I'm curious, with so many of us enjoying a variety of different types of coffee when we are out, how do you make the coffee you drink at home, when by yourself, when you have visitors etc?
Most days I only have one cup of coffee, mid morning,...so want it to be good.
I used to always make my coffee half milk, half water warmed in a mug in the microwave and then stir in a large tsp of good instant coffee..... but
have recently changed to making some espresso using a little espresso pot on the stove top and then adding this to hot milk... yum!
For visitors it depends on their preference but have noticed that especially in the evening a lot of people go for tea.
So folks what do you do? Am I the only fuss pot who is picky about the coffee she drinks at home.... my family are looking side ways at me. ;-)

I am a complete and utter coffee snob.
I buy one cup of coffee every day - generally at about 9 am and it is a latte.
My preferred coffee is Allpress and once I find a cafe that makes good coffee I will drive past others to get to it...
I have tried making coffee at home with various gadgets but even if I bought a big coffee machine I know that I would still be wrinkling my nose so it is probably cheaper to keep up with my habit.
Although if I started to add up the associated costs in driving to the cafe which sometimes includes a mobile phone call to ring and order it if the kids are in the car plus the $4 per cup.......
Hmm its best that I don't think about it!

Ok I have cut down on Real coffee. At home and at work we drink Maconna Freeze dried classic and Maconna Decaf. I have 1 to2 real cups of coffee a day (it was up to about 16+) I have a small traditional teacup with 2 heaped teaspoons of coffee and 1 sugar. this is also how I drink decaf. if I am out I drink a strong double black reg or decaf depending on whether I have had my quota for the day!
Kindest Regards
Lisa

I used to be a coffee addict - real, fresh ground coffee, brewed strong & 'drunk' black. I eventually weaned myself off it due to a heart condition, but missed the taste. I started drinking plunger-type decaf coffee, but after reading about the nasty chemicals in it I have gone back to my first love, fully-leaded strong black coffee, but only one or two cups a day. No one likes a grumpy mummy! I drink tea the rest of the time - Earl Grey please, strong, no milk or sugar.

I have cut down to one cup of real coffee per day as I felt it was effecting my baby with feeding. I now feel slightly "drunk" if I have more. It must be mid morning, with a decent instant coffee or plunger and trim milk . or if the budget permits I will go to my fave place and get a HUGE latte. They are forever giving us 2 for 1s which is so good as they are $4.95 for a med sized one!!!!Other times if the days I drink Caro. Oddly this must be with blue milk. So, yep I am pretty anal on this too.

I don't drink coffee; when I'm at work, I usually drink water; and when I'm at home, I usually drink milk.

However, when I'm making myself a hot beverage at home, I opt for hot chocolate in varying degrees of fabulousness - always with marshmellows, and varying from hot water with Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix at the simple end to what is effectively warmed ganache at the other.

I usually only have a brew at weekends at home. I use an electric expresso maker & have a weakish brew. At work I have a filter coffee or make a very weak Maconna & only use 1/4 tsp. I get the D.T.'s if I overdo it. Love to have a cuppacino in town (1/2 strength though).

We have an espresso machine & use Karajoz or Atomic beans.

I start the day with a single shot espresso made at home, I have cut back to 2 - 3 a day. We have an espresso machine and use Underground coffee. I am sipping on one right now :-)

Just bought a new espresso type coffee machine, was just getting the hang of it(ie, no more frothy milk all over the walls) when it had to be put away till the builders had been, so hopefully can re-aquaint ourselves with it. Was given a kilo pack of Lavazzo(?) coffee bean which makes a nice brew.

However...at the coffee festival where said machine was purchased, was a company selling machines that brewed(not sure if that's the right term) molten drinking chocolate. Now coming from a chocoholic it was really nice... could have some fun with liquers etc and my fave, chilli. If we win lotto this weekend...
jen

Does anyone know (Helen?) where I can buy Mio coffee? It's an Auzzie brand, a packet came with my expresso maker & it's the best coffee I have ever tasted!

It's nice to know im not the only coffee snob around. My friends think im fussy but I only drink real coffee at home, normally stove-top espresso.
Too cut down on any negative effects I use decafe all the time. Somebody in an earlier message mentioned the chemicals in decafe but I have been told that there is not a problem with chemicals if the coffee is water decafinated instead of chemically treated.
The decafe coffee from Trade Aid is the safe water decafinated type if anybody is looking for it. All of the coffee from Trade Aid is great and you know that the growers have earned a decent wage.

