Coffee in the Office - The Flavia Drinks Machine

In this latest article of our 'Coffee in the Office' series we take a look at the Flavia filter-pack drinks machine.

The Flavia range of drinks machines work in an unusual and ingenious manner to serve a wide variety of top quality delicious drinks to the end user. After the drink choice has been made the appropriate drink foil pack is inserted into the machine, a cup is placed underneath and a button is pressed. Hot water is then forced into the foil pack to release the full flavour of the drink as it is dispensed into the cup.

Each drink is individually made and there is no cross contamination of flavours between different drink types. The machine has very low maintenance and can be plumbed in or just topped up with fresh water as required. Since no cup is dispensed the user has the choice to use their own cup or use branded Flavia waxed paper cups that can be provided by your supplier together with sugar sticks, stirrers, cup holders etc if required.

The Flavia machine is best used in a supervised environment as the ingredients are selected from a display case and there is no security. It is also best used in a low volume office type environment where drink choice and quality is paramount rather than serving a large number of people.

The main advantage of this type of machine is the sheer quality of the drinks produced and the amazing choice of drinks available. A huge number of fresh ground coffees are offered of different types of coffee beans and roasts, fresh leaf teas, specialty drinks, specialty teas, chocolates and even fruit infusions and green teas. Note however that the drinks are usually sold from the supplier in cases of 80 so in reality most offices will want to limit the range of drinks offered although they can of course order different products each time they order.

Although the cost of the machine is relatively low when compared to other types of drinks dispensing machine (allowing the possibility of multiple machine sites) the individual drink cost is quite high and can prove prohibitive.

The Flavia option is not the solution for high volume sites, sites requiring security of ingredients nor for those requiring a coin controlled system.

However in the right environment the Flavia drinks system can be the perfect high quality solution for satisfying discerning drinkers at all times of the day.

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How to Pick the Best Grind and Brew Coffee Maker

Grind and brew coffee maker has the convenience of both a grinder and a brewer in one machine. You will be faced with an array of choices in the market today so it is better to know before hand what you are looking for so you will have a wise purchase.

The following are some things you need to look for in a grind and brewer:

A Detachable Conical Burr Grinder
There are different types of grinder. The best one is the conical burr grinder. This is because it is very efficient in evenly grinding coffee beans. Also, a conical burr grinder usually has more power in grinding coffee but it infuses less heat so the coffee still comes out fresh.

Pick one that can be detached so you can easily pour it in the brewing receptacle or easily clean it. Also, one integrated with different grinding levels is a better option as it lets you pick the coffee grounds consistency you are looking for. One with a grind-off feature is also good so it can let you use either function separately.

A Conical Coffee Filter With Showerhead Feature
If your old coffee brewer brews coffee that tastes bland, it may be because of the coffee filter basket it uses. A good coffee filter can aid in the extraction of more coffee essential oil resulting to a better-tasting coffee. If you pick one with a showerhead, you can be assured that the coffee will taste flavorful.

Timer Options
A fully programmable coffee machine is a good choice for those who want total convenience. Pick one integrated with a timer option. You just have to dump the coffee beans in the grinder receptacle and set the timer. The coffee machine will do its thing the next morning so you don't have to get up earlier to grind and brew your coffee.

Automatic Shut Off Feature
This is a feature that is helpful especially when you are always on the go and you frequently forget that you did not turn off your coffee brewer. It turns off after a few hours of being idle so you also save much on electricity consumption.

Thermal Carafe
Most grind and brew coffee machines are large brews. You need to look for one with a thermal carafe so your coffee stays hot for hours. This way, you can still enjoy your cup of coffee hours after brewing it.

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Senseo Klassisch Kaffeepads (48 Kaffee Pads)

Senseo Klassisch Kaffeepads (48 Kaffee Pads) Review

Senseo ist gut, aber teuer, fand ich immer. Bis ich diese Großpackung fand! Was heißt auch "Großpackung"? Sie hält bei mir ca. 14 Tage und da man ja eh eine luftdichte Paddose hat, bleiben die Pads tadellos frisch. Absolut empfehlenswert!

