Cold brew in The Underdog, only not cold brew, a filter coffee put in the fridge.
Why? Better consistency than using a cold drip tower.
Posts Tagged ‘cold brew’
Cold brew in The Underdog
December 3, 2019Redd Coffee revisited
November 26, 2019Redd Coffee, minimalist coffee shop in Kolonaki.
Baffled why not offer single origin as pour over.
Bags of coffee in boxes, but no information on the coffee.
Select preference of coffee, then from espresso machine a blend of beans based on chosen preference.
Would not though be better, select preference which then leads to selection of single origin? And would then educate on different countries, different processing of the beans, and the best way to bring this out is through pour over not espresso.
I chose a cold brew, very intense.
I suggested have three cups in the fridge for cold brew.
No toilet? There is, hidden, please ask.
Cold brew at The Underdog
November 22, 2019A cold brew at The Underdog.
A chat with a French couple.
They thought the bags of coffee on sale were expensive. I said no, reasonable price for quality coffee.
The bag they were looking at, 100 g of Panama Geiha 35 euros. I explained a rare variety and yes, expensive
I recommend coffee shops for them, suggested check out Standart guide to Athens coffee culture.
I noted less variety of coffee on sale. Reduced selection because was not selling and left with old coffee on the shelves.
Cold brew at The Underdog
November 17, 2019The Underdog, a nondescript villa, shame about the new sign.
Please Tasos return the board with a dog. The new sign is out of character with the building.
Excellent cold brew.
I commented on a Nespresso machine, shock horror.
I tried a Panama Geisha made in the Nespresso machine. Wow, it was excellent, totally unexpected.
I had earlier noticed on the shelves what looked like egg boxes for quail eggs. These contain Nespresso capsules. On the shelves Ethiopian, by the Nespresso machine Ethiopian and a Panama Geisha.
Mixed feelings on this. Quality roasteries producing capsules for a Nespresso machine. Encouraging use of Nespresso machines.
But I have to admit, the espresso from a 60 euro Nespresso machine was excellent.
Several changes since last visit, Nespresso machine and capsules, intriguing digital scales, delivers dialled in weight at push of a button, new espresso machine.
This is what I like about coffee shops in Athens. Always willing to innovate, always pushing the boundaries to deliver excellent coffee.
It was suggested I try Dope, a coffee shop serving Robusta. Maybe one day. Too late as closed at seven.
Mokka
October 24, 2018Third time lucky.
I tried to find Mokka on Saturday, back and forth, round and round, I could not find. Eventually I did find, but invisible due to shutters down.
I tried again Monday. I arrived on the dot of five to be told they were closed.
I tried again today. I arrived an hour before they closed.
I ordered a cappuccino whilst watched a Greek coffee being prepared. Hot sand is used to heat the pot, not a flame. Other difference, ground coffee is sitting atop the water. As the water heats up, if engulfs the ground coffee.
I then ordered a cold brew, made using their cold brew drip tower. Ice cold water, one drip a second
Very neat, ice is in a tiny ice bucket with tongs to add the ice to the cold brew.
Mokka is located outside the Athens Central Market, opens at six, closes at five, to serve the market traders.
At the end of the day, beans taken out of hopper, grinders cleaned with vacuum cleaner, then dismantled and cleaned with fine brush.
Big investment in equipment, all the more surprising when their customer base the market traders. Anywhere else it would be a greasy spoon cafe.
I then popped into the cheese shop around the corner. Ouzo, very high quality ouzo from Lesbos, 1-30 euros a litre. Bring your own bottle.
Cheese and coffee no, cheese and wine yes. By accident, I discovered cheese and cold brew go well together.
The cold brew I did not like, too acidic.
Mokka roast their own coffee upstairs. Several single origins. My cold brew Kenyan.
The beans are on sale, but not in the coffee shop, in the shop next door, which closes at three thirty.
Spring Espresso Fossgate
September 14, 2018I had tried to find Spring Espresso Fossgate in the past, but not successful, it does help to have a map.
Fossgate is a little foodie mecca, three coffee shops cheek by jowl, The Fossgate Social opposite Kiosk, Spring Espresso nearby, next to Kiosk, what looked like an amazing food shop but no time to look in.
I ask of cold brew. Yes, they bring a bottle out of the fridge serve with ice. No time, I ask for a takeaway cup.
— to be continued —-
Coffee Lab Chichester
July 13, 2018Chichester is an old Roman town, the pedestrianised centre still follows the Roman Street plan, a medieval buttercross Chichester Cross in the centre, medieval side streets, surrounded by the Roman wall.
