Which Instant Coffee? 291
nhn asks: "Being a caffeine-addict, I feel quite miserable not having my favourite coffee, every morning. I can't walk to Starbucks/Gloria Jeans, while I'm at work, since there is an instant coffee machine available (and I dislike filtered coffee). For the record: I hate Nescafe, it simply sucks." What must you drink, after your dreams have evaporated into the waking world? What types of coffee would you recommend to a seasoned coffee afficionado...or even your garden variety caffeine addict?
"Given:
- I'm a fulltime developer.
- I like very strong coffee, my usual cup is espresso machiato.
- My coffee-style: French, or Italian as a second choice.
- I need coffee to keep myself awake for at least 8 hours (you know how it feels like when you have to debug thousand lines of code, don't you?)
- I drink coffee first for the taste, then the caffein, not the other way around."
Nothing but the best (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Nothing but the best (Score:5, Insightful)
coffee quality (Score:5, Insightful)
anyone who regards starbucks/gloria jeans' coffee as decent doesn't deserve getting a reply.
QED.
Re:coffee quality (Score:2)
Starbucks in the store goes for around $8 for a 12oz bag. Go to Costco and get 3lb for $8. I generally do a 2:3 mix of french roast to house blend. I also found that the costco "san francisco bay" coffee was quite good, but it seems to be regional to just the mid-CA area.
Good Instant coffee? Doesn't exist. What's worse is the liquid concentrate crap - OMG it's bad. Get a small drip machine to have a
Re:coffee quality (Score:2, Funny)
Unfortunately, I usually buy Sumatra, which Costco (at least around here) doesn't sell, so I'm stuck buying a bag a week at Starbucks.
On the bright side, a 3lb. bag would probably start to go stale before I finished it.
My best advice for someone looking to get through the day in an office that won't allow you to go out and get coffee during the day is to bring a large caraffe that'll keep the coffee at a good tempe
Re:coffee quality (Score:3, Informative)
Either way, a cup you brew at home tastes *way better* than what they serve in the shop.
Dear Cliff, (Score:4, Funny)
Espresso has lower caffeine per volume than drip coffee, so any illusion that the submitter is under that his espresso machiatto is keeping him up better than a cup of joe is mistaken.
Second, espresso tastes of burnt wood. It is the nature of the roasting method that it be unrecognizable as anything but black tar. The submitter is lying to himself and to us when he thinks that he's drinking espresso for anything other than to show off his gay Frenchiness.
And finally, no one who really enjoyed coffee can enjoy freeze dried coffee crystals, much less prefer it to drip coffee. The submitter again pulls our leg with the ridiculous statement that he would much rather drink instant horse piss than brew a cup of coffee in a coffee maker.
And by answering here, IHBT too.
Re:Dear Cliff, (Score:2)
Re:Dear Cliff, (Score:5, Informative)
Reference: The Caffeine FAQ [coffeefaq.com] - a 7oz cup of drip coffee has 115-175mg of caffeine compared with 100mg of caffeine in a typical espresso (1.5 - 2oz serving ). (i.e. espresso would have 350-467mg per 7oz)
HTH
Re:Dear Cliff, (Score:2)
Re:Dear Cliff, (Score:5, Funny)
This is like saying, "It's the nature of the fermentation processs that causes all wine to taste of sterno and armpit vapor" when all you've ever drank is prison pruno.
You're drinking the sludge served by your local Starbucks. Real Italian espresso is not over-roasted and black. Try espresso made with Illy* beans. True, it brings out the gay Frenchiness in you, but hell, you are posting on Slashdot.
*not affiliated with Illy
I agree with Obvious Guy's post (Score:3, Funny)
If you have to stay awake for eight hours at a stretch then you need to try a different strategy:
Instant Goodness (Score:3, Interesting)
From the man who brought you Star Trek Tea [improb.com].
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2)
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2, Informative)
Great afternoon "drink" in the summers. Tastes a bit like milkshakes really.
