WE NEED TO
GET OUR COFFEE FIX!

Is there anything more satisfying than stepping into a coffee shop? The aromas, the machinery steaming and whipping up hot milk, people chatting in the background – and most of all choosing from all these mad flavours of beans, servings and flavours.

But alas, we find ourselves tending to our coffee fixes at home. Gone are the days of Starbucks trips and coffee drive-throughs on our way to work. we have many more exciting things to offer ourselves and one of those is time.

Time to appreciate our love for coffee on a whole new level at home with the power of harnessing your most imaginative creations. but how do you create such beautiful coffee at home? Here’s a few tips on creating coffee perfection:

1. The Machine

It’s fair to say we’ve all saved a few bob since our favourite coffee establishments have had to close their doors. It was predicted back in March that UK consumers would spend more than £4bn getting their caffeine fix from high street coffee shops this year.*

So let’s break this down. If a consumer spent £3 on a cup of regular coffee a day, every day of the working week, that’s a whopping £756 spent on coffee a year! That’s just working days, no extras and certainly only 1 cup!

So why not see a machine as an investment, an enjoyment and a passion. Here are our top methods for getting a perfect coffee at home:

The Siemens EQ bean-to-cup machine – this clever piece of kit may set you back a fair bob, but like we’ve just seen above, this will pay for itself in no time! But what makes THIS so special? It’s a coffee lover’s paradise. You are sure to get the barista style feel at home. With settings that create our perfect drink, personalisation mode for it to remember your favourite drink, one-touch features that are easy to use and even connect it to your smart device for a full futuristic experience! I could go on… so why not check out all the cool features for yourself.

The Nanopresso by Wacaco – from personal experience, this nifty device creates the perfect espresso, the slogan ‘BE YOUR OWN BARISTA’ comes in more of a convenient format than above. This is perfect for taking out to work or just at home. It gives you a much more authentic taste than a regular cup of joe and won’t take up much space in the cupboard too!

Bosch built-in coffee machine – beauty built in. As we are all finding time to do up our homes and our kitchens, why not get a coffee machine built-in. Now there’s nothing ‘new’ about this invention, but it’s worth adding that this Bosch model connects to your phone and has the ability to be bean-to-cup, giving you more choice as you search for the perfect roast; which brings us onto our next subject…

2. The Bean

There’s nothing quite like a delivery of coffee beans. That knock-out hit of aroma as you tear through the parcel. We are so fortunate to have deliveries and services running to get these wonders delivered to our door.

There are thousands of brands to try and experience, but how do you choose? One coffee roasting brand that I love is Union Coffee Roasters. I first came across this brand at the London Coffee Festival a few years back. There’s nothing they don’t know about coffee. Head to their website for loads of helpful tips and processes to get you started on a wonderful authentic coffee journey.

Support small businesses – this is so important during these times and now more than ever, small businesses are counting on us to make an effort for change. We love to try different coffees in our home. Our latest brand is Tactical Coffee, a veteran owned brand with some of their blends giving back to charity.

3. Subscribe and follow

Keep in touch with your favourite brands by subscribing to newsletters or giving them a follow on social. Allpress Espresso is one that produces really informative articles and newsletters that also aren’t too long to read. It gives you a snippet of what’s going on in the coffee world and their efforts to keep in people’s minds during this current climate.

Ground Coffee Society have adapted to the recent pandemic offering an easy ordering and delivery service. Their social posts are 100% insta worthy, inspiring us with amazing new blends and snapshots on how they’re helping the local community. So get following!

Caravan Coffee Roasters are doing exactly what they should be doing in the current crisis. Getting their beans into people’s homes. Again, their instagram page is full of wonderful imagery you’ll pause to look at and admire whilst gaining knowledge of their subscriptions kits, new flavours and where you can grab a take-away coffee from their partners in and around London.

Digital platforms really have proven themselves to be an essential part of our everyday lives in how we stay connected and in-touch with the world. Coffee will always be a part of every day and it’s just about adapting to these changes and finding new ways to support businesses, support your bank account and to keep on trends even from the comfort of your sofa.

I’d really love your feedback on the things I’ve discussed, whether you know of any brands that have really adapted to this current climate or whether you just love to talk coffee. Above is such a small snippet of the amazing things that are happening weekly in the world and in this country. We have shown resilience in the face of change and I hope you enjoy these insights.

*https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/06/caffeine-kick-uk-coffee-lovers-will-spend-more-than-4bn-this-year-tea

Image source: Siemens EQ – Lisis home Story, Siemens. Bosch – ChilliJa.LikesFood, Fancy.com. NanoEspresso – Rivas Coffee, Ivy Moksha. Caravan Roastery. Allpress Espresso. Tactical Coffee. Union Roastery. Ground Coffee Society.

Bio: Lois Hillier – Senior Designer at Eat With Your Eyes.
With 5 years experience in the Eat With Your Eyes studio, Lois is a well-established member of the team creating brands from concept to completion. Researching, creating insight and grasping up-to-date trends comes had in hand with harnessing expertise in the field of the hospitality sector and everything food and drink.