Great coffee at your home - on a budget

My last week's post about instant coffee sparked some comments on my facebook profile, mostly from people who drink it and enjoy it. I'd like to dispel some common myths about good coffee.

La Marzocco Linea. It doesn't get much better than this.
If you need to ask the price, it's more than you're willing to spend.

Myth 1: To make a good coffee you need a machine that costs your yearly earnings.

Wrong!

While a top of the line espresso machine is certainly a requirement if you wish to pull top of the line espresso shots, that's one very very specific way of making coffee.

So, can you imagine how much it costs to make some of the best coffee humanly possible at home? If not tens of thousands of Euros, than how much? Thousands? Certainly not hundreds, that would be impossible, right?

You need 18 kn. That's just slightly over 2€, and that's the price you'll pay for the cheapest French press (that will do the job perfectly fine) in your closest Offertissima store. IKEA will sell you their 1L model for less than 10€, and you'll find some of the best models on Amazon in the $10-$30 range. A well-made turkish coffee can also be a top quality gourmet coffee, and you might already have the equipment at home.

(Note: French press is a rather unknown and rarely-used method of making coffee in Croatia. You'll often see it sold as a "tea maker").

Now, espresso can be a rabbit hole. It can suck you in for thens of thousands in gear, and it's also very skill-sensitive. However, you can get decent espresso for a fraction of the cost of the top one, and there are even some low-cost solutions which make true espresso. Or, alternatively, you might be satisfied with an Aeropress or Moka pot which will produce coffee not unlike espresso for even less money.

However, there's one thing you'll need in any case, besides a coffeemaker: a grinder. Freshly-ground (and freshly-roasted) coffee is incomparable to pre-ground one that's been sitting for a while. And that leads us to...

Franck's Guatemala - a "premium single origin" coffee

Myth 2: Good coffee is expensive and you can't really taste much of a difference

Wrong!

Coffee is a natural, perishable produce - not a product. Its' quality vastly degrades within minutes once it's ground. And minutes will pass before it's vacuum-packed, becauseit needs to release CO2, otherwise the bags would burst. And as CO2 exits the grounds, the aromatic oils and flavors also evaporate...

Which is not surprising when you think about economics of it. Most of the coffee that you can buy in the supermarket is a commodity. Having it pre-ground increases its' market penetration, because no longer did it require another device (grinder), and most customers are OK with it. It's an approach that sold more coffee at times when any coffee was a luxury.

Grinders make a difference. A huge one. Even the cheapest blade grinder from the store (in Croatia, that would be a Sinbo grinder from Konzum, 99 kn) will make an incredible (and very tangible) difference in your coffee. However, you'll get much better results from burr grinders. For $10 (delivery included) you can get a Turkish coffee grinder from Istanbul from eBay, delivered at your doorstep. Or, if you're willing to spend a bit more money, a Hario Slim will get you any grind you want, for $25, and at reasonable consistency. Now, you don't need to instantly buy yourself a Mazzer Jolly, but unless you own a top of the line espresso setup, a grinder should probably be the most expensive piece of equipment you should buy. You will get best results that way.

That's also the problem of some coffees, like depicted Franck's Guatemala and Costa Rica. They are beautifully packaged, and marketed as premium single origin coffees. They also cost twice as much as Franck's regular coffee, and many people - including me - bought into the marketing, splurged for a pack, and then ended up mildly disappointed, feeling that - while that coffee is somewhat better than their regular offering - it is not nearly significant enough to justify the cost difference.

And that's the truth. While these beans might be good when freshly roasted (and while they're still... you know, beans), when you buy them in store they will already be stale - because they're pre-ground to the fine Turkish grind. And most of the stuff that was good about them is no longer there, even when you brew your first coffee from a freshly opened pack.

You can get the best coffee in the world, but it won't mean for much if it's pre-ground. However, that's only a part of the story. What kind of coffee are you drinking? If you answered with a brand name (e.g. Lavazza), then I got some bad news for you.

Coffee is a grown product. Similar to wine, the result will depend on the harvest. Wine grown in different region is different. And it's different from one year to another. And also, sometimes the harvest goes bad and there's very little produce from the region. Big roasters will get their beans from a variety of regions, roast it and pack it under their brand name. Now, there will be some differences each year depending on the commodity market, and that's why you usually won't see them advertise their content in detail - they can't guarantee that it will be the same in future.

