Here comes the life-saving coffee recommendation

Perhaps influenced by the "every drop of fragrant coffee" advertising slogan of Nestle's 3-in-1 instant coffee, for a long time I equated coffee with 3-in-1 instant coffee. When I was in high school, I would often buy boxes of instant coffee to stay awake.

The year I graduated, I walked into a boutique coffee shop and drank my first cup of "hand-brewed coffee" in my life. Since then, I have never drunk instant coffee again. Instant coffee has become a "sweet drink with caffeine" to me.

When it is inconvenient to brew coffee by hand, I would rather go to 7-11 to buy a cup of American coffee than instant coffee, but most of the time I don’t have time to go buy it, so I tried a lot of easy-to-brew drip coffee, cold brew coffee liquid, etc. With them, now I can drink a cup of coffee that is better than American coffee, "cleaner" than three-in-one instant coffee, and more convenient in one or two minutes.

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P.S. As the time of publication approaches, I found that the 30-pack of Guoke hanging ear snacks were sold out and removed from the shelves, so I found 10 packs for you, which also have the same 10 origins, and cost 79 yuan.

The first time I saw this box of coffee was in an article in the Foodie Research Institute. I particularly liked the title, which was "If you think coffee is just bitter, let's talk about it after you drink these 10 cups."

Why 10 cups? Because this box of 30 coffee bags contains 10 varieties (origins) of coffee, and they are from boutique producing areas all over the world. Coffee is like rice, different climates in different producing areas will bring different tastes and flavors. Drinking coffee from 10 producing areas is like tasting rice from 10 regions around the world. It is not an easy task to collect so many producing areas.

The box will come with a card with the origin and flavor introduction, such as the one in the upper left corner.

In addition to the production area affecting the taste, how the harvested coffee beans are processed and roasted will affect the acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and fruit, nut and other aromas of the final product. Although the American coffee we often drink is so bitter that it makes people tremble, this is not always the case with hand-brewed coffee from a single origin.

For example, my favorite Yunnan Honey Recipe in this box is a cup of coffee that is neither bitter nor astringent, and is even a little sweet.

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The beans themselves are not roasted too deeply, and the bitterness is not obvious. In addition, the coffee beans are "honey-processed" after being picked, and are directly placed in the sun without removing the external pectin, so the sugar in the pectin soaks into the seeds (coffee beans), giving the beans a sweet taste. And because of the pectin coating, the beans will also undergo a fermentation process, bringing more flavor.

This kind of bean has a light roasted smoky taste in the mouth, without any burnt and bitter taste. After swallowing, it will start to taste sweet from the throat, and there will be a slightly sweet aftertaste in the mouth. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a cup of "sweet water" in coffee. It can definitely change your impression of the taste of coffee.

It is very convenient to brew drip coffee. If you want to prepare a cup of hand-brewed coffee, you need to grind the beans, prepare the filter paper and filter cup, boil water, and calculate the time and water-to-powder ratio during the brewing process, which takes an average of 10 minutes. But for drip coffee, you only need to tear open the package, tear open the small hole on the filter bag, hang the "ear" up, and then pour water on it.

After drinking this box of drip coffee, I can say that I have tasted coffee beans from different regions. Drip coffee is a low-cost way to get started in the field of single-origin coffee. At the price of a boutique coffee shop in Beijing, a cup of single-origin hand-brewed coffee costs more than 40 yuan, but this box of drip coffee allows you to taste 30 cups of coffee from 10 origins at a cheap price, and quickly get a basic understanding of the flavor of coffee.

Expand your knowledge

❶ When using the hanging ears, do not pull the ears on both sides directly and hang it on the cup. After adding water, the filter bag becomes heavy and easy to fall. The real method is to pull the ears apart, fold the dotted line and then hang it up, which will be much more stable!

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❷ The water temperature for drip coffee is preferably around 85 degrees. If it is medium roasted, light roasted, or beans that are obviously sour in style, the temperature should be higher. If you want to be faster, you can put it directly in a kettle or water dispenser. The amount of water for brewing is 180ml, which is about half the amount of a regular porcelain cup.

❸ In the cupping activities of professional coffee tasting, several varieties of beans are compared at the same time, and the beans are scored from multiple dimensions, which is very interesting. You can also refer to this method when drinking this box of drip coffee. Invite a few like-minded people to brew a few cups of different beans together. Some have a strong nutty flavor, and some have a strong floral flavor. Everyone tastes it and expresses their opinions on the taste.

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Cold brew has become very popular in the coffee world in recent years, and it is also one of Starbucks' main iced drinks in the summer, but to be honest, I can't tell the difference between Starbucks cold brew coffee and iced Americano. The cold brew method is quite a test of the quality of the coffee beans. If the flavor itself is not rich, the brewed coffee will probably only be sour and bitter without layers.

Fisher is a coffee factory in Qingdao, Shandong. My friends from my hometown go to Qingdao several times a year to check in and drink two cups of fresh beans to see if the quality has changed. It is also a brand of beans that I often buy. It is a single variety of coffee beans, and you drink it fresh . Otherwise, if it is left for a long time, the flavor will dissipate, and the coffee beans will turn oily and become completely unpalatable.

Fisher has always been committed to quality control. They have beans, drip coffee and bagged coffee, all of which you can buy. Here I will introduce the bagged coffee separately.

