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Post by MartinT on Jan 23, 2016 11:08:02 GMT
Hah!
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 23, 2016 11:12:10 GMT
Never heard of Kupp, just Googled it and looks good. How hot was the coffee Jules, some reports on Trip Advisor to say the policy is not to serve it too hot, so it can be drunk immediately? I like my coffee hot Well I hadn't thought of that whilst I was drinking it, and I probably drunk it too quickly to notice ... but as I'm drinking a home-made cup-of-cino right now, this is definitely hotter than the coffee I had yesterday. If it had been too tepid though I would have sent it back ... It's the second time I've been there and they served it this time in see-through plastic beakers which was an interesting kind of 70's vibe! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 11:20:53 GMT
I've been using a Bialetti stove-top expresso maker for years. the 8 cup expresso version makes enough to almost fill a 0.5 litre Thermos. |
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Post by Sovereign on Jan 23, 2016 11:55:38 GMT
I've been using a Bialetti stove-top expresso maker for years. the 8 cup expresso version makes enough to almost fill a 0.5 litre Thermos. 500mm of espresso!!! Holy moly!!! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 12:13:36 GMT
I've been using a Bialetti stove-top expresso maker for years. the 8 cup expresso version makes enough to almost fill a 0.5 litre Thermos. 500mm of espresso!!! Holy moly!!! If you fill the water up to the mark and use one scoop of coffee it makes perfect americano strength. I think in theory americano is just expresso watered down after all! |
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 23, 2016 12:31:07 GMT
When we're not in a hurry in the mornings, we use a Beem M-300F, which is pretty much a moka pot, but in the form of a cordless kettle, if you see what I mean. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 16:29:37 GMT
The Americano (black, of course) tasted great! BETT is the largest IT in Education show in the calendar. It was vast and packed, but a useful chance to see all our suppliers and cool new stuff coming out. Best new thing? PowerBI from Microsoft. Superb software. A good Americano is always nice. Didn't know about BETT, but then why would I, sounds interesting mind. |
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Post by Tim on Jan 25, 2016 9:28:58 GMT
 £1.95  £2.15 Well a very interesting experiment, which confirmed I prefer the coffee I make at home for around 20p a cup and that I don't use these two for a reason. BUT, and this surprised me as there was a very clear winner and not the one I was expecting. Starbucks, by a significant margin and I repeated the challenge elsewhere in London too, not just at Waterloo. Costa is too weak for me and has a wishy washy flavour I don't care for. I remember when I used to buy Costa I always had to ask for an extra shot in a regular coffee as it was not strong enough and I never really liked it. The Costa is cheaper, but when you add the extra shot it's not. The Starbucks however is just the right strength and flavour, without adding the extra shot. I'll continue to not use them though, but it would be Starbucks not Costa if I did. |
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Post by Sovereign on Jan 25, 2016 10:50:32 GMT
That's interesting, I know what you mean about coffee that is not strong enough, it makes it taste thin to me, but I have not found this at Costa recently.
I really don't like coffee. From anything but a China cup. I can easily taste a paper cup, stainless steel seems to neutralise the coffee to me and the worst material I find for a cup is a plastic thermos lid, to me it just kills it.
Am I just a moany fuss pot ?
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 25, 2016 12:22:05 GMT
Yep I find that interesting too - well done Tim ...
Starbucks used to be derided for being too 'American' in style, ie very milky and too weak. It is possible they have learnt from that feedback and have changed the style of the coffee.
I will do the challenge and report back.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jan 25, 2016 13:11:42 GMT
Some of your fans in the background Tim ?  |
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Post by native on Jan 25, 2016 14:35:13 GMT
Costa for me; much nicer Americano!
My 18 year-old daughter works for Costa part-time and they seem a very fair employer too; good standard of pay, Xmas bonus, recognition scheme etc).
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Post by MartinT on Jan 25, 2016 15:14:10 GMT
Starbucks, by a significant margin and I repeated the challenge elsewhere in London too, not just at Waterloo. Costa is too weak for me and has a wishy washy flavour I don't care for. I remember when I used to buy Costa I always had to ask for an extra shot in a regular coffee as it was not strong enough and I never really liked it. The Costa is cheaper, but when you add the extra shot it's not. The Starbucks however is just the right strength and flavour, without adding the extra shot. Thanks for that, Tim, that gets Starbucks off the ground in the vote. Not my findings at all, but of course each branch will vary. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 16:05:18 GMT
I'll continue to not use them though, but it would be Starbucks not Costa if I did. Interesting very interesting. I'd agree that generally Starbucks is stronger but in a more bitter way as opposed to nice. Try a Flat White next time. It's possibly the strongest coffee Costa make and I used to like it a lot before I gave up caffeine. For me at least, the Starbucks Flat White isn't a patch on the Costa. |
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Post by Tim on Jan 25, 2016 18:22:51 GMT
I don't do milk Paul, I have drunk my coffee black since 1983. It needs to be strong, black, rich flavoured (arabica normally) and no sugar. Maybe why I preferred the Starbucks as it had much more flavour than Costa. I even tried their featured blend Martin mentioned, still not to my liking.
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 25, 2016 18:27:12 GMT
That's the stuff!
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Post by MartinT on Jan 25, 2016 19:16:21 GMT
Black and rich I like, but not bitter. To me, Starbucks is horribly bitter and not smooth at all. It could all be differences in preferred taste, then. Costa make an almost perfect Americano. I do not like espresso and don't see the point of a single shot of acrid nastiness.
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Post by Sovereign on Jan 25, 2016 19:37:19 GMT
I haven't had a Starbucks in over 10 years, there is a new one that has opened up here in Maidstone, I'll have to pay it a visit
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 19:53:13 GMT
I think the placebo effect may have been involved. What we really need is a blind tasting  |
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Post by Tim on Jan 25, 2016 21:19:41 GMT
Black and rich I like, but not bitter. To me, Starbucks is horribly bitter and not smooth at all. It could all be differences in preferred taste, then. Costa make an almost perfect Americano. I do not like espresso and don't see the point of a single shot of acrid nastiness. Hmmm, Costa make a weak flavourless Americano coffee IMO, I think you have answered your own conundrum by describing an espresso as acrid nastiness Martin  Purists would turn in their graves at that observation and I'm sure my coffee would be far too robust for you and you wouldn't like it. What does surprise me though is you like those chemically acrid shockers Milicano and Azera whatever they are called. Those really are nasty laboratory manufactured abominations, that bear no resemblance to real coffee. Truly awful. (that's what I didn't say first time around . . . haha) |
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Purists would turn in their graves at that observation and I'm sure my coffee would be far too robust for you and you wouldn't like it.