PIOTR&PAWEL supermarket coffee adventure - part 5

Slimming, ice and green coffee

Welcome to a fancy little grocery store called 'Piotr i Paweł'. When hypermarkets are crowded with shoppers, this shop is never like that. The interior is well thought through so that you feel good inside and your shopping is a pleasure, not routine. We would often stop by here to get couple things during the weekdays.

What i was totally not ready for, was the slimming coffee! Finally, my struggle on whether exercise or not has been solved. Just have another cup of coffee, bro. You'll be looking tight today. Seriously, I have no idea how this concept works. Tell me if you do. How is it different from slimming tea, I wonder?

Two of the already familiar brands from my current adventure have their place here too. More than that, MK Cafe even has a roast suitable for both espresso and "polish style" (simply put grinded coffee into the cup and pour hot water on it). I fought with the temptation to buy it and test if it is actually so. Gotta drink up the coffee I have bought already! eventually I did buy it. Excited to give it a try now! Among other coffees, Thcibo Prvat Kaffe is represented by three good looking and promising bags. Two of those I had the privilege to brew. Quite decent stuff, I must say.

Krüger brand has got Ice Coffee Latte to offer. It did get my mind wondering. How do you make it? I am not big on coffee with milk. Yet I know many of us are. Would you be interested on how to make this? I remember having cold coffee drinks in US but making those at home would be quite an adventure. I'm getting some training on brewing cappuccino soon, then I'll play with this concept I guess.

Nescafe and Tchibo didn't forget about the owners of espresso machines with capsules. Here is some tasty sounding and looking stuff for you. Latte macchiato title prevailing. Even being a black coffee lover, at times I would be in the mood for some milk and even syrup in my coffee. Mmm, now I want that machine too. My coffee set is not full without it.

Piotr i Paweł is a nice store and has a good choice of coffee. Maybe more of popular coffee rather than premium or specialty. However, if you drink coffee often or have a big family, dealing with one 250 gr bag in 2-3 days (while coffee still has the aroma) shouldn't be a problem.

ALDI supermarket coffee adventure - part 4

Capsules and E.S.E. pods

This was my first visit to Aldi ever. Heard of it to be a German chain of grocery stores with lower prices achieved by focusing on simplicity in interior design rather than comfort. Not ready to judge the prices, but would give you my general impression of the store. A neat parking lot and handy shopping carts (carefully protected from rain when stored outside) would be among the pleasant ones.

What do I see first on entering? It is so similar to Lidl! 4-5 rows of items, not very large. On top of food, offers a bit of everything, including clothes and some tools. Yet, I have one more goal than simply shopping for groceries.

What about coffee? One sees coffee offers from the very entrance door. Those are, of course, advertised items. Still, coffee fans will probably appreciate. Seeing coffee just sets me in a good mood. I keep in mind what I just saw and move along the rows.

So what is special about Aldi? I must say they have their own set of brands. Not same thing you see everywhere. In case you find something you like, you'll be back. Rivals just might not have it available. The more I explore, the more curious I become about what kind of coffee is offered here. Anything exclusive, local or unusual? Maybe more of German brands than others?

Other than several instant coffee options and 1 kilo bags with beans roasted for espresso machines Aldi has coffee capsules and even E.S.E. pods (circle shaped coffee bags). When I spotted those I remembered having a portable espresso machine Handpresso. Gotta find it somewhere in the pile of boxes stored before the move to Poland! Have you got one of those? Cool concept, isn't it? Imagine yourself driving outside the city, stopping somewhere in a picturesque spot, breathe some fresh air and sip a  hot espresso. Oh yes, it is heaven))).

These round coffee pods are my reason to come back to Aldi. I'm curious whether I can find them anywhere else. Yet, first I gotta find my machine! Ok,what should we say as a conclusion? The range of coffee here is not that wide at all. I couldn't find something suitable for filter coffee, for example.
Espresso lovers should be able to satisfy their thirst here. Several new names in instant coffee would be interesting to try out if instant is your choice. Aldi stands out among the rivals for being different. I love that. There is definitely a reason for it to exist, keep things simple and be itself.

TESCO continued...supermarket coffee adventure - part 3b

Guatemala by MK Cafe, which brew works for you?

