| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 2:34:37 PM | hey gang...
I'm not a coffee drinker, preferringtea...being in Canada, there is a weird addictive obsession with Tim Hortons coffee, which the few times I had it, not only got heart palpitations, but couldn't tell it apart from any truck stop type coffee...but thats just me.
As soon as I stepp off the plane in Europe, usually Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I make a bee line to the first coffee shop, because it's absolutely incredible coffee....rich, fragrant and tasty...to me, it's like drinking Coca Cola after drinking no name cola.
I know that their beans are roasted differetnly, but it's also made different...seems to squirt out of what looks like an espresso machine, except, they just press a button and the coffee squirts out of 2 small tubes, so it's not loaded like an espresso machine...the coffee has this delightful creaby light brown foam on the top, and the cream thats added to it looks more like condensed milk than cream, all adding to the flavor...
Any seasoned travelling coffee drinkers help me out with this one, beans, coffee maker, difference, etc?
How can I recreate this at home? | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 3:16:31 PM | #1 , use good water .
Tap water in some locales (don't know about yours) makes bad coffee out of $20 a pound stuff .
I'm not talking Perrier, etc , just deionized/reverse osmosis from the 30¢ /gallon water dispenser machine at the grocery is fine . | |
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nogo3
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Joined: 2/26/2007
Msg: 3 | |
| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:01:59 PM | OP, i agree with you, if you love good coffee, go to europe. and did you ever notice that its served in those little tea cups that look like they came from a little girls toy dish sets.
I am going to look on the internet and see if i can find it and order some.
thanks for a great idea..
 | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:41:30 PM | Timmy's coffee drinkers drink cream & sugar with a little coffee, horrible stuff.
What you want is " 100% Columbian French Roast". | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:44:26 PM | mmmmm makes my mouth water. I love coffee period! My daughter works at Tim Hortons and I might not know my coffee, but i love their coffee. My fav is starbucks. How does the coffee you're referring to compare to Starbucks? I would love to try European coffee. Could you give me a name or two?
Amy | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:46:46 PM | | dragon, I admit I do add cream and sugar to Tim Horton's coffee but at home I only use flavored coffee creamer and no sugar. Most of the time I use sugar free creamer. | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/21/2008 8:09:16 AM | The secret to good coffee is to use filtered water and the best whole beans you can afford from a local cofee supplier, not the grocery store. You'll need a burr grinder and a french press... YUMMY! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/21/2008 3:33:44 PM | The other posters are right! The secret MUST be the water. I live on a farm with a well that is over 250' into rock and the water is incredible!! Everyone that has had a cup of coffee here ask what brand I am using and I just say " the usual - Costco" But it is the water that makes the difference - no chlorine or other additives - just pure water. It even makes decaf coffee taste good! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/21/2008 10:33:15 PM | Its all about using filter water, and I'm not a fan to Tims or Starbucks, too acid tasting for me.
When I went to Hawaii, I fell in love with their Kona Coffee, and talk about a smooth blend of coffee. My friends who travel there, I will give them money to have them pick up Kona, and my filter water, its a great way to start you day.
Any coffee can be excellent if done right, but I don't like to visit spot that are franchises and have to follow a specific guidelines. | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/21/2008 11:42:42 PM |
the coffee has this delightful creaby light brown foam on the top, and the cream thats added to it looks more like condensed milk than cream, all adding to the flavor...
I don't know what kind of coffee machines they have there (will watch it next time) and what sort of coffee they use, but I suppose it was an espresso machine indeed...
Actually there are two types of such machines... one type (as the original espresso machines from Italy) work with a massive iron little bowl that can take the high steam pressure and wich is locked up at the machine. This takes that spoon of coffee and it forms the typical coffee pad inside.
The two pipes are to serve two small cups or just a big one. The steam runs through the coffee pad, squirts it out and comes out of these pipes.
The so called "espresso machines" they sell here for private use don't have this iron bowl that is able to take the high pressure. Hence the pressure they use is lower but they still work exactly the same way. Some of these machines come pretty close to what the big machines produce. IMHO these machines differ in quality pretty much. I have two of them and they are not really comparable.
They sell different sorts of espresso coffee. You are right, the beans are roasted differently and have a stronger taste than normal coffee. Depending on this they produce more or less of this light brown foam, but depends even more on the machine I suppose.
