Coffee Daydreams asked:


Do you grind your own coffee beans? Maybe next time you would want to try a manual coffee mill to enjoy hand crafted ground coffee.

Even if you like your current electric grinder here are some reasons to try out a a manual coffee grinder? Probably for the same reason that some people enjoy working with old fashioned hand tools instead of the latest high tech electric version. It is great to feel like an old fashioned craftsman.

If the idea of actually feeling the beans being ground appeals to you, read on. If you prefer to buy ground coffee, you will still find this enjoyable to think about how coffee used to be made.

This of this as a way to transport yourself back to a simpler time, when the only way to grind coffee was with a manual coffee mill. What should you look for in a manual coffee grinder today?

How to buy a manual coffee grinder

First, be sure to buy a new grinder. Don’t mistake a decorative grinder for one that will do the job for you reliably and consistently. Many coffee grinders are just decorations. They were never meant to be used to grind coffee, and they may even be contaminated with who knows what if they are vintage grinders.

Second, avoid inexpensive grinders. A manual coffee is a precision instrument, with a hardened steel grinding mechanism designed to crush and grind coffee beans consistently and reliably. You should look for a coffee grinder with a five or ten year warranty. You can plan to spend between $50 to $75 for a mill that will last years, if not a lifetime.

Grinding your coffee by hand

With your quality mill, you will quickly grind coffee for about six cups of brew in just a couple of minutes. You will vary the grind based on how you plan to brew your coffee: coarse for a French press, fine for espresso, and in between for a drip brewer. The finer the grind, the longer it will take you but it this is easy and fulfilling work as you feel the beans being crushed and releasing the fresh coffee fragrance to enjoy.

A special mill for Turkish coffee

If you make Turkish coffee on your stove top, you need extremely finely ground beans, almost powdered.

Regular hand coffee mills won’t grind beans finely enough. You will need a special Turkish coffee mill. You can expect to pay a bit more for a quality manual mill for Turkish coffee, probably around $75 to $100.

Should you buy a manual coffee grinder?

If you are deciding between an electric coffee grinder and a manual coffee mill, which should you buy? That depends on you. I would buy the electric one first, but make sure it is a quality mill that uses the burr style instead of blade style grinder. Also, buy one that grinds at a lower speed to avoid building up static electricity that makes the coffee stick everywhere. We have more ideas for choosing the right electric grinder on our site at Coffee Daydreams Best Coffee Grinders

Then I would buy a manual grinder. Use it for the days when you feel like enjoying simpler pleasures in life. When you want to add to the coffee experience and the hands-on feel of taking whole beans and applying some of yourself to the coffee making process.

When you relax and enjoy the results of your hand ground coffee beans, you will experience a bit of the ongoing adventure through the years, enjoying different coffees and trying different techniques, always learning, always growing in your coffee skills and appreciation.

For more about coffee and how to choose the best coffee makers, you can visit CoffeeDaydreams.com



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Mike Cole asked:


There are many advantages to using a K-Cup to brew your coffee. A K-Cup is a single serving packet of coffee that is used with a Keurig coffee machine. Ground coffee is packed inside the cup along with a filter. A foil lid is placed on top of the K-Cup. When the cup is placed into the coffee machine, the foil is punctured and hot water is forced through the cup and the coffee is brewed directly into a mug. Each K-Cup makes one cup of coffee.

There are many different manufacturers who make K-Cups for Keurig machines, and coffee drinkers have a wide variety of coffees to choose from. There are also K-Cups for teas and hot cocoas, making K-Cups versatile.

What are the advantages to using a K-Cup over traditional coffee?

K-Cups are very simple to use. It is virtually impossible to make a bad cup of coffee with a K-Cup, unless you choose the wrong blend to make. K-Cups brew a quick, delicious cup of coffee. No need to measure coffee from a bag and make a mess. Just pour in water, place the K-Cup in, and put your mug under.

K-Cups also make a fast cup of coffee. Most machines that use K-Cups brew in one to two minutes. No more waiting 10 minutes for an entire pot to brew. You can enjoy multiple brew sizes with the K-Cup system as well. Each K-Cup machine allows users to set the brew size. For a stronger, more potent cup of coffee, a user can select a smaller brew size. For a larger, mellower cup of coffee, a user can select a larger brew size.

Coffee house quality at a fraction of the price basically sums up the K-Cup experience. One of the reasons many people chose to get their coffee from a coffee house each morning instead of from their own kitchen is because the quality tends to be better. With K-Cups, the quality is perfect each time. While K-Cups may be a bit more expensive than traditional coffee, they are far less expensive than a cup from the coffee house each day. If you replace your coffee house coffee each morning with a K-Cup brewer, the brewer will eventually pay for itself in savings. Over time, you will see significant savings.

