Learning to Prepare an Americano In A Sigg Miracle

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I love drinking espresso and preparing them but there is one big drawback. You drink them within a single sip and the pleasure of drinking coffee is over to soon. That’s where a quick google search provides the answer. An Americano is either two nespresso capsules of coffee poured into a mug of boiling water, or 15 grams of coffee per 150ml of water in a Moka coffee maker.

Today I tried Option one. I boiled water in a kettle, eyeballed the appropriate amount of coffee and then put the Sigg miracle berry mug under the nespresso machine. It spilled onto the lip of the cup and onto the counter so I quickly held the mug in the right position. I lost a little espresso but it’s a mistake you make once, for a story to tell. The second shot went in without problems. I closed the lid, went for a short drive, and then took a sip. Oups, this tastes awful. I added a little sugar and then it was perfect. A coffee to go, prepared within a very short amount of time.

Perfect for a road trip or the commute to work, when we can drink in vehicles, at the end of this pandemic.

Plenty of people write about why they love the Camelbak tumblers because they keep the drinks warm for hours, but I am going to take the opposite tact. What I like about the Sigg Miracle Berry is that it keeps a hot drink for a theoretical hour, before cooling down. That is plenty of time to prepare the coffee, walk to a train station, and then sip it as you wait, without queuing at a café or coffee shop.

Conversely the form factor should make it possible to get hot chocolate and coffee from automatic machines. You can refill almost anywhere and because of its lid you can transport it, without fear of spilling. You can almost gesticulate whilst talking with it in hand, without worrying too much. If you gesticulate, make sure you haven’t just taken a sip, as some residual coffee may fly away.

I have both the 0.47ml and 0.27ml versions because whereas the small version is good for Café Lungo, and coffee, the larger one is good for hot chocolate and tea, although after hot chocolate I would dismantle the cap and remove any traces of residual milk. The same lid is used for both sizes, so you can swap them around if you need to, or replace a lid if needed.

I am choosing not to write about the pandemic at the moment. If we lived in a free society where liberal values, rather than populism, were prevalent, then I would write about the pandemic. It is important to document this moment in history, but when it is appropriate to do so.