In combination with time (distribution chain can take months), other beans and (sometimes) a darker roast, those differences are masked, but also some flavor is lost. However, the result is still far better than pre-ground coffee.

Specialty coffee roasters are usually small operations, and their priorities are usually shifted. Few of them try to compete with the cheapest large roaster blends. However, when it comes to the more expensive coffees, things change. We're not talking about the ultra-expensive Blue Mountain or Kopi Luwak coffees. The thing about small roasters is that they can often offer coffee that can challenge or top the finest high-volume blends - such as Illy or Julius Meinl - and top their freshness, while being priced at 50% or so of their high-volume counterparts.

The only danger is that that same coffee might not be available next week.

Example: Freshly-roasted bag of coffee from Teneo (200g, 39 kn) is vastly better than Franck's pre-ground Guatemala and Costa Rica (250g, 35 kn), and could be - in my opinion - compared to Illy (250g, 83 kn).

That still sounds expensive? Well, a 250g can of Nescafe classic is 60 kn, and a 200g can of Jacobs Cronat gold is 55 kn. That's probably a more interesting comparison.

If an espresso at a cafe costs 7 kn, and it's approx. 7 grams of coffee, and you can get better results at home than in most cafes... well, that changes a few things, doesn't it?

And even if you go on the lower end - with the cheapest and as freshly roasted beans as you can find - you will get much better results than any pre-ground at this price.

It's not about being expensive, it's about getting more for what you pay for.

So how much does it really cost?

Let's examine some ultra-cheap setups (coffeemaker, grinder and beans), and how much would they really cost you - for Turkish coffee, French press and Moka pot. The best bang for your money.

Option 1 is what you can get with online shopping and visiting small shops, it's both cheaper and will get you better results. Option 2 is supermarket items ONLY.

A budget wooden burr grinder

Turkish coffee 1: Turkish coffee pot (Konzum, 35 kn, enameled steel), Turkish coffee manual grinder (eBay, $10 = approx. 65 kn), coffee (what's fresh at Teneo, 200g 39 kn). 139 kn total.
Turkish coffee 2: Turkish coffee pot (Konzum, 35 kn, enameled steel), Sinbo blade grinder (Konzum, 99 kn), coffee (Spar Premium, Interspar, 500g 50 kn). 185 kn total.

French press 1: Cheapest French press (Offertissima, 18 kn), wooden burr coffee manual grinder (eBay, $12,50 = approx. 82 kn), coffee (what's fresh at Teneo, 200g 39 kn). 139 kn total.
French press 2: Cheapest French press (Offertissima, 18 kn), Sinbo blade grinder (Konzum, 99 kn), coffee (Spar Premium, Interspar, 500g 50 kn). 167 kn total.

Moka pot 1: 3-cup pot (Emmezeta or IKEA, 99 kn), wooden burr coffee manual grinder (eBay, $12,50 = approx. 82 kn), coffee (what's fresh at Teneo, 200g 39 kn). 220 kn total.
Moka pot 2: 3-cup pot (Emmezeta or IKEA, 99 kn), Sinbo blade grinder (Konzum, 99 kn), coffee (Spar Premium, Interspar, 500g 50 kn). 248 kn total.

Blade grinders are not recommended, but they are the
only cheap option in Croatian brick&mortar stores

It is assumed you own a stove and some way to heat water. You can make similar calculations for moka, or whatever is available at your area.

Either way, you can get the cheapest setup of that sort for less than half the price of a Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo machine... and get better coffee and not get into the proprietary pod system. If you've got more to spend, you can get yourself even better stuff - such as a more reliable and consistent grinder, or perhaps a milk frother or something. As noted, the grinder will make the biggest difference regarding your coffee taste.

That's all you need to make coffee that will be better than what is served in 80% of Zagreb's cafes (though of a different style, unless you choose moka option). Not gonna break your bank. It's tasty and affordable. Good coffee gear can be expensive, but it doesn't need to be.