Utilizing a Keurig coffee machine and K-Cups gives you the exact coffee you want each time. With traditional coffee makers, everyone drinks what has been brewed. With K-Cups, each coffee drinker gets the type and flavor coffee he or she wants.

K-Cups offer an easy system for brewing coffee. There are no beans to grind yet the coffee is always at its freshest because each K-Cup is airtight. There are also no filters to buy or clean, and no glass carafes to break. Since the K-Cup brews directly into a mug there is no glass carafe that will break and be next to impossible to replace. Glass carafes can get stained and grungy looking. No carafe means no cleaning a carafe. In many cases coffee can be saved as well. Sometimes you brew more than you need and end up pouring half a pot down the sink. With K-Cups, you make only as much as you’ll drink.

Organic or fair trade coffee is available for use with K-Cups as well. K-Cups are one of the few single brewing options that offer these green and responsible choices of coffee. K-Cups are a very easy clean up too. They are dry when taken out of the machine and can be thrown in the trash without leaving a messy, drippy trail.

While individual packs of K-Cups from the grocery store might be a bit expensive, there are many online sellers that offer a discount and many K-Cup coffee clubs that regularly send K-Cups at a discount. In fact, Keurig has its own coffee club with many discounts and benefits.

There are also a variety of K-Cup machines available, from heavy duty machines to small machines that can be kept directly on your desk. Since only one cup at a time is brewed, you don’t have to worry about having a hot carafe of coffee waiting to spill or burn.

One more thing you might want to know about K-Cups. Not just anyone can manufacture them. Green Mountain Coffee owns Keurig and the right to license out the making of K-Cups. That means that they need to approve any manufacturer that wants to put its product in K-Cup. This helps to assure quality, because Green Mountain Coffee is committed to making sure their product produces the best cup of coffee drinkers can have.

Most people who have a K-Cup brewing machine rave about the machine and the coffee it makes. Having a perfect cup of coffee, brewed just the way you like it in fewer than two minutes certainly is something to rave about.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


Single-serve coffee systems and one cup coffee makers were first introduced in the late 1990s, and have become more and more popular with each passing year. If you are considering a one cup coffee maker for your house or office, there are a number of things you should consider in making your decision.

Types of Single Serve Coffee Makers

These days, a one cup coffee maker is more than a just a miniature drip coffee maker. There are many different kinds of coffee makers that only make one or two servings of coffee at a time. They include some of the oldest types of coffee makers in the world – the French press and the steam mocha pot, for instance. However, when most people refer to one-cup coffee makers today, they’re talking about automatic coffee makers. These fall into two different types of machine – a drip coffee maker that serves up one cup of coffee at a time, or the so-called single-serve coffee systems that use pods, cups or some other sort of special delivery system for coffee.

The first thing to consider when deciding on a single cup coffee maker is whether you’re willing to be limited in your choice of coffee. The major brands of single serve coffee makers – Senseo, Tassimo, and Keurig – all require that you use coffee that is specially packaged for their machines. If a wide selection of coffees is important to you, or if you have a specific favorite, you’ll either want to be sure that the coffee maker you choose offers your favorite brand of coffee or choose a standard drip coffee maker that brews a single cup at a time.

What to look for: One-Cup Drip Coffee Makers

There are only a few considerations if you’re choosing a one-cup drip coffee maker. They include:

Does the coffee maker require paper filters, or does it use a permanent filter?

Does the coffee maker dispense coffee into a regular sized mug?

Can the height be adjusted for a larger mug or does it come with a thermal travel mug for easy dispensing?

Can you make two or more cups immediately after one another?

Can it be set to start your coffee automatically on a timer?



What to look for: Single Serve Coffee Systems

All single serve coffee systems have a number of things in common – they all have a reservoir to hold water, a boiler or heater to heat water, and some sort of specially designed coffee-and-filter combination through which the water is either pumped or dripped to extract the coffee. The major difference between the brands is in the coffee holder/filter mechanism. Each of the major brands uses a different kind of system.

Coffee Pod Systems

Many of the single serve coffee systems use coffee ‘pods’ (sometimes called coffee pads in other markets). The pods are an all-in-one coffee and filter arrangement that most often look like a large, round tea bag. There are standard pod sizes for single serving, double serving and espresso pods, and the better coffee pod systems will include coffee baskets to fit each of the three sizes so that you can use the coffee maker with the widest variety of coffees. In addition, there are products on the market that allow you to create properly sized coffee pods using any brand of coffee. The results are variable and it can be time-consuming to make your own coffee pods, though, so you may want to be certain that your favorite coffee is available in pods before choosing one of the coffee pod systems.

