastes better. I hate froth! When making coffee in a cafetiere at home or van , I put a pinch of salt in before the hot water as it seems to bring out the flavour - a tip picked up from many years of drinking Viennese (!) coffee flavoured with fig, sadly no longer done by Sainsbury's and no affordable substitute yet found. Keeping ground coffee in the freezer is also recommended.

 

[movan]

Well, if you all come to me, you'll get Tesco or Asda's instant.... ... Sorry but you WILL also get a poor man's welcoming smile and sit thee down.

 

[Two on Tour]

Delonghi bean to cup here as well.

I have tried umpteen different varieties of coffee beans and roasts, but for my palate, a 50/50 mix of Lidl's own brand Bellarom Italian Blend and Colombian Supremo hits the mark for me.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jockaneezer]

We bulk buy Lavazza "Crema e Gusto" vacuum packed ground and make it in a Bialetti stove top pot and serve it in a large mug, delish !
Can't remember the last time I had a decent cup of coffee on my travels abroad, you either get a cup from a doll's tea set with something that would give bitumastic a run for it's money, or something that tastes of evaporated milk and chicory

 

[TinaLes]

The overly priced, warmed frothed up milk, with coffee added from the large coffee chains do nothing for me, even with a double coffee shot added.
30years ago I came home from Swiss with a Jura Rio Profi Bean to cup machine, as I loved the way my Swiss family made their coffee, but spares are expensive and hard to get unless purchased at the factory in Basel.

I then went back over when "The Nespresso System" was introduced, much cleaner, less fuss I thought, so bought machine & joined the Nespresso Club. Stayed with that method for many years, even with the min order of £50 or 250 capsules.

When I was then living on my own, I went back to the good old Euro Type stove top coffee percolator, which I still use most days, as I want the coffee hit/flavour with less milk to get me going in the mornings, and it sure does that!

Overall now having a large selection of coffee machines stashed away in under sink cupboards, I have concluded that 80% of the success of making coffee at home is grinding the coffee beans fresh. That way the door is opened to so many different flavours, as you can buy so many different roasted beans and make your own blend up, or like me just keep trying & varying the different varieties.
Its great fun, and almost exciting to see how the various bean blends I put together turn out.
Coffee beans are so much cheaper on the continent, larger bags also, but I buy what's on offer here in the UK in various places, which adds to pleasure of the lucky dip blend mix method.
Wake up & smell the coffee guys, its great!
LES

 

[Ingwe]

Have had a Rancilio Silvia for over 10 years ago and used to have a Rancilio Rocky grinder. Made excellent espresso and it has a steam wand so you can froth milk easily for cappuccinos etc.
However, now order espresso grind coffee from The Drury Lane Coffee Company and save the hassle of grinding.
Lovely coffee and I treat myself twice daily. When I worked, used to have a coffee only at the weekend.
Yet another joy of being retired!

 

[GJH]

I've had a Delonghi espresso machine for a few years. Initially I was using water straight from the tap but found that the machone needed descaling about once a month (and our water isn't particularly hard). After trying a Delonghi filter, which was useless, I tried using the Brita jug that we used in the van. Far better and months between descaling.

 

[daveclare]

I use this to replicate the continental flavour.Got it because my old Spanish babysitterused one when I went to visit her a few years ago. Works great on the gas hob in the MH.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dulvil]

Haven’t had it for years but always liked camp coffee in hot milk

 

[Spriddler]

I don't drink coffee but when abroad, even with freshly drawn water (i.e. not from tank-stored water) my PG Tips never taste as good as when at home.

 

[The Old Man]

I like a few cups of coffee a day but I'm not a snob over it!

After the gym my mornings kick off in Starbucks. When I was in the USA I never liked/enjoyed Starbucks but some 14 years back I started using their stores in this country.

My coffee taste buds adapted to the Starbucks blend, well their house blend, Pikes Place. They have 'guest' blends, some good others not so good. Their Blonde Roast I disliked intensely.

I was fortunate that at my local store there was a Barista was a good few grades above a Starbucks Coffee Master, what she didn't know...

Off her own back she ran training sessions instore to upskill other baristas and she would invite me along. Much/most of it was lost on me as I'm very much a 'I know the taste I like' type of guy and do not to know that it is from Ecuador, grown on the equator, high in the Andes at that gives it the signature flavours.

But I did learn a lot about different blend and roasts.

So I know what I like and what I prefer on different days and locations. Yes it varies, like you prefer a different wine with different meals?

I also use a Starbuck Loyaly card that gives many benefits when you make it to Gold Membership!

My tastes;

In the van:

Early morning - Starbucks Filter, Tall size. Gold membership gives me a free top up.

Early morning - Gold membership gives me free extra shots, so; a Tall Americano, no milk and ten extra espresso shots, only ten because that fills a Tall mug. Good value fo £1.45.

Early morning - If I'm going on a trip in the van, a Venti Sinny Latte with four extra shots.

Afternoons and Evenings - a Venti Skinny Latte with four extra shots.

If I'm in Costa a large Skinny Latte. I find Costa coffee ot Costa milk sweeter than Starbucks.

In the van, Starbucks grind French Press, black.

In the van, Latte with Starbucks grind made in my espresso machine.

In the van I also use some instant. A Chinese blend that comes in sachets, Mr something, it comes in varieties Two in One, coffee and creamer. Three in One, coffee creamer and sugar.