Why not go to the horse's mouth, so to speak, Rachel? [www.coffeemio.com.au] They could tell you if they have any outlets over here. (I've never heard of Mio but after reading this thread googled to see if anyone in NZ sold the Braziliano espresso coffee I brought back from Aus, and extended the search to Mio.)

I'm also picky about my coffee, but for convenience sake the 3-4 cups I drink each day tend to be instant - Moccona Espresso. I'd prefer real espresso but don't have a machine and using a pot on a ceramic top stove is almost as painful as watching paint dry. The plunger comes out if I'm serving visitors, but it's not the same as a good espresso.

Lynne2

Thanks Lynne2 ;-)

I'm worse - I'm a coffee AND a tea snob.

I don't drink coffee at home because I don't have a good machine. I always buy a good double-shot flat white on my way to work, and like Helen, will drive out of my way to go to somewhere that serves good coffee. Allpress is definately my favourite brand. Atomic used to be great, but I find that while the coffee itself is good, it's often made badly.

My favourite cafe is the Atomic in Kingsland, where they roast it. The guy there makes you feel like you never left, even if visits are months apart, and the coffee is never anything but perfect.

At home I drink tea, but again, I'm a bit of a snob. Tea is like wine for me. I'll definately drink any old gumboot if there's nothing else, but I mailorder mine from Dilmah so I can keep a stock of my favourite "UdaWatte". The depth of flavour is wonderful.

My Stepmum says she's never known anyone drink as much tea as me

Claire

My gosh! Do any of you actually sleep at night????

Yep, as long as I don't have too many cups and not too late in the day!!! ;-)

I drink a cup of coffee about once every 3 or 4 months. I went 'off' coffee when I had gall-bladder problems and since having it removed, haven't really felt like drinking coffee although I don't dislike it. I drink about 3 cups of tea a day, two with breakfast and the other at morning tea time. I like Lipton Black but can't find it in the shops so my next preference is Choysa, but I also like the grape and pomegranate herbal tea. I'm a great fan of water and drink plenty from the moment I wake up till I retire at night.

Yip me too - a coffee snob. Used to buy 2 cups a day and would have to go out and get them in the weekend. Had to be strong ones and would go out of my way to get the one I liked. Would get quite put out if I was served a weak coffee. Decided it was an expensive habit so I cut down to one home made large cup a day in the morning. I use a stove top expresso maker and heat the milk up in the microwave and froth. Must have saved me a heap. Will still have a nice coffee if I am out for lunch etc but otherwise drink green tea - and I love it. I have found my favourite everyday coffee is Vittoria Expresso - but I do like it strong. My mother spent a fortune buying a big fancy coffee maker and she agrees that her coffee is no better than the stove top expresso maker. I remember 25 odd years ago a little Crete lady making us expresso on a little gas burner - at the time I just about choked me - how things change!!! Got a bit carried away here!!

Well done to Esquires for now only serving Fair Trade coffee and not charging more for it. I love their coffee and buy one large double-shot, trim flat white a day. On the odd occassion I get a chai latte from there too in the avo. I will drive out of my way to get a good coffee and send back anything bitter, luke warm or otherwise faulty (can't bring myself to drink it otherwise). Have only ever had one below standard Esquires coffee before out of a lot. They grind their beans fresh. Interesting about decaf; I will endeavor to find out their decaf-er-ing method.

mmmmmmmm Coffee.....tummy rumbling.

I drink 3-4 cups of green tea a day. I prefer 'Planet Organic' and Red Seal. I have a lovely brand of green tea with lime that my sister sent me from Raglan; I reccommend it highly.

JPS - where is you local esquires?? That's where I go.

There's one at St Lukes.
jen

hi'
i feel rejuvenated only by uttering the word coffee .
i make my coffee just the way you used to make it earlier with water and milk but that goes only for instant coffee.
and coincidently i am looking out for a aluminuim coffee or expresso maker gas top coffee maker which i have heard makes lovely filter coffee
the type which in india southindians drink
can you pls tell me where i can get a stove top coffee maker from the US
as i have my sis staying there.
three cheers to all coffee lovers.................................