The Bougie Coffee Thread

[42Willys]

I did not like coffee until 2019, on a trip to Naples, Italy on government business. I was exploring the Vomero neighborhood overlooking the city. Exiting the furnicular tramway directly into a cafe (my how the Italians streamline the acquisition of caffeine), I asked for "the usual." I got a double expresso and a small pastry. Talk about wake up juice! This is the cafe, image stolen from google maps.

This is the view from Vomero and the tramway, probably the most boug part of Naples and a real nice place. Images mine.



On the way home, at the Naples airport, I got a cappuccino, and that was really good.

I started making my own brew with a tiny Bialetti Moka pot a friend stationed in Italy had sent me a couple years before.

Now I use a large Bialetti Moka pot that produces three times the brew and a manual milk frother that heats on the stove to make my own cappuccino. Sometimes I use a manual expresso machine by Neo that my brother, a bougie coffee fiend, gave me. The results from both are so good I would drink it without the caffeine.



I only drink one coffee a day so if I don't love it, I don't drink it. And true to the Italian way, no cappuccino after 1100, it messes with digestion.

[rob_s]

this probably offends the bougie coffee crowd but this seemed as good as any place to discuss this...

is there such a thing as instant coffee pre-sweetened with real sugar and not fake/alternative sugars? and no cream/creamer?

Reason I ask is... camping. When we are out int he RV I generally drink only cold brew (Stok sweetened is my fav) because I simply can't be bothered to deal with all the fiddle-fart. But sometimes, I'd still like to have that hot cup. and the STok does kinda take up a lot of space vs just using water from the camper that we have anyway.

I am gonna grab a box of these guys, but they seem perhaps questionable and pricey, although at volume they get a lot less expensive per cube.

Cafetinto Organic Instant Coffee Cubes 9 Pieces | Colombian Coffee & All Natural Panela Coffee Cubes

[Erik]

I was on a dive boat in Indonesia that served some Indonesian brand of instant coffee. It was honestly really good, which shocked me. It wasn't sweetened but it was easy. A quick search suggests you could order some Indonesian instant and perhaps even some with cream and sugar in it.

[Flamingo]

Got these for the wife when we camp/hike. She likes this brand a lot. I think

[rob_s]

Got these for the wife when we camp/hike. She likes this brand a lot. I think

unfortunately they don't appear to have a version without creamer, at least that I've been able to find.

[okie john]

is there such a thing as instant coffee pre-sweetened with real sugar and not fake/alternative sugars? and no cream/creamer?

I got to try some of the prototype Starbucks Via back when I was contracting at their headquarters. It was surprisingly good. There might be a variant that works for you.


Okie John

[vcdgrips]

Rob-S

I used these for Philmont 2014 with great success. I am sure there are cheaper at Trader Joes v Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-I...a-570163887999

Alternatively My goto BSA Campout Mix:
1 Tablespoon Bustelo Instant Espresso
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Powdered Milk.

Stored in an Rx bottle makes 2 cups (16ishoz). If it was a cold weather campout or if I had a cooler, you can cut the powdered milk and go with real 1/2 1/2, cream, whole milk etc.
I am sure you could play with the mix to taste as well.

I heated my water with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Optimus-Compa...s%2C93&sr=8-21

[rob_s]

I got to try some of the prototype Starbucks Via back when I was contracting at their headquarters. It was surprisingly good. There might be a variant that works for you.

I also enjoy the via, but I'm hoping to find something with the sugar "built in"

Rob-S

I used these for Philmont 2014 with great success. I am sure there are cheaper at Trader Joes v Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-I...a-570163887999

unfortunately, contains creamer. surprisingly hard to find without.

Alternatively My goto BSA Campout Mix:
1 Tablespoon Bustelo Instant Espresso
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Powdered Milk.

Stored in an Rx bottle makes 2 cups (16ishoz). If it was a cold weather campout or if I had a cooler, you can cut the powdered milk and go with real 1/2 1/2, cream, whole milk etc.
I am sure you could play with the mix to taste as well.

I heated my water with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Optimus-Compa...s%2C93&sr=8-21

interesting idea to roll your own. I suppose I could do the math to determine how much powdered coffee to a "serving" and how much sugar to that same serving and generate my ratio from there. I don't need or want the dairy in this case so that simplifies things, but one of the issues with the STok and some similar brands is that they require refrigeration, so there's a shared challenge there.

I have some ultra-fine sugar for cocktail making that's pretty expensive but might reduce the overall mass as well...

[okie john]

I also enjoy the via, but I'm hoping to find something with the sugar "built in"

Ms. Okie likes the sweetened Starbucks cold brew that Safeway sells. Not sure if it's actual sugar, though. It's in liquid form, so there's weight involved.


Okie John

[Erik]

I have some ultra-fine sugar for cocktail making that's pretty expensive but might reduce the overall mass as well...

Confectioners/powdered sugar is cheap and fine. No idea how it dissolves.