4 definite as that is part of my dietary regime to make sure I get enough liquids and calories via the sugar but maybe 5. Difficult to drink much more when the whole of your diet is liquid.
hmmm... less than 5 a day might start to be Nespresso territory. High cost per cup but machines are cheap and maintenance is basic. Nespresso have one of the best "first cup of the day" because of sealed capsule. Wide choice of coffee types too.
they are all much of a muchness... Krups, Delonghi, the cheaper the better. They all have a Nespresso brewing unit.
A pretty comprehensive list of UK based roasters who have an online presence http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?1656-UK-Based-Roasters Not sure why you think that is, and don't quite understand the "first cup of the day" point? I have less than 5 per day (4, but it's less) and I'm definitely not using nespresso. Just what it sounds like, a taste of berries. The Here's Johnny blend on HasBean is a good example of this coming through very clearly, with a (very unsubtle, but not in a bad way) blueberry finish.
professional espresso machines produce foul coffee for the first two or three cups, until everything is warm and running. Also Mokas aren't good if not used often. Ground coffee if not sealed doesn't keep its flavour for more than a few hours... Agree your mileage may vary but the first cup out of a "cold" nespresso machine to me is more than decent, unlike any other model and system I tried.
I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if I'm repeating someone else's suggestion but you can't go far wrong with a Hario Mini Mill and Bialetti moka pot. Both are quality pieces of kit that should last forever and will open up a whole new world of proper coffee (beans). I've had my "6 cup" Bialetti moka pot (makes 3 mugs of latte/cappucino) and Mini Mill for a few years now and I wouldn't be without them. Also, buying green beans and roasting them yourself gives you control over how light/dark you want the roast as well as giving you fresh high quality varieties at supermarket-bean prices (roughly half the price of an "artisan" roaster). I currently have some Old Brown Java and Tarrazu Valley on the go, roasted by moi. Very nice they are too. The pot: £21 delivered on Amazon. The grinder: £18 quid delivered on Amazon.
Get the most basic machine at £89,-- like the Krups Inissia or Citiz. They are really well engineered --head and shoulders above the coffee pod competition. Personally I stick with the black Ristretto pods; all the others seem a bit much if a muchess and I don't taste a lot of difference between them. I recommend using a mug with a wide bottom for the Aeropress, lest you risk the whole setup jack-knifing under your palm as you press down on the plunger. For coffee beans I recommend Monsoon Malabar. Dark roast and chocolaty.
I used my (£54 on offer!) Saeco Pomeia with Lavazza Oro today and it was lovely. Let it warm up and run off 150ml as per the instruction and don't have a problem with the first cup. It's also the only one I'll probably make today but it so easy to use and clean it's not a problem. I prefer it to my old Tassimo by far.
Whilst some of this is getting a little bit off topic in terms of helping out Kronos, I feel I need to call out some misinformation. Professional machines can produce exceptional coffee from the first shot in the morning through out the entire day. Larger professional machines can be pretty impractical to use in the house (multi-group, plumbed and drained and either gas fired or require 32A power, for instance), I'm not talking about those here, however the first shot of the day is just as good as the last, the whole point of professional machines is consistency and being ready to go at any time once they've reached temperature. There are, plenty of smaller commercial grade machines which are suitable for both professional and domestic use (popularly referred to as pro-sumer). These machines are just as suitable for once shot a day as they are for 50. One of the main points of such a machine is temperature consistency, which is key to producing good coffee. One of the ways temperature consistency is achieved in many commercial designs is mass (of the group and either of water in the brew boiler, or water in the main boiler for a HX). This is what can take time to heat. One of the most popular pro-sumer espresso groups is the E61, which consists of around 4kg of brass heated via a thermosiphon. This also is amongst the longest to heat up, taking around 30 mins idling, or around 20 mins with a few flushes. If you just flick one of these one and expect a good coffee, you've not done your homework well enough. I have one such machine, have a timer switch it on around 30 mins before I wake up and leave it on until I've had my last coffee of the day, as such it's ready to go at any time. This isn't for everyone, clearly, with most people settling for a compromise in the cup. Even very small consumer espresso machines need proper time to get warmed up. The Gaggia Classic is a very well regarded entry level home espresso machine, it still needs 10 minutes minimum to be "ready", and even then the temperature stability is very poor, varying up to 20c throughout the course of a 30 second shot. This normally manifests itself by a bitter start to the shot (over temp) and a sour end (under temp). For an espresso machine, pod or otherwise, to be ready to go in 30 seconds or less, the trade off is in temperature stability, and as such the quality of the coffee produced. In terms of keeping ground coffee fresh, there's really no such thing. If you buy coffee pre-ground, it's already stale. If you buy packaged beans from a supermarket, they're also already stale. The only way to consume fresh coffee is to use beans roasted within the last month and grind on-demand. Once roasted, beans are at their freshest for 2-3 weeks before starting to lose flavour. Once you grind, this is down to mere minutes. This goes whether you're using a moka pot, an aeropress, a french press, an espresso machine or anything else, and each one of these methods can produce exceptional coffee whether you're having a single coffee per day or dozens. I'm glad I'm not the only one that's done that
I use a hand grinder and a £5 French press from argos. Somebody has more then likely mentioned already, but If you decide to grind your own coffee beans make sure you buy a Burr grinder rather than the cheaper blade grinders.
I've never done it, but I have that sort of OCD mind that can see problems coming a mile off. Call me neurotic, but I've never lost my wallet or keys... The Hario Skerton is actually a relabelled Kyocera with ceramic burr mechanism. It's pretty good, and so popular that there are various after market mods for it to eke out even more consistent performance.
I discovered this evening that instant coffee made from milk is far tastier thsn that made with water so perhaps I need to rethink my coffee appliance strategy.
Milky coffee's are probably seen as less...purist. Sort of like whiskey fanciers complaining about people drinking whiskey and coke.
