Melitta's light but sturdy cup-top filter cone - about $3.00 |
Cilio's ceramic for +/- $15 |
Now, if you're staying in a nicer hotel you have a chance of being served a cup of coffee that isn't Nescafe in the dining room, but far too often it's been held too long, held improperly, or both. You know what I mean; you're served a cupful of black fluid better used to ink a stamp pad (for those of you old enough to remember those). You add creamer and it turns gray rather than a lighter brown. Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.
Cuissential's collapses |
Negativity aside, here's the tip for today: if you're willing to spare a bit of space in your luggage - and assuming you have a hot pot in your room to boil some water, which is usually a given - you can have a fresh, aromatic cup of your favorite coffee from home at any time of the day. It also involves bringing some #2 filters and a sealed bag-in-a-bag of ground coffee (for freshness), but that's hardly any weight at all. You can buy ground coffee in Thailand, too, but I never have so I'm no help on pricing for you here.
A mug can be bought for less than a dollar if the cups in your room are too small for your taste. I've washed some I've purchased to use and left them with the final tip for housekeeping sometimes, but maybe you want to give yours to someone else or take it home. Up to you.
There are three basic types of filter cone holders available: ceramic, plastic and silicone. In my opinion the ceramic is more weight than is practical, so I'll skip that one. The red silicone one above collapses into a flat disc and takes up less space in your bag, but it's also five times as expensive as my favorite, which has long been the black (or red) Melitta cone up top today. It rinses easily, dries out easily, is just flexible enough that it doesn't crack when packed in among your clothes or other junk while being thrown about by baggage handlers, and costs between three and five dollars, tops.
After your initial investment for the filter holder I'm going to estimate your fresh brewed cup of coffee is going to cost you less than 20 cents, even if you prefer Peet's or another fine brand of coffee from home. That's around six baht per cup, and you can have it while sitting in your skivvies.
So if you prefer fresh brewed coffee without having to go out and find it, here's your answer.
[PS - Apologies for the image quality today. I pulled them off the internet as reference.]
2 comments:
Good to see there's another believer out there.
At home, I've tried various methods of making proper coffee and the plastic filter cone ives the best results and is the most prectical. I use the same method at work.
The collapsible silicon type interests me for travel.
I'm a fan of French press coffee makers, too, but they're not practical for travel.
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