Category Archives: espressoCrazy

Something’s Brewing: Chemex (espressoCrazy)

Continuing with my Something’s Brewing series about brewing methods and equipment, I’m staying in filter coffee mode but getting a bit fancier with it by pulling out a Chemex. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Design, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something’s Brewing: Pour Over Coffee Maker (espressoCrazy)

Following up from my last (and I’d say largely successful) attempt at brewing coffee with a drip coffee maker, I’m sticking with the same basic filter method but using different, more basic device: a pour over coffee maker. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something’s Brewing: Drip Coffee Maker (espressoCrazy)

For my first look at different ways to brew coffee at home, I’m going to start with one of the simplest: using a drip coffee maker. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something’s Brewing (espressoCrazy)

Home baristas (and home baristas hopefuls) listen up! I’m planning to hone in on a theme for my next round of espressoCrazy blogging endeavours with a series of posts about coffee brewing methods and equipment. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shaya, New Orleans (espressoCrazy)

One of the best meals I had – and not just in New Orleans … or America … but this year – was at Shaya. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, New Orleans, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee at The Fairmont San Francisco (espressoCrazy)

One of my all time favourite destinations, San Francisco was a beautiful and welcoming as I remembered, and maybe even a little tastier this time around … or at least my coffee was. Continue reading

Posted in California, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breakfast in America (espressoCrazy)

The tastiest aspects of my recent US escapades often took place in the morning. So I thought I’d share with you a few especially memorable breakfasts from my time in the Land of Plenty. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Restaurants, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Breakfast Blogs (espressoCrazy)

Check out this quartet of blogs for top brekkie ideas on where to go, what to eat and more a.m. inspiration. Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jamaica’s Blue Mountains (espressoCrazy)

As ubiquitous as coffee is, it actually can only grow in very limited areas of the world, basically high on mountain slopes in the tropics and a few subtropical regions. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Jamaica, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

4 Great Cafes in Vienna (espressoCrazy)

Last month found me in Vienna for a week or so of work and sightseeing. To be sure, I made time to snoop around town for exemplary cafes that lived up to Vienna’s reputation as a famed coffee lover’s destination. Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Travel, Vienna | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Got My Stojo Risin’ – and Conveniently Collapsing (espressoCrazy)

When it comes to having my morning Joe, my preference is to make my own at home and have that time to myself to savour and reflect before revving up to take on the outside world and running the gauntlet of daily tasks to do. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee Break Inspiration (espressoCrazy)

A short while ago, I sat back and settled in to write my latest post for the EspressoCrazy blog … and drew a big fat blank. Usually, I’ve got a coffee-related idea in mind that I’m keen to tap out on my keyboard. But this time, I couldn’t come up with anything at all to write about. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Conceding writer’s block, I headed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of … yep, you guessed it … coffee!< Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Preferred Cup of Coffee for My Joburg Layover (espressoCrazy)

I’m back from a trip to Namibia in Southern Africa, where I spent about two weeks on a self-drive safari. Yes, I had a blast – and would highly recommend a trip to this vast desert country for anyone interested … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping, South Africa, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Compact and Stylish Y3 (espressoCrazy)

Time for a change? I thought so recently and decided to switch to a new coffee maker. Yes, of course, I stuck with a machine that would take my illy capsules but went with something a little more compact and colourful than what I had been using. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Coffee the Secret to Great BBQ? (espressoCrazy)

I spent much of October in America working on a story about the best BBQ in the Southern states. I clocked more than 2,500 miles across six states (Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina) taking time to … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Travel? (espressoCrazy)

Ever wondered what the world’s top destinations for coffee lovers are? In this post, our guest blogger Tiki Chris shares the best places in the world for coffee with us. While having a cup of coffee this morning and dreaming … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Might be a Coffee Snob If … (espressoCrazy)

Do you consider yourself to be a coffee snob? Do you judge others on how much they know (or don’t) about your favourite caffeinated drink? Have you ever done anything out of the ordinary to achieve a dream coffee situation? Do you even have a ‘dream coffee situation’ in mind? Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunlight Gleams on My Strategically Placed Coffee Machine (espressoCrazy)

Lousy photo? Maybe. But it illustrates well what I’m most pleased to blog about at this moment. Just look at all that streaming sunlight coming into the shot from my back garden! And what’s it gleaming on? My Francis Francis … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee in My Garden (espressoCrazy)

You know what’s better than enjoying a perfectly made coffee every morning in my own home? Enjoying a perfectly made coffee every morning outside in the garden of my own home! This post is just a brief update on something … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, London, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Nutty Way to Have Coffee in Lecce, Italy (espressoCrazy)

