Coffee

Coffee has continuously ranked high among other beverage choices since its discovery in Ethiopia on the 9th century. The great number of companies providing coffee services can attest to that. Several important factors must be considered before deciding for the right coffee service for the office.

An efficient office coffee service builds productivity of the employees and impresses visiting clients. Begin planning with the size and location. Some companies offering coffee service operate nationally while others serve regional locations. Some particular office coffee vendors limit service to those offices with 20 or more personnel.

Consider the level of service too. A number of coffee service providers supply the equipment and coffee. You must handle the stocking, cleaning and managing orders when they provide the coffee and equipment. Full service companies also provide sales representatives that take care of most of those needs.

Cost is a very important factor in selecting the right office coffee service company. It is a good to first compare the services with the cost and also weigh the costs versus the services provided by different companies.

Do not forget the coffee brew itself. Coffee brewers may come in pot, single cup, glass and metal type models. The coffee is packed in cans, pods, bags, and other various packages. Similarly, selection of coffee ranges from supermarket varieties, specialty coffees to premium brands.

You will be presented with various machines when offering services of coffee in an office environment. You may consider buying a standard office coffee machine if you want to offer just a regular brew.

A machine producing the same amount of coffee as the one used in most home is a good choice, considering the number of your office employees. The coffee machine that makes a larger amount is also an interesting option. While you do not necessarily need to purchase such coffee machine from company that specializes in that field, doing so can be a helpful choice especially when you are looking for the one that brews a larger quantity of coffee at one time.

The espresso machine is another option. More people are preferring espresso over regular coffee nowadays. Some machines are designed for brewing both regular coffee and espresso.

Another good option is to buy a vending machine which will offer an array of coffee products and other varieties of hot and cold beverages as well. These may provide hot chocolate, espresso, and also hot water for steeping tea. We can usually find these machines in most large office settings. They are made to satisfy different tastes and preferences.

Here are some successful companies offering coffee services. The Wagner Coffee Service has been in the business since 1978. They have been providing excellent service and good quality of coffee to restaurants and offices in the Baltimore Washington area. They are a member of the National Coffee Service Association and strive to be the leader in this industry of the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Canteen Refreshment Services offers a complete customized menu. They deliver a coffee program suitable to the workplaces and different tastes. They serve Folgers, Maxwell House, Starbucks and other well-respected brands in single cups, glass pots and air pot brewers.

ARAMARK Refreshment Services is considered as North America’s leading refreshment service provider with 89 office coffee service locations. They serve billions cups of coffee annually.

For more information on Cream & Sugar Sets and Milk Frothers please visit our website.

Author: David Urmann
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When it comes to coffee, it is not all about choosing between instant coffee and drip coffee and black coffee and coffee with milk and sugar any more. Although Americans used to be limited to a choice between Folgers and Maxwell House, there are now tons of different cups of coffee to be tried out. Coffee aficionados can try a different kind of coffee from a different place on the globe every day and hardly ever taste the same cup of coffee twice.

Coffee Around The World – Where’s The Best Cup of Joe?

Any world trip for coffee lovers would have to start in the world coffee capital of Brazil. This enormous country is the perfect coffee growing environment, with at least a third of the land space ideal for growing beans. Bahia and Minas Gerais are just two of the enormous number of different kinds of coffee grown in Brazil.

Although Brazil makes the most coffee, if you ask people to name a coffee producing country, they are likely to answer with Columbia. Tons of varieties of coffee beans are grown in Columbia, from rich and bold blends to light and sweet caffeinated delights like ‘supremo’ and ‘excelso’. Coffees made from beans like Popayan or Narino are considered to be among the best in the world. Of course, blends of the different beans grown in Columbia offer a whole new world of possibilities for coffee tastes.

Don’t count Mexico out when it comes to the coffee producing stakes. The small beans that are grown in Mexico produce coffee that has a delicate taste and very mellow acidity, giving it an overall light flavor. Last but not least in Latin America is Cuba, which brings its uber strong cafe cubano to the table. This coffee is so strong it is drunk like a shot of alcohol.

Outside of Latin America, a trip to South East Asia is ideal for coffee lovers. The warm, damp weather in Indonesia helps coffee beans grow there are low in acid and high in taste. In fact, Indonesian coffee is so popular that they are now the world’s fourth largest producer.