Soon after getting home from work a wonderful idea hits my mind. How about some coffee? Perfect timing I would say. Not too late to save me from staying up all night and looking at the stars. I find 6-7 pm a great time for a cup of joe. Hm, what kind of coffee should I have then?
I recently got a pack of Guatemala by MK Cafe. The front side of it says 'Advised by baristas'. Bold statement it is, so let's see how it turns out.

Aeropress

I'm in the mood for an aeropress coffee. It just seems a really good option when you need enough coffee for yourself only. My son helps me grind 12 grams of beans. He finds the grinding process cool. I help him grind by putting my hand over his and in a minute we are ready to brew.
The unpacked coffee smells and looks like it is intended more for espresso than filter methods. Yet, I don't own a machine, and the pack doesn't really specify the roast or preferable brew method, so we'll just go on and improvise.
I get more of a chocolaty aroma from the beans rather than flowery or fruity notes. That might be pointing to a dark roast even though it doesn't look super dark to me. Anyway, I heat up the kettle, pour some 85 C water into the aeropress and a cup to warm them up a bit. It takes about 3-4 minutes to make coffee (more detailed posts on the brew methods come later).
Well, I will put it this way, the result isn't bad. I got more questions than answers though. Seems like this particular coffee is on the edge between dark and light roast. I would have to get back to it with a different temperature and other brewing tools  like v60 by Hario brand, Chemex, french press to see if there is more to it. Actually, after it cooled down quite a bit, it tasted better. My guess is it might be really great as espresso.

Chemex 

I decided to make some of this Guatemala in a Chemex. 89C, 30 gr of beans, 500 ml of water.
Ok, this does taste better than the aeropress one. Smooth, rich, slightly bitter. Great for those who love strong, dark roasted coffee. Yet lacking other possible flavours I am sure Guatemala beans could have.

At this point I looked at the coffee pack again and guess what I found on it? Yep, espresso marking. Oh my, so embarrassing. Well, it was fun brewing espresso roast with alternative methods). You know what, many of us have been doing it for years, never realising it is not meant for other equipment but espresso machine! And that does make a big difference in taste. How many people have espresso machines at home? Maybe 50%, less, more? Not everybody for sure. How do they find suitable coffee for themselves then? Or they are destined to drink the instant one only?

If you never went deep into coffee, this might be a good time to read couple blogs or articles to answer some of the questions you probably have. Like 'how do I find coffee that actually tastes good' or 'is boiling water right for coffee making?'. Do not stay disappointed with coffee, there is so much good stuff out there!

So now I need to search even harder to find the right roast of MK Cafe to be fair to this brand. We'll see, maybe I can find it here in Warsaw. Or buy an espresso machine to enjoy this very kind I've been playing with. To sum it up, don't be afraid to improvise and try new stuff, it might turn out a fun adventure!

TESCO supermarket coffee adventure - part 3

Welcome back peeps! Grocery stores keep surprising me. Didn't see it coming at all actually. Maybe cuz I was simply not used to such a variety of anything. I was pleased to see several well-know specialty coffees in Lidl one day, among which Costa Rica Tarrazu and Colombia. By the way, you gotta keep an eye on the offers, for those are not available at Lidl right now during St. Valentine's celebration season. Waiting on new stuff to come later!

Then there was Carrefour with quite a long row of coffee and that sweet Tchibo stand with Mahlkönig grinder. I heard those grinders set standard for the industry and are super popular with coffee shops. The premium Guatemala coffee I got was quite good. So I am definitely coming for more.

Next on the list of supermarkets is Tesco. I don't really have one super close to where I live or on my daily route. So I just went to one intentionally with my fam to get some food. And, of course, take a glance at the coffee corner. This particular store has a cool graffiti drawing on the neighbouring old building on one side and a gorgeous church on the other. the rest of architecture isn't that fun, yet you don't really choose neighbours, ha?

After picking some tulips for my beloved I went hunting for my drug. Coffee. I didn't know what actually to expect for this was my very first time at Tesco. Tea and coffee stand was hidden in the very back. My guess is most people make several laps to find it. The good thing the shop itself wasn't that large. I took a look, saw some familiar brands like Nescafe, Jacobs, Lavazza. Those are big names and they take over half of the coffee space. Yet, I was in the mood for something less popular, not instant or already grinded.

Even though there were many packs of coffee there, I could still feel the smell which was a bit stronger than the rest, maybe fresher or just different. Hard to tell. I took a pack of MK cafe and pressed it a bit to get some of the air out. It was the one. Whole bean, special pack with one way valve (the idea is that it protects coffee from O2 coming,  but at the same time lets CO2 out of the pack), pleasant aroma. I'm in. Let's play.