At home;

Starbucks grind French Press, black.

 

[Spriddler]

I'm a heathen - I stick to Instant. At least the level of disappointment is pretty consistent.

That's the same reason why I don't do the Lottery .

 

[EML]

Very surprised that you like something you boil up in a pan. If you like it, stick with it, and no, it's not the water...

To get your Spanish 100Pta coffee, you need an espresso maker. I'm on my second Delonghi bean-to-cup, so +1 for that, but I had a long string of cheap (£25 - £150) manual (grind yourself, or use pre-ground) machines before that. All can make a decent espresso, though the cheap ones don't last long. When they start losing pressure you don't get a crema on the coffee, and it's too weak (it's a common misconception that the crema is a function of the coffee; it's actually the machine that produces it).

If you've got an espresso maker, the only variable is the bean, but that's where it gets (very) difficult. When you taste coffee, you first taste the roast, and then the process, and finally (sometimes) the bean. In most cases you never taste the bean at all (in other words, the cultivar, the altitude, and the 'terroir'). If the bean's over-roasted, you only taste the burn, which is very common. The 'process' is washed, or natural, or honey. Washed is (in principle) low fermentation; natural and honey allow the bean to ferment more before it's roasted. Higher fermentation used to be very popular, but the problem is that you taste only fermentation by-products, and not coffee. It's basically like beer. All that stuff about coffee flavours, and the taste wheel, and so on, is basically fermentation, and not coffee. You may like it, but I personally have to buy low-fermentation, ie. washed. Note that African beans are almost always 'washed', but they're generally double-washed, and so ferment more; I don't like the taste, and never buy Kenyan or Ethiopian.

I haven't used pre-ground for years, but I seem to remember that Illy was Ok. If you're buying beans, avoid supermarket ones. They're badly over-roasted to homogenise the taste of the second-rate beans they buy in. My local commercial roaster, who supplies local cafes/vans/etc, also over-roasts, and it's unpleasant. Speciality roasters will get it right. The bulk commercial roasters charge about £9/kg, the speciality ones about 4 times that. You should pay about £7.50 - £10 for a 250g bag from a speciality roaster; the price makes no difference to the quality. If it costs more than that, someone's just having a laugh.

You could do worse than try Hasbean. They'll send you something different each week - different cultivar, different region/altitude, different process. Could take you years to work out what you like, though.

One more thing: when you buy a Starbucks/etc you're basically buying a milk drink, not a coffee. They put in a lot of coffee to try to get through all the milk. If you want milk, start with the plain espresso, and add about 50%, or even 100%, milk. Most people will find a plain espresso very bitter, and the milk fixes that. You could call that a 'Latte', but that's an English word, and means what you want it to mean (no, it's not Italian; 'latte' doesn't describe coffee in Italy. It means 'milk'). A plain espresso should have about 10g of ground bean in it, or up to 20g if you're desperate.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Dorwyn]

I don't drink coffee but when abroad, even with freshly drawn water (i.e. not from tank-stored water) my PG Tips never taste as good as when at home.

To me the water used makes alot of difference. The tap water at our son's in France is so hard you get calcium flakes in the cup. They use a Brit filter which works well, so the taste is not so bad. They have a pod machine, not too keen on it but I suppose there are other pod varieties available. But they also use UHT, so that changes the taste to that we are used to. We never use tank water in the van, even boiled. The tap water at the municipal site in Blaye was horrid, tasted like rubber. I suspect the piping there. Back home, it all tastes fine, I guess you get accustomed to your local water. I use the Smart Café both in the van and at home, with my preferred brand of coffee. So it's very reliable taste-wise at home and away.

 

[Burgo]

boiling water in a saucepan

That's risky. Max extraction temp for freshly ground beans espresso style is around 95c, but depending on freshness of the roast and grind you can go as low as 85c - you only use boiling water (100c) for tea.

 

[gus-lopez]

I drink black Americano

there isn't anything else regardless of what the might state. an Americano is black.
I was amazed & speechless in Brighton a couple of years back when someone kept telling me I had ordered a "white" americano.No ,I didn't there is no such thing.

The tap water at our son's in France is so hard you get calcium flakes in the cup.

The saying is hard water gives shite tea but good coffee & vice versa. Here our water is so hard I pour from the kettle through a strainer.

 

[Norfolk Nige]

there isn't anything else regardless of what the might state. an Americano is black.
I was amazed & speechless in Brighton a couple of years back when someone kept telling me I had ordered a "white" americano.No ,I didn't there is no such thing.

I know that, but get fed up with people asking do you want milk with that, so out of habit…..

 

[acropolis22]

Could be the coffee beans used as well as the water quality. I switched to buying freshly roasted coffee & grind it myself around 18 months ago from https://coffeebeanshop.co.uk/ It's worth paying the extra & they roast it to order & usually I'll receive it the next day.

Far better quality than anything I've bought from a supermarket or coffee shop.

I use a french press or Cafetiere mostly but also have a DeLonghi for espresso with an added milk steamer so I can have a Latte or Cortado when I fancy. About as close as I can ge to the taste & quality of some of the coffee I've drunk abroad.

Currently I'm using Peruvian Tunki which is a nice smooth coffee which is suited to both espresso & cafetiere & always use filtered water at 85oC

I'm sorry, what language is that?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}