new in: espresso cups and black coffee

This was sparked out of a conversation I had with the lovely Gemma recently on Twitter (whose blog, Hello Gemma, has had a rebrand, and looks amazing!) about coffee. She was talking of her fear of a milky coffee, whereas I have a fear of people drinking jet black, iced coffee. I don't know how you do it, it filled me with fear until about two months ago, when I suddenly decided that wow, hey, black coffee is actually quite nice?

I think it very much depends on the type of coffee you buy, also. I discovered this amazing coffee in Waitrose when I worked there, the Guatemala Antigua by the brand 360 / Three Sixty. It's an amazing, well balanced blend that tastes excellent when it's freshly brewed, hot and senza milk.  

I tried it once or twice, and decided it really wasn't that bad! And sometimes, you haven't got time to sit and mull over a frothy latte, sometimes you're in a rush in the morning, and you've just got to put your coffee on to brew whilst making your lunch for the day, and then knock it back before running out the door, haha.

This new revelation warranted a new purchase, obviously, so I picked up these adorable little cups in Sainsbury's back in February (I've seen them a lot on blogs and stuff, though, so they probably still do them). I think they're actually supposed to be like Chinese tea cups, because they seemed to be with a lot of stuff around Chinese New Year - however, they make the most perfect espresso cups, I'm obsessed with them. 

I've not disowned my one true love - a sweet, milky latte - though, don't you worry, but I've just realised there are other coffee options out there. It took me about ten years to realised that black coffee was pretty nice, and that I'm perfectly capable of drinking coffee with no sweetener. So it'll probably take me about another ten years to go off milk! haha.

the summer of iced coffee

(photographs from howsweeteats.com and thepioneerwoman.com)

I really do love coffee, you probably know that if you've read my blog for a while. At uni, I went through a stage of drinking a coffee when I got up, a big flask of coffee on my way into uni and in my studio in the morning, again at midmorning and at lunch, and then one mid-afternoon and sometimes when I got home. It was probably why I was so neurotic at university, but we'll leave that story for another post. 

But I mentioned in my a recent post that I just cannot stomach hot liquid when the temperature is above twenty degrees. And this was the summer that I apparently perfected my iced coffee recipe. I know it's drawing to a close now, but there are a few of you out there that are fans, so thought I'd show you the recipes I've been drooling over recently.

• Cold brew coffee 101: cold brew is next on my list to try, it's apparently less bitter or acidic tasting than hot-brewed coffee, and it can keep for quite a while in the fridge. I definitely want to try this, but I need a bigger cafetiere - my mini one doesn't hold much. There is also coldtz brew coffee, Pioneer Woman style; I say PW-style because it is, like most of her recipes, super-sized.
• Cold brew coffee & Mint Syrup: we have two giant bushes of amazing smelling mint left over at the allotment from the previous owners, I'm tempted to harvest a load and try this out. 
• How to make a layered latte: I really had no idea that this was so easy? Maybe it's a rookie mistake on my part, but it looks so cool and it really is completely easy.
• Easy to make coffee syrups: Again, they look really simple to make and I know I'll definitely be trying one of these once my Lidl caramel syrup has run out.
• Ultimate iced coffee: this doesn't really tell me anything that I didn't already know, but the photographs are mouthwateringly good. 
• Vanilla cinnamon coffee: I'm saving this mostly for the autumn. How some people go over Pumpkin Spice-everything? I'm like that with cinnamon. Cinnamon everything in the autumn. 
• 'Skinny' vegan coffee: Personally, I don't like almond milk, but I get that it is lower in fat than regular milk. I don't know how almond milk would effect a coffee, I figure not at all, but then again I wouldn't know, so thought I'd include this here.
• Condensed milk iced coffee: Now I know this is a thing, usually called Vietnamese coffee, because I know they used it with condensed milk, but if you've ever tasted condensed milk, it is the most sickly sweet thing imaginable. But that could negate the need for syrup, so I'm willing to try it.

Look, Huffington Post understands. It's just really good and so damn refreshing in the heat we've had this summer..

iced coffee afternoons (and mornings, and evenings...)

I love it when it's hot, I love long sunny days and the heat beating down on you..  But I also hate it when it's so hot outside that it's hot inside and you get woken at the crack of dawn because it's starting to get hot (the less said about birds, in particular magpies, the better) out - or when it's 4PM and you're desperately flagging because you got up so early, and you haven't even started your evening shift yet..

I am not one of those people that can drink hot drinks in the summer (who are you people? No, really, I am bewildered by you). And getting an iced coffee every-time I go out is not practical, or wallet/waistline friendly. So I've started the mission to perfect my favourite iced coffee. I think I'm getting there. It's pretty simple, to be honest, but I thought I'd share with you my favourite things to use.

YOU'LL NEED:

- Ice: And a lot of it. I have sensitive teeth so I use a straw, but the ice is what makes it so refreshing.

- Milk: Whatever is your preference.

- Ground coffee: My current favourite is the Taylor's Hot Lava Java.

- Cafetiere: Mine is a one-cup one from Bodum - as I'm the only person that drinks coffee, it works just fine.

- Syrup/Sweetener: I picked up a Caramel one in Lidl the other week, and it's absolutely ace.

STEPS:

1. Make sure you have ice ready. I'm always crap at remembering to make ice-cubes because we never have space in our freezer. I use those plastic bags because you can squish them into small spaces between your precious ice-cream.

2. Make your coffee. I make mine extra strong, because it loses a lot of taste when it cools down, and I like a strong coffee anyway. I normally make it 2-3 times stronger than I would make it for my regular coffee.

3. Let it brew - I let it cool down to room temperature, then either use it straight away, or chill it in the fridge.

4. Fill a glass with ice. I cram quite a lot in. Then add your milk. I usually fill it about two thirds of the way full with milk.

5. Pour coffee in over the top and stir to mix it. Add syrup if wanted - I find a teaspoon is enough for a regular glass size.

Like I said - it's ridiculously simple, I just never really thought about making my own, until recently. Plus, you'll save yourself a load of money, because a bag of coffee and some syrup last you for a lot longer than the equivalent spent at Starbucks or Costa.

I'm going to try making some cold-brew coffee next, because I've read that that is the way to go for iced-coffee as you get a stronger taste? If you have any tips or things to try in it - let me know!