Greek Nescafe Frappe: Everything You Need to Know, and Where it Came From (Photos)

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Greek Nescafe Frappe on a table in a Greek cafe
Here’s a delicious Nescafe Frappe I ordered at a cafe on my vacation in Greece. Keep reading for the awesome story behind it!

How Greece Taught Me To Love Instant Coffee – The Story of Nescafe Frappe

by Darren Oliver

I remember when I tried frappe for the first time. A friend of mine (also a coffee lover) had just returned from a vacation in Greece. During a conversation, out of nowhere, he pulled out a can of instant coffee and said, “I bet you I’ll make you an instant coffee, and you’ll like it.” As a specialty coffee lover used to high-quality, lightly roasted coffee brewed with alternative methods, all I could do was smile with pity. “Okay, a bet on a bag of good coffee,” I replied.

That’s how I lost a bag of coffee, and that’s how I came to know frappe, a type of coffee created in Greece that today has become a staple of many coffee drinks in the best-known chains like Starbucks and Costa Coffee. So, being in Greece for the first time, I couldn’t deny myself the specialty of southern Europe. What is frappe, where did it come from and how do you prepare it yourself? Let’s go on this fascinating journey together.

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Limited Stanley Starbucks Cup: Everything You Need to Know with Photos

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Here’s the story behind the Stanley + Starbucks 40 oz Tumbler that was available as a limited edition collab only at the Starbucks stores inside of Target stores.

Stanley Starbucks 40 oz cup collab

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.

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My Review of the IKEA Mattlig Stainless Milk Frothing Pitcher (with photos)

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At $8, This IKEA Stainless Milk Frothing Jug Is Perfect For Beginners

IKEA Mattlig Stainless Milk Frothing Pitcher
Here’s what the IKEA Mattlig Stainless Milk Frothing Pitcher looks like.

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. 

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Choosing the Best Vietnamese Coffee Type (with photos)

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There are different types of Vietnamese coffee. Here’s an explanation of how they work!

Vietnamese drip coffee and a bahn mi sandwich
I enjoyed this delicious Vietnamese drip coffee with a bahn mi sandwich for the full experience.

by Nigel Ong

One of the most popular Asian coffees may be Vietnamese coffee. Based on French coffee traditions, it has since adapted to the palates of local Vietnamese and developed its own style and taste. 

Vietnamese coffee is also widely available, as the diaspora take the coffee styles with them everywhere. Unlike Kopi Luwak, Vietnamese coffee is more palatable to many and does not harm animals. This also makes it more popular.

In this post, I visited one of the local Vietnamese cafes around my city and sampled some Vietnamese coffee. I also explore some ways you can enjoy the coffee better, such as flavorings and food pairings. 

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Filter Kaapi Explained: South Indian Filter Coffee (with Photos)

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Filter Kaapi South Indian Filter Coffee
Here’s a cup of South Indian filter coffee I purchased at Saravanaa Bhavan, a popular South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant.

by Nigel Ong

India first tasted coffee in 1670, when Baba Budan brought these beans from Yemen. Since then, the Indians have developed their coffee culture, distinct from your regular Western coffee traditions. 

One of the most common ways to drink coffee in India is as a Filter Kaapi. Filter Kaapi basically means filter coffee and is incredibly popular in southern India. With the migrations of Southern Indians worldwide, they brought their coffee culture along with them. 

In this post, I will sample a cup of South Indian Filter Coffee and then describe the taste. I’ll also explain some ways to enjoy the coffee, such as the drinking process and the right food to pair with the coffee. 

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What is traditional Greek Coffee? (Explanation with photos)

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Traditional Greek coffee poured from a briki / tzisves (Ibrik)
Traditional Greek coffee poured from a briki / tzisves (known elsewhere as an Ibrik).

by Darren Oliver

As a region, the Balkans definitely stand out on the coffee map of the world. Here you will find brewing methods that are not as popular in other parts of the world. As someone who enjoys new coffee experiences, I couldn’t help but try Greek coffee when I found myself just in this picturesque country. What is Greek coffee, how to prepare it, and how does it differ from Turkish coffee? Here’s what I learned during my visit to the Mediterranean.

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All about the Ellianos Coffee Company

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Ellianos Coffee Company

by Lars H

Ever seen the drive through coffee shop Ellianos Coffee when you are in Florida, Alabama or Georgia and wondered what they’re all about?

I wondered too, so I looked them up to see what the story behind this small coffee chain in the southeastern US. Turns out they’ve been around for more than 20 years, because they were founded in 2002. So it’s not a new chain at all. They are a highly established business.

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What is the Rolex Starbucks? It’s not a collab!

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Rolex Submariner model 126610LV, known by the nickname Starbucks and Kermit.
A 2020 Rolex Submariner model 126610LV, known by the nickname Starbucks and sometimes Kermit.

Maybe you’re wondering, did Starbucks and Rolex do a collaboration watch?

The answer is unfortunately, no. The real story behind the name is that different Rolex watch models have various nicknames based on how they look.

This watch is officially the Rolex Submariner Date 126610LV model, which was released in the year 2020. But here’s the deal! You can see that the bezel is a very bright green color that looks almost just like the Starbucks logo color. So it earned the nickname, Starbucks Rolex. (Some people also call it the Kermit Rolex.)

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I tried the Dutch Bros. Shark Attack Drink, blended. My review (with photos)

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Dutch Bros shark attack rebel energy drink
Dutch Bros Shark Attack drink, the blended version.

by Lars H

I was recently at Dutch Bros, and I decided to try a few of the weird-sounding popular drinks that everyone seems to be drinking. The Shark Attack was at the top of the list because what even is it? The name gives you no real hints about what kind of a drink it even is.

Well, it turns out that the Shark Attack is NOT a coffee drink. It’s an energy drink. You can get it two different ways. Just as a drink with ice, or blended. I chose blended, because who doesn’t love blended ice types of drinks? They are so slurp-i-licious.

But “energy drink” still doesn’t tell you much. What’s in it? What does it taste like? What’s the point?

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