Coffee Bean

Choosing good coffee beans has a lot more to do with art than with science. And those who know how to, will spare nothing just to find the best coffee beans that money can buy. But why should you care? Coffee beans are just coffee beans, right? And coffee is just…coffee. What’s the big deal?

Well, if you’re fond of the common supermarket variety of coffee beans, then chances are that you’re right. It isn’t such a big deal. But once you have tried the real good coffee beans you will understand why so many people go to such lengths just to find the perfect beans for the perfect cup of coffee.

So where do you start?

When it comes to good coffee, there’s no better place to start than what the experts say is a good place to start. But make no mistake. Their words are no bible. However, they do give you some idea on how to go about taking your first tentative step towards genuinely good coffee.

First, you need to learn that freshly roasted and ground coffee beans are what make a superior cup of coffee. You can never go wrong with fresh beans. In fact, the underlying philosophy is: the fresher the beans, the better. Just try it and you’ll be surprised to find how a few fresh coffee beans can transform your favorite cup of java into a fantastic gastronomic experience.

Next, where do you find fresh coffee beans? You may get lucky and stumble upon a few bags in the supermarket. But if you want to be certain that you are getting fresh, good quality beans, then start at your local specialty or gourmet stores. The salespeople at these stores are usually very knowledgeable about coffee and helpful to the extent that they may allow you to taste before buying anything.

But how do you know if they’re good?

Well, for one thing good coffee beans are never splintered or broken. They should be whole and well-shaped. If you encounter a bin or bag of splintered or broken beans, then put it right back where you found it and look for another.

It’s quite possible that you won’t find any helpful salesperson around, especially if you’re doing your shopping at a supermarket. If that’s the case, then you have to learn to trust your own eyes and nose.

Okay, so now you know that good coffee beans are whole and well-shaped, but what about the smell? They smell good, period. That’s all you need to know. It has to do with gut instinct, similar to how you’d know right away that the milk has gone sour when you smell it.

Coffee beans that have gone bad will smell just a bit off and you’ll recognize that smell, even if you’re a novice.

Coffee Vending Machines

Thinking of an inexpensive, low-maintenance benefit to offer your employees? Then, why not try coffee vending machines? What’s more, they can even double up as an instant profit center for your business.

All You Need for Coffee Service

Coffee vending machines can dispense purely coffee, or a wide range of hot beverages, like hot chocolate, cappuccinos, assorted teas, espressos, and even soup and broths. With a single vending machine dispensing up to 1,000 single serve cups per day, you can offer a variety of drinks from top name brands to organic and gourmet blends.

All you need is a water line connection an outlet for electricity and you’ll be ready to offer coffee vending machines to employees. For equipment, you can have a coffee service vendor handle that. The coffee vendor will be the one to supply your office with a variety of hot beverages, brewing equipment, and even the services of technicians who will clean and maintain the equipment.

Why Coffee Vending Machines?

The two-fold benefit of coffee vending machines provides you with an excellent service that your employees will not only enjoy but also help them get motivated to do a better job. According to a 2006 study by the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), 79% of office employees with access to complimentary coffee and other hot beverages are more productive and feel more appreciated by their employers.

Add to that the fact that you can actually reduce down time and lost labor since instead of keeping long lines at coffee shops, your employees now have their own coffee vending machines right at the pantry or office canteen.

How to Choose a Coffee Vendor

There are many coffee vendors that service large businesses and smaller companies with at least 20 employees. The larger coffee services have a lot more years of experience and can offer you advice on what optional set up you should try for your business.

But for a more personable relationship with your coffee vendor, you may want to try setting up coffee vending machines from smaller “mom and pop” outfits. Their community-based presence could lend your office coffee service a personal touch. Moreover, they could also offer coffee at much lower prices.

But regardless of which coffee vendor you choose to work with in the end, the order of the day is prompt and friendly service with flexible service terms. Since every vendor differs in what they offer, it is important that you speak with several vendors first before deciding on the price, quality, and service that are just right for you.