Single-Serve Coffee Brewing Systems

In addition to the pod systems, there are several one cup coffee systems that use a patented, proprietary ‘mini-brewer’ that is sized to fit their machines. The most popular of these are the Keurig brewing system, the Senseo and the Tassimo brewing system. Each of them uses a very similar mechanism for making your coffee. You simply drop one of the pre-packed pre-measured coffee ‘cups’ or ‘discs’ into the coffee maker, hit a button and wait. The cup or disc contains both the coffee and the filter. The machine is designed to force water through the disposable brewer and dispense it directly into the cup. When your cup is finished brewing, you simply remove the spent brewer and toss it out – no dealing with messy grinds, and since the coffee never touches any part of the machine, you can easily make multiple cups of coffee in different flavors and roasts without worrying about crossing flavors.

The biggest thing to consider when choosing one of the coffee brewing systems is whether the coffee that you prefer is available in packages that fit your machine. Currently, Keurig’s K-cups seem to come in the largest variety, with more flavors and roasts being added frequently, but each of the major brands is affiliated with one of the world’s major coffee roasting houses.

One further consideration when choosing a coffee brewing system is the cost of the coffee. As a general rule, you will pay more for coffee when you’re buying capsules, cups or pods for single serve machines, and in most cases, you have to order your coffee through the manufacturer. Also, few of them are sold in supermarkets or groceries.



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boake moore asked:


of Making Great Gourmet coffee



Use high-quality gourmet coffee beans, freshly  roasted and ground just before brewing.

Always use the correct grind for the method. If your gourmet coffee is too bitter and muddy, the grind is too fine; if the brew lacks flavor, the grind is too coarse.

Always use freshly drawn cold water.

Never guess amounts. Use the correct proportion of gourmet coffee and water (two level tablespoons per six ounces cold water for regular-strength gourmet coffee), preferably measuring both. I f gourmet coffee is too strong or weak, change grind and/or blend, not proportion of gourmet coffee to water.

Make sure the gourmet coffee maker is scrupulously clean and thoroughly rinsed. Gourmet coffee quickly picks up off-flavors during the brewing process.

For best results, always brew at least three-fourths of the gourmet coffee maker’s capacity. Most large gourmet coffee makers do not make one or two cups satisfactorily.

Never guess when timing. Use the clock.

Remove the grounds from the brew as soon as the brew cycle is completed to prevent bitterness. Also for that reason, never rewet grounds.

Serve gourmet coffee immediately after brewing. (With drip methods, stir the brew before serving.) Gourmet coffee is at its best when just brewed.

If gourmet coffee must be kept warm, try to hold it at 180 degrees to 190 degrees farenheight. Brewed gourmet coffee stays palatable for twenty minutes, drink able for one hour maximum. The longer it is held, the less desirable it becomes.

Never reheat cooled gourmet coffee; it breaks down in flavor. Never allow the brew to boil; its flavor turns bitter.



Gourmet coffee 101:

    Q. What’s the difference between specialty gourmet coffee and why does it cost more than regular gourmet coffee?

A. Specialty gourmet coffee is a different species of gourmet coffee called Arabica. Arabica beans are picked and processed by hand, then freshly roasted to ensure consistent top quality. As a result of the special care and time required to harvest and process Arabica beans, the gourmet coffee is more expensive than the lower quality commercial beans. Commercial-grade gourmet coffee is usually machine picked and processed, and made from lower grades of gourmet coffee called Robusta.

Q. What’s the difference between French Roast and regular gourmet coffee?

A. French Roast is a particular style of dark roasting that results in a dark , oily bean. French Roast is stronger and more flavorful than regular gourmet coffee.

Q. Which gourmet coffees have the least amount of caffeine?

A. Dark roast have less caffeine than light roast. That’s because as gourmet coffee beans are heated at high temperatures, the caffeine evaporates. The longer the beans are roasted, the less caffeine they have (although the difference in caffeine content between roast is relatively slight). I f you want to cut down on your caffeine consumption but don’t like the taste of decaffeinated gourmet coffee, try a dark brew. Or try a split shot espresso drink or a half decaf/half regular brewed gourmet coffee. NOTE: Arabica beans contain approximately half the caffeine of the lower-grade commercial gourmet coffees made from Robusta beans.

Q. Is drinking decaffeinated gourmet coffee harmful to your health?

A. There is no proven health risk associated with drinking decaf gourmet coffee. Methylene chloride, the chemical used to decaffeinate gourmet coffee, vaporizes at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Since temperatures in the roaster reach in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit for several minutes, it is safe to assume that any residue burns off during this process. If you’re still concerned, you can order a Swiss Water Process decaf, which is not treated with any chemicals.

