Instant Gratification

Get your artisanal coffee fix whenever, wherever – thanks to the single-drip coffee bags from Bettr Barista and Hook Coffee. We love the variety and complex taste profiles – and, oh, no queues.

Get your artisanal coffee fix whenever, wherever – thanks to the single-drip coffee bags from Bettr Barista and Hook Coffee. We love the variety and complex taste profiles – and, oh, no queues.

TEXT HOE I YUNE 6 PHOTOGRAPHY VERONICA TAY ART DIRECTION ALICE CHUA & SHAN PHOTOS OF COFFEE MAKERS YEO TECK SENG, ONEHUB & REDMART

The use of highgrade speciality coffee beans from countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru give each brew different tasting notes, such as strawberries, toffee, chocolate or berries. “You get more nuances and more fruitiness,” says Pamela Chng, founder of popular social enterprise Bettr Barista. Bettr Barista offers eight single drip bags, while artisanal e-store Hook Coffee has 10. Our faves:

1. If subtle toffee nut sweetness is your thing, opt for Gold Digger by Hook Coffee. It’s full bodied, bold and rich.

Beans from: Brazil, India and Guatemala

Roast level: Medium-dark

2. An intense floral aroma with a buzz of sweet berries and citrus, Bettr Barista’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Konga Grade 1 is our choice for helping us bounce straight into the most hectic of Monday mornings.

Beans from: Ethiopia

Roast level: Medium

3. Fruity, with a plum sweetness and juicy mouthfeel, is Bettr Barista’s Ecuador Espindola El Grande Single Origin. The medium-bodied coffee is like a hug in a mug, leaving a pleasant aftertaste of brown sugar and honey.

Beans from: Ecuador

Roast level: Medium

4. Heart Blend, Bettr Barista’s signature house blend, is made up of Brazil Fazenda Parasio and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Konga Grade 1. Combined, they give you a trace of red berries, milk chocolate, and nuts.

Beans from: Brazil and Ethiopia

Roast level: Medium

5. Crowd-pleaser Hook Coffee’s Flower Power carries hints of rose, oolong and berries, and has bright floral notes down to the last drop.

Beans from: Kivu, Rwanda

Roast level: Medium

6. Hook Coffee’s Speculose Your Mind is smooth like velvet and easy on the palate, with minimal aftertaste. It smells sweet, like caramel. Enjoy at teatime with cakes and cookies.

Beans from: Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia

Roast level: Medium-dark

PERSONAL & PORTABLE

Making your daily joe just got easier – genius.

Bodum Travel Press A French press and mug in one. Nifty!

Some argue that the French press makes the best coffee because it leaves the grounds to steep instead of filtering them, and doesn’t take away any flavour from the beans. From Redmart, $35.80.

Zoku Iced Coffee Maker

Touted to make chilled coffee in five minutes, no ice needed. Grab the pre-chilled stainless steel mug from your freezer and place it in the insulating sleeve. Pour in your hot beverage of choice. From Redmart, $29.90.

The December Dripper

Bettr Barista recommends this handy manual brewing device for black-coffee lovers as it gives the option of making one to three cups at a time. Simply adjust the settings, use a paper filter, and you’re good to go. It’s made of hardy stainless steel. From Redmart, $75.

DRIP VS INSTANT VS ESPRESSO

• For both drip and instant, all you need is hot water and a minute. But drip coffee bags hit the sweet spot between fast and flavourful. The bags contain ground, whole-bean coffee that has yet to be brewed. It’s a better way to savour the flavours.

• Bettr Barista’s Pamela Chng explains that in the old-school instant variety, powdered and crystallised coffee is brewed and then dehydrated so it dissolves when you add hot water.

• Espresso coffee, which requires a proper espresso machine, is concentrated and more intense in taste because the coffee is brewed under immense pressure.

THE STARTER KITS

Great for the adventurous or indecisive, Bettr Barista’s The Singles Club box holds eight varieties of single-drip coffee sachets. It’s available at https://buy.bettrbarista.com for $16.