In addition to overall service, the taste of your coffee is also vital. Quality of the coffee you serve should be your top priority when it comes to office coffee service so it’s best that you sample the various coffee blends before making a decision.

Coffee Club

You are familiar with that feeling. You wake up one morning only to discover that you’ve run out of coffee. Close to panicking, you blame your spouse or roommate the same time you leaf through the yellow pages for the nearest espresso drive-thru so you can go there while still in your pajamas!

By joining a coffee club, you can now say goodbye to your pajama-clad, coffee running days forever. Below are a few coffee clubs that you may want to considering joining to avoid any emergencies and potential embarrassment like the above-mentioned situation:

BwanaBobsKonaCoffee.com

Joining Bwana Bob’s Kona Coffee Club is a win-win situation. Imagine having an endless supply of fresh Bwana Bob’s Kona coffee without need of placing orders. What’s more, Bwana Bob’s Kona Coffee club members get 10% on every product made from 100% Kona coffee.

Shipments may be arranged at your convenience. Bwana Bob’s automatically makes coffee deliveries right to your home or office. The minimum shipment is two pounds so even if you’re not a big coffee drinker but still need that vital shot of caffeine every morning, joining Bwana Bob’s Kona Coffee club is a sure treat.

KonaMountainCoffee.com

Another great coffee club to join is the Kona Mountain Coffee club. With coffee deliveries every 30 days after your first order date but flexible enough to be changed at your convenience, the Kona Mountain Coffee club delivers excellent 100% Kona coffee at a price lower than what you usually get from specialty stores.

In addition to 100% Kona coffee, this coffee club also allows you order roasted Kona coffee, Organic Kona coffee, and Green Kona Coffee.

PeerlessCoffee.com

Free shipping, Peerless perks rewards, and more, this is what membership to the Peerless Coffee Club offers. Joining a coffee club has two functions: it takes the hassle out of ordering and at the same time you can have the good quality coffee delivered right to your doorstep.

If you decide to join the Peerless Coffee club, you may choose between top selling coffees, decaffeinated coffees, and flavored coffees. Plus, depending on how many pounds of coffee you order, you stand to receive the following items: free Peerless 1924 replica tin, free Peerless to-go mug, free pound of Kona Fancy.

TiCAfe.com
Offering to deliver your favorite coffee automatically to your doorstep, this Coast Rican coffee club also offers an automatic 25% off every future shipment when you join. Becoming a member is easy. All you have to do is select your favorite coffee from the selection of quality coffee products by TiCafe and then proceed to checkout. Make sure you turn on the Automatic Delivery option and select the delivery frequency. The TiCafe Coffee club offers to deliver your coffee at your convenience without need of placing orders.

Kona Coffee

Known throughout Hawaii and to the world, Kona coffee is a gourmet type of coffee. It comes from Hawaii, but is grown and cultivated solely from the Kona region, which is located on the west coast of the Hawaii Island.

Kona coffee is commercially valued for its distinct aroma and flavor. It is one of the most expensive types of coffee available on the market, and many consumers have considered it as the best of the best.

But what makes the Kona coffee really best?

There is one factor that makes Kona coffee such a special variety – the tropical environment from which it is grown. According to some researches, Kona is grown and cultivated on the dark volcanic lava rock slopes of Kona, Hawaii. They grow in rich volcanic soil where sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons strike to provide a natural shade. The plants are shielded by the volcanoes from strong trade winds that would otherwise destroy the coffee plants. The volcanoes also give Kona the ashen soil from which they grow and thrive to produce the gourmet beans. Growing in this kind of unique environment, it’s no wonder that Kona coffee possesses a distinct edge over the other coffee varieties available in the world.