It is actually similar to a tea bag, except that the tea leaves in the filter bag are replaced with coffee powder. When using it, open the package, throw it directly into a cup with cold water, cover it with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for 8 hours. You can make it in the evening and put it in the refrigerator, and then drink it directly the next day.

I prefer medium or dark roasted beans for cold brew. Slow brewing with cold water can give the beans a very clean and heavy feeling. Compared with iced American coffee that also uses dark roasted beans, real cold brew coffee will have more layers and weaken the bitterness and astringency. If the brewed coffee liquid is left for more than 24 hours, it will also produce fermented wine aroma and grain flavor, adding another layer to the flavor of the beans.

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For someone like me who drinks at least two cups of coffee a day, a small bag of coffee can only make one cup at a time. Not only does it take up my cup, but the amount I can drink is really little. So I bought a portable coffee pot that can satisfy my daily coffee needs at a time.

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This coffee has three flavors: balanced, light roasted, and dark roasted, all of which are delicious. My boss gave me this coffee for the first time, and my first reaction was, "This is perfect for cold brew!"

It is a large independent package. When you tear open the seal, you will see the coffee powder wrapped in filter paper:

The method of drinking is also very simple, just pour water into it. I have always been accustomed to the cold brew method. I pour cold water and put it in the refrigerator. It can stand upright without occupying my cup. I take it out at work the next day, and it is enough for my coffee for the day.

If you use hot water to brew, you can also do it. Remember to open the water outlet before pouring water, otherwise it will easily swell the bag. Soak the coffee powder in hot water for 3 minutes and pour out all the coffee liquid in time. Otherwise, the coffee powder will be over-extracted if it is soaked for too long, producing a very sour taste that is difficult to swallow. But for cold brew, there is no problem. Soak it slowly with ice water for a few more hours.

I like balanced and dark roasts. Balanced is just like its name, with a good aftertaste and a slight sweetness. Dark roasts have a strong nutty aroma, but are a little bitter. I don't like sour coffee. Lightly roasted beans have a strong citrus and floral aroma, but the sourness is also obvious. Sometimes if I don't brew it well, I will shiver when I take a sip. But everyone has different preferences for flavors. You can try all three flavors for the first time.

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Selfishly, I would like everyone to try these coffees brewed directly with single-variety coffee beans. It will really break your perception of coffee. In my opinion, coffee brewed from these beans is real coffee. As for the "aroma" of Nestle 3-in-1 instant coffee that is added with non-dairy creamer and sugar, it has neither the aroma of milk nor the aroma of coffee. It is just deceiving the taste buds.

If the above products and instant drinks win by flavor, then the following two products win entirely by convenience, and only these two types can be called "truly instant".

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As coffee powder, Nestle instant coffee can only be called "little brother" in front of Santonban. Santonban crushed a number of coffee brands and took the throne of sales champion during the Double Eleven in 2019, not only because of its petite appearance, but also because of the advantage of "super instant" coffee powder, which is particularly convenient.

My colleague @梨花 is a girl who likes to drink iced coffee, especially iced milk coffee. She said she buys Santonban because it dissolves very easily.

If you pour Nestle's instant coffee directly into milk, the coffee powder will float up and clump, and it will become like pig feed if you stir it. But there is no such worry at all with Santonban. No matter whether it is milk or coffee, no matter what the temperature is, just open the lid, pour it in, stir it, and it will be OK, without residue or foam.

I started drinking Santonban coffee a year ago and have tried every type. My favorite is the cold brew series. Because I am a "flavor control", I don't add anything to Santonban, just drink the original flavor. The cold brew is the one that retains the most coffee bean flavor in my personal experience. It is not simply bitter, but has a sweet aftertaste and a little sourness. If you add ice water to drink, the taste is clearer, cleaner and very refreshing.

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It is a bit exaggerated to say that you can drink it directly after tearing it open, because it is concentrated coffee liquid, and it still needs to be diluted with water. This coffee liquid is extracted by cold brewing. The advantages of cold brewing have been mentioned before, mellow, low acid, low astringency, and good aftertaste.

It can be mixed with water and drunk directly, or added to milk to make an iced latte. I personally like to pair it with fresh milk. The sweetness and creamy taste of the coffee liquid mixed with the milk is the real "fragrant taste".

@梨花小姐 once recommended a great way to eat it, which is to pour the coffee liquid directly onto the ice cream.

"After taking a spoonful, the aroma of coffee and the sweetness of ice cream blend on the tip of the tongue. There is a slight astringency in the mouth, but it is quickly covered by the cool and sweet milk flavor. It is very delicious."

You can also try adding soy milk, coconut milk, or even cola, and you might get a strange combination. This coffee liquid has a relatively short shelf life among these products. It can only be stored at room temperature for 48 hours, refrigerated for 60 days, and frozen for 90 days. Students are advised to consider the above products.

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A cup of Nestle 3-in-1 instant coffee contains 11.2g of sugar (roughly) and 2.3g of fat. It uses these to create the illusion of "fragrant", and makes us take a lot of unnecessary sugar and fat to satisfy the taste pleasure in the advertising slogan, which I don't like. If I want to refresh myself, I can drink Americano or single product. If I want milky flavor, I can add milk to latte. If I can't afford it, I can add sugar substitute, but a small bar of seemingly convenient 3-in-1 instant coffee deprives me of the right to actively choose.

The coffees I like allow me to control the right to add sugar and milk. Although it is a bit more expensive, I am willing to pay for the rights I want (and they are really delicious).