Tag Archives: night

Aldi Pods and Gym Coffee

The gym's Aldi espresso machine
The gym’s Aldi espresso machine

One of the best things about the Aldi coffee machines is that they are cheap. Cheap and easy to run. So much so that you can leave one in a powerlifting club and not actually care. This one has been with the UQPWC for almost half a year, and in that time has survived a number of competitions and a handful of courses in addition to its normal day-to-day use. Not a bad run for a cheap coffee machine.

The Aldi coffee machines have managed to make a good impression upon many users. It is hard to find a poor review, even if the same cannot be said for the coffee itself, and most owners I have met seem pretty happy with how they perform. There are significant differences between these and more expensive coffee machines, but there isn’t much to match it for under $100.

The cema does not look right...
The cema does not look right…

There are only four buttons to worry about and the coffee comes in pods. I am sure that it can be simplified even further, but I doubt there is a point. For a communual coffee machine this is a major plus. The fewer ways there are for users to interact with it, the less chance they have of breaking it. This also makes it stupidly straightforward to run: you drop the pod in the top, close the lever and press buttons until something resembling coffee comes out. That is it. For advanced users, they can run hot water through the machine prior to making their coffee, and play with shot length using the two buttons available. This attention to detail isn’t essential.

A very metal coffee cup
A very metal coffee cup

While it has a surreal crema, the coffee itself is nothing special. Personally I prefer my coffee beans to be relatively fresh, and hopefully roasted locally, which the grinds in the Aldi pods are really really not. There are refillable pods on the market, but for the hassle and what I use it for, it hardly seems worthwhile. By the time I get to the gym at night, all I am after is something to get me through another set. Especially if I am doing a Sheiko program.

As an alternative to instant coffee the Aldi machine and pods are a great option. If you are after a pod machine that you can leave somewhere and not care a great deal about it certainly can fill that role too. If you want quality coffee though, perhaps there are better options. For that purpose I think I will still keep using the machine that I have at home.

TL;DR

  • A coffee machine so cheap you will let anyone use it
  • The coffee is just there for the caffeine
  • Chinese cast iron tea cups look hardcore and very metal

Black Coffee and a Touch of Milk at Cafe Mondial

Long Black with milk at Cafe Mondial
Long Black with Milk at Cafe Mondial

St Patrick’s Day is a bad night to try and find a quiet coffee in Brisbane’s CBD, even if it is to say farewell to a friend over coffee. Fortunately Cafe Mondial on Albert Street, which is a locally owned coffee shop, looked free from green hats. We were directed to a table by one of the staff, and ordered a pair of long blacks, one with milk on the side, and some wedges.

European Black Coffee

My friend is from Finland, and as it turns out, adding cold milk over black coffee is pretty common in Europe. A number of other people I know have also seen the same in Germany and other northern countries. As both coffees came with a small jug of milk, I decided to use mine.

A long black with milk added is different to a flat white: the milk is cold and added over coffee with water. As most cafes in Australia tend to serve black coffee very hot, it was still warm after the cold milk was added.

The coffee does not change that much, and seems more like a compromise between a long black or americano and a flat white. The milk takes the edge off any bitterness in the coffee and would be better suited to beans with a naturally harsher flavour.

TL;DR

Cafe Mondial’s coffee is still as good as it was when I used to eat there while at university. Their menu does not seem to have changed much from what I remember either, aside from the prices, which are higher, and for some items, a bit over average.

Cafe Mondial

167 Albert St
Brisbane QLD 4000

Bookings:
(07) 3221 7165

Opening Hours
Open Daily 6:30am-12am

Epresso for Buying Espresso Online

Epresso for buying coffee online
Epresso for buying coffee online

For me Wednesday is the worst day for buying coffee on the way to work. It is the day I usually run out of change entirely, or struggle to find enough small change for a takeaway coffee.

This is why Epresso sounds like such an awesome idea. Epresso is a service where the users set up a prepaid account, and top it up online, which lets them order coffee online, from either a computer or smartphone.

With this service, the customers pay for coffee without cash, and without slowing down service at the cafe. By ordering before they arrive, their coffee will already be waiting once they get to the cafe. The business won’t miss sales because the customer has no cash.

The idea is very simple, and solves a small, but persistent and annoying problem, and that is why I can easily see myself using this, given half a chance.

TL;DR

  • Pre-order and pay for coffee using the Internet
  • Not having change is not a problem
  • Saves time for cafes and customers

Alegria for Coffee on Park Rd

Alegria on Park Road
Alegria on Park Road

Finding a coffee on Park Road is not hard. Finding a good one isn’t a problem either. There is always La Dolce Vita, and most of the other cafes are worth trying too. Including a brand new one called Alegria Mediterranean Bistro & Bar, just next to La Dolce.

It is actually more restaurant than cafe, and their tapas menu is certainly worth checking out, but they also do good coffee. Alegria serves Moak coffee. I enjoyed the long black; it was strong, though a little bitter. Alegria also had a range of biscuits, some of which were made by one of the proprietors’ mothers. It is amazing how good someone can be at baking after a few decades’ experience, as my own Greek grandmother’s biscuits demonstrate as well.

http://www.bistroalegria.com.au/
Alegria Mediterranean Bistro & Bar
Shop 11, 20 Park Road
Milton QLD 4064