Brewing a pot of Turkish coffee

Turkish coffee is quite simple to do. You need a Turkish coffee pot (džezva, cezve, zezwa, jazzwe, briki, ibric, ibrik, raqwa, kanaka, turka, ghallaye or however your culture calls it - I'm gonna use turkish coffee pot for clarity in this article). It can either be a traditional copper one with a very narrow top, or one of the modern versions made of enamel or stainless steel. Saucepans and regular pots will work too - but for best results, top of the pot should be at least slightly narrower than bottom.

Next, you need coffee. Freshly ground to powdery consistence is best... but is rarely used actually. These days most Turkish coffee is sold preground, as few people have grinders at home. Franck jubilarna kava is a common Croatian brand. It's a "standard", best-selling coffee around here (and rather cheap). It's somewhat of an acquired taste - there are people hating it and people swearing it's the best coffee in the world. Heck, you can get it on Amazon.

But I'd still recommend freshly-ground stuff any time. It's incomparable. Turkish coffee here often gets bad rap and it's looked down upon - but when done well, with top of the line coffee used, it can hold its' own against any gourmet method. You should grind it to the finest setting - finer than espresso, as fine as your grinder goes. It must be powdery like flour, powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

Another Croatian tradition: a jar of mystery coffee! To keep it traditional (aka with what most people have at their homes, without any special gear), that's what's gonna be used in this tutorial.

Step 1: Pour water in your pot. Leave some head space.

Step 2: Put coffee on top, and turn heat to medium.

It's best if you have a gas stove, but if you don't use what you have.

Minutes pass. Coffee will slowly sink down.

More minutes pass. Crema starts to appear. It's almost done.

Just a few seconds more, get ready...

Step 3: Remove from stove.

Step 4: Remove some crema from the top (it will contain some fine grounds) and spoon it in your cups. If you don't want the crema (why???), stir it in instead. Don't touch your coffee pot for a minute - grounds will drop to the bottom.

Step 5: Pour in some coffee, from sides so that crema floats on top. Wait a bit for the grounds to settle at the bottom and enjoy. Obviously, don't drink it bottoms up since there will be a layer of grounds at the bottom.

According to many, milk is sacrilege - but a lot of people drink it with milk. You might try some. Most people who drink milk add cold milk. If you want hot, foamed milk with a Turkish coffee, make sure you like the results, and a mix of foam, crema and fine grounds.

This is just one of the methods of making Turkish coffee. I mentioned two others in one of my first posts. If you use the quick method (with separately heating the water and pouring over the grounds), it will be done much faster (in about a quarter of the time), but you will get much less crema and the pot should be left alone for longer time to brew/settle properly. The method depicted in this article will get you better results though, both visually and taste-wise - and it's probably simplest to do. It only requires some time and patience.

If you wish to sweeten the coffee with sugar, the best way to do it is during brewing. Add sugar before coffee (since after putting coffee in you're no longer stirring) and proceed as normal. Some cultures like to add some spices too (cinnamon, cardamom etc.), so if you feel like experimenting you might try that too.

Making a mocha

Caffè mocha is basically a cappuccino flavored with chocolate, sometimes with whipped cream on top. It's also called chocolate cappuccino or mocaccino. Do NOT confuse it with similar sounding terms:

• Moka coffee is coffee made in a moka pot
• Mocha coffee beans are beans grown near (or shipped from) the port of Mocha (or Mokha), Yemen

It should taste delicious, creamy, sweet, chocolaty, smooth, velvety and luxurious - like hot chocolate with a punch of coffee. It's a good breakfast drink or a dessert by itself - it can pack some serious calories, especially if you make it with whipped cream. Don't be afraid of putting extra sugar in it - it helps bring out the chocolate. Also, since you get all the syrups and flavors, coffee is a bit muted - which means you can get a delicious mocha even with rather unexciting coffee.

Making it is similar to cappuccino, so refer to those instructions as well. You will need some espresso (or moka pot coffee, or aeropress coffee), foamed milk, and chocolate syrup. If you don't have chocolate syrup, you may mix cocoa powder and some water instead. Optionally, you might want to use whipped cream too. Once you prepare them, do the following steps.