Malaysia is the challenger to Indonesia’s crown in the Asian coffee stakes. All coffee in Malaysia is brewed within a muslin bag, which means that is one strong cup of coffee.

If sweet coffee is your think, then Thailand is your place. Thai coffee has a touch of chicory, much like Parisian coffee, and it is usually sold cold, mixed with coconut milk and sugar. It is like dessert in a coffee cup.

There’s a world of coffee waiting to be explored, so what are you waiting for? Grab your cup and go!

Peter Mason usually creates articles on themes corresponding to home espresso machines and how to make espresso. You can have a look at his abstracts on how to make espresso and expresso maker over at http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com

Author: Peter S. Mason
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Did you know that the coffee plant actually grows into a tree? The coffee tree is an evergreen tree. Its broad leaves are a very shiny green with pointed ends that are sleekly reminiscent of arrowheads. Their leaves grow in pairs one on each side of their long thin branches as they flower and seed from the base of each pair of leaves growing along the stems or branches. Their tiny blooms flower into five petals with yellow stamen, as the seedpods progress into berry like cases for the seed. Inside each seed, two beans are usually found these beans are what are used to make coffee. The berries of the coffee plant can display as green in unripe berries, red in ripe berries and black of over ripened berries. The coffee plant can be rooted from cuttings as well as grown from seed and thrives best in shaded areas.

The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia then transported to Yemen of Africa. There these coffee beans were chewed raw for the extra energy that they provided the people. In Yemen Europeans found the plant as it was taken to Europe to be transplanted there. Arabians first made a drink with the green coffee beans however; by not having been roasted, the drink did not offer the brunette russet flavor of coffee, as we know it to be. The idea to roast the coffee bean before boiling it is believed to enter the picture back in the 1400s.

From Europe, the Venetian mercantile decided that coffee should be introduced to the wealthy people there and charged outrageous prices for the coffee that they purchased. Although it was suggested that coffee be banned it was however baptized by a pope of that time, coffee then gains great popularity as a good hearty drink. At that time while being introduced to the French, they upheld the brilliant Arabians for being so ingenious to have introduced the world to the strong drink of coffee and opened the first coffee house in Paris. Coffee houses have flourished since that time. Eventually, coffee made its rounds into Austria and Poland.

Introduced in the seventeen hundreds, to the new world by aid of colonial officials, coffee came to America as a high value cash crop and is today only second to oil, as a valuable trade commodity. Billions of dollars every year are in used in spending for the purchase of coffee, the world round. While a bit later the Boston Tea Party called for drinking coffee an American patriotic duty. Although the ruler of Prussia attempted to block the imports of coffee, the public outcry of injustice turned these thoughts of this around.

The year of 1886 found Maxwell House coffee to be named after a hotel in which the drink was served. The nineteen hundreds saw the introduction of the Hills Brothers packing roast coffee into tins, which were vacuum-sealed, thus bringing about the end of coffee mills and local roasting shops. The American soldiers of WWII were issued instant Maxwell House coffee in their kits of ration, while in America the widespread issue of hoarding led the coffee to be rationed.

As for coffee, Johann Sebastian Bach said it best in 1732 within his lyrical gist of the Coffee Cantata, Mm! how sweet the coffee tastes, more delicious than a thousand kisses, mellower than muscatel wine.

Bradley Thornton loves his coffee and likes to share his knowledge on the subject. One thing he specialises in is single serve coffee. Find out more by visiting the Keurig coffee maker website where you can explore the different Keurig coffee machine models such as the Keurig B50 coffee maker.

Author: Bradley Thornton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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“Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” – Sheik Abd-al-Qadir

Think about the last cup of coffee you drank. Was it a gourmet coffee blend from Starbucks Coffee? Or maybe a pot you brewed at home such as Maxwell House? Now answer this question: Where did it originate from? Chances are the response will be a wild guess or an “I don’t know”.

According to the International Coffee Organization’s Executive Director, the amount of coffee consumed worldwide throughout 2009 reached roughly 132 million bags. Nearly 21.5 million of those bags could be attributed to consumption in just the United States, which is more than any other single country. Of those avid coffee drinkers, most will admit knowing very little about the history and origin of the tantalizing beverage.