Q. Is gourmet coffee fattening?

A. Gourmet coffee is 98% water and therefore has virtually no calories. Calories and fat come from the sugar and milk you add.

Q. How is gourmet coffee harvested and processed?

A. Gourmet coffee trees produce fruit known as gourmet coffee cherries. Inside the sweet, gummy pulp of each cherry are two flat, green gourmet coffee beans that lay against each other. Once the gourmet coffee cherries have been picked, the outer hull of the fruit must be removed to get to the beans. There are two methods used to extract the beans: the wet method and the dry method. The wet method requires a large supply of fresh water. A machine strips away the outer layers of skin and cherry, leaving the beans enclosed in a sticky inner pulp. The beans then are soaked for 24 to 72 hours in fermentation tanks to remove any remaining pulp. Gourmet coffees processed through the dry method generally have lower acidity and deeper, more complex flavors.

Q. How is gourmet coffee roasted?

A. Roasting is a fine art, requiring a delicate hand, split-second timing and an ability to judge when the gourmet coffee bean is at its peak of flavor. First, the roaster drops the green beans into a drum filled with hot air, causing the temperature inside the drum to drop. Then the roaster heats the beans until the water in the beans begins to steam, making the beans swell and audibly pop. The heat causes complex polysaccharides to break down into starches and then sugars, which caramelize. Aromatic oils within the beans boil to the surface, giving them an oily appearance. The expansion of oils causes a second audible “crack”. Along the way, the beans darken from their original green to a rich chestnut brown. The longer the beans are roasted, the darker they become. Roasts are classified as light, medium, dark and darkest. Despite the current vogue for dark roast, they are not necessarily better. Some single origins are better suited to a light or medium roast.



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boake moore asked:


Can a gourmet coffee be too perfect? That’s the criticism leveled at the coffees from Costa Rica – too much flavor, too balanced, too clean, and too smooth. And Mission Grounds Gourmet coffee is considered by most as the finest Costa Rica gourmet coffee by the locals – so why would you not drink the best gourmet coffee– the gourmet coffee considered to be too perfect and blessed by all.

Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire Circle, Costa Rica has over 200 identifiable volcanic formations dating back over 65 million years. Today 100 or so show signs of volcanic activity and five are classified as active volcanoes. Most of the volcanoes in Costa Rica lie in the northern part of the country and in the Central Highlands; these are prime gourmet coffee growing regions.  The volcanoes are a key part of this country’s spectacular natural diversity. This is because they have played an important role in how the lush landscape of this region has come into being. Due to the many volcanic eruptions over the past millennia, the soil in Costa Rica is rich in many minerals and very fertile. This natural fertility contributes to the production of unique and exceptional coffee. Mission Grounds uses the finest shade grown top of the volcano coffee, the only pure number one select coffee. The number one grade is only grown in small quantities and we purchase all of it. So if you want the highest grade of Tarrazu gourmet coffee– you have to purchase Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee. Buying any other gourmet coffee is settling for second best.

Our coffees stem from the jungles of Costa Rica. Costa Rican Coffees are known to be full-flavored, with lively acidity, and are very fragrant and tangy. Arabica is the only species of gourmet coffee that Mission Grounds Gourmet coffee sells. It is the sole source of fine gourmet coffee and comes from a more delicate, higher-altitude tree and grows at a lower temperature than the Robusta bean. The higher the altitude, the finer the gourmet coffee will be. Arabica coffees receive only 2 hours a day of direct sunlight. The Arabica bean is harder and has a denser aroma. It is the bean of choice for gourmet coffee connoisseurs. It is the reason Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is the finest Costa Rica gourmet coffee. The best Costa Rican gourmet coffee beans, which are grown above four thousand feet and hand selected, are designated as “strictly hard bean”.  However, because not all gourmet coffee beans which grow at the higher altitudes are “Strictly Hard Bean”, we sort the gourmet coffee beans for the hardest gourmet coffee beans and remove the softer -”Cataula” gourmet coffee beans. The softer gourmet coffee beans are called Cataula to designate them as a byproduct of this sorting. Most of the Costa Rica coffees contain these softer less flavor gourmet coffee beans – but not Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee. Just another reason Mission Grounds is the finest gourmet coffee.