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2, Informative)
About 8 years ago I was enjoying an excellent cup of coffee in Chihuahua, made similarly to the Indian method above, and it turns out it was Nescafe. But the jar said "made in Mexico", while the stuff I get here in Boston says "made in Canada".
So instead I get Nescafe at the small 'Hispanic' stores around town and look for the "made in Mexico" variety.
I haven't done a side-by-side taste test, nor have I done
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2)
Greek soda-pop has much more of a kick to it than the American counterpart. I have many friends who swear by Mecican Coca-Cola, which they say is truer to the original formula (no, not the one with cocaine in it).
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2)
If you just want a yummy caffiene hit, try to find "Pocket Coffee" candy by Ferrero from Italy. It is rich chocolate surrounding real liquid coffee (probably espresso of some type). This is the BEST CHOCOLATE that I have ever had. It is easy to find in Eurpoe, but a challenge to find in the US. A quick search turned up this [capriflavors.com]. But I have never ordered from them.
It is easy to find truffles from Ferrero in gas stations, so I wonder why pock
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:2)
I'm an Aussie living in the US. I have drank Nescafe Blend43 in Australia many times and would agree with your assesment.
However, the Nescafe B43 I've tried several times here (TN) has been much worse. I had a jar for backup and ended up just tossing it into the trash. Maxwell house is even worse.
Re:Instant Goodness (Score:5, Funny)
That's because "jar" isn't for backup. "tar" is for backup; "jar" is for packaging java applications.
In the UK (Score:2)
Re:In the UK (Score:2)
Re:In the UK (Score:2, Funny)
Nice + Ethical (Score:5, Informative)
Allows me to feel all warm inside from the really nice coffee + the fair-trade-ness [cafedirect.co.uk] of it at the same time!
Instead of instant try this... (Score:2)
Priorities... (Score:5, Insightful)
Staying awake and alert for 8 hours should not be a problem for any normal healthy human being. Caffeine keeps you awake, but reduces your ability to think clearly. Learn to sleep properly, or if this is a problem, see your doctor.
I drink coffee first for the taste, then the caffein, not the other way around.
And you're looking for instant coffee? All instant coffee tastes like shit, relatively speaking. Buy a percolator, or if that's not your thing, a small espresso machine. If you're dead set on instant, I find the more expensive it is, the better it tastes.
I absolutely agree (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, if you absolutely cannot break your caffeine addiction, go with tea. It's much better for you than coffee, and it's just as "instant" as "instant coffee," if not more so.
I apologize, as I have not answered your question, which was the intention of your submission, and because my advice might seem like telling you what to do with your life, even though that is not its intent. I'm not a medical professional, but I have been informed by medical professionals on the subjects of caffeine and coffee, thanks to a rather serious stomach disorder.
Anyhow, good luck in finding (a) solution(s) to your problem(s).
~UP
Cold turkey (Score:3, Insightful)
If you try to slowly back off, you will likely drift back to it. Just one more, or drinking your 2pm coffee at noon, and silly games like that.
If you go cold turkey, you lose the silly excuses. If you drink it, you didn't quit.
Myself I drank way too much, I tried to cut down, didn't work.
Ended up just switching to a thermos of coffee, when it is gone, that's it.
I have also quit, but then after a few months I forget why and start again.
Re:I absolutely agree (Score:2)
Re:Priorities... (Score:2)
Care to back up that claim with evidence? Everything I have ever read seems to indicate the opposite.
Re:Priorities... (Score:3, Insightful)
Coffee gives you a instant boost but can also dehydrate you.
Being dehydrated reduces your concentration levels.
Drink more water to help your concentration!
Re:Priorities... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Priorities... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Priorities... (Score:2)
Yeah, great. This isn't poetry: give me studies, please.
Re:Priorities... (Score:2)
Re:Priorities... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Priorities... (Score:4, Insightful)
This kind of statement always bugs me... It's equivalent to people saying
"I don't like light products, they taste like shit..."
