I am normally a tea drinker but there’s something about the smell of freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee, isn’t there? It always makes a home feel, well, homely.
I was passing Whittard a couple of weeks ago and the enticing dark, smoky aroma drew me in. I think that’s why Whittard tend to have open-fronted stores in large shopping malls!
As I browsed, I noticed an amazing bargain. They were offering the Bodum 8-cup glass “bean” cafetiere for £10, when coffee makers of this kind usually cost upwards of £30. I couldn’t believe they could afford to sell it at that price and I quickly snapped one up. Having totted up how much money I’ve spent on fresh ground coffee at Whittard since, however, I can see this was an extremely shrewd piece of marketing on their part.
I’ve become rather addicted to trying out their wide range of fresh coffee beans, which you can buy in small quantities and have freshly ground on the premises. I’ve tried almost all of their varieties and now have some firm favourites.
Whittard stores are pretty much of a muchness, they all look very similar, and you will always find a section devoted to fresh coffee beans. There will be a three-tiered display of vats of beautiful, aromatic, shiny coffee beans, in light, medium and full roasts.
You can buy 125g, 250g or 500g of beans. And you can buy them whole to grind at home if you have a grinder (whole they last about four weeks before they begin to lose flavour) or ground in the shop (ground coffee lasts about two weeks before flavour is lost).
My local store stocks 18 blends, six each of light, medium and full roast, which I have steadily been working my way through.
I love to browse and read the labels that often give fanciful descriptions of the flavour characteristics of each blend and the areas in which they are grown. Generally you find that the staff is very knowledgeable about the various blends and can help you to
make up your mind.
Once you have chosen the variety you want, and decided on the weight you require, an assistant weighs your beans and asks how you want them ground. You can have them medium ground (for cafetieres), medium-fine (for expresso machines), fine (for filter machines) and, amusingly, “pulverised”, for Turkish coffee.
The beans are then poured into the grinder and ground freshly for you, before being packed into a silver foil bag and hand labelled.
The aroma in the store at this point is divine, and even though I keep my coffee as recommended in an airtight container, my coffee cupboard at home seems to smell gorgeous too!
These are the coffees that Whittard offer at the moment:
**Light Roasts**
Mocha These beans come from Ethiopia and are naturally dried in the sun. They make a slightly spicy, rich and tangy flavoured coffee and cost £1.75 per 125g.
Costa Rica Whittard call this an “American-style” coffee. It is mild and smooth with a really delicate coffee aroma. Whittard buys all its beans for its Costa Rica coffee from Naranjo Bandola Farmers' Co-operative of Costa Rica's Central Valley, which they say ensures the best quality. Costa Rica costs £2.00 per 125g.
Kenya AA This is a very smooth African coffee that has quite a full, strong flavour for a light roasted bean. It’s quite expensive at £2.40 per 125g, but it’s really delicious for a treat.
Kenya Peaberry These are round “peas” which grow randomly amongst normal coffee beans and have a more pronounced spicy coffee flavour than normal Kenya beans. They are specially harvested and graded from the normal Kenya beans and marketed separately. Kenya Peaberry is also £2.40 per 125g.
Caribbean Mountain This is a special Whittard blend that was developed in the 1960s as a breakfast coffee and is mild and mellow. The blend is made up of smooth, nutty-flavoured Costa Rica beans blended with full-bodied rich Kenya beans. The light roast makes it a good, gentle tasting breakfast coffee, although it is a bit light for me. It costs £2.00 per 125g.
Blue Mountain Jamaica Blue Mountain is apparently a smooth coffee, said to have a “milk chocolate” character. I haven’t tried this one yet.
The light roasted varieties have very delicate flavours which can be a little lost if you drink your coffee with milk, and I have to say I prefer the bigger, stronger, smokier flavours of the medium and full roasts.
**Medium Roasts**
Vietnamese Dalat This uses the 'Bourbon Specie' Arabica bean, which has an intense, spicy flavour, at £2.40 per 125g.
Colombian Colombian is a rich, smooth coffee. Whittard say they are directly supporting 'The Coffee Growing Women of Cauca Cooperative' by buying all their supreme Arabica beans. Apparently beans from this region of Popayan produce the best, full-bodied coffee. I can’t argue with that. It’s a delicious, smoky blend with a deep coffee flavour and a wonderful dark coffee aroma. Yummy! £2.00 per 125g.
Whittard Breakfast Coffee I like this blend a lot, and I don’t just drink it at breakfast! At £1.75 per 125g it is good value and good quality. This is a blend of smooth, spicy Mocha and nutty Colombian beans. It is strong, but smooth, suits most of my guests’ palates and works well with milk, although I find a stronger coffee still suits me better for latte or cappuchino.
Pico Duarte I haven’t tried this one yet, although it is supposed to be both nutty and chocolatey. I think it will be next on the list!
Sumatra Blue Lingtong This is one of Whittard’s occasional “guest coffees”, which gives you chance to try something a little different and varieties of coffee which are quite rare. I haven’t tried this one yet, either, though it is supposed to be very exotic flavoured and quite heavy. I’d probably enjoy it. Maybe next visit! At £2.60 per 125g its expensive, but probably a treat.