Single Origin Coffee: Estate or “varietal” coffees are unblended coffees grown on specific estates or farms in specific regions of Costa Rica.  With this designation the consumer is made aware of gourmet coffee varietal used, social practices and environmental practices (land conservation, recycling, natural fertilizers & no chemical sprays for example – (like our Signature Roast the Natural Organic coffee) employed in the production of their coffee. Our estate Signature Roast is considered by most the finest most flavorful organic gourmet coffee in the world. Costa Rican coffee has set the standards for fine wet-processed coffee for the rest of Central and South America and the world.  The most famous coffees by region are the Tarrazu – the best of the Costa Rica coffee. And Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is the best Tarrazu coffee – making it the best coffee in the world.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


Each year, the National Coffee Association of the USA publishes their report on National Coffee Drinking Trends. The report has become one of the bibles of the coffee industry. The 2008 report has recently been made available, and the NCAUSA web site gives a brief summary of what the organization has found out about how we Americans like our coffee. Here are some highlights from the 2008 Coffee Drinking Trends report:



17% of the adult population consumed a gourmet beverage on a daily basis in 2008 and 14% in 2007.

Drinking gourmet coffee has become a national pastime. It’s not just the explosion of Starbucks across the nation that’s fueling it, though their marketing has certainly awakened the taste buds of a whole generation. These days, you can buy your gourmet coffee at any number of places. Here are just of the few ‘new’ outlets for gourmet coffee.

McDonalds, which started selling Newman’s Own Organic coffee a while back, has started marketing the McDonalds Café concept, with lattes, cappuccinos and McDonalds Gourmet coffee as of January 2008.

Burger King’s BKJoe brand is roasted by Douwy Egberts, the second largest coffee roaster in the world, expressly for BK.

Target, the national department store chain, packages and distributes its own brand of gourmet and single origin coffees.

Store 24, a major East Coast convenience store chain, offers Green Mountain Roasters gourmet coffee in all of their stores.

7-11, national convenience store chain, has made the gourmet coffee bar a central part of their new store design, and offers a wide variety of ready-to-go coffee for consumers on the run.

Another factor in the increase of gourmet coffee drinking is the popularity of single serve coffee systems, which make it easier to have gourmet coffee at home every morning. The Senseo, Tassimo and Keurig systems have all increased sales and feature gourmet coffees in their coffee lines. Here are some more highlights form the report:



Adults 25-59 led the upswing with 19% of daily gourmet coffee drinkers. This is an increase of six percentage points from 2007.



In the young adult demographic, coffee drinking was down last year in that age group; with 44 percent reporting that they drink coffee as opposed to 47 percent the previous year.

On the other hand, 18 to 24 year olds are becoming serious coffee drinkers. In 2005, only 26 percent of young adults in that age bracket considered themselves coffee drinkers. By 2007, that figure was up to 37%, making the 18-24 year old coffee market the fastest growing segment of the market. Older adults, in the 40 to 59 year old bracket, are also big coffee drinkers. This age group increased from 59 percent to 61 percent over the previous year, and those age 60 and over report the most coffee consumers – 74 percent of adults in that age bracket reported that they drink coffee every day.



Consumption of cups per day by consumers age 18-24 continued to trend higher in 2008. Young adults who drank coffee consumed an average of 3.2 cups per day as compared with 3.1 in 2007, a significant increase over 2005’s level of 2.5 cups per day.

Our generation grew up thinking of coffee as a morning pick-me-up and after dinner drink for adults only. The 18-24 year old group has a different view of coffee, thanks to the coffee shop culture. Where older generations gathered at the local soda shop, these kids made the local coffee shop their afternoon hangout. Starbucks and other local chains improved their coffees with flavors, sugar and many creams. This makes their coffee more appealing to the younger crowd. As those kids graduate from high school and move on to college, they’re finding that their love of coffee moves along with them.



Past year consumption of iced and frozen coffee is up significantly from 2007 levels.

Maybe it’s the heavy marketing? Nothing tastes quite as good on a hot summer afternoon as a tall glass of iced coffee, but until the past few years, who knew? These days you can get your iced coffee fix at your local McDonalds, Burger King or Dunkin Donuts, or you can brew it yourself at home. The most popular frozen and iced coffee drinks include:

Dunkin Donuts, who claim that they practically invented iced coffee, has been selling their coffee over ice for years. In the late 90s, they added the Coffee Coolata, which could be topped with whipped cream.

Wawa, a popular convenience store located throughout portions of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia is a popular location for coffee enthusiasts in these east coast states. They have sold over 195 million cups of their freshly brewed coffee. Wawa uses their own blend of coffee beans and make quality coffee a top priority.

All of these coffee trends show that coffee is a popular drink among many age groups and is part of American culture. Over the years, these trends change while coffee is introduced to new demographics. Overall, Americans enjoy coffee daily and everybody has their favorite location to get their coffee fix.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


Many employers often wonder what their employees want, besides a raise of course. The answer might be surprising. A number of Fortune 500 companies have discovered that one of the most treasured perks they provide for their employees is something they might never expect – coffee! A break room well-stocked with a variety of coffees and other beverages is high on the list of perks that employees are looking for. More and more employers are finding that the very best way to give their employees something they will enjoy is by bringing coffee pods into the employee break room.