No! They just taste different compared to the original product, but that doesn't mean that it tastes bad! Different people like different things!
Re:Priorities... (Score:2)
And those people are correct.
Re:Priorities... (Score:4, Funny)
Drink 6 Cups a Day [msn.com]
Mix this with your two glasses of wine a day (to help you sleep after all the coffee) and you're all set. It's *twitch*normal.
Re:Priorities... (Score:2)
It requires advance preparation, but an alternative to espresso machines, percolators, or small drip units is The Toddy [toddycafe.com]. It's sort of a drip-filter cone on massive steroids, u
Re:Priorities... (Score:5, Interesting)
What kills you with heavy caffeine use is the fact that all of the residual caffeine in your body makes it almost impossible to get good, restful sleep. You wake up drag-assing, and the first four or five cups of joe only serve to get you functional, not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the way they should. Taking in more caffeine makes the problem worse in the long run. I'd advise cutting back, and really limiting caffeine in the afternoons, to the point of "no caffeine after lunch". You'll sleep better, function better in the afternoons, and those morning coffees will be much more stimulating.
As far as taste, I'd skip instant coffee. I won't go so far as to say that they all taste like shit, but for a quick cup of good java, get a french press. You can steep some grounds in scalding hot water for a couple of minutes, then press out a cup of actual coffee that will taste better than almost any instant coffee, in almost the same amount of preparation time. Brew with whatever roast/grind/blend/flavor coffee you like, for a better selection than instants. Also, it's portable, so you're not tied to an outlet as with a percolater/drip/espresso machine.
Here's a tip, though... if you want stronger coffee, use more grounds with the same steeping time, rather than a fixed amount that you let steep longer. More flavor, less bitterness.
Re:Priorities... (Score:4, Informative)
Here is what I do:
1. Put about 2 tablespoon of medium-fine grind in the press. (adjust to liking)
2. Boil water (roiling hot), one or two espresso cups.
3. Pour a little of the water on the grind, mix it. It should just make the grind wet, without drowning it, mix it with non-metallic spoon.
4. Wait 2-4 seconds.
5. Pour in rest of the water, mix it again (crema forms at this point)
6. Insert plunger and cap, but do not press it yet (to keep it from cooling off).
7. Let it steep 30-60 secs. (Adjust to liking)
8. Add desired amount of suger to the bottom of the pre-heated cups. (You can boil the water in them)
9. Either swish the whole she-bang around or mix it with the spoon to move the grind from the top (to make it easier to press down)
10. Press it down, slowly. Just use the weight of your hand (if you press it without abandon, you end up scalding your hand, or coffee on your counter/ceiling, or both)
11. Pour it carefully, so the crema ends up in the cup, not on the wall of the press.
12. Stir to dissolve sugar.
Timmies! (Score:3, Informative)
(PS: Timmies uses Arabica beans, which are more expensive and flavourful than the Robusta beans usually found in instant-coffee. They don't have as much caffine though, but that just means you get to drink more! Yum!)
Re:Timmies! (Score:2)
I love it, but it gives me heartburn.
All instant coffee is Wrong and Bad ... (Score:2, Interesting)
In Korea, where I live, an espresso costs about US$4, it's invariably poorl
this makes me wonder... (Score:2, Funny)
Why make instant? (Score:3, Informative)
Coffee pot 1 [target.com]
Coffee pot 2 [target.com]
Coffee pot 3 [target.com]
It's better then instant and it's better then the crap they serve from corporate coffee machines. You can easily pick up a bag of Starbucks beans (or, for ease of use, already ground) and make what you want right at your desk.
--Dave
Go for a French Press (Score:5, Insightful)
Listen not to the purveyors of drip coffee makers. And never, ever get instant coffee!
