I’ve become a coffee snob. The average brew is just not good enough: milk can be burnt and coffee served too hot. Coffee is not just a caffeine fix, but a luxury. And especially if you are paying for your luxury, you want the best. For me a good cup of coffee is black, long, and served hot enough to warm me up but not so hot that I scald my fingers on the cup (a sign that the coffee is likely to be bitter). The bitterness should not rival a strong cup of tea: a good coffee should not need sugar. To be really snobby, citrus notes should be subtle, and I prefer a hint of chocolate from the bean. My perfect cup is a new age brew, a far cry from the heavy, Italian brews that currently tend to be offered.

By its nature, coffee is often defined by its necessity. In Cambridge, to get your caffeine fix fast and central, a quick espresso from Savino’s cannot be beat. Despite an Italian style brew, their black coffees are not too bitter, especially if Luca is brewing. Meeting a friend? Take a trip to Fitzbillies for their magnificent milky coffee. They know how to treat their milk: you won’t hear the screaming of the milk steamer here (indicates the milk is being burnt and will taste sour). And what better accompaniment to a balanced frothy drink than their infamous Chelsea buns?  If instead of following the crowd you are a trendsetter, you can enjoy the vibe with a more typical Italian brew at The Table. Previously called Massaro’s, they reopened with a new image, a larger singular table, and new beans to experiment with.

Sometimes, coffee is worth some extra effort. Enter Hot Numbers. A converted microbrewery just off Mill Road, it serves the best coffee in Cambridge. There I can have a siphon coffee (brewed by vapour pressure and vacuum) served at the perfect temperature, made from beans they roast and grind themselves. Hot Numbers offers a choice of beans, and sell different grinds to coffee aficionados who prefer a home brew. For a special treat, head there on a Friday night for espresso martinis, to be sipped while enjoying live music and a burger from gourmet burger van, Steak and Honour. The variety of coffee on offer and the care that the baristas put into their product means no longer being at mercy of whose shift it is, and makes this café well worth the trek down Mill Road.

Soon it won’t have to be, as there are rumours that a Hot Numbers may be opening on Trumpington Street. And even more excitingly, it will have some competition.  Espresso Library is coming soon to Cambridge and they promise ‘once we open our doors you won’t have to drink bad coffee ever again’. Intriguing, but until then I will get my much needed caffeine hit at Hot Numbers.

Milky, black, short, long, frothy, decaffeinated, iced and even alcoholic: whatever your taste, you can satisfy it in the ever expanding Cambridge café scene.