At The Coffee House

Last time, we talked about why London offers some of the best coffee houses on planet Earth. Sometimes though, we can’t be like the six Friends characters and head to our own alternative to Central Perk.

What is possible is to make your favourite drinks at home instead. Most of us are familiar with making instant to order, but once you have the taste for better coffee, it probably just doesn’t hit the mark. Instant doesn’t really offer the variation that the local café does either, most people just have standard coffee granules to apply the boiling water treatment to and add a little milk. It’s better than nothing, but it’s hardly a Starbucks.

Some people opt for pod machines instead like Nespresso or Tassimo machines, while others plump for filter coffee as a better but not perfect solution. Since around 2014, there’s been more of a trend for people to turn to technology in their homes too, and get something much closer to the Starbucks experience at home. These top end coffee makers are usually referred to as bean to cup machines, and grind the coffee beans to order.

If you know much about coffee, you know that fresh beans are the best place to start, as from the moment you grind them into finer powder to brew, the clock starts ticking and the flavour starts to suffer.

The HomeKitchenary website gives some tips about choosing a great bean to cup coffee machine for your kitchen, and give some great clues about not only which machines are best, but also what you need to consider to narrow down your choice of gadget.

In a nutshell, the type of coffee you and your family like to drink will make up the bulk of how to choose – as machines typically all make black coffees. It’s whether you also want it to handle drinks like heating milk for hot chocolate and frothing it for cappuccinos that makes the difference. You can also learn more detail about specific machines with a little research and reading bean to cup coffee machine reviews, check out specialist sites like beantocupcoffeemachine.com and big sites like Amazon to get every last feature documented.

Once you’ve chosen a machine, you can shift your focus to the beans you love to drink. You can buy ours in store, just ask next time you’re in and our team will tell you about our two in house blends. We have a light and dark option – if you’re the sort of person that loves a strong espresso hit you’ll love our dark beans, otherwise both are great to try, why not experiment with each?

The best part of home coffee making is you can learn at your own pace. Espresso and long alternatives like Americano are dead easy to get started with, and once you’ve mastered those, it’s an easy path to get more adventurous. It won’t take long to progress to cappuccino and latte, especially if you choose a fancy coffee machine, as they can do a lot of the trickier tasks for you. There’s usually the option to do things by hand too, so over time you can let the electronics do the parts you’re not so keen doing, and enjoy the satisfaction of what you enjoy to do by your own fair hand.

Of course, we think coming to see us to have a chat and a coffee is best, but if you haven’t got the time, making some great, full bodied and aroma rich home coffee comes a close second.

For me, a lifelong fan of coffee, I can’t think of any other place in the world where I could find so many different types and varieties of coffee beans as in London. London is home to the largest coffee shop chains in Europe, and thus I have been lucky enough to experience a wide variety of coffee brands and blends. It would be an understatement to say that I’m a coffee addict! My regular visits to my favourite coffee shop are usually pre-oxygen times – I know I’ll like a particular blend by the first sip, and I always hope they have a super-special gift for me on the day!

Many of my fondest memories of London come when I am visiting friends or family – I try as much as possible to make at least one stop to a coffee shop I’ve been to before. I love going into new coffee shops with my friends, but sometimes it can be hard to resist the temptation of the “over the hill” espresso I’ve been finding in coffee shops for years. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with trying new coffees – I’m a coffee addict at heart! If you’re new to the town, or haven’t visited a London coffee shop before, I highly recommend checking them out. I will give a few recommendations below.

Brixton – This is hands-down the best coffee shop in London. The atmosphere is classy, and the employees are extremely helpful. They also serve some of the best pastries in all of Europe. A great feature of Brixton is that they offer a daily breakfast service. You can get a soft-boiled egg, croissant, or a waffle – everything you’d want for breakfasts.

Clapham Common – There isn’t a more up-to-date London coffee shop than Clapham Common. I used to go here every morning when I was in London. The selection of speciality coffees and teas is mind-blowing, and the staff are always helpful. I’ve often wondered why there aren’t more coffee shops in the area – it’s such a nice place! It’s also a great place to buy gifts.

Earls Court – This place is an awesome place to hang out. It’s usually packed with tourists, but that’s just because the quality of the coffee is so incredible. If you want to buy some delicious coffee to take back with you, this is the place to go. You’re going to love their drip coffees, espressos, and lattes.

Finchley Market – This is my favourite coffee shop in London. I love coming here with my family and spending time together. It has such a diverse range of delicious coffees, including some really good ones. If you’re looking to buy some coffee to take with you on a trip, this is definitely the place to go. With tons of products from both local and international brands, you’re sure to find something you’ll love.

Brixton Academy – If you’re looking for a unique experience, this is your kind of place. They serve only freshly roasted coffee, and they serve it with such a deliciously delicate and intense flavour. You won’t believe it. I can literally feel the beans through my teeth each and every time I step into this wonderful coffee shop.

These London coffee shops are my favourite, and I hope I have made my recommendations clear enough. If I haven’t convinced you to try one of these places out, then I don’t know what will. I would urge you to give them a try and see. Who knows, you may end up loving them so much that you’ll be getting yourself a franchise!