Step 1: Add chocolate syrup of your choice. You might think this would be enough, but you really want to add more than this (double or triple) if you want to seriously taste the chocolate, since milk really dilutes the taste

Step 2: Pour in coffee and stir well to blend with syrup, maybe add a little more syrup

Step 3: Add milk/foam

Step 4 (optional): Add whipped cream on top

Step 5: Drizzle syrup or cocoa powder on top and serve

Best whipped cream is, of course, one you make yourself. Using the aerosol whipped cream simply does not have the same taste.

Standard whipping cream stuff. You can add aromas to your cream too.

If you're making a larger quantity, use something more powerful than milk frother

Layered mochas. Heavier whipped cream will sink through the lighter foam - especially visible on the right drink which has far more foam. I have also been very conservative with whipped cream. In plenty of cafes you get a huge mound of whipped cream.

A four-layer mocha. Chocolate is the bottom layer - in this version it's not pre-mixed with coffee. A bit light on milk. Stir before drinking.

Or, if you want to show the world just how Croatian you are, you can use this:

Using the white chocolate syrup instead, you'll get a white chocolate mocha. Using syrups in other flavors... well, you can get interesting results. Just remember: the more flavors and syrups you add, more calories you drink, and you can taste less of the actual coffee...

Hario Mini Mill has arrived + coffee station pic

My Hario Mini Ceramic Slim Coffee Mill has arrived! I finally have means of grinding coffee that is NOT mortar and pestle :)

After I test it for a while, I'll be writing my experiences with it. Hardly a proper review, since I don't have much to compare it with, to be honest.

Here's a display of my "coffee station" - all my coffee gear:

Top row, left to right:

• Coffee mill (Hario Mini Ceramic Slim)
• Small french press (unknown manufacturer, we got it as a gift)
• Large french press (IKEA Uphetta)
• Electric kettle (Tefal)

Middle row:

• Moka pot (Caldo Caffe)
• Milk frother (IKEA Produkt)
• Turkish coffee pot (Metalac posuđe)

Bottom row:

• My good coffee (Teneo Espresso mix)
• My affordable coffee (Spar Premium)

Instant coffee

Regarding instant coffee, the situation in the world seems split. Everyone who knows something about coffee seems to hate it, yet half the country drinks it regardless. Even in cultures where coffee is a strong part of one's daily life (and even in some where it's grown), instant coffee is still widespread and common - often held in a rather high esteem.

The answher why is often simply: convenience. Regardless of the preparation, real coffee requires some skill, timing, takes a bit more time and takes some more cleaning than instant coffee, and spoils more easily. Just add hot water and your drink is ready. No machinery or special dishes needed, just a cup, water, and magical black powder that will make you a cup of coffee-like caffeinated liquid...

Here's a list of countries which prefer instant over fresh coffee:

Not actually containing
real cappuccino

However, even in plenty of places in Europe well-known for their cafe culture, you'll still find that instant coffee is widespread and acceptable - whether in the form that makes black coffee, or in some "cappuccino" mix.

Note: be careful when ordering flavored cappuccinos in Croatian cafes. Unless you're in a specialty coffee shop, it's quite possible these are actually instant coffee. Many people here associate flavored coffee with instant.

Instant coffee is produced when coffee is brewed, and then dehydrated using some process such as freeze drying or spray drying. This produces granules which are soluble in water, which can rehydrate it.

A lot of the flavor is lost in that processing. The resulting drink only barely resembles fresh coffee. The complexity of aromas and flavors is lost, even when compared to cheapest actual coffees that money can buy. Yes, some of them taste better than others - a premium brand will be tastier than a store brand - but that doesn't make them more natural or having health benefits from a fresh cup.

However, what's left is not universally bad-tasting - it can still taste better than overboiled or rancid coffee. It should just not be confused with real, fresh coffee - or compared to it. It has some coffee-like flavor and caffeine. That's about it.

Nescafe sells not only the instant coffee, their
Dolce Gusto capsule system makes real coffee

Several alternatives to instant coffee which are fast and easy to make and clean up, but which use actual coffee:

• Turkish coffee, hot water pourover method: done almost as fast as instant, only slightly more cleanup.
• French Press: flavorful cup with no grounds, only requires a bit of steeping time.
• Superauto espresso machine: real coffee with a press of the button - that is, if you can afford the machine and have somewhere to place it.
• Pod/capsule espresso machine: real coffee with a press of the button - much cheaper than a superauto, but pods cost a lot of money, and the price does add up in the end. Also, the coffee in them gets a bit stale since it's pre-ground...

