On my first morning back at work from the long holiday, I was immediately craving a cup of coffee. I wanted to start my day with cheap but good coffee, but I really didn't want to walk to the nearest Starbucks. So, I settled for the most convenient option: Family Mart.

At first I wanted to get their machine brewed/drip coffee with my usual being White Chocolate Mocha. It was only 85 pesos for the large cup, and  you don't have to wait to get it. But then I saw this new UCC 3-in-1 coffee mix on the shelves. Actually, I saw two: the Colombia Coffee and White Coffee.

UCC Colombia Coffee

I tried the Colombia first. I was cautious about this because I know that Colombia is a dark roast coffee, and I'm not very fond of its bitter taste. I always buy medium roast coffee because of the balance of flavors.



The Colombia mix was a pleasant. It wasn't as strong as I thought it would be, plus it smelled wonderful! There was no bitter taste in the coffee though it was a dark roast. It wasn't milky or creamy, but it had that right combination of coffee and  with the stronger coffee taste, it tasted a bit like caramel.

It actually reminded me of a lot of Kopiko Brown with its robust coffee taste. I would guess it was on the sweet side, but it was ok with me. Maybe because I put a bit more water than recommended. I liked this a lot that I actually drank this for the next couple of days.

UCC White Coffee

The following week I tried the White Coffee variant. This one didn't smell as delicious as the Colombia one. The coffee taste in this one is also strong, but it was mellowed out by the creaminess of the mix. I also put more water than instructed and it still tasted good.


I didn't like this as much as the Colombia mix. I felt it tasted closer to toasted coffee than the buttery, nutty one I was expecting. The color was lighter but not as pale as other white coffee mixes I've had. Come to think of it, this is better than the other white coffee mixes I've had.

Between the two new UCC mixes from Singapore, the Colombia is hands-down better. If you like a stronger coffee taste, then this is the choice. If you want the creamier version that still tastes like coffee and not milk, the White Coffee mix is a good bet.

As a fan of coffee I'd get my java concoction from different cafes, because I want to know my options when I'm not making my own caffeine fix. So, one trip to SM The Block had me passing by Mochicream Cafe, and felt that I had to try their drinks. I did have a struggle between having coffee or trying their matcha drink. They're a Japanese cafe after all.


So, that's what I tried, Matcha Mocha. One thing for sure, the barista at Mochicream Cafe, SM The Block has got skills with latte art. I almost didn't want to drink my matcha.

Kawaii! ^_^

I was happy with my kakaibang matcha drink. It still tasted strongly of green tea latte, but with a hint of chocolate in it. This is made it very different from the other matcha lattes I've tasted. For one, the color was kind of a muddy green instead of the usual bright deep green color. And for another, it was less milky in taste (yey for the chocolate!).

The size, for me, was also perfect. It fulfilled my craving for the latte but didn't leave me wanting more or less. It wasn't too sweet either, so I really liked it. Didn't have to add sugar or anything else in my drink.

Another angle of the latte art

It's been a while since I posted something, so I'm starting the upcoming holidays by becoming more active in blogging. After all, I believe it's the bestest time for coffee (I say bestest because anytime is best for coffee), you know cool weather and all.

Today's poison is one of them instant coffees in a bottle: Barista's Best. It's a new one, and possibly only available at convenience stores for now because I haven't seen it in groceries yet.


I bought mine at Mini-Stop which is right next door to where I work, as a recommendation from a colleague who had tried it already. It was only 27 pesos, so why not? It was cheap enough that I won't feel it's a waste if it didn't taste good.

You see, I've tried a lot of ready-to-drink (RTD) iced coffees, even those from popular coffee shops, and I've been burned too many times. It's because I expected them to taste good, and most of them, well...did not taste remotely like coffee at all.

However, this latest incarnation of the RTD iced coffee from Asia Brewery is different. It is actually delicious! It tasted coffee-creamy and it was heaven in a plastic bottle. Though creamy, you can still savor a lot of coffee, with that vanilla-chocolaty taste. You know you're getting that caffeine kick you are looking for.

The consistency is not thin like the other ones I've already tried, so you know the manufacturers of Barista's Best did not skimp on ingredients in the name of price. I couldn't believe it was so cheap!


If I could find one fault though, it was a little sweet for my taste. Not too much that you'd get a toothache or sore throat. I wanted it a little bit less sweet, you know, be a little bit healthier.

So, if you find yourself craving for coffee on a hot day, and you don't want to put a hole in your pocket, try Barista's Best Ice Coffee. It's a keeper.

Found this video by La Colombe owner and coffee connoisseur Todd Carmichael on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee using the French press. It's the fastest and easiest way to have fresh brewed coffee ANYWHERE.

Now, I've seen a lot of videos on brewing through the French press. They are all different. I say, try them all and see which one produces the best-tasting brew for you. I chose this video as it was very exact and explained all the steps in details. I can make this as a base and then go from here.


Todd Carmichael mentioned the "golden ratio" for coffee brewing here, which is 1g of whole coffee beans to 17g of water. I also read somewhere that it's 2g of coffee to 28g of water (or 1:14). This will probably depend on how strong you want your brew to taste.

Also, since I don't have a kitchen scale at home, I will use the coffee scoop I got with my espresso machine. Through some challenging research, I found out that the 1/8 cup scoop holds about 5g of whole coffee beans. So, if I follow the 1:17 golden ratio of Mr. Carmichael here I would need 4 scoops to fill my 350ml French press.

I've been looking for this newest variant from Great Taste for a couple of weeks now (though I haven't been scouring the groceries, only convenience stores) and finally scored at the Mini-stop near where I work. Weee!


I've tasted the "chocolatey" version. It tasted more like hot chocolate to me than coffee. And I'm finding out that I'm not a fan of chocolatey with my coffee. But caramelly, YES! Definitely. That is why I really like this new instant coffee from Great Taste.

The moment I opened it, I can already smell the caramel. And it really is enticing. I could it was going to be delicious. And it was. It really was. It had that creamy, milky, and caramelly taste I like. Sweet, yes, but with a little bit more water than usual, it was perfect for me. It still tasted like coffee and not like some milk with caramel syrup in it.

Hmm, caramelly smell in the air!

 
However, one time, I really needed a kick of coffee and I still wanted the caramel taste, I added a bit of brewed coffee and I think, it went from perfect to SUBLIME. Also, this way I get to have more coffee because about 250 ml is bitin (not enough) for me. So, now, I always add brewed coffee to my Great Taste.