Coffee

Kalita Wave Coffee Dripper

June 4, 2016 by Michele Neylon Leave a Comment

I am a self-confessed coffee addict. Unless and until I’ve had a cup (or two) of coffee I don’t really feel like my day has started.

Over the years I’ve tried pretty much every type of coffee making contraption that exists. However recently I acquired a Kalita wave coffee dripper. It’s almost like going back in time to when I used to use filter coffee.

However the Kalita wave is a thing of beauty:

Instead of the quite nasty plastic that traditional filters use, the Kalita is available in a choice of metals. I opted for the stainless steel version, though there is also a really attractive copper one. Unfortunately the copper version would have cost practically double!

It makes a really good cup of coffee, though I’m not going to be weighing the exact quantities of coffee, water etc., that some people advise! (Who the hell has time for that?)

Better Coffee While On The Road

June 24, 2014 by Michele Neylon 2 Comments

If you’re a lover of coffee you probably start your day with a coffee. However not all coffees are equal and when you’re travelling you’re pretty much at the mercy of your hotel’s facilities and those of its surroundings. While some hotels, notably the Radisson chain, provide proper coffee machines in their rooms, many, such as the Hilton, only give you horrible instant coffee. (Admittedly some of the Hilton properties in the US do provide Kreug machines, but it’s not a given that you’ll get one).

A few weeks ago I decided to rectify the problem once and for all and purchased an Aeropress coffee machine.

The Aeropress system

It’s not too big to fit in my suitcase and the coffee it produces is significantly better than the rubbish I’d have been stuck with in some of the hotels (Hilton London Metropole I’m looking at you!)

So when you fall out of bed in the morning instead of making a barely drinkable instant coffee you can start your day with a rich fresh coffee!

More Adventures in Flavoured Coffee

April 13, 2014 by Michele Neylon 1 Comment

I’ve been trying out different flavoured coffees over the last few months. Why? Because they’re tasty.

Is it sacrilege? I don’t think so.

Yesterday I picked up 3 different flavours of coffee from a local shop:

vanilla
Macadamian nut
Bavarian chocolate – I’ve no idea why Bavaria would be associated with chocolate, but I thought I’d give it a go

When I’m travelling in the US I come across a lot of flavoured “milks” and other things, but they’re not readily available in Ireland. You can, however, get your hands on some of the syrups in some supermarkets. While I like the syrups they’re full of sugar and so I’d prefer to avoid them it at all possible.

The flavoured coffees are a good compromise 🙂

Tracking Coffee Consumption With Up Coffee

March 15, 2014 by Michele Neylon 3 Comments

I love coffee. However I’m also conscious that I probably drink a bit too much.

But how much coffee and caffeine am I consuming every day? What kind of impact does it have on me?

While the new app from Jawbone “UP Coffee” might not be able to able to answer these questions with 100% accuracy, it does a pretty good job of trying to.

The app is pretty simple.

You log the coffees and other caffeine beverages that you consume throughout the day (including the time you drank them) and the app calculates how much caffeine is in your system and how soon you’ll be able to sleep:

So after two cups of coffee I should be able to sleep again after 4pm.

The app can hook into your Jawbone UP, if you have one, and if you tie the two together you should be able to access more data about things like your sleep quality. As I’m a Fitbit user I can’t take advantage of those options, but I can still use it to track coffee consumption over time and compare my habits to those of other users.

Of course the problem with this app and most other apps that track food etc., is that you have to remember to log what you consume. Sure, you can go back and add things “after the fact”, but you still need to do it.

The app’s a nice idea and if I was seriously concerned about my coffee consumption or suffered from insomnia I might use it more.. As it is it’s a bit of a fun gimmick.

You can grab the app via the Apple app store.

Up Coffee is Jawbone’s solution for America’s caffeine addiction (theverge.com)
‘UP Coffee’ App Measures Caffeine Consumption, Impact On Sleep: Could An App Help Treat Caffeine Addiction? (medicaldaily.com)
UP Coffee app helps you track and understand caffeine consumption (flowingdata.com)
Control Your Caffeine Jitters with the ‘UP Coffee’ App from Jawbone (ireport.cnn.com)
App helps the caffeine addicts (news.optuszoo.com.au)

Godiva Hazelnut Crème Coffee

December 8, 2013 by Michele Neylon Leave a Comment

I love coffee. Nothing new there.

Last week I was in Brussels for a meeting, so I stopped off in the duty free shops on my way home to get a few bits and pieces. Of course “duty free” isn’t true these days, as you only really get those kind of prices when you’re flying outside the EU. Brussels airport may not be my favourite airport, but it’s got a fantastic selection of chocolate and other gourmet products to tempt you. One of them is Godiva Hazelnut Crème Coffee.

It’s not cheap – if you buy it online directly from Godiva it’s about 15 Euro for a packet – but it is a wonderfully tasty way to spend a few Euro 🙂

Jokes aside, if you like coffee it’s worth it to treat yourself from time to time.

Hazelnut coffee and other flavours may not be acceptable to “purists”, but nobody is forcing them to drink the coffee!

At work I’ve been buying a variety of different flavoured coffees to try out.

Some of them have been very good, while others, like the Christmas pudding flavoured one, were “odd”

Coffee Day

September 29, 2013 by Michele Neylon Leave a Comment

Apparently today is “Coffee Day” in several countries around the world. The fact that it falls on a Sunday is unfortunate, as it’s probably the day when people drink less coffee (apart from Saturday)

I tend to drink most coffee during weekdays, as I need the “kick” more, though I do drink coffee at the weekend as well.

The guys over at Mashable published this graphic that playfully explains your “type” based on your choice of coffee. It ignores that some of us don’t drink particular coffees due to calorie concerns, but it’s still semi-amusing:

What’s In A Coffee?

September 17, 2013 by Michele Neylon Leave a Comment

Wired have produced a short video explaining what is in a coffee ie. beyond coffee and water, what are the various elements in coffee and what do they actually do.

Enjoy!

Coffee

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