Making a cappuccino

A cappuccino (/ˌkæpəˈtʃiːnoʊ/; Italian pronunciation: [kapputˈtʃiːno]) is an Italian coffee drink which is traditionally prepared with espresso, hot milk and steamed-milk foam. The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the colour of their habits, and in this context referring to the colour of the beverage when milk (originally: cream) is added in small portion to dark, brewed coffee (today mostly espresso). The physical appearance of a modern cappuccino with espresso créma and steamed milk is a result of a long evolution of the drink. -Wikipedia

Cappuccino is probably the best-known coffee drink worldwide, and it's an excellent breakfast drink. You can get it in pretty much any place where coffee is served. A cappuccino typically has one shot of espresso (20-30 ml), and the rest of the drink is split approximately half/half between hot milk and milk foam, taking a volume of approximately 150-180 ml - however, you'll find places where the drink is larger, or where ratios are somewhat different. But the basic formula - coffee, milk and foam - doesn't change.

Note: If you're in Croatia at someone's home, and someone asks you if you want a coffee or a cappuccino, by "cappuccino" they'll often mean instant stuff. Therefore, it's best to ask.

Ideally, you'd have an espresso machine with a steam wand... But you can make a pretty good cappuccino without those. Instead of espresso, you may substitute moka or aeropress coffee pulled in a more concentraded way. Won't be the same, but you'll like the result.

The milk should ideally be heated to 65-70 degrees celsius and frothed with a steam wand... or at least a battery-operated frother. This way you can produce a silky smooth and wet microfoam, which you can pour as latte art, and which will separate into milk and foam layers by itself... But doing that is not easy.

Instead, you can get rather satisfactory results using some other methods of frothing milk - though you won't get as perfect results, you'll end up with a pleasing drink at low cost and low gear. Here's two methods:

The jar method

1. Put milk into a jar
2. Close jar and shake like mad
3. Open the jar and microwave the milk to stabilize the foam

The French Press method

1. Pre-heat the milk
2. Put milk into French Press
3. Pump up and down strongly a few times
4. Take the plunger out and put it into a sink or somewhere, and swirl the milk around (you may microwave it too).

Ideally, the final milk volume should not be over 50%-ish more than what you had at start. If it's doubled, it is probably too dry. If you're wondering whether to do coffee or milk first - go with coffee, to get the best milk possible. Cappuccino is very much about the milk.

Once you got your coffee and milk ready, it's time to mix them:

Step 1: Pour in coffee

Step 2: Add milk/foam. If your foam is too dry to pour, use a spoon

Step 3: Decorate (optional) and serve

You may use cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, chocolate syrup etc. to decorate the cup, or maybe not

Here's another cappuccino, undecorated foam in a clear cup and with foam made using a milk frother.

Congratulations! You got yourself a cup of homemade cappucino, done with minimum of gear and pretty close to the stuff they serve in most cafes. Probably good looking too.

Some coffee stuff from IKEA...

I live a few minutes distance from IKEA, so last night I went there for a cup of free coffee (that goes with their card) and to pick up some coffee gear - as shown on the pic to my left.

On top is Upphetta French Press. I've actually had it for a while now, but I included it in the list as I thought it could probably be interesting. Yes, I've got two French Presses. Upphetta is the bigger of the two, with 1L capacity. When I use it, I usually only make half of the full press. It's huge. It costs 79,90 kn. If you live someplace else, best check your local prices - they can differ from country to country, so I'm not converting them to other currencies.

In the lower left, there's the Produkt milk frother. It costs 7,90 kn, and I got it to try and make some nice milk foam with it. I can make some with French press too, but this was a cheap purchase and who knows? Perhaps it will be worth it. Requires 2 AA batteries.

In the lower right, there's two stacked Stelna cups. 230 ml capacity, they're almost free - they cost 2,90 kn each. I like the look of glass cups, so I got two.