Senseo Klassisch Kaffeepads (48 Kaffee Pads) Feature

• 48er EXTRA Vorteilspack
• sehr aromatisch

Senseo Klassisch Kaffeepads (48 Kaffee Pads) Overview

Ein Kaffee von vollkommener Ausgewogenheit. Voll, rund, duftend und mit einem angenehmen Aroma. Eine der meist gekauften Sorten weltweit.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 07, 2010 06:11:15

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10 Timeless Tips to a Perfect Cup of Coffee

Few quests in human history have so captivated men and women from around the world than the search for the perfect cup of coffee. Yes, believe it or not, coffee connoisseurs have dedicated entire lifetimes in the pursuit of finding that one cup of the most heavenly coffee ever made. If you're like most people, however, you're just looking for an easy way to make a great-tasting cup of coffee to help get you started in the morning. The following 10 Timeless Tips to a Perfect Cup of Coffee should help you on you your mini-quest.

1. You Get What You Pay For

When it comes to coffee makers, quality counts. If you buy the cheapest coffee maker on the market, chances are you'll end up with an equally "discounted" flavor in your cup. To assure yourself of great tasting coffee day after day, check out the Bunn, Cuisinart, Mr. Coffee, Krups, and Senseo brands. Alternatively, check out a French press. For that personal cup of coffee, you can never go wrong with a French press!

2. Clean as a Whistle

You wouldn't cook your favorite entrée in a dirty pan, would you? So, why are so many people surprised by how bad their homemade coffee tastes when they use the same coffee pot every day out without ever cleaning it? Try baking soda and water for great cleanse after every pot you make.

3. It's All in the Bean

If you aren't grinding your own coffee, where have you bean? The best tasting coffees come from freshly ground, top quality beans. You can savor the flavor of gourmet barista-style coffees right in your own home by simply grinding up small batches of your own brew. To top off the perfect cup, you'll want to use Arabica beans-simply the best in the world! Store your beans and ground coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dark place at a temperature between 50º and 70º F.

4. Roasted and Toasted-Making the "Most-est" Flavor

Once you've decided upon the highest quality beans, you'll want to consider how you like your beans roasted. Roasting releases the flavor of the bean and helps determine whether your coffee is mellow, rich, or smooth. Experiment with a variety of roasts and choose which one you like best!

5. Grind It Up

Despite the fact that many store-bought coffees say "For All Coffeemakers," selecting the right grind for your coffee maker is key to crafting that perfect cup. A general guideline for grinds includes:

· Automatic drip: medium grind

· Plunger or French press: coarse grind

· Percolator: coarser grind

· Espresso maker: fine grind

6. What's in Your Water?

When it comes to coffee, fresh is the name of the game and, believe it or not, fresh water will make a world of difference in every cup. Think about it: Since your coffee is 99% water, you'll want to make sure you choose the best tasting water you can find. Bottled, distilled, or purified water seems to do the trick for H2O-conscious countless coffee connoisseurs.

7. Measure It

To assure yourself of perfection every time, you'll want to make sure you spoon out the correct amount of coffee grinds. Of course, your personal taste preference should be the ultimate judge, but a general rule of thumb is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.

8. Bling, Bling in Your Coffee?

While we're not talking diamonds or platinum, using gold (or stainless steel) mesh filters in your coffee maker will go a long way toward keeping your cup of coffee tasting great. Many paper filters release bleaches, chlorine, and dyes that can leave you with a bitter cup of coffee. If you must use paper, go with unbleached filters for the best results.

9. Brew It Up Right

A key to great tasting coffee every time is making sure your water is "off the boil"-a fancy term that simply means "not quite to boiling." To achieve this water temperature, bring your water to a boil and then let it cool down for few moments (195-205° F) and you'll assure yourself of a perfect cup every time.

10. Drink It Down in Style

Drink your freshly brewed, gourmet coffee in a glass or porcelain mug. Unless you like the bitter taste, avoid reheating your coffee in either the microwave or on the stove.

If you keep brewing with these ten timeless tips in mind, you're sure to find your cup runneth over with great tasting coffee every time!

