Coffee Facts 1
This comes from the London Coffee Festival's page and I am told by a friend who worked next door to that lab that it was indeed true!
Coffee Facts 1
How to use Chemex
London Coffee Festival posted this video tutorial in their today's newsletter and I think you might find it useful. Here it is: perfect strategy for a perfect cuppa made with Chemex!
Brazil Daterra Estate, Zabu Coffee - review
Brazil Daterra Estate beans
This is my second monthly pack from Zabu Coffee and this time I really like the beans. Brazil Daterra Estate coffee is dark, heavy and rich in aroma, taste and aftertaste. As a short espresso it proved actually a little bit too strong for me but as americano it was perfect! I am placing it on one of the higher shelfs as a candidate to "my favorites";)
More about the beans from the company:
"This 100% Arabica coffee is grown on the Daterra Estate, one of the largest coffee growing estates in the world. It is made up of a number of small farms divided by coffee variety. While most Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees have to be shade grown, Daterra is located in an area where the natural vegetation is grass, low trees and shrubs. This coffee therefore has to be planted in tight rows and grown in the sun. These high temperatures and high altitude as well as a defined rainy season, creates the perfect conditions for sustainable Arabica coffee.
Daterra upholds its sustainability by treating and recycling used water, producing and using organic fertilizer, educating local communities about the importance of ecology and protecting native forests, waterfalls and wildlife. Biologists have found rare macaws, owls, jaguar tracks and giant anteaters on the Daterra Estate.
This coffee has a smooth sweet and biscuity taste with notes of peanut, chocolate and butterscotch. Daterra has a creamy body, low acidity and developed sweetness."
I found it a bit bitter then the description above but it does contain notes of chocolate and even mild fruit sometimes.
My rating and taste wheel and stars below:
- aroma: 7/10
- acidity: 7/10
- body: 8/10
- flavour/aftertaste 8/10
- overall rating: 4 stars
For info on rating please check my about page.
Brazil Daterra Estate, Zabu Coffee
Is coffee good or bad?
There has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of coffee in the recent years so here is a quick infographic on the topic (via Jason Tham).
Coffee plants!
Coffee plants from the Eden Project, packed carefully, arrived safely.
Yes, I am VERY excited! I am so so happy that the kind people at the Eden Project (place I really want to go to) sell coffee plants (for just £5+delivery!). My two little pots arrived and I am a proud owner of coffee plants. OK, I do not qualify as a coffee farmer but at least I can watch them and learn to care for them here, in the UK, in my own house. As it turns out they are fine as long as they are not exposed to frost and have enough of water. I won't be able to grow a huge tree like those in the Paradise Lost in Kenya (see me photos here) but if I am good with them and lucky I might see flowers in few years time. Wish me luck!
Join my coffee talk in Wantage
Join me for this chat. Personally I consider it a small launch of a new phase on this blog. In the first year of writing I have spent more time learning and experiencing coffee related topics than actually writing about those. I have tasted so many wonderful types of coffees and never really got around to post about them. I have been to a coffee farm. I have learned so many interesting, very personal stories related to coffee drinking. I hope that in 2013 I will share more of those with you.
Coffee in Budapest
Coffee in Budapest
I am very disappointed! OK, fair enough, I spent only 36 hrs in Budapest and did not really have much time to enjoy a good coffee, but some of my favorite cafes have changed a lot and not for better at all! Muvesz Kavezo, traditionally cafe near Opera House in the past visited by some amazing writers and other artists (word "Muvesz" means "artists" in Hungarian), is now decorated with PLASTIC flowers and coffee is just not the same. Mai Mano, cafe in the House of Hungarian Photography, was quite good and reminded me of the times when as a student I would spend my Saturday mornings there with a friend or two, slowly waking up (by morning I mean 11AM, of course). Shockingly to me - mainly because I remember amazing variety of coffee drinks served in the Hungarian capitol - the best espresso was served at the airport!
London Coffee Festival
London Coffee Festival was very intense but I am glad that we have managed to spend it with our son (who would not love a place with free hot chocolate!;)) sharing our passion for good hot drinks and food. We have also used this opportunity to learn a bit more about various coffee beans roasters. We came back with a stack of literature, bag full of new types of beans and few little gadgets for our kitchen. I am HAPPY and cannot wait for the next one!
UK Coffee Week is back!
Yes, after two years of successful fundraising
is back so look out for events and if you have a second, check out the site and see if you can help too. You can donate, organise or enjoy an event or simply tweet out call to support it! All for a good cause! And at the end of the week I hope to see you at the
too! (We will be there on Sunday evening!). Exciting times for coffee lovers!:)
San Dona di Piave
Venice and San Dona, Italy - best place for a coffee lover
I cannot tell you just how lucky we are that are parents live in Italy! Every time we visit them we get to enjoy possibly the best coffee drinks in the word, and come back home with suitcase full of amazing coffee beans, of course;) This spring is warm and it feels like summer, but I do hope we will be back for Venice Bienalle too. So far my best coffee experience was to sip the espresso pictured above while waiting in a San Dona di Piave train station cafe for our trip to Murano Island.
Happy (Coffee) Easter
Easter is almost over now but we are still celebrating! This time I spent this time away from home enjoying amazing views of British shores of Dorset! I hope you had a nice family time too!
BT Tower, London
Morning coffee in BT Tower in London, great views!
Well, I know it sounds mundane considering I was invited to learn about the launch of DECappeal, but the morning view and a cup of coffee at the top of the BT Tower with this amazing view on the waking up London is going to be quite a memory!
Coffee at home
I have been experimenting with food photography tonight. Here is one of many shots I took. You can find the rest on Flickr. Fun!
Coffee at our local museum - you're invited!
