Hey presso – perfect espresso!
September 5, 2006
A perfect cup of coffee first thing in the morning doesn’t guarrantee a perfect day, but it helps. A lot. I love the morning coffee ritual, and if I am in a spot where decent coffee isn’t available I get scratchy, grumpy and peevish.
On our recent trip to Cornwall for instance, the hotel where we stayed thoughtfully provided a kettle, little packets of fake milk and quaint tubs of instant coffee. @#*! Disgusting. Starbucks has yet to colonise Cornwall, and cafe owners with proper esspresso machines are fairly thin on the ground, particularly over holiday weekends.
A number of years ago now, when Doppelganger and I set off on our road trip from Vancouver to Hawaii, I was fully prepared with a little traveling french press which makes reasonable coffee and that has accompanied me on many subsequent trips. I have been yearning for a decent espresso machine for quite some time, and shortly before leaving Vancouver, jb and I received a small one for Christmas. Hooray, lattes every morning. When packing for London, we did bring our pasta machine, but left the espresso machine behind because for some strange and unfathomable reason, Britain has its very own voltage and north american appliances don’t work here. Besides, it was quite big, and heavy.
But now I have found the perfect solution to our needs. It might seem strange to be so excited about an espresso machine, but i am, and I think you all need one of these things too.
This machine works without power – all you need is a way to boil water. It is fairly light and portable, and is perfect for camping or cabins or traveling. It doesn’t froth milk, but it makes superb espresso! I tried it out yesterday while I was at the design company who produces them, and it was a seriously good espresso – better than french press coffee. I am sold.
September 5, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Oh my god. I need that! Not only does it make precioussss coffee, but the design is lovely. What’s it called? Where do I find one???
September 5, 2006 at 6:46 pm
i was totally thinking of you when i saw it… i knew you needed one!
umm, but i think i’ll have to get it for you, they cost around 75 pounds here, and the only reason i found them is because i went to the company that makes them yesterday. (they’re also a product design consultancy place – v interesting)
so let me know if you want one – i can always send it to canada with my sister in november …
September 6, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Found me way here from 50books. I’m headed to London in the spring with my mother-in-law. Aside from horse tranquilizers, what other products would you recommend as must-haves for a 12-day journey? (We’ll be spending time in the country as well as in London.) Thanks for your advice!
September 7, 2006 at 9:25 am
So much advice! I did a recent post with general advice here
and as for must have items: top of the list – comfy shoes! umbrella. The water is pretty hard here, so hair conditioner and moisturiser are good, and i never travel anywhere without earplugs.
If you let me know what kind of thing you’re interested in, I can point you to some good sites that list various events and places of interest, other than the good old time out.
September 8, 2006 at 8:47 am
[...] We have been playing happily with our fabulous new presso machine, and so far it is delivering on all its promises to make perfect espresso. Even the hand frother is quite good and easy to use. But I have learned something that I never knew before about coffee, and that is: coffee has essential oils that are extracted under pressure. If you pour boiling water onto the coffee, it can make it bitter. However, if you wait a couple of minutes and then pour the water, the coffee will be rich and delicious with no bitterness. Posted by bicyclefish Filed in Uncategorized [...]