Instead, get yourself a French press. They're cheap, easy to operate, and you can just bring the thing with you to your cube or the break room. Just use the microwave to boil some water, put some coffee in the press (the good stuff that you find at decent coffee shops.) Get a little grinder & use it if there are no objections to the noise, as coffee beans have a short half-life once they're ground. Pour the boiling water into the press, let the coffee steep for four minutes, then press the plunger, pour your coffee & drink! This method is the absolute best at extracting all the subtle flavors out of the bean without the nasty flavors.
The french press kicks the combined asses of all drip coffeemakers.
The Mocha Pot (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:The Mocha Pot (Score:2)
Tie for first: Mocha Pot / Glass Vacuum Pot
Second: French Press
It depends on what mood I am in... If I want a velvety rich coffee with a good bite to it, I will go for the mocha pot. If I want a lighter cup of coffee, to ease me into a good book or something, I go for Vacuum pot. It is like ethereal, actually good, drip coffee.
Re:The Mocha Pot (Score:2)
A very good friend of mine just came back from Italy and she brought the greatest coffee gift ever: A Bialetti Moka Express stove-top espresso maker [amazon.com].
Basically, you fill the bottom part with water, place some ground espresso in the metal filter, screw the top on, and cook on the stove top. About 3 min. later you've got 3 of the best espressos I've ever tasted. Nice, neat and oh so easy.
And if you look, they've got an electric [amazon.com] one that looks perfect for a desktop. Not th
Re:Go for a French Press (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, they're only known as the French Press [wikipedia.org] in America --- the rest of the world knows 'em as cafetieres.
My parents used to have a twin-bulb glass syphoning percolator. It ran off a little alcohol burner. It was a lovely thing; there was a jug on the bottom, and a big bulb on the top. You filled the jug with water, put your coffee grounds on the top, and set the whole thing heating.
When the water was hot enough, it would automatically syphon up into the top bulb, steep, and drip dow
Re:Go for a French Press (Score:2)
The Joy of Coffee [amazon.ca] recommends this process over normal drip coffeemakers in any case, as there is no boiler apparatus to get gummed up and fill your coffee-water with smelly scum. The only things in actual contact with your coffee are an easily cleanable cone,
Re:Go for a French Press (Score:2)
Re:Go for a French Press (Score:2)
Kettle vs Microwave (Score:2)
Electric kettle
Easier to pour
Faster (1500W vs 1000W)
office microwaves die fast, making them even slower.
Auto shut off when it is done
If everyone does a bit of fill it up and turn it off, you can all get hot water with even less waiting.
Cordless kettles are even easier to handle.
Microwave heats up the container, kettle lets my mug stay somewhat warm.
kettles are cheaper, and more space efficient.
It is upsetting to wait to heat up your lunch when people are boiling water in a microwave when there is
Immersion heater smallest cheapest. Micro-water (Score:2)
People microwave water because electric kettles are not ubiquitous in the US.
Microwaves are perceived as safer than appliances with heating coils too, although I worked with a thieving dumbass who got the fire department out when he put one PopTart in for five minutes
Screw making coffee, that's what baristas are for. (Score:3, Funny)
Add 3 Shots (6 total).
Add Breve (Half & Half).
Add Cinnamon Syrup (Ever try to sweeten an Iced coffee?)
Don't ask me how to say it in Starbucks speak.
2 a day.
$300 a month.
Twice the price of my cigarette habit.
Liky twice as bad for me too.
Re:Screw making coffee, that's what baristas are f (Score:2)
My venti quad white mocha gets me charged for two extra shots.
liquid coffee extract (Score:3, Informative)
Well... (Score:2)
At home and at the office, I use a french press, which gives enough coffee for myself. I got
Instant Coffee that bad? (Score:3, Interesting)
Either is fine by me. I like Nescafe Gold, or any of the Moccona varieties. Brewed coffee's nice, but instant's just fine in my book.