One of the perks of getting to travel as much as I do is the opportunity to have a peek at (and of course a taste of) local coffee customs. Recently, I was found myself in the Southern Italian city … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Italy, Puglia, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dammann Frères Teas at the Sofitel London St James’s Rose Lounge (espressoCrazy)

Man cannot live on coffee alone. And as much as I tried (often succeeded) in doing so, I must admit it’s nice to have a cup of something else every once in a while. Horses for courses and all that … Continue reading

Posted in Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Hot & Chilli’ Coffee Break with Rosana McPhee (espressoCrazy)

Ready for a quick cuppa friendly food blogger advice? Then kick back, relax and enjoy the latest instalment of my Coffee Break series of interviews. This time round, I’m finding out about Brazilian food and learning a few tips for cooking with coffee from Hot & Chilli blogger, Rosana McPhee, a Brazilian expat keen to share Latin kitchen expertise with the wider world. Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, interview, London | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What a Mess! And Where’s My Coffee! (espressoCrazy)

My partner and I moved into a new residence recently. A major accomplishment for sure, but the move was only phase one of a much greater plan. Since the move, we’ve been essentially camping out in a building site for … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breakfast Recipe: Red Eye Gravy with illy Espresso

Red eye gravy is a classic comfort food sauce from my home in the American Deep South. Usually served with ham or bacon, it’s about as easy and affordable to make as it is delicious. The main ingredients are grease … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

4 Freshly Brewed Blogs about Coffee (espressoCrazy)

Wake up, smell the coffee, and read something stimulating. Here’s a quartet of blogs I’ve been perusing recently and thought might be worth highlighting here with the espressoCrazy community. All four blogs are dedicated to that most inspiring of topics: coffee. Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Great Lunch in Italy with Coffee as Good as I Get Back Home (espressoCrazy)

Towards the end of 2013, I hit the road for a gourmand adventure across the north of Italy. One of the trip’s many highlights was the day I spent in Modena taking in the sights and sounds … and delectable … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Italy, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee Break with the “Whatleydude” (espressoCrazy)

EspressoCrazy’s Blogger in Residence Chris Osburn takes a break with James Whatley to talk blogging, the relative meaning of ‘happy’ and, of course, coffee. James Whatley – known to his 10,000+ Twitter followers as @Whatleydude – is a prolific polymath dabbling in the social, … Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, interview, London | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee Break with Urban Pixxels (espressoCrazy)

EspressoCrazy’s Blogger in Residence Chris Osburn takes a break with a fellow blogger and foodie Jacintha Verdegaal to talk coffee and other matters. Jacintha Verdegaal is a Dutch expat living in London. Her blog, Urban Pixxels, is an account of her … Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, interview, London, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Quick and Easy Tiramisu (espressoCrazy)

Here’s a super easy recipe for tiramisu. All in all it took me maybe 20 minutes to whip up. There’s no actual cooking or baking involved as long as you don’t mind using store bought wafer (I opted for ‘trifle … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Barista Skills (espressoCrazy) #illyschool

Recently, I helped organise and host an intimate coffee tasting and training session for a select group of London bloggers. Leading the event was Marco Arrigo – Head of Quality for illy Coffee in the UK – who provided our guests with a hands-on chance to hone their skills making perfect espresso-based drinks, along with a fun and informative ‘beans to cup’ lesson about the history and chemistry of coffee. Marco has trained hundreds of baristas throughout the UK. His course usually takes three days, but he crafted this this one to be a three-hour crash course session especially for bloggers. Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, London, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring the Possibilities with espressoCrazy’s Ultimate illy Mixed Case (Espresso Crazy)

Recently, I’ve been sipping my way through illy’s Ultimate Mixed Case of iperEspresso capsules. With a mix of five different iperEspresso capsules, giving the Mixed Case a try is great way to sample the illy capsule range and find out which ones are best for you. Continue reading

Posted in Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spotlight on illy SustainArt Prize Winner: Adan Vallencillo (Espresso Crazy)

Honduran artist and recipient of the 2013 illy SustainArt Prize, Adan Vallencillo, has arrived in Venice to commence his three-month residency with the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation. Continue reading

Posted in Art, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, Italy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Festive Season Ideas for Coffee Gifts and Entertaining (Espresso Crazy)

The festive season will be here before we know it. And if you’re like me, coffee is going to play an even more important part of life than usual over the coming weeks. Whether downing a much needed boost of caffeine during an exhausting round of shopping, capping off a fantastically filling roast dinner with a shot of espresso or leisurely sipping a moreish mocha while admiring twinkling lights on a Christmas tree, coffee is going to help me cope with my hectic schedule, celebrate the important moments with my family and friends, and relax as the final days of the year wind down. Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Coffee, espressoCrazy, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment