Instant Coffee vs. Speciality Coffee
My Speciality Coffee Brewing Methods At Home
So, you've been to Starbucks, Costa or a speciality coffeehouse and you've ordered a latte, cappuccino or maybe a filter coffee. It almost feels like a special treat, right? Something you have when you're out and about, and certainly not something you'd ever make for yourself at home – but why?
Unfortunately, a large proportion of people drinking coffee still reach instant due to the availability, cost and convenience when at home or at work. But what if you want something reminiscent of the coffee you drink when out for brunch on Sunday with your friends at a nice coffeehouse when you're at home or work?
Well, there are plenty of options available to you via our coffee subscriptions that suits a whole host of brewing methods, as well as a range of taste and preferences. In this series, I'd like to talk you through those options and help you navigate what can be a daunting coffee landscape. Lets first just touch on the 3 reasons why people choose instant coffee:
1 Availability - you can pick it up in almost any supermarket or shop. But that availability comes at the detriment to the quality;
2 Cost - it's cheap. Typically ranging from between £3.00-5.00;
3 Convenience - it's simple and can be made by just adding hot water.
Instant Coffee vs. Speciality Coffee
Now, whilst the cost is typically higher with speciality coffee, it is widely available and there are methods which are convenient. For example, when we're at home we tend to make either a French Press or V60. These, unlike espresso-based drinks, such as Flat White's, don't require a wide range of equipment such as an espresso coffee machine or milk steamer to prepare. They're also both relatively quick to make and made simple with an app we use called Brewtime. This app allows you to select your preferred brew method, for example, French Press, and then will provide you with the measurements based on how much water (and therefore how many cups) you want to make. Then, press start and the instructions will appear in real-time as you prepare the coffee. It's like having your very own Barista standing by talking you through it.
As we run through this series, we are going to take an instant coffee brand available at a supermarket and suggest a speciality coffee you can graduate on to with a brew method explained. Just to clarify, we will not be saying that there are similarities between the shop bought instant coffee and the speciality coffee we review (before any of our roasters become concerned about misrepresentation), we will simply be making suggestions based on the descriptors the brands use and highlighting how easy that 'treat' coffee can be to achieve.
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.