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Coffee In The Office - The In-Cup Machine

There are a wide variety of drinks vending machines available these days, so much so that the choice can seem a bit overwhelming. In this article we take a closer look and one particular type of drinks machine - the in-cup drinks machine.

In cup drinks machines are different from all other types of drinks machine in as much as the ingredients are already prefilled in the plastic cup prior to loading into the machine. The ingredients are purchased from the supplier in this format, so that all that is required is for the stack of prefilled plastic cups to be loaded into the machine.

Therein lies one of the major benefits of this type of system - it is very easy to load and maintain the machine. More traditional types of machine use hoppers or canisters to hold the loose ingredients which can cause some cross contamination of products when the canisters are topped up and are more prone to spillage and general untidiness. This problem is totally alleviated with in-cup ingredients and all the operator needs to do is put the appropriate stack of in-cup drinks in the right section of the machine.

For a small office or workshop the typical machine may offer 5 or 6 drink selections. The drink choices may typically be set up as white coffee, black coffee, white tea, chocolate and a soup. However changing drink choice in an in cup machine is incredibly easy and all that is required is to change the stack of prefilled cups in the machine and amend the selection label on the front of the machine.

Staff or visitors simply make a drink selection, add sugar if required and then add hot water by pushing a button.

Although primarily considered an instant drinks machine many companies choose the fresh leaf tea option. In this case the plastic cups are pre-filled with tea bag and whitener enabling fresh tea to be served from the machine. Some companies may even be able to offer a fresh coffee option too.

It should be noted that since the ingredients are prefilled at the factory it is required to purchase both black coffee and white coffee as separate products as the only thing that can be added by the machine is sugar and water.

In-cup machines are generally extremely reliable as they have very few moving parts and can usually be set up as coin controlled or free vend. This allows the company to cover the cost of the drinks and the machine rental should they wish and even make a profit in some circumstances.

Generally speaking in-cup machines are an excellent choice for the smaller office, work shop or trade counter. They offer excellent value for money, are extremely flexible and are easy to run and maintain.

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Does Coffee Have Health Benefits?

If you've ever seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", you'll know that the father character swore that Windex is the solution for every ailment. Similarly, coffee, some would swear, is the elixir of life. So much so, that the sweet aroma of coffee tickles many out of sleep in the morning. Forget an alarm clock, the bed side coffee machine is the way to get me out of bed.

Coffee is such an intrinsic part of our way of life that not a day goes by without us paying homage to the local cafe, or at worst, the office coffee maker. But this infatuation (err, addiction) to coffee isn't all that bad. Besides the occasional coffee stained teeth, the health benefits of coffee further validate coffee addicts' love of the stuff. No doubt, coffee is near and dear to millions of people around the world, but it's time to put emotions aside and discuss the empirical facts about coffee and its effects on the body; if for no other reason than to give coffee lovers more reason to drink it.

Scientifically, the compounds found in coffee have the following effects:

Acts as a Stimulant: The caffeine content in coffee makes it a well-known stimulant. Not only does it interact with the nervous system, but it regulates intestinal functions, blood pressure, and airway size. In aggregate, this leads to the feeling of alertness after consuming coffee, but could also impair sleep, and cause anxiety and jitters.

Potentially Cause Heartburn: A common complaint of non-coffee drinkers is that they occasionally experience heartburn. There is truth to this as all types of coffee, even decaf sometimes lead to the production of stomach acid.

Diuretic Features: Caffeine causes kidneys to produce urine to help flush out excess fluid from the body. In some instances, it is so effective as a diuretic, it may even cause slight dehydration.

Improving Brain Function: Recent studies have shown that heavy coffee drinkers, those that consume 5-6 cups per day have a lower chance of acquiring Alzheimer's disease than those who drink 2-3 cups.

Alternatively, some health professionals assert that regular caffeine use causes significant health problems including stomach problems, gall bladder disease, and even some forms of cancer. The research however, isn't conclusive enough to say that caffeine is dangerous for cardiac patients or pregnant women. All in all, more research needs to be done into the negative effects of coffee. One study about the association of coffee and pancreatic cancer was discredited as a flawed study. So clearly, there is still much research to be done.

