Café on the Go, Go!

I publicly talk about espresso at least twice a day. If you read this blog, friend me in social media or know me in person, you know I’m addicted. If you’ve traveled with me, you know I’ve got every nearing coffee joint, bookmarked in my phone. And if not, there’s a possibility the day won’t start off so chirpy. I always prefer to make my own café in one of my beloved stovetop espresso makers (see my collection here), mostly because of the addiction to my Cuban variety,  but when the unfortunate happenstance of not placing my hand on a freshly brewed cup, taza or demitasse occurs, a little packet of spark is essential.

And keeps me from losing my couth.

The idea of instant coffee is foreign to me. It’s like saying I need rice  to keep me fueled up so I’ll carry a bag of precooked rice in my bag. Yeah, not so much. Can you even imagine?! I’d look like a real crazy. But when it comes to coffee, there really have been times when I wished nothing more than to be able to pour anything coffee into a piping hot cup of water. Like my last train ride from NYC to DC. Since regular drip (especially anything offered in mass transit) usually doesn’t cut it for this picky palate, something more flavorful has to punch. I happened to meet a young lady the night before with whom I struck a conversation about coffee on the go. She gave me an iced coffee pack. I paid it no mind but it sure did come in handy on the 3 hour ride the following morning.

It actually kept me awake enough to entertain a very descriptive conversation with an injured solider just returning from Afghanistan.

Real story. That was in mid-October 2012.

Since then, I’ve been on the mild hunt for small packs of what I call “instagood” to keep me going. I’ve finally accepted I can’t carry my mini electric stovetop maker everywhere I go, at least not locally, so these little packs make sense for my lifestyle.

Nescafé, known for putting out lots of chocolatey goodies — well, parent company Nestlé — has brought that instagood to my purse!

Their perfectly sized Memento coffee slim packs fill up one 10 oz. cup and offer me a moment of peace. I don’t have zip around rushing to get home to have some espresso (oh, because if you didn’t know, I’m not into paying $4 for specialty coffee drinks while I’m out and about– not to mention the insane amount of calories packed in a latte). I’ve been known to do that. Ask ‘A’, Chris, Alicia or better yet, Mami, who probably understands best.

I recently gave their caramel flavored one a try, and while I’m not huge into flavored coffees, the taste was definitely there. I won’t lie… it’s not my espresso, but it did the trick while I was running around chasing a reindeer sale with Mami. I had my travel mug with me, stopped in a coffeehouse, asked for hot water, and mixed up my coffee…

Results: Real foam (genius). Real coffee taste (well, yeah). Creamy (no almond milk here, friends). 100 calories (hello, skinny).

If one won’t do, try two. You’ll still save the coins (as my good friend Chrystal says) and have enough calorie room for a few snacks in between meals.

Of the three flavors, cappuccino was my favorite. It mirrored a real Italian cup… froth and all. Mocha was good and caramel was too sweet for my taste. I simply added a bit more water.