Decaffeinated Colombian Darker French roasted to try to keep some of the flavour as the caffeine kick is removed! I don’t drink decaffeinated coffee, though maybe I should! It costs £2.40 per 125g.
**Dark Roasts**
After Dinner Blend A blend of Brazilian and Colombian Arabica beans roasted very dark and strong for deep flavoured expresso. Drunk without milk, this one is even a little strong for me, although it’s nice after a big meal with a glass of iced mint liqueur.
Santos and Java This is my favourite of all the blends as it makes an excellent Cappuccino. It’s velvety smooth, smoky and dark. It’s a blend of Brazilian coffee for kick and Java for its rich, luxurious taste. This coffee has body. It’s thick and smooth but not bitter. I love it. This is the one I use when I make coffee ice cream. £1.75 for 125g.
Café Francais Very dark and strong, as French style coffee should be. Great served with hot milk and croissants for dipping in the French breakfast style. £2.00 per 125g.
Guatemala Whittard say they buy the entire annual crop of 'Maragogype specie' elephant-sized Arabica from the Coto family's El Platanillo estate! These giant beans have a heavy, aromatic dark chocolate taste that I find a little bitter, but it makes a nice change. This is grown-up coffee! £2.40 per 125g.
Monsoon Malabar This comes from Southern India and is left to mature in the November monsoons, hence the name. This is an aged coffee with a very smooth, strong flavour and slight sweetness. The aged character does give it quite a unique smell, which I can only describe as “old”! £2.40 per 125g.
Old Brown Java I love this too. It’s interesting to note that the grower’s co-operative from which Whittard buys these beans buries them underground to mature, giving them a unique taste! This coffee is mature and spicy with a tangy, earthy flavour (or is that wishful thinking because I know it’s been underground!) The beans used to be buried for 7 to 11 years but are now only buried for five, so apparently the character of this coffee has changed this year. I’ve only recently tried it, so I couldn’t comment! At £2.40 per 125g it seems little to pay for something which takes so much preparation.
Before I bought my cafetiere I wouldn’t have thought coffees could taste so different or have such different characters. I always used to be a “Nescafe girl”, but all that has changed. I don’t think I could go back to instant coffee now.
The coffee beans at Whittard always look and smell beautifully fresh and all the ones I’ve bought so far have tasted wonderful. I usually buy little and often, as freshness is the most important thing with coffee. A 125g bag will make about six or seven full pots and as I pass the shop regularly, I would rather buy in small amounts to keep the freshness. For once, it doesn’t cost more to buy little and often.
Though their packaging doesn't carry the Fairtrade logo, Whittard say they often buy the entire output of a coffee plantation or co-operative of growers, so they tend to fix their own prices directly with the grower, rather than following the low world market coffee prices. The company operates its own "Fair to Farmers agreement". They say they support the communities involved directly through fixing fair prices. They also say they invest in hospitals, schools and daycare centres surrounding the plantations they buy produce from.
Obviously fresh ground coffee is a little more expensive than pre-packaged ground coffee, but you do get a better flavour and you’ve no real way of knowing how long pre-packed coffee has been hanging around in the supermarket!
I would recommend you give it a try. There’s nothing better as a little pick-me-up than five minutes alone with your feet up and a cup of fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee and a slice of yummy cake. Try it!
PS. Just for completeness, would you like to know how to make perfect coffee in a cafetiere? Of course you would!
1. Always use freshly drawn cold water in your kettle, and preferably filter it first.
2. Always use the freshest coffee available. If you can't grind it at home, buy it freshly ground in small quantities and never keep it longer than two weeks.
3. Measure the right amount of coffee into the jug. Your cafetiere will come with a measuring spoon and instructions for how much to use, but you will learn to vary this according to personal taste.
4. Once the kettle has boiled, leave it to stand. Never use just boiled water, it will spoil the flavour. Always let it stand a while.
5. Stir the coffee grounds and water together gently, then put on the lid and press the plunger down slowly.
6. Pour carefully and enjoy. Add steamed milk if you like, and a sprinkle of chocolate, or maybe a little hazelnut or caramel syrup! Yum!
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Excellent review. In my opinion Jamaican Blue Mountain is the most overrated coffee. Not nearly worth the extortionate price.
Schnappi 18.08.2005 00:23
i love love love love love coffee and i see that yuor review was writen along time ago but i still love coffee and will have to try this whittard brand, sounds very soothing xx schnappi xx
zerbine28 02.04.2003 01:05
Hmm, from your description, a cafetiere is also known as a French press, I take it? Savored your wonderful descriptions of the coffee varieties. The Blue Mountain var. especially interests me, since it's supposed to be smooth, like chocolate? Although I was a regular drinker (and a coffee subscriber) for many a month, my coffee intake has plunged to almost nil ever since I lost my taste for it after a very nasty bout of flu last Christmas. However! Your delicious review has made me hanker after that smoky brew again. I think my espresso machine will be back at work soon. Ah, you are too, too persuasive, Elle!--T.
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