by Nigel Ong
I am a fan of Wacaco Minipresso, having been using their Minipresso GR for a long time to make my espresso shots. They are small, portable, and sturdy espresso makers that you can easily carry around in your backpack.
With the popularity of coffee pods, I thought I would pick up Wacaco’s portable pod espresso maker, the Minipresso NS, and try it out. Let’s see if it will give me a similar experience to my Minipresso GR.
by Lars H
Ever heard of the Bellwether coffee roasting machine? Bellwether is a company out of Oakland, California. They introduced a new roasting machine back in 2018 (and have since then come out with the Series 2 version in 2022.
What makes them different? The Bellwether doesn’t look like a traditional coffee roasting machine, because it roasts differently. It looks almost like a refrigerator, and is about the same size. Their machines are really designed for coffee shops and not particularly for high volume, large roasting operations. Coffee shops can save a ton of money by roasting their own beans, and the Bellwether is also a very easy to use, mostly automated machine that doesn’t require as much skill to operate. And in addition to all that, the machine was designed to reduce the carbon footprint of coffee roasting. So stores that use them also save money on energy costs.
by Lars H
Wondering about the Stanley + Starbucks 40 oz Cup collaboration, and where to buy one?
Well, it turns out that this limited edition collab between Stanley and Starbucks only took place at Starbucks locations that were inside of a Target store. You could not get them at a regular Starbucks.
And Starbucks / Stanley did not release a huge number of these, so they disappeared rapidly from all the Target Starbucks stores and they are pretty impossible to find now. This all happened in May of 2023.
by Nigel Ong
If you are interested in experimenting with coffee gear, IKEA is a great place to start. It offers decent equipment while keeping costs low. I have extensively used many of IKEA’s coffee gear and still use many of them.
If you are looking to get a milk steamer jug to start pouring your latte, IKEA also offers its own milk frothing jug, the IKEA Mattlig. At $8, you can get one to try out at the price of a spare change. However, how good is it?
In this post, I will talk about my IKEA Mattlig after having used it for half a year. Here, I share what I like and don’t like about the jug, as well as what I did to make it work better for me.
by Nigel Ong
French press is a popular way of brewing coffee since it is easy and simple. However, the issue is to get the French press that suits your style and needs – there are tons of French press makers out there to choose from.
I enjoy brewing with French presses and have tried many over the years. In the end, I settled with two, the Bodum Caffettiera and the IKEA Upphetta. I think they offer the best balance between value and performance.
However, how do you choose from one? In this post, I will try to compare the two. I list their characteristics and differences before sharing who should own which French press.
by Nigel Ong
I can be a bit of a coffee addict, and I want to enjoy my coffee whenever I like it. However, good coffee can be hard to access when I go on trips. I finally solved the issue with an espresso brewer that does not require electricity access.
Enter the Wacaco Minipresso GR. I bought this tool with the idea that if I can make espresso anywhere I want, I can easily turn the espresso into Americano or other coffee drinks too.
So far, I enjoy using this tool, especially on the road. There are, of course, parts I do not enjoy.
In this post, I will review my Wacaco Minipresso GR in depth. I will explain the full range of Wacaco’s products and the parts in the Minipresso GR. Then, I discuss what I like and don’t like about my Minipresso and if you should get one for yourself.
by Nigel Ong
French presses are a popular way to brew coffee, and many coffee equipment makers have also created their own version of it. IKEA is not an exception to this and offers several French press models.
The IKEA Upphetta is the most affordable and possibly the best-selling of these French presses. However, how good is the IKEA Upphetta? Can it stand up against more premium makers such as Bodum?
In this post, I will review the IKEA Upphetta and share my experience using it regularly for the past two years. I also talk about what I like and don’t like about the French press. Finally, I try to determine who should get the IKEA Upphetta.
by Nigel Ong
Sometimes, the inner barista in us just wants to steam some milk and pour our own cup of Latte, Cappuccino, or Cortado. However, it may be expensive to purchase an espresso machine, especially those with milk steamers.
What about a much cheaper solution instead? Please pick up a milk frother such as IKEA Produkt, and then froth your warm milk with it. Unlike espresso machines that cost hundreds, the Produkt costs a measly… $7. That’s pocket spare change for many of us.
I have been using one on and off for the past 2 years, and I thought I would share my experience using the frother. I’ll talk about why I like it, why I don’t like the IKEA Produkt, and who should get it.
by Nigel Ong
The French press is a very popular way to brew coffee. Fans of them enjoy how simple it is to brew with one and the strong, flavorful coffee it makes.
I regularly make my coffee with a French press, and my regular go-to is the Bodum Caffettiera, the original French press. It is one of those rather premium French presses; some people may not see the need to use one. Is it really better than other French presses?
In this post, I review my personal Bodum Caffettiera French press. I also discuss what I like and don’t like about it. Finally, I share some tips on using the French press better, based on my own experience.
by Lars H
Way back in the early 2000s, there was a new high end drip coffee machine in town, called the Clover. The Clover machine made drip coffees one at a time, and allowed amazing detail and precision for brewing a coffee. You could choose the exact water temperature and extraction time, allowing you to really dial in exactly how you wanted a coffee to taste.
The Clover was a breakthrough drip coffee machine, and only a few speciality coffee shops had them. They cost around $11,000 at the time, and were designed for commercial use and not really intended for individuals to own as a home coffee maker.