P.S. The pack says 'Recommended by baristas'. Oh, I am intrigued.

CARREFOUR supermarket coffee adventure - part 2

Freshly roasted, freshly grinded

Did you know one can now grind coffee right in the supermarket on a pretty cool grinder? I saw this cool stand in Carrefour. Only for Tchibo fans so far. I think I'm going for some coffee soon... And so I did the next day. Yeah, I couldn't stand the temptation. It was calling me all the time I was shopping for groceries. Ok, here I am, let's figure out this Thcibo corner.

The rest of coffee present in the row is not meant to be grinded or bought using scales. There are couple other options worth looking at. But now let's get back to Tchibo. So, as you can see, there are three golden 'taps' with beans to choose from. Those are coffees from different areas. Mexica, Guatemala and African (kinda to blurry as for the name), I think. I chose Guatemala even though they all cost same 5.99zł (1.5$) per 100 gramm (15zł per 250 gr pack) which is not bad at all, considering that a pack of specialty coffee is usually between 40-60 zł.

I found special pretty bags of two available sizes next to the scales, picked the smaller one as I was going to buy just enough coffee to brew it maybe 2 times only and see how i like it. So I turned the tap, the beans fell into the pack and I got 30 gr at first. Yet, the scales told me by a message that it was too little. Ok, I got a bit more, 48 gr now. This time I was allowed to make a purchase. Wohoo!

Let's see how the Mahlkönig grinder works. Even though I am not totally new to coffee tools, I was glad to see a manual on the wall behind the scales. Simple, short, what else do we need? So I put the beans into the grinder's box on the top, attach the pack where the coffee is gonna come out, set how fine the grind is to be and press the ON button. However, there were couple things that caught my attention. The grinder was a bit messy. I found a brush there which is meant for cleaning the grinder after each customer. I wonder if anybody actually used it, cuz I got about a handful amount of coffee rests out and made the place even messier)). The scales lied a bit for there was no 'zero'. We started at 0,01. I guess it is not that big of a deal though. Maybe the weight of the pack is automatically added?

You could find a hint there on how fine you might want your grind, basically saying 'more fine for espresso, less fine for home brewing'. I would prefer slightly more detailed version, please. I set the grinder to a '6' out of 7 possible, meaning a pretty coarse grind. I'm guessing cuz i never used this particular one, but I believe I should be close to a filter coffee grind. If you prefer the french press, I would go for a '7'. In case you like the turkish way of making coffee, I'd go for a '1'.
Anyway, we all can figure out and get our coffee grinded there. And that is quite a pleasant surprise for coffee lovers! Things are definitely changing for the better.

So I hurry out of the store, run to the car. It is raining and kinda snowing same time. I worry the coffee might get wet. I have just a couple minute drive so I hope to brew Guatemala as soon as I get home. I usually start with higher temperature and move down to see what kind of a taste I get each time. You don't have to be such a freak and just brew it the best way you know how. I did a pour over at 92 Celsius (197.6 F), 21 gr of coffee, 350 ml of water. I stick to the 6 gr of coffee per 100 ml of water ratio. In case you don't care about all these details, just let the kettle sit for several minutes after boiling (maybe even 5) and then pour.

And you know what, it actually turned out pretty decent! What a surprise. Hardly bitter at all, with nice acidity, tasting kinda like black current to me. You might find different notes in it, but what is clear here is the result, and quite a good one. I didn't expect much of this coffee and it proved me wrong. A true adventure! Well done, Tchibo! I am ready for more...

LIDL supermarket coffee adventure - part1

Ever wondered where to find good coffee? Went to a store nearby with a choice of 5,10, maybe 15 well-known brands. Bought some that looked pretty. Opened it at home, it smelled great at first, yet turned out so bitter you couldn't have it without lots of milk and sugar? Every next day it got only worse.

You go for another brand, get lucky once in a while, but still no consistency. The search gets frustrating and you decide to just stick to one brand and kind that is simply ok or not too bad.
So what options do we have? Swallow it or keep searching? I found out a specialty coffee world for myself and would strongly advise you explore it too. However, it might cost you time and money.

Any other options? You know, there actually might be some. What if times are changing and big supermarket chains feel the desires of consumers and meet them by offering us some better stuff than before?