A town I thought where I would be spoilt for choice for coffee shops.
I was to be gravely disappointed.
Corporate chains a plenty, the pedestrianised centre ruined by corporate chains. Plenty of what were little more than greasy spoon cafes masquerading as tea rooms and coffee shops. But nowhere serving speciality coffee.
Then at the end of East Street and beyond, Draper’s Yard, well worth a visit, and within Edge an old Citroen van serving Edgcumbea Coffee. I tried cold brew and a cappuccino. Neither were good.
It was then to St Martins Coffee House which I had stumbled across earlier in the medieval streets in the North East Quarter between between North Street and East street for late lunch. A restored town house, wonderful garden out the back, a restaurant and not as the name would imply a coffee house.
Commenting on this, I was directed to Coffee Lab.
A couple of years ago Coffee Lab was one tiny coffee shop in a side street in Winchester serving excellent coffee. In the following two years, two more making it three in Winchester, pus a few more in other towns. Together with Flat Whites van and Flat Whites coffee shop, Winchester has become a thriving coffee city.
I have had my reservations, grave reservations, Coffee Lab opening several coffee shops, but I was not disappointed. The guys knew their coffee.
I was served an excellent cappuccino. I also tried their cold brew. It put to shame what I had tried at Edge aka Edgcumbes Coffee earlier.
I also noticed guest coffee.
Guest coffee is new for Coffee Lab, as until now all they have had is their Einstein and Hesienberg blends from The Roasting Party.
Chichester now has one coffee shop serving excellent coffee.
Spring Espresso Lendal
April 20, 2018What a difference walking down a street can make.
Excellent brunch at Burr Coffee, the coffee awful.
Is my sense of taste awry? No, bad coffee.
Spring Espresso Lendal serves coffee from Square Mile, Red Brick espresso blend and single origin.
I have yet to have a bad Square Mile coffee and Spring Espresso Lendal was no exception.
Excellent cappuccino, restoring my faith that my sense of taste had not gone awry.
Did they have guest coffees? Occasionally, but very rarely as always a changing guest coffee from Square Mile.
I noticed a Synesso espresso machine. Showing an interest, I was told the only one in the country, at least of that model. Spring Espresso have a second coffee shop in York with a different Synesso.
On the counter a small cold brew tower. I have never seen one so small, though unusual to ever see one in the UK. It was dripping at one drip every two seconds through the coffee and into a carafe below. Eight hours. Odd though to serve with tonic.
Cold Brew at The Underdog
October 22, 2017It was a hot day, on my way to Athens Agora, I decided on a small detour to try a cold brew at The Underdog.
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday quiet, or at least relatively so.
Today, as I walked up the stairs, hit by a wall of sound.
Yesterday, not very busy, today packed. I was lucky to find a seat.
What The Underdog are serving as cold brew coffee is not.
Cold brew is coffee brewed in cold water, either immersed in cold water for several hours or a cold drip tower, where cold water is dripped on coffee, one drip of water once a second. Either method takes several hours to produce the cold brew. It is then stored in a fridge, served cold with ice.
Japanese iced coffee, is a V60, Chemex or similar, where ice is placed in a carafe, the coffee instantly chilled served with ice.
What The Underdog are brewing is neither of these methods. Coffee is made in a Chemex, poured into bottles, then stored in a fridge. In essence hot filter coffee cooled.
How was it served?
I was brought a bottle of water. Then a bottle of cold brew with a glass and within the glass an ice cube, a very large ice cube.
Note ice cube singular, one ice cube only. One ice cube that was maybe two cm across.
It had a white frosted surface. I queried this.
Was it stored in a freezer at minus 22 C? They said yes, but not so low a temperature. They said the appearance was due to the special water they used.
I can see that one large ice cube will melt much slower, also if at a low temperature. This has the big advantage of cooling the cold brew, or at least keeping cool, without diluting the cold brew. Quite clever.
Cold brew coffee at FCB kiosk
July 7, 2017A couple of weeks ago, FCB kiosk at Guildford Station was experimenting with cold brew coffee. They were using their FCB espresso blend. I suggested use the Kenyan coffee they have as a guest coffee from Horsham Coffee Roasters. They have heeded my suggestion.
It is now available in a bottle from the fridge.
Straight out of the bottle, excellent. On ice not quite so good. The ice waters it down. If to serve with ice, need to make cold brew with half the water the other half is in the ice.
Begs the question why is Harris + Hoole serving rubbish nitro brew coffee out of a can when they could be serving cold brew coffee?
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