I prefer tea without sugar too and for coffee, I sometimes add sugar. I would take espresso plain for example, but add sugar to an americano. But not always data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I need a little sugar to balance tea/coffee, just find both of them too bitter without a little touch up.
What do you guys drink while in work, and away from your coffee machines? Any instants you'd recommend?
I've started to take my cafetière in to work.
It's amazing how many customers offer me instant which I'd rather not drink.
I have an aeropress at work. Much better than the machines, although we now do have a BTC machine that is free. Think they just use cheapo beans though as it can be a bit bitter.
I started off with 1 sugar in tea as didn't like it without but weaned myself off just by the lowering the amount over time, to the point where it was ridiculous to add 1/4 spoon, so just stopped. I love both without sugar now.
Coffee I have always had without sugar, but used to drink lattes. Now I only drink Americano without milk, or more often than not, just straight double espresso's.
I have one latte from cafe next door to the office. Proper stuff. £1.80 for a medium.
There's a quite good set of video's for the newbie coffee fanatic - including videos on how to diagnose problems with espresso shots by taste, talks about different types of machines. etc. You can see them here; Newbie Introduction to Espresso • Home-Barista.com
One interesting discussion came up in one video about the importance of the different elements in coffee making and he ordered them; your skills, the bean, the grinder, the machine.
i have one of these for home:
Duo Coffee Steeper |Fellow
along with a grinder, a french press, and a Lavazzo pod machine for when i want a quick cup(i drink a lot of coffee!!). much prefer the lavazzo machine to the nespresso, use a nespresso at work and the coffee isn't a patch on the lavazzo machine.
for instant, not a huge fan, but the best i've found is the nescafe azera, when instant is the only option i usually have a tin of it lying around.
also have a stove top but never really got on with it
I find those things, although aimed at newbies, are actually aimed at newbies who are going to become obsessives. Just my opinion of course. But for example, I bought a decent-ish machine, some nice coffee, have no skills, but make a coffee I think is delicious.
That is the best instant I have found too. My wife drinks that a lot as she can't be bothered with the aeropress or espresso machine.
I haven't touched instant since I got my aeropress, but drank Azera before that.
That you like the coffee is always the main thing.
But in all my interests I've tended to get obsessive about hardware, technique and the nuances so I love videos like that. So, for me, getting there is as interesting as the final result.