The issue that I have with single boiler machines is that your have to wait to let the boiler temp settle in between pulling shots and frothing milk. Heat exchangers and dual boilers avoid that. We're on our 2nd heat exchanger machine and it's really nice to go back and forth without missing a beat.
Yes, almond and coconut work well.
Normally, I add the sugar ( Splenda ) into the milk before I froth it. That way the foam tastes delicious.
Yes, almond and coconut work well.
Normally, I add the sugar ( Splenda ) into the milk before I froth it. That way the foam tastes delicious.
I get Peet's Major Dickason or French Roast blend when it comes up for sale at my local grocer. Whole bean, as I have my own grinder. Having said that, my coffee maker probably needs a good cleaning...
Grossly over sweet. Hard to find even in France but B&B (Benedictine and Brandy in one bottle) is amazing, made by the monks in Normandy. I used to buy a bottle for my parents when heading home via Dieppe. Benedictine by itself like Chartreuse, far too sweet for my taste.
When we were looking at property around Puy de Dome in 89, one night we asked the pension where we were staying in Clement Ferrand "do you know a good restaurant".They directed us to a particular one where my wife made the mistake of ordering andouillete - the stench was terrible (it's an acquired French taste) I told her to stop trying to eat it and order something, eventually she did.
The service was impeccable, at the end of the meal I asked without any hope of success if we could have B&B to finish with. At first the highly professional garcon looked numb but off he went and we heard him shifting bottles for a few minutes - and then he reappeared triumphantly thrusting a bottle of B&B in front of us. A nearby Vietnamese guy was grinning witnessing the triumph of the garcon.
The B&B saved the meal - I might try and find a bottle for Christmas and for Hogmanay.
Best coffee in Europe is without doubt to be found in Belgium, they make excellent coffee, always served with a speculoos biscuit.
LOL! You can say that again...
Right now some Bundaberg "Ginger beer". I'd prefer some real beer but I have to convince the doctor tomorrow that I don't drink too much 😎
The temperature was 41.9C here today. So I did what most West Aussies do when that happens, and had a couple of ice cold Swannies...oooooh yeahhhh! (borrowed pic). Dry and bitter to take the thirsty lining off yer gob.
Wrong. I've lived in 3 European countries and worked in two others. Too many French make a pot of coffee that sits and stews. Most cafes don't serve good coffee. Spanish cafes make good coffee using Italian machines. I buy Italian beans to make my coffee living in France. I've never been served anything but good coffee in Belgium they are also make very good patisserie not to mention chocolate
I have lived in 3 European countries, worked and visited in 3 others and Belgian cafe coffee is by far the best. Too often in French homes they have a glass pot of coffee stewing and the taste is terrible. There is a brand of coffee found in some cafes and hospitals in France that when using the company recommendation amount is marvellous - Cafe Richard this is definitely on a par with Belgian coffee. In Spain many cafes use the excellent Italian made coffee machinesand generally the quality is good.
For some years now small domestic coffee machines have appeared which use individual aluminium capsules these make excellent coffee. Adding milk or even cream is a terrible way to drink coffee. As for Starbucks or Costa Coffee - weak totally over priced crap. There is one coffee served in Starbucks that uses 14 spoons of sugar - this should be banned on health grounds.
One time going on holiday at Gatwick airport I made the mistake of ordering a coffee at Costa - after tasting it I refused to pay saying I don't pay for **** water and walked away.
Believe it or not, Australian cafes make some of the best coffee.
https://thenudge.com/features/why-australian-coffee-is-the-best-on-the-planet/
Every cafe here has a commercial Italian machine and there are more and more specialty roasters around; as I posted above, my brother works in retirement as a coffee roaster - after running cafes all his life (he was a chef).
I buy my favourite beans from a small (tiny) batch roaster who has roasted them that day only because bro is on the other end of the city and it's too far. These beans have to be left a week or so as they are usually cooling down when you buy them and aren't intended to be used straight away. See below; roasting equipment is on the right of pic. Note Mazzer machine and grinders.
https://thenudge.com/features/why-australian-coffee-is-the-best-on-the-planet/
Every cafe here has a commercial Italian machine and there are more and more specialty roasters around; as I posted above, my brother works in retirement as a coffee roaster - after running cafes all his life (he was a chef).
I buy my favourite beans from a small (tiny) batch roaster who has roasted them that day only because bro is on the other end of the city and it's too far. These beans have to be left a week or so as they are usually cooling down when you buy them and aren't intended to be used straight away. See below; roasting equipment is on the right of pic. Note Mazzer machine and grinders.
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I should add that our 'coffee culture' started with the Italian migrants coming here after WWII.
By some metrics Finland is often mentioned being the largest coffee consumer per capita, but also the country that generally and historically must have some of the most uncultivated coffee tastes for being such a relatively large consumer, here people and coffee roasters seems to compete who makes the lightest roast and blandest cup of coffee, definitely not my cup of.. coffee. lol
ps. btw I am right now enjoying Swedish dark roast, they have a large assortment here in Finland and are pretty good, also did I discover just this year Lidl's darker roasts made in Germany are also very good, better than the Finnish run of the mills. :)
ps. btw I am right now enjoying Swedish dark roast, they have a large assortment here in Finland and are pretty good, also did I discover just this year Lidl's darker roasts made in Germany are also very good, better than the Finnish run of the mills. :)
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What I miss drinking more than anything is proper Bass pale ale from a tap. We had a really great Indian restaurant in Ottawa (Nepean) back in the 80’s/90’s that used to serve it, but it’s long gone.
The local Royal Oak pub chain includes the Bass logo in their signage but it’s a fib.😭
Even canned Bass would be welcomed.
The local Royal Oak pub chain includes the Bass logo in their signage but it’s a fib.😭
Even canned Bass would be welcomed.
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That's what I said : you choose the wrong country !
The most awful alcohol we produce in France by far is Le Cognac... 🤢
Do you know what ? Most of the production goes Export - notably USA !
Cherchez l'erreur ! 🤣🤣🤣
Come on ! I'm going to drink a little drop of Chartreuse du Neuvième Centenaire, or Mandarine Napoléon, or Cointreau - or maybe some Aranciata, or Limoncello from Italy.
Aw, my apologies : instead of "or", please read "and"... In a homeopathic dose of course, in a small chiseled crystal liqueur glass... 😎😎😎
And after this cure, I'll go gently sleeping... Good night ! 😊
T
I hope I'm not boring you guys here. Just speaking to my brother the coffee roaster. They roasted just over 4,000kg of grade 1 beans this week over 5 varieties. (Typical supermarket brands use Grade 3 beans which contains unripe beans and ones with defects). I actually didn't realise the volume they're producing nowadays!
And the poor guy has to load the stuff into and out of the machines by hand in 35kg tubs. Luckily he's fit for 60 something.
It's quite a technical process. A good roasting machine gives a precise temperature profile computer controlled to 0.1C able to reduce the flame to 1% gas flow. The temperature varies quite specifically across the roasting time. But the results are worth it.
And the poor guy has to load the stuff into and out of the machines by hand in 35kg tubs. Luckily he's fit for 60 something.
It's quite a technical process. A good roasting machine gives a precise temperature profile computer controlled to 0.1C able to reduce the flame to 1% gas flow. The temperature varies quite specifically across the roasting time. But the results are worth it.