Coffee

Has anyone else found that since living here they haven't been able to go back to drinking that foul, watery, disgusting instant "coffee" that is still being served in many British homes and offices??

I've got so used to lovely freshly brewed coffee here, not to mention the easy availability of really good espresso, that I find I can only drink tea when I'm back home.

I say all this having just made myself the most gorgeous Mochaccino using my lovely little espresso machine (yes, from Tschibo, but it's still fab!). Sigh...

Any thoughts from you lot?

Yes, me too... Instant Coffee tastes disgusting now.

I'll second...third that, I hate instant coffee...but I'm ok when I go home as my stepfather is Dutch & so only drinks real coffee.

well I was convinced I didn't like coffee before I came to Germany so I suppose yes

Oh this is so true. My get rich quick idea is to get all restaurants and cafes in the UK to install those machines which make Latte Machiatos, and which can be found in the tiniest cafe here. That way, I don't have to work when I return to the UK, AND I get to enjoy the coffee I drink in coffee mornings with my pals during my new found leisure time!

What is the difference b/w a Latte Macchiato and a regular Latte? Apart from the stripes, none I guess.

I think the difference is that a normal Latte is made with regular coffee and a Latte Macchiato is made with Espresso -I could be wrong though !

According to "Coffee and Espresso Lingo":

Caffè Latte: Also known simply as a Latte. An espresso made with steamed milk, topped by foamed milk. The most popular espresso drink. Also the default espresso: if you ask for a "double tall," for instance, you'll get a double tall latte.

Caffè Macchiato: An espresso marked (or "stained") with a dollop (a teaspoon or two) of foamed milk. In Italian, "macchiato" can be translated as "marked," "stained," or "spotted". Starbucks defines a macchiato as "one shot of espresso in a demitasse topped with a small dollop of foamed milk."

So now you know!

Ah ha ... you see, this is the big issue. In the UK you can't get a Latte Macchiato, they only sell Espresso Macchiato, which is the "stained" Espresso you are talking about. But that is not what a Latte Macchiato is. It certianly is not just dollop of milk froth. I asked for a Latte Macchiato in Blue Water (Costa Coffee I think) and they had never heard of it. I think it might be a German invention.

My general rule: don't drink coffee in England, don't drink tea in Germany (especially when they put it in a glass with a slice of lemon!)

I'm a huge fan of Nescafe Gold here in Germany ... as you might know, the recipe varies from country to country.