Which coffee type are you? Coffee at the bar, coffee to go or coffee at home?

On the occasion of the launch of the limited edition barista and the brand new machine created by Nespresso I was invited to taste their coffee and get the feeling of how to prepare a latte as a barista with the new machine Creatista Plus.

If you get to try such high-class products the chance that your coffee preparation fails is quite small.
This experience made me think about my coffee habits since I take into consideration buying a coffee machine at home for quite a while. Today I use a small bialetti moka to brew my coffee.

What about discovering our coffee habits?

1. Did you ever try to do a really great coffee with microfoam at home?
2. Do you have the right equipment to make a proper milk foam?
3. Maybe you are just a bit lazy to be concerned about it and prefer to go for an espresso or flat white at your favourite bar on your way to work?
4. Or you don’t have the budget to buy an expensive machine?

I questioned these topics for myself and would like to share with you my thoughts in this article. Further, I want to give you suggestions on available options to find the best coffee choice or equippment for your habbit.

One of my previous articles was all about specialty coffee and where to find it here in Zurich. I share content about grinding coffee beans at home. This plays an important role when making coffee at home. For those who did not get the chance to read it, get it here.
Coffee beans are the base of all that comes after. I love the taste of a flavoured, strong coffee. l want to know where my coffee comes from and how it is roasted and processed.

What speciality coffee is…

Coffee that scores 80 points or above on a 100-point scale is graded „specialty.“ Specialty coffee grows in a special and ideal climate. They are distinctive because of their full cup taste and little to no defects. The unique flavours and tastes are a result of the special characteristics and composition of the soils in which they are produced.

Are you the type that loves to brew your coffee at home or take it at the bar?

If it comes to my coffee habits I know, that I am a mix of both. I am a coffee at home brewer and coffee shop drinker. Waking up in the morning and smelling the coffee notes from the moka machine is how I grew up. The sound of the coffee bubbling is something I cannot think out of my dayly routine. That is why, I personally think, that I could not replace having my coffee at home in the morning.
What I tried out, too, is the nespresso milk foam maker called Aeroccino, (which costs ca. 89 CHF). This product is a perfect alternative to buying a complete machine and making a latte or cappuccino at home.

At weekends I love to stop by at a bar where I know they have specialty coffee. I let my barista prepare the delicious thin microfoam with latte art on my coffee.

Barista corto, barista chiaro, barista scuro – Creatista Plus by Nespresso

Nespresso just previously launched new Limited Edition coffee blends called barista corto, barista chiaro and barista scuro. These blends were specially crafted by Nespresso experts.

The Barista corto creates a Ristretto Nero with an extra-intense taste, thick syrupy texture and marble dark crema.
The origin: Monsooned Arabica from India, washed Robusta from Guatemala amongst other origins.

The Barista scuro is meant for a dark Espresso Macchiato. It keeps its strong, flavourful, full-bodied coffee character when combined with a gentle touch of milk foam.
The origin: Washed Arabicas from Costa Rica and the Cundinamarca region of Colombia amongst other origins.

The Barista chiaro is ideal for an indulgent Cappuccino Dolce or a flat white. It has a smooth, creamy taste and round, exceptionally delicate biscuit notes.
The origin: Unwashed Arabica beans from the Cerrado region of Brazil and washed Arabica from Kenya among other origins.

With these coffee sorts comes a new machine called creatista plus that is designed to help you out at home and give you the barista feeling. The machine is simple in use and the microfoam is really as enjoyable as at the coffee bar. The price of the machine starts from 579 CHF.

This mixes up my habits now! Should I make my flat white at home or go out and drink it at the bar?

Ideally, I would have both options available, but what about the coffee smell that my moka machine giftes me?

You see, I cannot really find a solution to my coffee dilemma.

Anyway, there are options, and that is always good in life, so let’s keep it open.
Depending on the type of coffee habit you have, you will find the right choice for you!

*not sponsered article

My personal highlight: Discovering that there are other typical Swiss delicacies than Chocolate that deserve great attention – sweets called Biber

What is a Biber you may ask yourself?

It’s a typical Swiss specialty from the family of gingerbread buns, beautifully decorated by using a hand made wood model. The Biber has a soft dough that comes with a filling of either pealed almonds or roasted hazelnuts, honey and a secret mixture of spices.
The uniqueness of the Leibacher Biber is the hand made procedure with selected ingredient. Biber is a national speciality originally from the region of Appenzell. Since the Leibacher brother have a great passion to revival old Swiss traditions they brought this sweet delicacy to Zurich.

Something additional to say, Biber usually have the reputation being sticky, too sweet and artificial in the taste. But I guarantee, these ones are absolutely 100% genuine and a combination of natural flavors all to discover.
Best local honey is used, local biological flour and selected almonds. The whole team puts love and passion in their work.

What makes two young brothers revival an old Swiss tradition like a Biber?

Claudio Leibacher always had a passion for traditions. He studied history and loves to collect any different of antique objects. The oldest wooden Bieber model they own by the way is from the year 1480! And they want to keep this tradition moving Claudio says.

Maybe one day somebody will find one of his handmade figure for an other recipe!

As a kid he loved to stand in the kitchen with his mother to bake sweets.
This is how as one day as he found a bunch of wooden hand made models his plan was to create homemade Biber with them. He realized fast, that it’s a tricky task, to create dough that makes the design looking precise and gorgeous.

The first Biber ever Claudio created was a gift for his girlfriend, that is his wife today. I love this story!

A shop in their village was fascinated about the quality of the Biber and motivated him to continue that project. He invested everything he had in the necessary machines. Soon his brother Silvan started to support the project with his marketing and sales knowledge. That is where the nice packaging comes from.

Where they used to play as kids today you find production machines and happy ladies producing Biber in any kind of shape and design

The cellar of their parents home was the place where they started the first production tests. In the cellar where they used to play as kids, today a professional and well-equipped manufactory of the Biber is based.

The room is clean. Important steps are still handmade. It starts with the carving of these beautiful wood models. Companies can choose some specific themes and order Biber as giveaways. During my visit I had the chance to catch Easter bunny Biber.

Tasting the Biber in their parents living room

Sitting in the living room of Silvan’s and Claudio’s parents house is absolutely the highlight of my visit. Sitting there and smelling the Biber getting ready downstairs is memorable. I am ready for the tasting!

We tasted the vegan Biber. It comes with a very light almond filling, a fresh touch of lemon and a shot of a local fruity grappa called Marc.

The classical honey Biber comes with an intense, full-buddied filling of pealed almonds. The honey used is from the local woods of Zurich Oberland. This is absolutely my favorite one.

The white Biber is their latest creative invention. The dough reminds me the classical Christmas cookies called “chräbeli” or “änisbrötli”, they have some anise seeds in. They come with a filling prepared with roasted hazelnuts and a shot of lemon, too.

Dry white wine fits well with a Biber. Try this combination!

Get the chance to taste and buy Biber online, there are several shops in town selling it, too. They will also be at FoodZurich upcoming September.

www.biber-manufaktur.ch