IF a friend or family member pops in, you always need tea and coffee on hand to offer them a cup.
As well as an essential ingredient for a chat and a catch up, a mug of the hot stuff also provides a mini-escape from the world while at home or work. It perks us up if we’re tired or simply warms us up on a cold day.
Whether you’re a caffeine addict or not, you always need a stock of coffee in your cupboard.
It is one of the most-consumed drinks in the world.
So here, HN Tried and Tested take a look at some of the less well-known brands availabwe and give you the lowdown on what coffees are hot – and which ones are not.
Fairtrade – Decaffeinated Ground Coffee
£3.75, from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk, on Amazon or on 0845 330 8900
Four stars
IF herbal tea gets too much in the evening, a decaff coffee can act as a decent alternative, and this fairtrade offering will help make it a guilt-free cuppa.
It’s expensive since the bag will not provide many cups, and it seemed to make more of a mess of the coffee maker than its caffeinated sibling.
These are niggles, however, and if you find yourself unable to handle a cup of coffee at night and you can handle the strange taste of decaff, this might tempt you out of an elderflower, cammonmile or green tea. AJ
Fairtrade - Medium Roast Ground Coffee
£3.95, from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk, on Amazon or on 0845 330 8900
Four stars
FAIRTRADE coffee is the preferred option for those who may feel guilty sipping a supermarket brand. There is a difference in taste to the standard product, and this is not freshly ground Colombian stuff.
You pay a premium for fairtrade, in order to make it fair, and you have to feel strongly that your extra pennies will help the source farmer to cope with the extra cost.
If it’s important, you will already be drinking the Fairtrade option – and it is well worth a try for any other curious buyers. AJ
Douwe Egberts Ground Coffees - Cafe Milano and Time Together
£3.14 for a 200g foil bag, available in all major supermarkets
Both three stars
I must confess to having a penchant for good, strong black coffee with a consistency similar to that of tar – the sort of stuff you can find in the small bars and cafes off the beaten track in most mountain villages in Italy or the Algarve.
One small cup of that gives you more of a blood rush than a pint of the insipid liquid that all too often masquerades as coffee in the majority of our so-called coffee bars.
So it was with a degree of anticipation that I tried two of the new range of Douwe Egberts offerings.
The first, called Time Together, is classed as Strength 4 by the makers and has a nice spicy blend with a hint of vanilla and nut – ideal, say the makers – to accompany good company and great conversation.
The second, Cafe Milano, sounded a bit more interesting, even though it is graded as Strength 3, and is described as a traditional Italian-style coffee with a hint of spices. Both had a fine coffee aroma which promised more than they gave you, and although I found them pleasant enough, they lacked the punch of the more rough and ready varieties I enjoy so much. LF
Lavazza ground coffee
£2.99 for 250g, available from supermarkets
Five stars
Branded as Italy’s favourite coffee, Lavazza has a reputation that preceeds it, and any coffee-lover knows that it’s classed as a quality product.
I tried it out in a cafetiere and it was true to its word, providing a tasty coffee that melted in the mouth and was just so drinkable. Aromatic, smooth and well-rounded in flavour, it’s the sort of coffee you can serve up to any guest as nobody could fail to like it.
It comes in a thick silver foil packet, and if you reseal it you can be sure that none of the quality will be lost after opening.
If you haven’t tried this coffee, you definitely should! HB
Cherizena Colombian Coffee with Salted Caramel
£3 for 125g, available from www. cherizena.co.uk
Four stars
Available in beans, ground, regular or decaffeinated versions, I tried the ground product and it smelled wonderful just in the packet!
I couldn’t wait to try out the contents – and that’s despite the idea of salt in my coffee not filling me with delight. But the salty taste was so minimal I could barely detect it.
There was only a hint of caramel but the result was a lovely, deep-tasting coffee, good enough to rival a Starbucks.
My only criticism is that you need to use a fair amount of the product to get a nice, strong cup, and that means it could quickly run out. HB
Percol Black and Beyond espresso coffee beans
£3.79, from Tesco stores
Four stars
THERE is something very satisfying about grinding your own coffee.
My grinder dates back to the 50s and is basically a wooden box into which the beans are fed, then crushed by cranking a handle, pushing them through a set of milling gears into a compartment below.
The Percol Black & Beyond beans produced a lovely, aromatic coffee in my equally antique percolator. Described as the champagne of coffees, Black & Beyond is not for the faint-hearted, being much stronger and darker than many other varieties. It is sheer indulgence, with no bitter aftertaste, and provides a very satisfactory conclusion to any meal. One to try. LAF
