The brainwavez.org Cappuccino Quest
How hard is it to find a decent cappuccino? Pretty difficult, if you ask us. At first we thought it was just a Cape Town problem, but after Mandy tried a few cappuccinos in London in 2006, we realised it must be a worldwide calamity, so we're now on a quest* to find places that actually make a decent cappuccino.
Testers
•
Jase Luttrell: New Zealand, United States
•
Gideon Joubert: South Africa
•
Mandy J Watson: UK, South Africa
Testers In Training/Testers Who Like To Drink, But Not Write (For Now...Mwahahaha)
•
Doane Smuts: South Africa
•
Paul Pregnolato: South Africa
[Email mandyw at (this domain) if you want to join in. Mad people are always welcome around here.]
We're looking for:
•
Size: A "regular" that's actually a reasonable size (the large, "grande", or any other extra-sized, higher-priced version that may be offered doesn't count - unless it's the only option - as we're trying to compare offerings of a baseline size that is as similar as possible).
•
Foam: Thick, tasty foam that's piled high above the mug (if you're Mandy) or thick, tasty foam that's not piled too high (if you're Jase), so we apologise for the inevitable discrepancies - call it "testing perogative";
• foam made from milk, not cream, although we'll usually mention if a cream option is available, as some people prefer this;
• whatever is on top of the foam should complement the flavour of the cappuccino.
•
Heat: Some sort of heat, but this is a tricky category as it's so subjective, so instead of rating it for quality, we rate what we are served on a heat scale of 1 (cold) to 10 (super hot):
1 completely cold
3 tepid
5 lukewarm
7 warm
8 hot
9 very hot
10 boiling;
•
Coffee: A rich, full flavour that isn't too tart/bitter (or tastes burnt), and no little bits of gunge or granules sitting at the bottom of the cup when we're done (or, worse-case scenario, floating in the coffee...yuck...);
•
Price: A reasonable price, since many establishments seem to think it's acceptable to charge excessive amounts ("reasonable" is, of course, relative and will largely be considered on a country-by-country basis).
• We end off with an overall, subjective rating that is a summary of our feelings about the various factors.
A cappuccino with a high overall rating is one that we would want to buy again and would recommend to others.
This page highlights our most recent experiences. Click on the items, where applicable, for a more detailed review and, in most cases, photographs. Archive pages will be posted when we've experimented enough to need archives.
In the interest of attempted culinary suicide ("research") we've also taken to sampling cappuccino products that you can buy in stores, find buried in kitchen cupboards, or which mysteriously appear on our desks.
* Please note that this quest is not scientific and each tester has certain particular preferences that add slight discrepancies. The quest is more about the sensory experience and overall value. (And no, that doesn't mean we roll around in the foam. That would be weird.)
Where: 65 Durban Road, Mowbray, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 17 November 2006
Where: A secret location (to dissuade stalkers) in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
When: 12 November 2006
Price: Free
Posted by: Jase Luttrell |
Where: 1 Mostert Street, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 9 November 2006
Price: R9.90 [
?] (Note: The price has recently increased to R10.50 [
?])
Where: Ground Floor, Cavendish Square, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 3 November 2006
Where: Ground Floor, Cavendish Square, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 3 November 2006
Where: Lower Ground Floor next to Exclusive Books, Cavendish Square, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 18 October 2006
Where: Shop 50, Walmer Park Shopping Centre, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
When: 29 September 2006
Where: Tyger Valley Waterfront, Tyger Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 14 October 2006
Where: Inside the BP Express at the BP Service Station, Forest Drive, Pinelands, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 7 October 2006
Where: 51 Kenilworth Road, Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 15 September 2006
Where: 430 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111, USA
When: 1 September 2006
Price: US$3.35/US$3.60 with tax [
?]
Posted by: Jase Luttrell |
It's been a month in the (sporadic) making, and quite an effort of back and forth editorial and graphics work and decision making, but we are now proud to present brainwavez.org's first Cappuccino Quest Tour: A Cappuccino Tour Of New Zealand. While on vacation in New Zealand in August 2006, Jase stopped at a few cafés and restaurants to sample the local cappuccinos and provide us with this report, complete with travelogue notes to set the scene.
Where: 316 N. 67th Street, Seattle, Washington, 98103, USA
When: 18 August 2006
Posted by: Jase Luttrell |
Where: 38 Riebeek Street, Cape Town, South Africa
[Note: This establishment no longer exists, although there is still a branch in Hout Bay.]
When: 25 August 2006
Where: At my office desk in Cape Town, South Africa
When: 28 August 2006
Price: n/a
Where: At my house in Cape Town, South Africa
When: 29 July 2006
Price: n/a
Where: In an office in Cape Town, South Africa
When: 12 July 2006
Price: n/a
Obz Café [entry page pending]
Where: 115 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
When: 7 July 2006
Size: Regular (although it was a tad on the small side) [5/10]
Foam: Thick, fluffy, and piled high, but no cream option [8/10]
Coffee: Excellent flavour, no debris at the bottom of the cup [8/10]
Price: R11.50 [
?] (expensive, especially considering the size) [4/10]
Overall: Decent [8/10]
Caffè Nero (Oxford Street 1 Branch) [entry page pending]
Where: 48 Oxford Street, London W1D 1BF, England
When: 25 June 2006
Size: Regular [7/10]
Foam: Reasonable, but not exactly noteworthy [6/10]
Coffee: Your standard cappuccino flavour [7/10]
Price: GBP1.75 [
?] (a little pricey) [6/10]
Overall: Not bad - I'd definitely order again [7/10]
Knights Table Rotisserie - Knights Kingdom, LEGOLAND Windsor [entry page pending]
Where: Windsor, England
When: 22 June 2006
Size: Regular (although it was impressively large) [8/10]
Foam: What foam? [1/10]
Coffee: Yuck - tasted like standard instant coffee [4/10]
Price: GBP1.95 [
?] (expensive) [5/10]
Overall: Never, ever again [3/10]
