Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

As its hitting 30°C outside its time to break out the iced coffee.... or more specifically espresso tonic. First one I had was incredibly disgusting so didn't have it again for years, but I like espresso & I like tonic so got round to trying it again a few years back and with decent coffee & good tonic it very drinkable.

  • double espresso (a light roast, fruity little number works well)
  • 150 ml tonic water (only had the fever tree elderflower, but it works very well in this case)
  • 1 lime wedge
  • Ice
  1. Prepare a double espresso and leave to cool.
  2. Fill up a glass (200 ml) with ice.
  3. Squeeze the lime juice on top of the ice.
  4. Pour in the tonic water and gently pour in the slightly cooled double espresso.
cold, sharp, bright and tangy :)
 
Siliconslave said:
As its hitting 30°C outside its time to break out the iced coffee.... or more specifically espresso tonic. First one I had was incredibly disgusting so didn't have it again for years, but I like espresso & I like tonic so got round to trying it again a few years back and with decent coffee & good tonic it very drinkable.

  • double espresso (a light roast, fruity little number works well)
  • 150 ml tonic water (only had the fever tree elderflower, but it works very well in this case)
  • 1 lime wedge
  • Ice
  1. Prepare a double espresso and leave to cool.
  2. Fill up a glass (200 ml) with ice.
  3. Squeeze the lime juice on top of the ice.
  4. Pour in the tonic water and gently pour in the slightly cooled double espresso.
cold, sharp, bright and tangy :)
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Been meaning to try this, probably a bit healthier than vietnamese style with condensed milk :p
 
she's so popular, from grocer magasine

Since the removal of Covid restrictions, 41% of Brits have bought RTD coffee more than once a week. Many are getting their fix two or three times a week (17%), and for 9% it’s a daily habit.

However, men are more likely to fall into the latter habit than women (13% vs 6%). Our research also suggests men drank a larger amount of RTD coffee during the pandemic. A third drank the same amount during Covid, while 7% drank more than usual. That’s compared with 27% and 4% of women respectively.
...
Whether it’s part of their big shop, a meal deal component or an impulse pick-me-up, UK shoppers are most likely to go to the supermarket for their RTD coffee fix. That was the primary destination for 72% of shoppers, while 38% opted for c-stores.

The second most popular destination was coffee shops and cafés, chosen by 60% of respondents, while online was the least popular choice. However, buying online was more preferable to the 25 to 34 age group (19%) than any other.
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ready to drink = cold.
 
Think I've bought 1 can of cold brew (which was ok, but not great) and a handful of barrister made cold brews over the years, nitro being by far the best, just don't seem to be many places doing it. Much more likely to buy iced tea tbh.
 
Siliconslave said:
Think I've bought 1 can of cold brew (which was ok, but not great) and a handful of barrister made cold brews over the years, nitro being by far the best, just don't seem to be many places doing it. Much more likely to buy iced tea tbh.
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I've been making my own lately which I hadn't done for about 3 years. This is the recipe I use.

www.bbcgoodfood.com

How to make cold brew coffee

High in caffeine, this iced cold brew coffee will keep you cool on hot days while giving you the boost you need. Enjoy an ultra-refreshing kick-start to your day
www.bbcgoodfood.com
 
Union Coffee is on offer again in Sainsbury's.

£13 for the 700g (House Roast) or £10 for their 500g (varieties) is a good cost vs quality from off the shelf. Roast date from the bag i picked up was 12th July so not too bad for a store bought.
 
Union is the best off the shelf coffee I have found. I generally buy a 700g bag every month and the roasted dates are usually very good for a supermarket. It certainly gasses off plenty when I make an aeropress
 
Currently addicted (not literally) to Guatemalan coffee which I haven't had in ages.

The other eye opening coffee was a Hawaiian Island coffee. It was a little more expensive but honestly as a treat it was absolutely gorgeous.
 
Guatemalan is always good in my book.

Question for the non espresso machine owners here, does anyone use an instant boiling/hot water tap to brew? I very much subscribe to James Hoffmann theory (well, proof) that just-boiled water is perfectly fine for aeropress brewing but I’m wondering if there would be any difference/damage in using water that is coming out of a tap at 98c rather than having boiled in a kettle and sat for a second or so? (According to James I no longer leave it to cool at all and just pour straight away).