The exact beginnings remain unclear. Legends tell of an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who, in c.850, noticed the energizing effects his flock experienced after eating the bright red berries from a local shrub. After experimenting with the berries himself, Kaldi brought the berries to a nearby Muslim holy man. However, the holy man disapproved of their use and threw them into a fire. Suddenly an enticing aroma began to fill the air. The roasted beans were then raked from the glowing embers, ground, and dissolved in hot water, creating the world’s first cup of coffee.

Although this tale has emerged as an entertaining speculation, the earliest credible evidence of either knowledge of the coffee tree or coffee drinking comes from mid-fifteenth century southern Arabia in the Sufi monasteries around Mocha (or Mokha), Yemen. It was here that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed similarly to how they are today. It is rumored that the Arab word ‘qahwah’, stemming from the verb ‘gahiya’, signifying “to have no hunger”, was the first name given to what is known as ‘coffee’ in today’s English language.

In 1587 Abd al-Qadir al-Jazirir, who may be considered one of the most important early coffee writers, compiled a work tracing the history and legal controversies of coffee. A translation of this work maps the spread of coffee from Yemen north to Mecca and Medina, then on to the larger cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul. Historians place the first established coffeehouse in Constantinople (today’s Istanbul). There is some controversy regarding the exact time and location. Various legends tell of place known as ‘Kiva Han’ that was opened in the late fifteenth century. However, the Ottoman historian Ibrahim Pecevi reported that in 1555 “a fellow called Hakam from Aleppo and a wag called Shams from Damascus came to the city; they each opened a large shop in the district called Tahtakale, and began to purvey coffee.”

The immense amount of trade between Venice and the Muslims in North Africa, Egypt and the East brought a variety of goods to Europe, including coffee. Coffee-drinking was introduced as something prestigious to wealthy Venetians which, in turn, allowed merchants to charge heavily. At this time controversy arose regarding whether or not it was acceptable to consume during Lent. Thankfully Pope Clement VIII settled the dispute in 1600, ruling that it was. Coffee’s popularity in Europe continued to grow and then, in 1645, the first European coffeehouse was opened in Venice.

Shortly after the opening of this coffeehouse in Venice, the first English coffeehouse, Oxford’s Queen’s Lane Coffee House, was established. The business is still in existence to this day, attracting connoisseurs and enthusiasts from around the world. At this time coffeehouses were known as ‘penny universities’ because a penny was charged for admission and a cup of coffee. It was here that the concept of tipping was formed. Signs reading ‘To Insure Promptitude’ were placed by a tin. Those patrons desiring prompt service and better seating threw coins into the tin. And so, the word ‘tip’ was created.

Coffee continued to spread like wildfire throughout Europe. At the end of the seventeenth century the Dutch became the first to commercially transport and cultivate the plants. In fact, they were among the first to defy the Arab prohibition on the exportation of unroasted seeds or plants by smuggling seedlings from the port of Mocha to the Dutch East Indies. The first attempt at cultivation in Java and Ceylon, Indonesia, was met with such success that the Dutch East India Company was able to supply the demand in Europe with ‘Java coffee’ by 1719.

About a year later seedlings found their way to Martinique in the Caribbean thanks to a French naval officer. Some fifty years later there were nearly 20,000 coffee trees on the island. In the meantime, coffee had made its way to Brazil by around 1727. A man named Francisco de Mello Palheta was sent to French Guinea by the Emperor of Brazil with strict instructions to obtain viable seeds. After some initial struggle and a few near-death experiences, Francisco succeeded in seducing the French Governor’s wife who, in turn, secretly sent seeds and shoots to him in Brazil. This initiated the Brazilian coffee industry, although it didn’t begin to truly prosper until a century later.

Coffee continued to grow and spread throughout South and then Central America until it finally reached North America during the Colonial period. Although one would assume that as soon as it reached North America this delectable beverage would quickly gather momentum, this was not the case. Interestingly enough, alcoholic beverages remained much more popular. However, when the Revolutionary War hit, the increased alertness that came from drinking coffee caused its demand to soar. When the British cut off access to tea imports during the War of 1812, Americans’ taste for coffee grew. That paired with the amplified demand during the American Civil War and brewing technological advances, later followed by prohibition, sealed coffee’s fate as an everyday commodity in the United States.

