The Daily Grind
International Coffee Day (October 1st) will once again shine a light on one of the world’s largest export. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee...
CALIFIA CONCENTRATED COLD BREW, £5.99, WHOLE FOODS
Cold brewing makes for a smoother coffee, one that’s less acidic, with more antioxidants to boot. We keep a carton of Califia’s 100% Arabica brew in the fridge for instant iced lattes (try it with your favourite nut milk to keep it vegan), or add a shot to morning banana nut butter smoothies for a caffeine kick-start to the day.
PERCOL ITALIAN-STYLE BLACK & BEYOND COFFEE BAGS, £3.49, CO-OP, PERCOL.CO.UK
For those moments when you haven’t the time to grind, brew and wait for the perfect rich and dark cup of Joe, Percol has launched coffee bags. Simply top with water, leave for 3-4 minutes, remove and enjoy.
UNION HAND-ROASTED COFFEE NATURAL SPIRIT WHOLEBEAN, £5.50, WAITROSE, UNIONROASTED.COM
The folks at Union have been sourcing, roasting, living and loving good coffee since 2001, and to this day hand-roast all their coffee in small batches. The proof is in the taste and right now we’re loving this blend with notes of chocolate truffle, sugared lemon and toffee fudge.
KEEPCUP TASTING NOTES COLOUR SERIES, £20, UK.KEEPCUP.COM
A reusable coffee cup is the easiest way to help fight the world’s growing single-use plastic dependency problem. Taking inspiration from the iconic coffee flavour wheel used by baristas worldwide, we love this series from KeepCup with sustainably sourced, biodegradable cork band.
CONKER COLD BREW COFFEE LIQUEUR, £30, CONKERSPIRIT.CO.UK
A complex, dark and fruity brew for espresso lovers, made with beans from Dorset’s Beanpress Coffee Co. With no additives, flavourings or thickeners added, we can’t wait to use it in our handmade dark chocolate truffles come the festive season.
STELLAR HOB TOP 6 CUP ESPRESSO MAKER, £74.95, HARTSOFSTUR.COM
Why spend money on hand-crafted coffee beans to ruin them with the wrong tools? We love this stylish, sleek appliance which works on all hobs and is dishwasher safe.
DID YOU KNOW?
Fresh air is coffee’s arch nemesis. Why? Because fresh coffee is hygroscopic; it absorbs everything in its environment – oxygen, moisture and odours. Once opened, a bag of whole bean coffee starts losing its flavour after one week, and ground coffee after just 15 minutes. The fridge, surprisingly, is one of the worst places to store fresh coffee; instead store it in a dry, stable environment, and brew within 14 days. Or, pop it in the freezer, where its fine flavours are locked in for much longer.
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We caught up with some of the UK’s top chefs to find out what they can’t stand in the kitchen, but also what they can’t do without...
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