Coffee pods first made their appearance on the market about a decade ago. At the time, they were expensive and there were few varieties available. The critics were not kind about the coffee either, but all that has changed. Today, coffee machines that use coffee pods are among the most popular office coffee machines on the market, and with good reason. Why choose coffee pods for your office break room? Take a look at what some of the best makers of single serve coffee makers with coffee pods offer your office.

Consistently Good Coffee

Previously, many workers felt ‘office coffee’ was synonymous with mud. No matter how good the coffee you started with, it soon turned into oily black sludge. That was partly because the pot inevitably sat on the burner and scorched the coffee, and partly because the machine just didn’t get cleaned often enough. With coffee pods, those issues are grievances of the past. Each pod is pre-measured with the precise amount of coffee, tea or cocoa to make one perfect cup at a time. Also, because you are only making one cup at a time, there’s no coffee to turn to burnt sludge in the bottom of the pot. The coffee maker does not pick up all the oils from the brewing process either, meaning that you get fresh, clean coffee every time around.

Easy Cleanup

Coffee pods also mean no more messy drips and grounds on the counter of the break room. The coffee grounds are completely contained in the pod. When the coffee is done, you just eject the pod and throw it away. Your coffee room will stay clean, making it a more inviting place for your workers to brainstorm and work together.

Save Money

When the best coffee in town is right there in the break room, your employees are far less likely to wander off looking for a coffee shop. More time at the office and less time spent standing in line waiting for a cappuccino at the local shop is good news for you. Your employees will be happier and more productive. At the same time, they will be saving money on all those specialty coffees bought over the counter. Even if you decide to establish a coffee fund, they will be paying far less per cup for coffee pods at the office than they will for a paper takeaway cup from the local shop.

Everyone gets what they like!

One of the best things about replacing the office coffee pot with a single cup brewer and a coffee pod system is the selection of beverages available in coffee pods. With selections of coffee ranging from light breakfast blends to full-bodied espressos, everyone in your office can have the style and flavor of coffee that they like best. Coffee enthusiasts can find flavored coffees among varieties such as vanilla, hazelnut, mocha and even blueberry. Even better, most of the single serve coffee systems that use coffee pods are not confined to just making coffee. Depending on the supplier you choose, you may be able to also receive an assortment of flavored teas and gourmet hot chocolate drinks as well.

The Best Coffees Available

As single cup coffee makers have gained acceptance and popularity, the selection of coffees available in coffee pods for brewing has grown exponentially. The biggest reason for that is the number of nationally known fine coffee roasters who have jumped on the bandwagon to offer a variety of their coffees in pod form so that you can enjoy the same coffees that you love at the coffee shop. Among the coffee roasters who now offer their coffee in pods are Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, Melitta and Baronet. Java One offers a wide variety of coffee blends, and Senseo, makers of the Senseo single serve coffee system offers their own line of a dozen different coffee varieties that range from a light, tart Brazilian that will please most American palates to their latest gourmet offering, a rich, sweet, dark coffee appropriately named Café Noir, with just a hint of chocolate in the finish.

Your office staff will appreciate the investment in a coffee pod brewing system. A coffee pod system can pay for itself in happier workers and increased productivity, and your staff just may vote you supervisor of the year.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


A coffee service is commonly touted as one of the best perks that you can offer your employees; and one of the best ways to add positively to the company experience for your customers and your clients. Why a coffee service? And precisely what IS a coffee service?

Coffee Services Come in Many Flavors



When working with a coffee service, run-of-the-mill flavors such as French Vanilla and Cinnamon Hazelnut coffee flavors are just the beginning. There are several different standard kinds of coffee services, and each coffee service provides different services and equipment to your office. Each of them also offers benefits, both in general and specifically for your office.

Full Office Coffee Service



Most coffee service companies provide a free coffee machine – or more than one machine, depending on the needs of your company, as part of their service contract. You pay nothing for the coffee machine as long as you purchase a minimum specified amount of coffee and other supplies from the coffee service company. The coffee machines supplied run the gamut from basic Bunn Coffee-matic pour-over coffee pots to elaborate high-end espresso machines that make multiple kinds of hot drinks, usually dispensing one cup at a time.

If you opt for a full coffee service contract, the supplier will generally set up an automatic delivery schedule of coffee, teas and other beverages, commonly referred to as consumables. Some may also include such supplies as water filters for your coffee machine, bottled water, automatic coffee machine cleaner, coffee filters, disposable coffee cups and napkins. Most likely, you will be assigned to an account manager who will be available to discuss your coffee service needs if you find that you are ordering too much or too little coffee.