Today there are numerous blends, brands and brews that range from instant to premium or gourmet coffee. Some of the top-selling national brands are Maxwell House and Folgers Coffee while the premium names include Starbucks Coffee and Caribou Coffee. No matter the name, though, the historical journey holds true for all. So the next time you pour yourself a cup of gourmet coffee or order that caramel macchiato at the Starbucks drive-through, take a moment to appreciate those who made such delicious beverages not only possible, but everyday necessities in many people’s lives.

About CheaperCoffee.com:

With over 40 years of office coffee experience, we can stock your break-room with everything you need at wholesale prices. Orders are shipped the same day when they are placed by 1p EST. Live operators are available 9:00a to 5:00p EST. Please visit: http://cheapercoffee.com/ or call 888-779-3952

Author: Mimi Naghshineh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Supply your employees with high quality gourmet coffee blends, Folgers coffee, and Maxwell House coffee to boost their mood as well as their productivity. Are you the discerning office manager that watches as employees listlessly move around the office drinking low quality coffee? Are you are worried, concerned, and have a strong desire to keep everyone happy and productive? Have you tried bringing in special treats, throwing office happy hours, EVERYTHING? Well these days it seems that everyone has a love affair with rich, bold and delicious gourmet coffee and other quality brands like Folgers coffee, Maxwell House coffee and Green Mountain coffee. Wouldn’t bringing a variety of these blends into the office help improve workplace productivity?

It used to be that a select group of people would consider themselves coffee connoisseurs. Now with every fast food place and coffee shop nationwide pushing consumers to believe that their product is the best, everyone has seemingly developed an intense opinion surrounding their choice survival beverage. People are as devoted to their gourmet coffee, Starbucks coffee, Folgers coffee, Maxwell House coffee or Caribou coffee as super fans are to a sports team.

As an office manager, a morale-conscious office manager at that, you are constantly trying to ensure that your employees are satisfied with the work environment. If the employees are rushing all over town to buy their gourmet coffee at local shops each morning or spending extra time at home to brew their own Folgers coffee, Maxwell House coffee and Green Mountain coffee, how much more at ease would they be knowing that when they walked into the office beverages would already be brewing?

Market researchers, Harris Interactive, recently presented the findings of a study analyzing beverage consumption in workplaces at the National Automatic Merchandising Association Coffee Service Education Summit. The results demonstrated that employees who are provided coffee in the workplace feel that they are appreciated and that their employer cares about them. The study also demonstrated that employees use coffee to manage their mental state and boost their energy level or their mood at the office. They even use a cup as an excuse to take a break from today’s heavy workload. Most employers know that the ability of an employee to improve their mood at work and their satisfaction level with the work environment is directly related to an increase in productivity.

Harris Interactive found that 48 percent of heavy coffee drinkers, 45 percent of daily drinkers and 99 percent of occasional drinkers brought their coffee in to the office because those beverages are “superior” to those available to them at the office. About 25 percent stated that they brought it into work because it wasn’t “readily available in the office.” The study also revealed that 25 percent of coffee drinkers, especially those that drink it often, consider the availability of the beverage in the workplace to be “extremely important”.

This goes back to the importance of gourmet coffee and high quality Folgers coffee, Maxwell House coffee or Starbucks coffee in the workplace. As an office manager you should not only be providing employees with more than one type of coffee choice, but a higher quality beverage as well. They are asking for it! An astounding 65 percent of survey participants indicated that they have no access to specialty coffee at work. The Harris Interactive research also indicates that coffee drinkers would prefer more variety in the blends available in the office.

Gourmet coffee blends and other national brands ordered in pre-measured packages through online suppliers can help you offer your employees high quality coffee at a low price. You can stock your break room with many varieties like Folgers coffee, Green Mountain coffee, Caribou coffee, Maxwell House coffee and Starbucks coffee at a similar cost to the current coffee you may provide.

Help your employees out! Start buying gourmet coffee and other quality national brands to help them manage their mood and, in turn, increase their productivity. It is also important to note that gourmet coffee blends are stronger than their more generic counterparts, and increased caffeine can also mean increased productivity.

With over 40 years of office coffee experience we are a Preferred Starbucks Distributor, Authorized Keurig K-Cup Distributor, Caribou and Green Mountain Distributor coffee distributors. We can provide you everything you need at wholesale prices to keep your break-room stocked. Orders are shipped the same day when they are placed by 1 p.m. EST. Live operators are available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. Please visit: http://cheapercoffee.com/ or call 888-779-3952

Author: Jenn Weesies
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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