The picture above is Colombia 100% Arabica in a wooden box. Looks pretty cool, ha? And that is no special shop, simply Lidl in Warsaw. I am about to find the coffees that stand out and catch your eye on the supermarket coffee scene and are available for any customer.

Passion is everything

Once a barista told me, 'I don't really like coffee or drink it'. I stood speechless for a minute or two. Is that at all possible? I guess it is. I appreciate his sincerity, yet that info was too hard to digest or accept. Have you come across coffee shops that seem 'to have no soul'? There is coffee, there are people making it and those buying it. The business is running. Yet something is missing in the picture still. Why don't I have the desire to stay here longer or come again? My soul rejects places without a passion.

Don't you love when barista is crazy about coffee? Even if they are busy like bees, they find a sec to say, 'Today we have this stuff, you gonna like it' or 'We just roasted this new bag a couple days ago and it is worth trying'...

I understand it takes time to learn about various aspects of coffee business. The more I read the more I realize I am in my first year still. But who cares how much you know when you love to talk about it, drink it till late at night and experiment with roast, taste, grind, milk whatever.

I actually know several coffee shops that have both passion and neglect for coffee. Either the investor is a fan and barista isn't, or one shift of baristas is and another is not. I guess there might be more options here. Maybe for some it is just business, nothing else. Or just a drink, no more. Yet, for a shop to be really successful, I bet it has to have a passion for what it offers. How else would someone convert you to coffee unless they loooove it?

At times I buy too much coffee and just don't have the time to try it all. It gets old and I either have to give some away or double the drinking, or throw the old stuff away. I know it is bad. I try to stay calm when i see/hear about new coffee brand or new farm in some exotic land. I want it all, I want it now. Might regret buying some of it later, but who cares, I got the experience.

New equipment to work with coffee is invented pretty often. I want it too. I should probably get a second job to afford it))). That's who I am. And I'm looking for places that resonate with my soul. Appreciation for coffee as something great, a passion for getting the most out of the bean and a service that gives me good memories of both coffee and the shop.
Follow me and let's explore. I hope my search is contagious enough so that you give coffee another chance.

Books, coffee and modern art

 Nice Sunday afternoon, sunny and windy. Perfect day to sit with a book and coffee on a terrace. Unfortunatelly that's not my case, I'm fighting with GPS which way to go to get to my target place for today. I win yet to lose about ten minutes on parking. The good thing is that parking is mostly free at weekends. And I'm close to my destination on Pańska 3, Warsaw.

I walk by a Starbucks with an open door, the interior looks very welcoming and cozy, yet not enough to tempt me today. Cool pricy merc is parked nearby and some fun old cars keep passing by. What a mix. Kinda like Warsaw's architecture is, old town, soviet minimalistic buidlings and contemporary glass skyscrapers right next to each other.

And what is this... I thought for a moment that guy up there was a real man. Oh, that's where art begins and the coffee is already close. I had to surf through the web to find the place. EMESEN is a coffee shop inside the Modern Art Museum. 

Here is a sign one might easily miss. That would be like not seeing a treasure right before your very own eyes. Don't pass, give it a chance. I know the museum's look is questionable and shabby. On the other side, it offers books, lots of coffee and art!

I get in, walk straight to the two cool lads at the bar. My polish is improving, so the convo is pretty fluent. English is my safe option when I lack words, so no worries wherever you come from. Today is my third time here. You can tell I'm becoming a loyal customer. Yes, I bought here a pack of Honduras by Bonanza roasters (Berlin) a month ago. Highly recomended by barista ladies whose shift it was then. What will the men advise? They suggest I have another roast by Bonanza, Ethiopia Seka Forest this time. Quite an intriguing name. Automatic dripper? That's new, I'll go for it! Common price of 10zl (2.5 USD) is not cheap, yet coffee is always a treat for me, so I get a bigger cup for 13zl and a piece of a pumpkin quiche pie.

I'm glad I took couple sips before biting the pie for it was spicy and I lost ability to tell what coffee actually tasted like. Didn't see it coming! Anyway, the impression I got from this Ethiopia was nice light acidity and balance. Nothing really striking or surprising. Can it be that automatic drip lacks the magic human hands can do? I might buy a pack later and see what I can get out of it in my home lab.

These guys cooperate with another shop Filtry to sell coffee through Czarna Fala website. They do have quite a wide choice. When I came to buy beans to take home, they brought a big box full of various roasts and put it on the tall table for me to dig in. Impressive! Looking at the line of coffee they brew, might make you pause for a sec cuz choice is not easy at all. They win me by offering a choice so every time I have something new. When I find perfect beans and roast I might stick to it for a while. We'll see.