When you use a coffee service to provide coffee for your office and customers, you reap some very tangible benefits, and a few intangible ones. Here are just a few of them.

1. Your coffee expenses are far easier to track when you use a coffee service



If you are providing coffee to your employees and customers for free, it is a legitimate business expense. When you use a coffee service, you only have one expense stream to track, the bills from the coffee service. Compare that to tracking the receipts from the food service, from the supermarket, the replacement coffee machine when the old one failed, the box of tea. It will save your bookkeeper a lot of aggravation and time, and probably save you some money on your taxes.

2. You don’t have to worry about running out of coffee or coffee supplies when you use a coffee service

When you sign up with a coffee service, you could set up automatic regular deliveries of coffee and supplies. No one has to think about ordering coffee, and you should never run out of coffee again. That means no sending out your secretary to pick up filters at the last minute so you can serve coffee to an important client, or rooting around in the break room cabinets to find a leftover coffee pod.

3. It costs you nothing for coffee machine maintenance



Since you do not own the coffee machine, you do not have to worry about maintenance. In many cases, the coffee service supplier will attend to routine maintenance chores, or at least remind you when it is time to do them. More to the point, if the machine just quits working, the coffee service provider will generally replace or repair it almost immediately. The same holds true if the coffee carafe gets knocked off the counter, no more hunting around for hours, or buying a new coffee maker because the carafe broke.

4. You have a wide choice of coffee machine options with a coffee service



Most office coffee services feature a full range of coffee makers and coffee machine options. The most popular are single-serve coffee makers that allow each of your employees or customers to make their favorite kind of coffee, tea or even hot chocolate. They can supply machines for any size office or retail operation.

Even if your company decides that it can’t foot the entire bill for your employees’ coffee habit, there are coffee services that can provide you with vending machines, but not the “old school” vending machines that dispense watery brew. The new coffee vending machines dispense gourmet coffee in different flavors, as well as hot chocolate and hot water for tea. Using a vending machine in conjunction with a coffee company allows you to offset the cost of providing coffee for your office by collecting a small fee for the coffee sold.

If the thought of using a coffee service sounds intriguing, coffee services can be found in just about every city as well as online. Contact a sales agent or account representative from a local coffee service to find out more about the benefits of using a coffee service for your office or business.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


An office coffee service can save you money in surprising ways. That may seem to go against the traditional wisdom that says doing something yourself is always cheaper than paying for a service, but providing coffee for your office staff and clients can add up in the accounting books in places where you don’t see it. Contracting with an office coffee service can increase productivity, increase staff and customer satisfaction with your company and reduce the unexpected overhead costs of coffee in your office.

Is coffee costing your company money?

If your company provides coffee for the staff and clients, then you probably think you have a pretty good idea of what your coffee costs are. Bankrate.com, one of the premier finance websites on the Internet, points out costs that few businesses consider when totaling the cost of providing coffee service for their employees. Among those “hidden” costs are the amount of time it takes to shop for break room coffee supplies and the time your accountant or bookkeeper spends tracking coffee expenses for your annual expense reports. Those may seem minor, but when you consider how much you are paying your accountant, it can add up surprisingly fast.

Believe it or not, even those businesses that do not have a break room on premises where they provide coffee for their staff and customers could be losing money by not employing a coffee service. When you provide coffee service on premises, none of your employees are leaving the building to pick up coffee at the local coffee shop; trips that add up in terms of lost productivity and time out of the office. By contracting with a coffee service to provide fine coffee for your employees, you can increase the amount of time that your employees are at work and focused on their jobs.

Can a coffee service increase your company’s profits?



The surprising answer to that question is “absolutely!” Here are just some of the ways that providing coffee through a coffee service can affect your bottom line.

- Providing coffee service for your staff improves employee morale.

Happier employees are more productive employees. While coffee may seem like a very small thing in the larger scheme of things, providing good coffee (especially free good coffee) to your employees’ rates very high with them. In a number of surveys, researchers asked employees to name something that their employer does that makes them feel valued and appreciated. In nearly every survey, more employees named free coffee than any other perk.

- Offering fine coffee to your customers increases their positive feelings about your company.

Anything you do to make customer or client experience with your company will show up in your bottom line, even if it can’t be easily quantified. Offering your customers a cup of gourmet coffee is one way to make them feel valued and appreciated. This is a lesson learned by high-end hair stylists, doctor and dentist offices and even upscale retail stores. Give your customers good coffee, and they will leave feeling far more appreciated, which can translate into a better bottom line for your business.

- Coffee can improve focus and can increases productivity.

