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13 Feb 2009

Real Coffee versus Instant

Please don't scream in terror when you read about my relationshop with coffee so far, I was just brought up that way.
Instant coffee has been part of my daily caffiene intake since I was about 12 ish, courtesy of a naughty grandma who let me get away with murder.  If you go into a supermarket in any part of the UK, there are tons of instant coffees to chose from and that is what I have always picked. There is real coffee about and some great coffee shops, so its not a total real coffee blackhole. I am not sure why instant coffee rules the roost in so many UK households, the difference in cost isn't that vast. I have become so use to flicking the kettle on and scooping the instant stuff in my mug, that it will be a hard habit to break.
Why break the habit then? On my trip to America last year, I was met with gasps of horror when mentioning that I always had instant at home and it was presumed that I musn't really like the stuff. How wrong they were and I overdosed on lovely coffee during my stay stateside. When I arrived back home I slipped back into my instant coffee habit and almost forgot about real coffee once again. Well apart from the odd cappucino at college (every chance I could get).
When Fuel My Blog offered us Free coffee to review, I of course jumped at the chance! Because I love free stuff and coffee, perfect. When it arrived the smell was amazing! Yes I sniffed the package and opened it excitedly. I really couldn't wait to try it, but something wasn't quite right with all this. It was almost like I had forgotten something. As well as forgetting my marbles, I had forgotten that I would need some essential coffee making equipment! The old coffee maker had been chucked donkey's ago. So I decided to get a cafietere (plungy thing) as they are decently priced and I thought it was sensible for my first forray into real coffee making. Also the type of coffe I was sent said it was suitable for a cafietere as its a coarse ground coffee.
More about the coffee I was sent, it was an Ethiopian Sidamo and the site is called the CoffeeBeanShop. It smells wonderful as stated above and once I figured out how much to put in cafietere, I was off. It was definitely stronger than instant, with a natural almost sweetness to it, that meant I hardly added any sugar to it. The site describes it as deep, rich, earthy, syrupy and chocolaty, which I agree with. Another good thing about this coffee, is that its fairtrade. In this day and age everything should be, but alas its not. So the site gets three thumbs up for promoting and supporting fairtrade.
It must of been a good blend or whatever you call it because on checking the site, it has ruddy sold out! But you can request an email update if they get it back into stock. I guess they will have to send me another to review now? 
In the interest of fairness I went back to my usual brand of instant after drinking a pot or two of the real/proper stuff. That was a big mistake, because now my once beloved instant tastes like ash, not arse which is what somebody thought I said (not naming names). Have I been totally converted to the wonder of the proper stuff? Simple answer..... Yes. Will I ever sleep again.....No.

Check out the CoffeeBeanShop for all their other coffee like goodness.

12 comments:

  1. Now, now, if you'll remember correctly I had no problems in offering you up instant coffee as that is my preferred coffee of choice, too (must be the Brit in me!). I don't know why but I have always preferred instant to the real stuff as it's just so much more convenient to make and it just tastes better to me. I guess that makes me the total opposite of a coffee snob ... would that be a coffee bum??

    Nice to see you posting, I was beginning to worry about you over there!

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  2. mmmm. coffee. *drool*

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  3. MMmmmmmmmmm.....I want some! Nice mug too! XOXO

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  4. >ahhhhhhhhhhh!<

    Sorry--couldn't help myself *g*.
    Your experiment with coffee sounded...well, delicious :)

    My family had done coffee tasting, before. Every month they'd send us a new flavor. Out of a year's worth of flavors, only one was any good (and I dunno the name of it now)...I may not like instant coffee, but I'm not into fancy brand names (except for Kona--that's some good coffee :) ). I'm perfectly happy drinking cup after cup of Maxwell House :)

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  5. Glad to hear your Mum is a bit better, I tried to comment the other day but think I messed up...
    Love real coffee but try to restrict it to one cup per day. It usually ends up as two though...

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  6. If you think the US folks have good coffee, you really should go to Italy or Spain. Or almost anywhere else where they don't pile the coffee full of sugar.

    Australia, with our large multi-national immigrant culture, also has great coffee.

    Almost anywhere has coffee that tastes better than what you get in the US! ;)

    Although, I'm relieved that you've discovered the wonders of non-instant coffee. But you're gonna have to cut back your intake if you wanna get down off the ceiling any time soon... ;)

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  7. If you think the US folks have good coffee, you really should go to Italy or Spain. Or almost anywhere else where they don't pile the coffee full of sugar.

    Australia, with our large multi-national immigrant culture, also has great coffee.

    Almost anywhere has coffee that tastes better than what you get in the US! ;)

    Although, I'm relieved that you've discovered the wonders of non-instant coffee. But you're gonna have to cut back your intake if you wanna get down off the ceiling any time soon... ;)

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  8. God where was I when this post happened?! Did someone say coffee? I'm cooooOooomiiiing!

    The reason us US folks dislike instant coffee so much is because our instant coffee is no good. I've had some of the instant stuff from Poland and other various places and it is much, much better. The instant stuff we have (which I will drink in a pinch) tastes salty, and...funny. Not at all like real coffee ;)

    But I am happy to take partial credit for your newly found addiction to real coffee. Yum!

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  9. Thank you Claire for the review, with what you are going through with your mum at the moment it is doubly appreciated! I really hope things will get better very soon for your mum x

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  10. Why break the habit???? Well because instant coffee isn't coffee, you are missing one of the very best daily life experiences!! Stick with it girl, you will never go back! ;o)

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  11. My Mother taught me to be obsessive about coffee. I used to drink the stronger stuff but spent a couple of years in the US where you can't find a strong, good coffee at all. So I became sort of used to the dishwater coffee they have in the US. Now I can't drink the really strong, bitter coffee which everyone else in the family guzzles down. I do like Caramelo from The Second Cup. A smooth coffee and not so strong.

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  12. Late on this.

    Still have not had a decent cup of instant. I'm drinking a cup of it right now in Japan which ultimately led me to your sight. What brand do you drink?

    I have had coffee all over and I don't understand the negativity towards the coffee in the US. I have had some great coffee there! I guess it depends where you go. The best for me has been UAE, Australia and then Ireland. I buy coffee imported from Italy, but I have yet to visit.

    Regards
    Bryan

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