Maybe not a bad idea if your in the States, coffee there is not great.

Anybody remember 'Camp' brand coffee? That was/is baaaaad.

Technically it is Chicory not coffee.

Chicory!

Precisely, that is why I made my original post about my filter coffee tasting of chicory.

The ground coffee I have been buying in Spain, sorry I cannot remember the brands, described themselves amongst other things as a mezcla. I took this to mean a mixture of coffee beans. Could it have been cut with chicory? My spanish is only in its infancy yet but is improving rapidly.
Do they keep the decent coffee on a different shelf in the supermarket?

I have been following this thread with much interest and amusement, it is interesting to see how threads evolve.

Thanks everybody for all the info so far. Keep up the good work!

Achicoria I think.... ask next time you have a coffee.... they might spit in your next coffee but hey, it sounds like they are doing that anyway.

Yep, your right only 4% 'coffee esscence'. I looked up this dreaded brew today and found this, more PC gone mad

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...-pc-brigade.do

Cafe con lapo verde?

Give it another 100 years and the pc brigade will have the label as the highlander serving the sikh, as with every other part of society.

Its a part of history, whether they like it or not, you cannot change history so why bother.

Sorry of topic there.

The quote is really interesting as being 100% at odds with any other comment on Spanish coffee that I have ever heard from visitors or residents over the last 17 years.

Taste is a funny thing I suppose, not wrong just different.

[QUOTE=stevesainty;9139898]I am perfectly happy with the coffee in England but I cannot find a decent one in Spain.

I'm Steve's OH so I'm jumping in on this thread.

On our next visit to Spain we're staying in L'Albir. The nearest supermarket to our accommodation is Mendoza but I understand that there are also Eroski, Lidl and Mercadona in the town.

We've usually shopped at Mercadona and the problem is that all the coffees we've tried on their shelves have been rubbish (chicory) but that may have been because they've been in tourist areas, L'Albir may be the same. Admittedly we haven't tried all Mercadona's stock.

Can anyone recommend a good coffee stocked by Mendoza or any of the others please? If you live in the area and know the supermarkets in L'Albir even better.

Might not be such a bad idea to start a new thread with the best coffee in each area

Barakito Especial con gasolina(cuarenta tres), knocks all the rest into a cocked hat, normally served in a glass, so it can be fully appreciated.
To make it is an art-form.
To drink it sublime.

I prefer mine with diesel.....

A cowboy's coffee recipe (Carrajillo de ron)

* Make the coffee (this is the short version) and put to one side.
* Take a saucepan or individual tin mug, you don't mind spoiling.
* Throw in a random amount of brown sugar (cubes).
* Heat the sugar to melt and not caramelise (not too much anyway) and don't worry if toffee sets on the pan sides.
* Add the coffee, swirl around and reheat so that the sugar and toffee dissolve into the hot coffee.
* Throw in a generous quantity of rum. I said generous, double that.
* Whilst still on the heat put a match to the vapour in the pan and scorch your hair as the flames rise up. see attached pic.
* Let it burn out and serve. Alcohol lovers can blow it out sooner or add more rum in the cup.
* Boiling water in the empty pan restores it to as good as new.



The coffee has a coffee flavour..... with rum and toffee undertones and is more than good.

Bit late on this thread because I don't drink coffee.

But I need it for my customers - I might sell no coffee for a week and then 10 in a day. I would guess at an average of no more than 5 per day.

So we don't need an all singing, all dancing mega coffee machine. At the moment we have a Nespresso machine but the capsules are a little expensive and if you make a milky coffee it's a bit cold.

I have been looking at the machines with the steamer thing in Carrefour at anything between 60 Euros and several hundred.

Does anyone have any experience of/recommendations for these?

We've got a solac one that cost about 150 euros a few months ago. You can buy them from El Corte Ingles or Worten.

We wanted one where you could use ground coffee, not capsules - and one with a high pressure pump (18 bars).

I've been very impressed as I wanted an expensive Jura, but got talked out of it Takes two minutes to makes a coffee (if you keep the machine off, otherwise only takes a few seconds) and the steam handle heats the milk if you want "con leche". For me, its pretty much cafeteria standard.

Before this we had a cheap 60 euro machine and although it was OK, I wouldnt be happy paying money for a coffee that came out of that machine.