A recent study measured productivity in workers who drank coffee during the day against the productivity of workers who do not drink coffee at the office. They found that workers who drank coffee at their desks were more focused on their work and completed more work than their co-workers who did not. The difference between the two groups of workers became more marked as the day went on. In fact, most of the coffee drinkers avoided the typical mid-afternoon slump in productivity entirely. A good coffee service can improve your bottom line by increasing productivity and reducing errors. Not to mention, your employees most likely will not be heading out the door to grab a coffee at the local coffee shop if they have a great coffee service providing coffee in the break room.

Using an office coffee service is less expensive



In many cases, the coffee service will provide a high-end coffee maker for your office for free as long as you purchase a minimum amount of coffee from them. Depending on the quality of the coffee that you choose, a coffee service for your office will cost between 4 cent and 19 cents per cup; the 19 cent figure is for Starbucks coffee from a coffee service. The machines ranges from double burner pour-over coffee makers to fancy bean-to-cup coffee machines that dispense gourmet espresso, complete with frothed milk.

If you are considering providing coffee for your office, or if you already provide free coffee for employees and customers, take a look at what a coffee service can do to save you money on your coffee.



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Stephanie Larkin asked:


Widely considered to be one of the worlds best, if not the best, coffees, Jamaican Blue Mountain is a rich, smooth roast. This aromatic and flavorful coffee has to be experienced to be believed.

The Beginning of Jamaica’s Coffee Trade

The history of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is just as rich and interesting as the coffee itself. According to one legend, King Louis XV of France sent three coffee plants to French colony Martinique around 1723. Just one of the three plants survived, and this particular coffee plant was given to Sir Nicholas Lawes, a former Jamaican Governor, approximately five years later. Once this coffee plant arrived on Jamaican soil, a coffee crop was quickly established thanks to soil rich in nitrogen, potash, and phosphorous. Less than ten years later, coffee exportation had already begun. More than 600 coffee plantations had been established by the early nineteenth century.

It is believed that all of the coffee plants grown in Jamaica today are descendents of that single plant, of the Arabica typica variety, that arrived in Jamaica from France, via the island of Martinique.

The Blue Mountains Factor-why does that Coffee Taste so Good?

The fantastic Blue Mountain taste is achieved by a combination of three different factors: altitude, a special kind of rich, nutrient-laden soil called volcanic soil, and the treatment processes undergone by the beans once they are harvested.

The hub of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee production is, of course, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, a magnificent mountain range that rises more than seven thousand feet above sea level. The high altitude, dense cloud cover, and low annual rainfall of the region all serve to slow down the maturation rate of the coffee crop. In this region, crops take up to ten months to mature, whereas in most other parts of the world, the average time taken is five to six months. The longer maturation time produces beans that are larger and have a more concentrated and complex flavor.

Like every other mountain in the islands of the Caribbean, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains are the peaks of extinct volcanoes. Throughout centuries of eruptions, the soil created on the peaks of the Blue Mountains has become extremely nutrient-rich due to the decomposition of plant life, and the deposition of accumulated biomass. This extraordinarily rich soil is an important ingredient in producing the exceptional quality coffee beans that go into every cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.

This is not the entire story, however. There is one more important factor, without which Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee would not be as highly-regarded as it is today. The production and distribution of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is rigorously regulated and protected by the Jamaican government to ensure that every bean roasted and every cup brewed is of the highest quality.

For example, only coffee grown at an altitude of between 3,000 and 5,500 feet is allowed to bear the name Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. If the coffee plants are grown between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, the coffee is known as Jamaica High Mountain Coffee, and plants grown below 1,500 feet are Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica Supreme Coffee. These regulations ensure that all Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is grown at the special altitude that delays maturation of the coffee plants and produces that complex and rich flavored coffee. In addition, there are geographical requirements as well as elevation requirements, in that to bear the Jamaican Blue Mountain, the coffee plants must be grown in one of only four parishes in the region.

Another unique aspect of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is that pulped and washed coffee beans are allowed to age for a full six weeks, which is a particularly unusual part of the preparation process. Finally, before export of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is allowed, it is checked for appearance and taste, to ensure that every single batch of coffee is of the highest quality.

How to Best Enjoy Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Once you have made the effort to purchase one of the very best coffees in the world, it would be almost criminal if you did not ensure that your coffee is properly stored and brewed!

Storing your coffee properly requires that it be sealed in an airtight container, away from any foods with strong odors or flavors, such as curry powder and other spices. Refrigeration in an airtight container is the ideal way to store ground beans.

You can keep your coffee tasting great by cleaning your coffee pot immediately following each use. Never use detergent or other cleaners in your coffee pot, this can affect the taste. Simply empty the pot, brush and rinse thoroughly with hot water. Additionally, give the pot a rinse with hot water before making a fresh batch of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, and enjoy.



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