The way the Kona coffee is processed and produced also play a vital role to Kona’s being a great variety of coffee. Typically, the coffee is harvested by hand. The beans are handpicked carefully, usually from late August to late January. Perhaps what is interesting to know about the Kona coffee production is that they are handpicked meticulously to ensure that only the matured beans are harvested, and since the coffee beans of this kind do not ripen all at the same time, each coffee plant will be picked by a number of times throughout the harvest season.

The Kona coffee is also pulped, dried and then hulled prior to being graded. The beans are sorted into a number of sizes, shapes and grades with the use of machinery. They are sun dried and roasted depending on what is desired by the company. What usually happens during the sun drying process is that the beans are pulped first to remove the outer flesh. It is fermented to provide it a clear flavor and is thoroughly washed in clean water. Then, they are sun dried typically on huge decks, known throughout Hawaii as hoshidanas. Once dried, the Kona coffee beans are milled and prepared for the roasting process.

Speaking of roasting, Kona coffee is usually roasted in a number of ways. For instance, the flavored Kona is either sprayed or powdered immediately after roasting, and many of the Kona coffee producers have maintained this technique to provide the coffee an added flavor. Just like the other varieties, the Kona is roasted in different degrees, depending on what is desired. After the roasting, the oxidation process follows, leaving the Kona coffee at its freshest stage.

Prepared and produced in such processes, Kona coffee tastes deliciously rich. They are slightly acidic and are commonly distinguished for their heady aroma and spicy, wine-like taste. Today, Kona comes in a number of varieties, and one of the most valued varieties is the pearberry.

Tips for Finding the Best Coffee Makers

Many people love to take their breakfast with their best buddy – the coffee maker. This happens almost every morning and every time they feel like sipping a good cup of coffee. Well, coffee makers are really coffee addicts’ bestfriend. It is always there, ready to make your best cup of coffee. Because of this, coffee makers need to be treated with best care. The decision of choosing and finding it is something that should not be taken for granted. After all, you are going to spend bucks just to acquire it.

When finding the best coffee makers, it is wise to look at the quality of the products first. Many of the consumer reviews have noted that a number of today’s coffee makers available in the market are to some degree not that good. They only yield similar results although you’ve made coffee from one brand to another. What I mean is that many of the coffee makers in the market are not great enough for giving you a better tasting cup of coffee. They boast different features though, but they don’t allow you to distinguish which of the coffee brands you have is the best.

Here are some tips for you to consider when finding the best coffee makers:

Tip #1: Find the Best Filter

When finding the best coffee makers, looking at the type of filter can do great wonders. Note that coffee makers come with different types of filter. Some boasts of a basket type filter, while others feature a cone shaped filter. Well, there is a big difference between these two types, and that has something to do with the contact times between the coffee grounds and the water. According to several reviews, the best coffee makers with a basket type filter provide a longer contact time between the water and the coffee grounds. Because of this, it is best to choose a basket ground that is large enough to accommodate the water. On the other hand, the best coffee makers with a cone shaped filter are typically less prone to spillage. Aside from these types, a new one has emerged bearing the name “gold tone filter” which is deemed by many as the best, knowing that it is highly capable of giving you a coffee with a richer taste and flavor.

Tip #2: Consider the Color

The color of the coffee maker may seem in the first place as nothing to do with finding the best coffee makers. But the truth of the matter is, choosing the best coffee makers with the best color can create a tastier coffee. It’s psychological though, and this idea stems from the fact that when you find the coffee makers best for its color, there’s a great possibility that you will also find the coffee made from it best. So choose the best coffee makers with the colors you love.

Tip #3: Consider the Attached Grinder

Finally, when finding the best coffee makers, it is wise to consider those with an attached grinder. However, pick up only those that feature a burr grinder or a blade grinder, as the others won’t make your coffee better. The reason? The coffee beans are not always ground uniformly in other grinders. So look for the coffee makers that are best capable of grinding your coffee beans uniformly so as to attain a much better coffee taste.