Re:Instant Coffee that bad? (Score:2)
In my opinion, the same brand of instant in US is much worse than the Aussie sold version (only tested with Nescafe B43 & Maxwell House).
Weaselly the best. (Score:2)
Firebox's Weasel Coffee [firebox.com]
I've already bought some for my (sadly ex-) boss, who was proud of his weasel status and not under fond of the odd cappuccino.
D.
But I though (Score:2)
The good stuff (Score:2)
Ask a lawyer! (Score:3, Funny)
Ooops - wrong standard answer...I'll try again...
Bugger - that doesn't fit either...wow - is this actually an Ask Slashdot where people can't bring out their old tired complaints?! What is the world coming to?!
-- Pete.
Mmmmm - coffee!
Air pot (Score:2)
OK, so assume you either a) cut down or b) disregard - what to do about coffee? Go forth to the World of Wally, and purchase an Air Pot - this ia a large Thermos-style
Just get an... (Score:2)
Skip the powdered stuff... (Score:2)
...and go with this [ryancoffee.com] coffee concentrate. Pour a capful into your cup, fill with cold water, nuke 2 min. It tastes great, and you can adjust the amount to taste. They sell it in many stores [ryancoffee.com], and offer it by mail [ryancoffee.com].
Read how they make this stuff - they actually distill off the aromatics and belnd them back in after reducing the coffee down to a concentrate!
Good coffee links (Score:2)
http://www.sweetmarias.com/
Home-roasting your own beans is the only way to go.
Re:Good coffee links (Score:2)
I'm lucky to have a rockin' [chriscoffee.com]
espresso machine at home and use a pour over Mellita cone at work with a small burr grinder. Most important - hot water (just off the boil) and fresh ground, freshly roasted beans. If you can find a store that roasts regularly, you're on your way. Whole Foods is particularly good.
Cold Brewed? (Score:2)
The jist is that you soak grinds in cold water in a fridge for a long time, pour off the liquid into a container, that you can use to make your own 'instant' with hot water.
I don't remember more than that, (anyone done this?) but the folks who mentioned it swore by the flavor.
Anyone?
Turkish Coffee (Score:3, Informative)
For the uninitiated: this is pure, unfiltered coffee. A small flask-shaped pot (called an "ibrik") is filled with one heaping teaspoon of coffee for each serving and one half teaspoon of sugar to taste. The coffee must be ground to a fine powder or the flavor won't be extracted, and for maximum flavor, you must buy beans and grind them yourself (don't let the powder sit for too long). If you're really into this, you can buy green beans and roast them yourself, but I screw that up so I buy roasted beans. Water is added to the ibrik, about 60 grams / 2 ounces. Put on low heat and wait until it gets frothy at the top, mixing occasionally. It should not boil - when it reaches the boiling point, the taste changes completely and it's ruined. The froth at the top has a particular name which I forget, but is considered the best part and should be served to guests. Whenever it starts foaming, remove from heat for a couple seconds and mix - repeat this a few times. When you drink it, whenever you feel the grounds (I believe they're called "zatz", unsure of spelling), let the coffee settle for a bit and try again. By now, you should realize that this is hardly "instant" coffee, but it's worth the effort.
Caffeine content is about 1.0 mg/g, compared to about 0.5-0.6 mg/g for filtered coffee, but the servings are smaller, so you're actually getting less caffeine but with much more flavor. Same idea as with Espresso, but this tastes good, not burnt.
No Alternative (Score:2)
Bad news: instant coffee will never come anywhere near the flavo[u]r of freshly-brewed coffee made from freshly-ground beans, roasted not too long ago.
A very long time ago I drank Taster's Choice and Maxim. The freeze-dried coffees tasted better than the instant coffees made by other means.
Why not keep a coffee pot and grinder at your desk as I do? The morning ritual of fetching water, grinding beans and brushing out the grinder (buy a small high-quality paint brush) doesn't take more than 7 or 8 minut
Brew it cheap (Score:2)
You put the cone on your mug, put a filter in it, pour in some ground coffee, and pour in some hot water. Almost as fast as instant, same quality as any drip coffee maker, and no big outlay of $$$.
