Just to start a new thread devoted to "the darkness**" and where/how to get it at a decent price.
Obviously, tastes differ and the various different ways to prepare and brew it each have their own adherents. We probably class as "coffee freaks" and have a battery of machines to feed our habit:
- SIX Nespresso machines*
- Two bean-to-cup (with built-in grinder) machines
- An Arzum Turkish coffee machine (my personal favourite - 'Er Indoors doesn't like Turkish coffee 😁)
- About 10 mokka pots (mostly for show as they're too pretty to use, and anyway we've had all-induction hobs for decades) plus a collection of Μπρίκι/джезве to make Turkish coffee the old-fashioned way.
From that list you can see that we use beans, and at least two different styles/grinds of coffee. I can't justify the silly cost of a proper coffee grinder, so I buy a mixture of vastly-overpriced ground coffee from the not-very-good coffee shops in Sofia or vacuum-packed ready-ground coffee, either from local shops (Kaufland have a not-bad selection and Hit's is much better). It's not easy getting decent Turkish coffee here - I prefer a couple of Greek brands (a good excuse to go shopping across the border) or Turkish ones at a pinch. There are some Bulgarian brands of "Turkish coffee" but they're disgusting.
*To be honest, we tend to mostly use the Nespresso machines these days, mainly for convenience and speed. Ours are a mixture of the Original models and the newer Vertuos; the latter are better, thanks to Nestlé's major boo-boo. When the patent on the smaller Original capsules ran out, other coffee companies started producing compatible offerings; simultaneously, refillable capsules became available. The refillable ones don't really work very well, and the compatible capsules tend not to taste as good and/or leak. Nespresso then introduced the Vertuo range, with another long patent, but really slipped up on the design: the capsules are patented and can't be replicated by other companies (not that Temu cares about that 😎) but the superior technology used means that only the top of the capsule is perforated. The capsules also bear bar codes which tell the machine how much water to use for the brew. Being made of robust aluminium, the actual capsule remains intact, so it can be reused almost ad infinitum; all that's needed is either an adhesive aluminium cap or, much more convenient, specially-perforated silicon lids that can be used for years. The beauty of refilling the capsules is that you can use whatever coffee(s) that you feel like (providing they're ground for normal espresso machines). So you get to save the world by recycling the capsules over and over, and save your pocket by buying the coffee you prefer at a vastly reduced price. Moreover, you can program the machine to use however much water you want for each type of capsule. The result is close to what you get from a normal decent espresso machine but with much less fiddling about.
We source our coffee from various suppliers: I always keep an eye on the local supermarkets' special offers, but also scour the suppliers in Europe (mainly Germany but elsewhere as well, thanks to useful hints from members here). Sometimes Amazon has some good deals (and the handy free delivery option for orders over €49) but from other suppliers I get the order delivered to GGBG (often free as it's within Germany) and from there it's only 5 leva/kg.
If anyone has found a decent coffee roaster here in BG or has a favourite supplier in the EU they care to share - or just wants to air their views in general - please do weigh in!
** https://tinyurl.com/zajxavwh
