I haven't updated for quite a while; mainly because I'm on a Christmas break and haven't done much experimenting. I've been spending a lot of time in Sibu, Sarawak with the in-laws and chilling. But I would like to make a quick entry to let you guys know of a little gem I found at IKEA.
I've always wanted cafe quality coffee that I can enjoy at home on a regular basis, but there are a lot of expenses to consider: namely an espresso machine and those can go into the thousands. They take up space, they are difficult to use and need regular cleaning and maintenance. In any case you'd probably use it once or twice and then forget about it as it collects dust in the corner of your kitchen. Another alternative is the drip coffee machine. A brilliant concept, and you probably have it somewhere in your house. Trust me, someone would have given it to you for Christmas, or at your wedding. I believe the same coffee machine has made its way through countless matrimonies without ever being taken out of its box. The idea of the drip coffee machine (henceforth shall be known as coffee machine) is that it boils the water and the resulting pressure from the steam pushes the hot water up into the filter and it slowly drips into a jug below. But this machine suffers from the same problems like the espresso machine. It takes time to set up, designed to make coffee for more than one person, needs you to grind / buy ground coffee, and the washing up. If you don't have a big household and you just want a single cuppa to yourself, this is way too much.
So, what's your other alternatives? You can look to the different varieties available out there in the form of 3 in 1 coffees, white coffee, 2 in 1, 1 in 1 and what have you. But both you and I know that these reconstituted flavoured milk powder sachets do not satisfy the soul.
So I was at IKEA the other day and wife said she wanted to check out the Christmas cookies she said they were selling. So I got a chance to browse the little section they have next to the curry puff dispensary. IKEA sells reasonably priced foods to add value to furniture shopping. You're not really buying oddly named chairs, you're buying an experience. I used to enjoy going there and abuse the refillable coffee; until they stopped doing that. Because obviously it was silly. However, I found out that IKEA sells these instant ground coffee sachets similar to tea bags. Here's a picture of the product:
You can see the coffee 'pod' in the mug. Just pour hot water and add sugar to taste, and you have a very nice long black. I have not experimented in creating a latte, but I do believe that hot milk with the pouch steeping in it would do the trick. The only thing missing is the foamy texture of freshly pressed coffee that you would get from an espresso machine. But here's the catch, the price of this thing is ridiculous. It is about RM18.99 for 36 sachets - which makes it approximately RM0.50 per pod. 50 cent per pod!!! Just let that sink in. The quality of the coffee you are getting is similar to a long black at your favourite watering hole and those would cost up to RM4-5 per cup. So I really urge everyone to give it a try because if all else is not to your satisfaction, it is freakin 50 cents a cup. You can't even get a coffee this good and this cheap at your local mamak. I plan to get another pack for the office, so that I can do a Ron Swanson walk around the place with a mug in hand. Eat good and eat smart folks!
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