Besides its stimulating effects, coffee is known for having the following therapeutic characteristics:

Stimulating Breath: People who have recently gone through surgery are sometimes treated with caffeine to help stimulate breathing. This technique is sometimes even used for premature babies. Furthermore, researchers have shown that caffeine dilates airways, modestly helping asthma patients. For this reason, caffeine intake should be avoided prior to breathing tests so as not to temporarily mask breathing abnormalities a patient may have.

Treating Headaches: A common ingredient in over the counter pain relief medication is acetaminophen, aspirin, and even caffeine. This may be because some headaches are related to caffeine withdrawal.

Preventing Disease: Researchers conclude that moderate coffee intake may reduce the risk of diabetes, prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease, kidney stones, and even depression. Needless to say, maintaining a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and eating lots of fruits and vegetables are key factors as well.

To summarize, while coffee does have minor health risks, the immense benefits can't be ignored.

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Bosch TAS4013 TASSIMO Multi-Getränke-Automat rot

Bosch TAS4013 TASSIMO Multi-Getränke-Automat rot Review

Ich war auf der Suche nach einer Kaffeemaschine, die vielfältig diverse Kaffeesorten zubereiten kann, ohne dabei viel Aufwand mit Milch aufschäumen etc. bereitet und dabei ein gutes und leckeres Ergebnis liefert.

Dabei habe ich mich für die Tassimo entschieden, weil es hier eine breite Produktpalette von normalen Cafe, über Cappucino, Latte Macciato, Kakao und Kakao gibt.

Die Bedienung ist wirklich einfach, mit ein zwei Knopfdrücken. Das Gerät hat einen kleinen Scanner und liest so bei den diversen T-Discs einfach ab was es zu tun hat. Das Ergebnis kann sich wirklich sehen und schmecken lassen.
Mittlerweile habe ich wirklich viele Sorten ausprobiert und bin begeistert. Der Cappucino und der Latte schmeckt wirklich als ob man ihn in einem guten Café bestellt hätte.
Auch der Starbucks Kaffee und der Kakao von Milka, der sogar mit Milch zubereitet wird ist sehr lecker.
Die Milch T-Discs kann man sogar separat kaufen, so dass man sich auch sehr gut einen Café au lait zubereiten kann. Auch produziert die Maschine einen wirklich guten und reichlichen Milchschaum.

Für Leute, die sehr, sehr viel und einfachen Kaffee trinken möchten, ist die Maschine vlt etwas ungeeignet, da die T-Discs doch etwas teurer sind als normale Pads oder Filterkaffee.
Wer aber so wie ich jeden Tag 1 - 2 Tassen trinkt und dabei ein richtig gutes und auch mal besonderes Getränk möchte, ohne das Geld für einen Vollautomat auszugeben, tut sich mit diesem Gerät einen großen Gefallen.

Auch das Reinigen ist kein Problem, die Teile können ohne viel Aufwand auseinander genommen werden und lassen sich in der Spülmaschine reinigen.

Der Wassertank kann einfach abgenommen werden und das Reinigen in warmen Spülwasser ist kein Problem, auch ist die Abdeckung mit Lüftungsschlitzen versehen, so dass Sauerstoff an das Wasser kommt.

Des Weiteren nimmt das Gerät auch nicht viel Platz in der Küche (auch nicht mehr als eine handelsübliche Kaffeemaschine)weg und ist in verschiedenen Farben erhältlich, so dass es in einer modernen Erscheinung daher kommt.

Ich bin mit meiner Wahl sehr zufrieden und genieße die Auswahl.

Bosch TAS4013 TASSIMO Multi-Getränke-Automat rot Feature

• Leistung: 1600 Watt
• Hauptfarbe: Glamour Red
• Getränkeart: Caffè Crema, Cappuccino, Espresso, Filterkaffee, Heiße Milch, Heiße Schokolade, Latte Macchiato, Tee
• Brühsystem: 3.3 bar Druck
• Stiftung Warentest: Gut (2,5)

Bosch TAS4013 TASSIMO Multi-Getränke-Automat rot Overview

TAS 4013 Tassimo - Kaffee-Kapsel-Maschine

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 02, 2010 05:40:23

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