When I am not at home or at work I use to make "turkish" coffee (no idea why it is called like that): a spoon of fine coffee powder in a cup and hot boiling water on it... It meets my taste much more than plain filtered coffee... | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/22/2008 3:44:16 AM | | Hi! I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I do love the European coffee as well. I like Jacob's and Dallmayr. They don't seem to have the bitter after taste. I could get these online. Don't know about the creamy foam but anything dairy in Amsterdam is good in my books!!! Good luck! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/22/2008 5:13:49 AM | | What works for me is Starbucks Espresso Roast, ground "Turkish," and brewed with filtered water in a Braun coffeemaker. Dark, rich, almost caremel-y. Mmmmm! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/22/2008 9:35:39 AM |
I am not much of a coffee drinker...
aaaahhhhhhhh.... I love it!! 
What you can make of coffee, (foamed) milk and maybe a little bit of cocoa, Kahlúa or whatever is so amazing. I don't know many things that are better than a mug of good coffee on a cold day, hands wrapped around, enjoying a quite moment and the pure flavor.
And things like this satisfy your eyes too, making it even more tasty...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDZs__m5iAI | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/23/2008 6:02:14 PM | Get yourself a stove - top moka and a decent roasted blend coffee - Segafreddo is my personal favourite, but there are hundreds of brands, it's just a case of trying out different blends / strengths.
Might pay for you to ask (or if you can remember what coffee shop you used) what brand they used. Most coffee shops on the continent, especially at the airports / public places are conncessions, so it may well have been a Segafreddo / Lavazza shop
Try here for some ideas :)
http://www.espressozone.com/italian-coffee-espresso.html | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/23/2008 6:23:25 PM | As soon as I stepp off the plane in Europe, usually Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I make a bee line to the first coffee shop, because it's absolutely incredible coffee....rich, fragrant and tasty...to me, it's like drinking Coca Cola after drinking no name cola.
Next time you are a Schiphol, please do me (and you) a favor.
Get your coffee, and then buy a fresh stroopwafel. Place said stroopwafel over the top of your coffee cup, and let it bask in the gentle warmth coming off the coffee. After a few minutes, take the stroopwafel , take a bite, and then have a sip of coffee afterwards.
This may be the closest thing to a religious experience I can put forward using a beverage and a cookie.
A funny story, that relates to this topic.
My l'il Dutch sis and I trade care packages on our birthdays. In one of the first ones I put a can of Van Houtte's vanilla hazelnut coffee - with it's "Taste of Europe" slogan on it. When she made some, she loved it.
It seems they don't HAVE flavoured coffee in Europe, at least in the Netherlands. 
If you want a really good coffee, find a good Italian coffee shop in your city. It will introduce you to the art of coffee, at it's finest. | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/23/2008 6:26:44 PM | Tim Horton's actually does filter it's water.
I do prefer to brew my own. A good European brand is "Tchibo" use filtered water and store the coffee in the fridge (sealed, and away from the onions ) | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/23/2008 6:32:41 PM | I have a friend who used to live in Sweden, and introduced me to swedish coffee. Talk about rich, smooth blend of coffee, and each times she returns, I'm glad she remember to bring me coffee.  | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/24/2008 5:19:40 PM | | sounds like you just need a jar of good old fashioned Kenco Coffee | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/24/2008 5:47:12 PM | There are several things that are important to making a good cup of coffee. Everyone has mentioned the water, a few mentioned freshly ground beans. Make sure you are using a medium roast and not a dark roast. I am surprised though that no one has mentioned that the method for making it makes a huge difference. Coffee makers are a horrible way to make coffee, you lose all of the oils and flavor from it being put through a filter. Try a french press instead, it will give you a much closer flavor to that of an espresso and is a lot less expensive.
I know that their beans are roasted differently, but it's also made different...seems to squirt out of what looks like an espresso machine, except, they just press a button and the coffee squirts out of 2 small tubes, so it's not loaded like an espresso machine...the coffee has this delightful creamy light brown foam on the top, and the cream thats added to it looks more like condensed milk than cream, all adding to the flavor...