I’m thinking of purchasing a hot water tap for our new kitchen but don’t want to be in the position of having to say, decant water via another vessel to cool it slightly :confused:
 
I think James Hoffman's angle is even if you pour it at 100°, it's not 100° by the time it's fallen through the air and hit a room temperature vessel. He did some experiments along those lines.

I wouldn't overthink it, whatever comes out of your kettle and a ready tap won't be far apart :) I'm convinced my in-laws' instant hot tap isn't quite boiling anyway.
 
LuckyBenski said:
I think James Hoffman's angle is even if you pour it at 100°, it's not 100° by the time it's fallen through the air and hit a room temperature vessel. He did some experiments along those lines.

I wouldn't overthink it, whatever comes out of your kettle and a ready tap won't be far apart :) I'm convinced my in-laws' instant hot tap isn't quite boiling anyway.
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Oh yes. His video is here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_r5kpXPRYo

Most instant hot water taps come out at 98c* so perhaps I've answered my own question already. I just wouldn't want to splurge £1000 on one and then it not work for my main intended purpose (I'm sure it's fine for tea!).

*Apparently it's a safety thing, but also I read that ones that do true 100c boiling can actually splutter when running etc. amongst other downsides.
 
Scam said:
I’m thinking of purchasing a hot water tap for our new kitchen but don’t want to be in the position of having to say, decant water via another vessel to cool it slightly :confused:
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Parents have had a few (one in old house, one in new house) and given the amount they spit and steam when pouring boiling* water i'm not sure i'd want to use it directly into an aeropress.
 
Siliconslave said:
Parents have had a few (one in old house, one in new house) and given the amount they spit and steam when pouring boiling* water i'm not sure i'd want to use it directly into an aeropress.
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Thanks. Were they 100c boiling taps? Seems to be that those ones sputter more than the 98c ones.

PS: it’s getting warm again. My ice coffee is Vietnamese style (I think). Aeropress brew and condensed milk into a cocktail shaker with loads of ice. Shake vigorously for a minute, pour into glass with more ice. Easy.
 
I'm of the school that you should not use boiling water to brew coffee (Read that somewhere) boil the kettle & leave to stand for a minute or two, that way it will cool down enough for the right brew temperature. I usually grind the coffee in that time, hand grinder for pourover. I also find that a coffee brewed this way, tastes better as it cools for some reason.
 
Grimley said:
I'm of the school that you should not use boiling water to brew coffee (Read that somewhere) boil the kettle & leave to stand for a minute or two, that way it will cool down enough for the right brew temperature. I usually grind the coffee in that time, hand grinder for pourover. I also find that a coffee brewed this way, tastes better as it cools for some reason.
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Have a watch of the video I posted above; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_r5kpXPRYo

I used to do the same as you for my Aeropress but since I stumbled across his video I pretty much boil and pour immediately. Most of the beans I get (from Hasbean sub) are lighter roasts so it's absolutely fine. The taste you experience is probably just 'different' due to what you're consuming being cooler e.g. maybe 75c compared to 65c (or something). Maybe try it with boiling and then leave to stand in your mug for an extra 1-2mins and see if it's a taste you're used to, just an idea :)

Having said that I'm wondering if getting the cheaper 98c tap might make slightly more sense for coffee, just because..

I really wish there were some more discussions online from coffee nerds about boiling water taps?
 
Scam said:
Have a watch of the video I posted above; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_r5kpXPRYo

I used to do the same as you for my Aeropress but since I stumbled across his video I pretty much boil and pour immediately. Most of the beans I get (from Hasbean sub) are lighter roasts so it's absolutely fine. The taste you experience is probably just 'different' due to what you're consuming being cooler e.g. maybe 75c compared to 65c (or something). Maybe try it with boiling and then leave to stand in your mug for an extra 1-2mins and see if it's a taste you're used to, just an idea :)

Having said that I'm wondering if getting the cheaper 98c tap might make slightly more sense for coffee, just because..

I really wish there were some more discussions online from coffee nerds about boiling water taps?
Click to expand...

TBH I only make a pourover 1st thing in the morning before I go to work, just to kickstart my day. I dont really have time for it to cool down that quickly (work deadline) & I don't want to add too much cold water. I may try weekends though.
 
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