Other coffee stuff they have: moka pots (stainless steel), kettles, carafes, milk frothing pitchers, thermos bottles, more cups and mugs,

Are you using something you got there in your coffee life? Leave a comment :)

Coffee drink recipes

I already wrote a few articles about making coffee. Basic coffee. You can find them in the How to make coffee - instructions link to your right. Besides that, I'll also share recipes for coffee-based drinks, such as cappuccinos etc. - with a step by step guide, of course. You will be able to find them using the How to make coffee drinks - recipes link to your right. I wanted to separate the two :)

For coffee drinks that traditionally use espresso, you can substitute with moka or a strong shot of Aeropress. It won't be the same, but it will work nicely and get you delicious results.

For a start, here's a nice visual guide that you will find useful:

How to use a Moka Pot to make coffee

Moka pot is an amazing tool. Invented by the Italian company Bialetti in 30s, it will give you a drink similar to espresso which you can drink straight or use instead of espresso in various drinks such as macchiatos, cappucinos or lattes. You don't need any measure for it - the pots are pre-measured to a certain size, in a number of cups (meaning espresso cups, not huge mugs). Pics in the instructions below are made using a 6-cup pot.

Step 1: Heat water in a kettle (optional)

Step 2: Fill water up to the release valve

Step 3: Add coffee

Step 4: Level coffee with your finger and place it in pot

Step 5: Screw in top part (careful, base is HOT if you pre-heated the water!) and place on low to medium heat

Step 6: Coffee starts pouring in after a while.

At this level, keep it on stove for some 10-15 more seconds, and then remove

Step 7: Done! Enjoy your coffee :)

Pre-heating up water in a pot is optional, personally I found that it gives better results than using cold water - since coffee is on stove for a shorter time, there's less chance coffee will end up burned due to pot heating up. Also, I removed it from the stove before the all water percolated up, since that tends to overextract the coffee (and comes close to boiling it).

Best coffee is freshly ground to espresso size, or slightly coarser than that.

Some of the most notable moka pots:

• Bialetti Moka Express - the original, comes in various sizes - be sure to select the right one for you
• IKEA RÅDIG - stainless steel option, with different styling - but only one size
• Bialetti Brikka - built slightly differently from Moka, with a special valve that builds pressure to the higher levels than Moka - coffee is released quickly, with richer crema

These pots are typically very durable. However, you might need to replace the rubber or silicone gasket after some time. These are not expensive - but be sure you're getting them in the correct size.

Clean mostly with water. If residual oils build up too much and go rancid, boil a mixture of water and alcoholic vinegar to clean the moka pot.

Manual coffee grinding with mortar and pestle

One of the most notable things during the coffee course I took is that there is nothing like freshly roasted and ground coffee... and I found myself with a bag of coffee beans and no grinder.

Since none of the local stores carried a good burr grinder for a reasonable price, I decided to order a Hario Mini grinder online (I'll review it when I get it).

However, in the meanwhile I decided to make some coffee using the oldest and most traditional method of making it: the trusty old mortar and pestle. Coffee ground in mortar and pestle was the first sort served in European coffee houses in 17th and 18th century, and it's still done like that in various parts of the world...

I had a feeling this wouldn't be easy. I measured (approximately - four teaspoons) the amount of coffee that I was going to use (pic on the right), and then started to grind.

The beans started to crack, and I had to cover the opening or they would fly out. 

After about five minutes, most of the beans were already ground, and very pleasant coffee aroma was spreading around the entire room. The photo to the left displays how the beans looked after five minutes of grinding.

My palms started to hurt a bit by that time. I found it easier to stand, as it would engage the shoulder muscles better, or even hip muscles. All in all, this is quite a workout.

While the majority of the coffee was going well, there were some larger chunks that kept eluding me.

After a total of 15 minutes, I was done. I ground it coarsely, for French Press - and proceeded to brew one.

I still had a few coarser pieces left, so the grind wasn't really uniform - but probably more uniform than I'd get from a blade grinder. Still, it was quite a workout - and with a 25 minute total preparation time (from coffee grounds to a pot of coffee), this probably isn't something most people would do.

But if you have the time, why not? As a matter of fact, several hours after I did it again - but with half as much coffee (as I was going for half a small press), and that took 6 minutes.

I wouldn't suggest going for finer grinds (e.g. to make espresso or a Turkish coffee) using mortar and pestle. That would probably take long enough for the coffee to lose a lot of flavor in the process...

Of course, once you're done with it be sure to wash your mortar and pestle, as well as the rest of your coffee gear.