Mount Hagen (Score:2)
1. Is this coffee made from 100% Arabica beans? -Arabica beans, unlike Robusta beans, taste cleaner, less harsh, and require more care to grow. Trust the experts, they are better.
2. Is this coffee organic? -This matters to me, at least. Your mileage may vary.
3. Is this coffee purchased at Fair Trade prices? -Others have gone into depth on Fair Trade in this thread- that said
jacobs (Score:2)
Yummy.
Up for 8 hours? It's not that hard. (Score:2)
And if that still isn't enough, you can always try pills [thinkgeek.com].
Got some money? (Score:2)
For something at the office I recommend a french press. It's quick, easy, not messy, and makes great coffee. Far better than any drip or
Many solutions... (Score:2)
Vietnamese instant coffee (Score:3, Informative)
Drip can be good if... (Score:2)
Re:Drip can be good if... (Score:2)
The other key is consistency - if you always buy the same kind of (beans,roast,brand) and always use the same amount of water and grounds, you will get consistent coffee every time. For an eight-"cup" coffeemaker, I use 7 flat coffee measures of coffee, and make sure that there are no hard chunks of compressed grounds.
My coffemaker is programmable [fresh coffee at 6am rocks] and drips straight into a thermal carafe - n
How about some spanish coffee (Score:2)
Try "Cafe Bustelo".
Disclaimer: Individual effects may very. Consult your physician before trying a new regimen. Side effects may include, jitteriness, excessive talking, urine smelling like coffee, paranoria. In some cases, users ran for days without stopping then died. Enjoy!
go for the real thing (Score:2)
Roast your own, you'll never drink anything else. (Score:2)
Find a diner! (Score:2)
It comes out of that horrible, nasty looking urn that hasn't been cleaned since Nixon was in office.
But it tastes the best, by far.
Oh, and get taylor ham & egg on a hard roll while you're at it.... good stuff.
Cone or Basket filter (Score:2)
Is there a difference?
Really which one is better?
College Roommate Story (Score:3, Funny)
I understand you don't want to drink instant. But that's probably because you're drinking it wrong!
Try the method I learned from watching my freshman year roommate in college every morning:
You may also wish to employ other time- and energy-saving techniques I learned from my first year college roommate, such as:
Bottoms up!
sev
Re:Poison (Score:2)
Care to check the sugar content of your milk and juices?
Re:Poison (Score:2)
"But it's natural!" Puh-lease.
Re:Poison (Score:2)
For instant, I drink Clipper Organic Instant Coffee, it's organic, decaf and fair trade - 3 gulps of self righteousness free with every sip.
But don't take my word for it...
No. 52 Organic Instant Decaffeinated Coffee 100g [redweb.co.uk]
Winner: Great Taste Award 2001
Commended: Organic Food Awards 2000
This decaffeinated
Re:Poison (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Poison (Score:2)
Where's your proof, natureboy? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Where's your proof, natureboy? (Score:2)
The topic at hand is drinking coffee, not the coffee enemas those bean-srpout-eating herbalist homeopathic types like to brag about. ;-)
That said, I like the French press. I have myself a Zassenhaus [sweetmarias.com] hand mill, and a Nissan Stainless vacuum press. [yahoo.com]. I nuke the water in the microwave (or boil it on the stove, if at home), the mill is quiet, and the press keeps the stuff warm for a good while and won't break.
Re:Poison (Score:2)
I've watched them my whole life, I'm now 21 soon 22. Guess what, I've had 1 cavity ever.
I attribute the most of my good health to my choice of pr0n.
Oh yeah, I also have no problems sleeping or staying awake. I also fall asleep at night as soon as I go to bed.
*$s (Score:2)
it's all about the defaults (Score:3, Funny)