I have since I can even remember been a coffee addict. From that first cup to today I am always on the hunt for the best cup of Joe. Years working in the City lead to somewhat of an overdose of black coffee that I had to wean myself off once I moved into PR and the world of publishing, now it’s much more quality over quantity. Plus coffee is in the veins of The Bespoke Black Book, with our favourite after dinner drink being the world renowned Espresso Martini, so coffee is very much part of my personal and public identity. Since then I have made coffee at home with an array of methods and devices from French Press to Bialetti Drip and various pod based machines but then I came across the Melitta Avanza® Series 600, which is an automatic bean to cup coffee machine. This machine has without any joking around changed my entire outlook on coffee.
Melitta Avanza® Series 600 is one of the smallest fully automatic coffee machines on the market, yet impresses with its functions, features and appearance. Just 200mm wide, the Avanza® is one of the world’s smallest fully automatic coffee machines – impressively designed with excellent features meaning you can choose between espresso, café crème, latte macchiato and cappuccino all from this tidy machine. It boasts an ultra-modern front panel with LED symbol display, a cappuccinatore for consistent high-quality milk froth and a large bean hopper to store up to 250g of whole beans until it is time to grind, delivering the purest coffee performance. What’s more, the Melitta Avanza® Series 600 features a super-quiet grinder with five grinder settings, adjustable coffee strengths plus an integrated aroma extraction system to ensure the optimum coffee aroma develops. Plus the practical Double Cup mode is a real time-saver too as it allows preparation of two identical drinks simultaneously.This handy little machine has an array of functions that makes sure you have the tastiest cup of coffee come rain or shine. Whether you like it short and strong or long and mild there are grind, intensity and length functions meaning you can choose the right coffee for you whatever time of day it is. Plus the Aroma-Extraction-System (A.E.S.) system means more flavour with pre-brewing: The freshly ground coffee is moistened with water before the actual brewing process. As a result, the flavours dissolve better and where do they end up? In your coffee, of course. We tested this with an array of drinks from my favourite; the Espresso, to Eisbar’s favourite, the Flat White, which worked perfectly with non dairy milk using the cappuccinatore to create the perfect frothy milk top. Of course we also tried the Melitta Avanza® Series 600 in making the BBB favourite; the Espresso Martini, and it did not disappoint! Usually when I make these at home I cannot get the frothy head you get at the top bars, instead you end up with a watery brown liquid that tastes great but does not really look the part, that’s until I made it with the Avanza® Series 600! Just wow. I don’t want to boost but thanks to this machine we turned out Espresso Martinis that any top bartender would be proud of and the froth was so thick we could even place Espresso beans on top.
So in conclusion the Melitta Avanza® Series 600 has without a word of a lie changed my life when it comes to coffee. I wake up and get excited at the thought of my first coffee and how easy and quick it is to make. I love that I can now experiment with different flavours through the beans we buy. Our recommendations are Fireheart Coffee, a no nonsense coffee company that roast to order and deliver to your door bringing positive energy to your day, we like their Palace Blend. Or Seven Districts who offer freshly roasted, ethical coffee, locally roasted in Lincoln for the best flavour experience, our favourite is the Tiddy Mun because of its velvety toffee flavour. Lastly, Jenipher’s Coffi, which is a new coffee produced to Fairtrade and Organic standards by farmers on the slopes of Mt Elgon in Uganda and roasted by hand in Wales; we love this coffee as it cuts out the middleman so the coffee producers are paid a real wage, plus it tastes amazing, The Melitta Avanza® Series 600 also has another reason why it’s now my favorite way to make coffee: it’s eco-friendly. Gone are the pods that end up in landfill or require time consuming recycling, it’s just the machine and the beans and off you go. We use the grinds as well as compost for our garden and herbs so nothing is wasted. If you are a coffee connoisseur like me but also want to reduce the waste from your coffee consumption then this is the machine for you. It now sits in the pride of the place in our kitchen and it is an essential part of our daily life. I cannot imagine now what life was like without it?!?
Avanza® by Melitta® is available via melitta.co.uk RRP: £499.99
