How to make Starbucks coffee in your own home

• Brew a mediocre cup of coffee
• Add milk, sugar and any artificial flavouring you can find
• Ask yourself your name. Say it’s Anthony.
• Write “Anti-pony” on the mug
• Burn 10 Francs
• Enjoy…?

The only thing you need to ask me about my coffee is “Would you like that in a mug?”.

OK, to be fair; when it comes to coffee I can be a complete jerk. I take it black, without sugar. So it needs to be prime beans, freshly ground and perfectly brewed at exactly the right temperature and pressure.

(Here’s a nice trivial fact; the term “Espresso” has nothing to do with the time involved or “Express“. It’s actually from the Italian “esprimere” which loosely translates to “to press“. So pressure is key)

Coffee culture does not include all the caramel, vanilla, white chocolate derivates. Latte Macchiatos and Cappuchinos just about make the cut and that’s that. Yes, I am a coffee snob. But anyone who knows anything about coffee will share my sentiment.

Fortunately Europe has a very wide spectrum regarding coffee. Unfortunately that makes travelling to Asia or North America a nightmare for coffee lovers. I have actually managed to get the lounge at my favourite Hotel in Bangkok to upgrade to a DeLonghi piston machine with imported Italian beans, so if you need an address for decent coffee in BKK; drop me a line 😉

And no matter what type of coffee or sweetened derivate you drink; the coffee base will make or break your drink. So do yourself a favour; next time you’re at your favourite coffee dealer, order a regular coffee. Take milk and sugar if you like, but if that doesn’t match your taste, the derivate probably won’t either.

I’ll be at the bar…