And last but not least - books. One is very welcome to take books and read them right there while having coffee or else. Reading is free. It just felt so good to sit in a company of reading people. Most books are about art, design, photography and the like. The shop was busy and that just made it even better. Yes, the seatting is not soft or super cozy, there is no wood on the floor or ceiling, no armchairs to sink in... Feels like you entered a factory and are walking through a corridor to your workplace. It is indeed modern and simple. Not traditional or fancy. I would call it a cool spot if you like. Something here resonates with my soul. I guess it is the coffee again.

Close to main train station at the moment? Want new experience? Like to read and have a coffee? Emesen is worth stopping by.

Krakow and Coffee Proficiency

Krakow has indeed a lot to offer, and probably that's why it is usually crowded with tourists. Those old churches are huge and make an unforgettable impression on you! Having several extra pairs of feet to never stop walking around would be perfection. What about coffee though? I'd like to start with a place I was intentionally looking for.

After having my first Costa Rica Las Lajas by Coffee Proficiency, it became my favorite so far. That happened when I was rushing to an airport to pick up a speaker from US I would later interpret for. I might tell about that specific experience separately, but I can just say for now that it tasted and smelled like fruit. No bitterness, light acidity and the aroma... OMG! I don't know the magic these guys do, but it makes coffee truly outstanding.

Of course, I longed for more of it. At first, on a family vacation last winter, by some divine stirring, while walking Florianska St. the eye caught a familiar name on a coffee pack behind the glass of a desert shop. Immediately my feet stopped and turned that direction. The place looked like a cafe with bright colors, sweet and tasty treats, but had something more precious inside. Barista, equipment and, of course, THE coffee. We got into talking. The guy knows his business, or rather passion. On the first visit my wife and I had Ethiopia Yirgacheff. I often start with it cuz it is a familiar taste to me and I can try to compare it with other roasts I had before.
One year is a lot of time for my memory to remember the details, yet I probably looked like a happy kid whose dream just came true. Here it is! Coffee worth drinking, talking about and paying for. That winter night gave a start to a long term relationship with Coffee Proficiency magic.

On a second visit we had two other coffees, both pour over and aeropress brewed. It is a great feeling when you face a professional. So good to relax and just have him do his routine perfectly well. At times I like to sit/stand close and watch the whole process of coffee being made. This time was different. Also, when I have an option for filter coffee or an alternative brew method, I usually go for it. Like espresso more? Give it a try.

Next happy chance happened this past fall. Short trip, limited time, yet I had to stop by. And here it is (Przemysłowa 3, Kraków), I got to the very heart of the magic. Roast facility, office, shop and cafe same time. Pretty cool approach to interior. Haven't seen one like that before. One can sit on the second floor and watch the master roast. How cool is that ?! My friend and I had Ethiopia as usual, then Kenya. Awesome. Served in a glass carafe with two cups makes it perfect for two people, paying 5 zl a cup, just a bit over 1 dollar.

Still, that wasn't all. Surprise, they offered me to try a coffee shell drink. What? Really? Why not, let's see what it is...My word, it tastes like a dry fruit drink! Not really like coffee at all. I wonder if it has any caffeine. Not brewed in a usual way, just shells and hot water. In this particular case I had Cost Rica shell. What a coincidence. Of course it tastes like fruit! I bet the farmer has it grow on fruit trees somehow))). Trip to that farm is on my list indeed.

Time flew fast, an hour or two, hard to tell. My phone's battery ran out, yet I managed to find a guy with a mac and he was very kind to charge it. So hard to leave. I guess I could live there. Ok, back to reality, the bag is full of coffee, enough to survive for a month and treat my colleagues at work with premium espresso blend of 4 different kind of beans.

This place is a must stop on my way if (or rather when!) it crosses Krakow. Quiet, great atmosphere, friendly and tasty. Place to sit with a book or phone, relax and enjoy the heavenly taste.

Maybe I should note some negative traits of the place too to be fair. You know, I really don't have those in my mind. But in case you like cozy and home feel places, this one might look like a garage. I wonder whether ladies would appreciate the shop. I think I saw several girls hanging out and couple men actively discussing some business. I guess it is great if coffee comes first. I would have to go again and give it a fresh look some day.