If you are in Wantage this or next week and have a second for a coffee at our brilliant museum don't forget to check out my current photo exhibition! Few of my friends will be there on Saturday from 1 to 3PM if you want to join us! Hope you'll enjoy this one! More photos over on my portfolio here.
Coffee shots or food photography
I am so blessed to have friends who are passionate about blogging and love to share their skills. The evening before Barcamp Nonprofits, an event I initiated and now organised in London, I had the privilege to stay at CoffeenVanilla who shared her food photography secrets with me;) I am not sure if it was her specific tips or the very passion she has for her blog, amount of preparations, small yet amazing ideas that inspired me to invest in a little and open up my lightbox again. Here are few initial shots. I need time and silence to enjoy more of this activity, but I love it and I am sure you will see more. Now let's see if I can add those photos to my coffee reviews in the near future too;)
Happy Valentines!
I celebrated it with my first attempt to prepare a chocolate souffle!;) It was edible but I think it nees more work and instead of the tips from the packaging of those sweet heart shaped ramekins I got at Waitrose next time I will go for one of the following:
- Choc soufle by BBC Good Food
- Choc soufle by Great British Chefs
- Dark choc soufle by Great British Chefs (Christmas idea, but I would like to try it out even now in spring),
- Choc soufle by Cadbury's (I did not even realise they have a recipe site!),
- Dark choc soufle by Cadbury's.
With my skills I might as well start with a video, but hey, why not;) And once I try them all out I will let you know which one is the best! Great times ahead of this family!:)
The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee - book review
"The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee"
"The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee" is a great introduction to full understanding of that one cup of coffee you have on the table. From growing process, through roasting and finally tips on preparation of various types of coffee drinks (some points on Turkish coffee serving were quite new to me!) up to the desserts making our coffee experience well...perfect!
I don't know how about you but me, when it comes to coffee drinking, I allow myself a little bit of sugar rush with it too! Affogato with smoky almond ice-cream and Ellsworth Kelly Fudge Pops are so far my favorites, but we will see if I can actually re-create them at home;) Until then, enjoy the story of the book and if you love coffee, go and grab a copy on Amazon. With great photography, stylish design and quite a unique cover texture too, I think it's worth grabbing the printed copy! And if you are in San Francisco or NY, go and grab a snack made in one of their stores. For now, I will just follow them on FB and Twitter for updates on those amazingly looking drinks and sweets!
My overall rating: 5 stars
My personal top 3 coffee snacks
As some of you might know the more I experiment with types of coffee beans consumed at home, I am also testing additional sweets and snacks for perfect coffee presentation and consumption. So here are my top three so far:
1. Chocolate coated coffee beans.
Sometimes you can get them at Starbuck's or Cafe Nero, but last weekend on our local farm I managed to get hold of a pack of coffee beans produced all the way in my homeland. I am yet to taste those particular ones but I really like the idea of smooth chocolate and crispy, earthly taste of coffee beans together with my favorite cuppa.
2. Small, decorative chocolates.
The best type fits in a little box so if you can try to get hold of Spanish Amatller boxes. Boxes are super cute! their content will not let you down, though I will need to leave a professional review to chocolate specialists like Judit. I really like to serve them next to a small cup of espresso. I also like the fact that you can get them almost in every good quality food store (look out for smaller, local stores though).
3. Chocolates filled with alcohol.
On a cold winter evening I really like to drink a cup of coffee with a chocolate filled with Irish Cream. It gives me that gentle push to post one more thought or simply enjoy a warm sip of coffee and something a little bit stronger;) The Signature Collection is perfect, but I am yet to try the Coctail Collection too!
What are your favorite coffee snacks? Let me know!
The London Coffee Map - app review
London Coffee Map, iPhone app
The London Coffee Map (please check the link to it here because there is one more coffee map of London and I suspect there will me even more apps for London in the future) makes my life heaven every single time I travel to the capitol. I am sure it is useful as much for a Londoner as it is for anyone visiting, in need for a good quality cuppa.
Let me tell you quickly why I like this app. It is simple to use and contains all the information one might need to actually find a good coffee place - not less, not more! With four tabs: nearest, list, explore and about its author, Mark Holdsworth included exactly what an iPhone owner and coffee lover needs. In "nearest" section you can simply check your location and scan the neighbourhood for quality coffee shops. In "list" section you can browse all included venues, or you can go to the overall map and do it there. I am glad to see that Mark thought of web users too and included all this data on the app website - why? Well, not every coffee lover own an iPhone;) I like this inclusive, professional approach to quite a good data set!
I have already discovered few amazing places in London and I hope you will do so as well. If you do, share your experiences with me and do not forget to get in touch with the app author on Twitter or follow the app account on the same social network (I hope the app account will be re-activated, it's a great source of coffee news!).
One more note: for coffee lovers in Paris there is now their local version of this app too!;)
My rating:
- quality: 8/10
- design: 8/10
- cost: 8/10
- idea: 9/10
- ease of use: 8/10
- overall rating: 5 stars
Christmas coffee presents!
I have to admit that I love to experiment with presentation of my favorite drink so I am extremely happy that after hours of browsing on Pinterest in search for interesting ideas this set simply landed under our Christmas tree. Maybe it sounds crazy from a person who already owns quite a few sets of coffee cups, but I really think this one makes a huge difference. You see in our house we somehow do not like to carry snacks to the living room - I have a mild phobia of turning into a couch potato, so I tend to each in the kitchen on the large kitchen table, not living room. Yet occasionally in the evening (yes, we tend to drink coffee in the evening too) we like to sneak in a cuppa and share it while we watch a movie. So these are perfect for any small biscuit or a piece of chocolate you might wish to enjoy next to your drink. Unique ideas are the best! Big hug to Gabi and Kim for their lovely present!