I don't know what kind of espresso machines you've seen... but this is the only kind I have ever heard of. Espresso does come out of 2 small tubes. Espresso does have a light brown foam on the top (creama). I'm not sure what you mean by it's not loaded like an espresso machine though. An espresso machine uses coffee grounds that have been pressed into a portafilter using about 5-10 pounds of pressure to pack it. The cream is probably higher in fat content than what you're used to. Try using heavy cream (also called whipping cream) which is 36% fat. They could also be using creme fraiche which is slightly soured and common in Europe. | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/24/2008 6:22:45 PM | i have this coffee obsession. i mean...i build shrines to it.
i love medaglia d'oro, an italian espresso blend. and you have to drink it black. why on earth do people insist on loading crap into their coffee? it ruins the entire experience! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/25/2008 12:06:47 PM |
It seems they don't HAVE flavoured coffee in Europe, at least in the Netherlands.
LOL ...I still struggle to believe that all kinds of that flavoured, sweet and sticky stuff I had at American gas stations really fit the term "coffee".
Having a Timmy's was a surprisingly good experience... | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/27/2008 7:13:00 PM | I'm not sure exactly what kind of coffee you're looking for, but I will tell you a few tips on coffee that I've picked up. I'm not even going to try to cover espresso and espresso-based drinks!
Every store and coffee shop around here sells nothing but drip coffee. Please understand, this is for efficiency and not quality!
RO water is better than DI water IMO, as DI strains out too much. DI water tastes terrible. RO strains out the vast majority of the imperfections, and makes tastier water.
Always get fresh beans! Never put them in the freezer! Find a local roaster and buy the beans from them. Do not grind them until you are ready to make your coffee! Never use a blade-type grinder (<$50). These chop the beans into varied sizes, which is terrible for coffee making. Use a conical burr grinder! Expensive but worth it!
As for the coffee maker, don't even think about drip. Sure, they are nice and easy, but they make brown water, not coffee! Pick up a nice (Bodum) french press. $30 is a good range, which is cheaper than a nice drip anyway! Use the extra money for that grinder! Presses allow for more of the oils from the beans to end up in the coffee, giving it a thicker feel and richer taste! Once you start pressing, you'll never drip again!
Other than that, just follow the press's directions! Coarse grind on the coffee, at least 1 tablespoon per 6oz of water (can use more and dilute finished product to taste). Add coffee, add hot water, stir. Let it sit for at least 4 minutes. Let gravity push your hand down on the plunger until you have the grinds at the bottom. Pour the coffee into your cup and enjoy! I suppose you can cream and sugar if you want, but you're just masking the delicious coffee taste! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/28/2008 9:02:47 AM | | z6joker9 is 100% correct on so many levels ! Coffee in the USA is just another comoditiy that's bashed out as cheaply as possible at the expense of it's original flavor. If you're buying pre-ground coffee it is already stale. As in almost every European country (except my own) beans will be ground on a per cup basis whereas here, consumers seem to accept a cup of luke warm light brown fluid that's been artificailly flavored with a chemical called "French Vanilla" that's probably been as close to a real vanilla pod as Dunkins has to fresh coffee bean..... Try it how the Greeks and Turks have it, boiled, sweet, maybe with cardomom.... There is a fear of "strong" coffee by some... exactly, this is a fear of strong, STALE coffee which is bitter and unpleasant tasting. Strong FRESH coffee made as described above is a joy to savor ! | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/28/2008 9:32:20 AM | On a related note, anyone ever try a GREEK coffee ?
The first time I had one was in the Eighties, on Park Avenue here (a Greek area of town). I saw it on the menu, and figured why not ?
The waiter came over with this small cup, actually smaller than a typical expresso one. He also brought a large glass of cold water. After one sip of the coffee, I realized why.
Well made, flavorful, but almost approaching the effect of dropping about three drops of water into a jar of Maxwell House instant in it's effects of drinking it. I was still shaking when I returned to the office after lunch, and seldom have been so productive - even at my best.
Kind of like an NOS system in a car, in terms of a boost.
If this is what's typical of Greek coffee consumption, they should have colonized the entire world before supper.
Also interesting variation is Vietnamese coffee, which I've also enjoyed.
http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/vietnamese/
It's done with condensed milk, and is quite rich. | |
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| European Coffee
Posted: 4/30/2008 7:36:58 PM | Btw... it's not European, but the ones who like it different might want to try Kopi Luwak.
Before someone complains about the taste... you'd better read this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak
I admit... I never tried that | |
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