coffee (I)
What can only be the first of many posting on one of my favourite topics: coffee. i just relocated to maastricht in the netherlands, and bought myself a small manual coffee-grinder (see photos below). They can be found quite cheaply on flea markets or in second hand stores these days. I paid 4 Euro for mine. The purchase was prompted by a recent article in ZEIT Wissen (in German), which describes how to make a good cup of coffee using a coffee-grinder in combination with an old-fashioned drip-filter. I have been experimenting a bit and can’t say that I agree with the article’s conclusion. My results are not terrible, but they simply do not compare to a “real” coffee.
Before moving to Maastricht I visited Iceland and was surprised to find a huge appreciation for coffee. A number of bars in Reykjavik send teams to the Annual World Barrista Championships, and I have seen some 4th and 5th places trophies on display. I am not sure if it is an anecdote, but I read somewhere that Icelanders even take their own coffee when they travel to Italy — as they don’t trust any other nation could make equally good coffee.
After almost 10 days of experimenting with my drip-filter I finally went on a quest for a good cappuccino in Maastricht, and found it at Coffeelovers. The place is owned by a small company (Maison Blanche Dael) that roasts the beans themselves. They have a great store in Wolfstraat 28, where you can see the roaster through the window.
Coffeelovers
Ruiterij 2
6221 Maastricht
MBD
Wolfstraat 28
6211 Maastricht