A Different Kind of Brew - Update

My family and I went on vacation to Newfoundland to visit family, and as part of the trip, we were attending a wedding for one of the family members that was in St. Pierre-Miquelon.  For those of you that may not be aware, St. Pierre-Miquelon is a small island off the coast of Newfoundland that is a part of France. 

It has always been on my list of to-do's to visit this part of "Europe" so close to Canada, and going to the wedding was a great opportunity to do that.  I was excited to get a bit of European culture, food, and of course some great coffee!  Now that I really love Cafe Americano, I was looking forward to having my fill. 

The first morning we awoke in St. Pierre, I got ready and headed for the restaurant for a great cup of coffee!  I walked into the restaurant and headed for the counter, all the while thinking about the wonderful taste of a great cup of coffee.  The conversation went like this,
Me- "Do you serve cafe americano?"
Server- "No"
Me- "Cappuccino?  Espresso?"
Server- "No, we only have NORMAL coffee here"

Well, I just had to laugh as I was thinking about my previous post publishing...probably around that exact moment! 

A Different Kind of Brew

It was many years ago when I was first introduced to the Cafe Americano.  I was in Europe and was at the height of my coffee drinking.  I was travelling on business to Barcelona and the jet lag was killer.  Couldn't sleep at night and in the morning it seemed impossible that I would make it through the day!  These were the days before the in room coffee maker (especially in Europe!) and so it seemed like it took me forever to get ready for the day and go downstairs of the hotel lobby for a coffee.  When I got there, the choice was espresso. 

"Espresso???", I say, "Is there any regular coffee?".  The waiter looked at me with a blank look at first, but then it dawned on him, that I am not from around here.

"I can make you a Cafe Americano."  The waiter suggested.

"Yes, for sure...what is that??", I responded, my desperation for a cup of coffee was growing intensely with each passing moment and in my mind I thought he must mean a NORMAL cup of coffee, the type us Americano's drink, hence the name. Yes, that must be it.

"It is an espresso that is diluted with hot water", the waiter responded.

In my head, that didn't sound so great, but it seemed it was the closest thing I was going to get to what I was used to, "Yes, please", I responded.

Well, that was a pretty darned good cup of coffee, smooth and flavourful.  On the rest of the trip, I knew just what to ask for.  Every restaurant, I asked for Cafe Americano and I was getting good at asking with just the right accent to make it sound like I really knew what I was doing.  Happy I was having my coffee, enjoying a different kind of brew!

The Caffeine Connection

We all know that caffeine is a stimulant, but there are a number of ways that caffeine stimulates.  One of the pathways is that caffeine is similar in structure to adenosine.  When adenosine is taken up by receptors in the brain, this causes drowsiness, but in the presence of caffeine, the caffeine takes up those adenosine sites.  Caffeine does not cause the slow down of the sites, similar to putting a key that fits in a lock but doesn't actually unlock the door.  So adenosine is still free to roam in the bloodstream and therefore, not inducing drowsiness. 

Another way that caffeine works is to manipulate dopamine levels, increasing the levels of dopamine and activating pleasure centres in the brain. (Hence, why we like our coffee oh so much!) And a third way caffeine works is to increase adrenaline levels in the body.  Of course we all know what happens when we have a surge of adrenaline.  Our heart beats a little faster, giving you a boost.

This is all good news as long as we maintain a healthy habit of it.  A standard 8 oz cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine and it is generally accepted that 2-3 eight ounce servings a day is a healthy dose.  More than that and you start to come up to levels associated with headaches, interference with sleep, and feeling jittery and anxious. 

Research has shown that moderate levels of caffeine consumption is associated with lower risk of developing diabetes, lower risk of colon cancer, and a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. 

So enjoy your coffee....but in moderation!

You are Here!

I have always been a coffee drinker...well, there were a couple of years where, for whatever reason,  I gave up coffee everyday, but still would enjoy a cappuccino in the afternoon, or after a really good meal.  I drank my drip coffee every morning and all through the day, I made my run through the drive thru every morning.  My car didn't know where to go unless it went to a drive thru first!  My first part time job was in a local coffee shop, it was a great job.  I worked there for many years...and...I drank a lot of coffee!  Even when I wasn't working in the coffee shop, I was usually hanging out in one.

When I first started travelling for business many years ago, my first business trip was to the US for a training session.  The first day of training, we, of course, start off with filling up our coffee mugs and grabbing a pastry.  In my opinion, the coffee just didn't cut it.  Very weak with little flavour.  That was it, from there, I made the coffee everyday for that training!  They were training me on a new medical laboratory computer system, but I was determined to train them on how to make coffee!

In those days, I also did a lot of driving around Ontario, up and down the 401, from Ottawa to Windsor, and I knew where each stop had a coffee place (you know who I mean!).

I even remember when I was very young, perhaps 12 or so, I was waiting for my Mom to finish work at a local restaurant and someone needed a refill on their coffee, so there I was, just grabbed the pot and started filling everyones cup. In fact, I have been known to do this a few times through the years, been in a restaurant and wanted a refill and the wait staff run off their feet, so have grabbed the coffee pot and filled my cup and a few others as well.

When I look back on this and find myself in this coffee business, I have to laugh, because I didn't look for a coffee business specifically, but it showed up.  It is just funny how perhaps it was there the whole time!
I don't know what it is but I do enjoy giving people a really good cup of coffee!

Cafeducation Ph.D.

This entry of the Bean Blog is really cutting edge, hence the Cafeducation Ph.D., it is something I came across in researching antioxidants and I found this really interesting.  I have tried to summarize as best as possible in this post. Hope you enjoy!
We already know that coffee has one of the highest concentration of antioxidants and we have all heard that it is good for us to be taking antioxidants either in the form of foods like coffee, chocolate, blueberries or some exotic berry from the Amazon (really, why is it that all the really high potency antioxidants always seem to come from some exotic fruit of the tropics?)...anyway, suffice it to say, we are inundated with hype on the virtue of getting antioxidants, the more, the better. Now we even have ORAC values that measure antioxidant concentration! You know you have reached a critical mass when you have a new unit of measurement that requires a pocket scientist to figure out.


Antioxidants VS Free Radicals-A childlike rendition
copyright The Office Bean



So just as we try to figure out what exactly an ORAC is, recent research over the last few years has discovered a new protein in the human body called Nrf2. Nrf2 mostly lies inactive in many of the cells of the body until there is a triggering from either a large excess of free radicals, or a trigger agent, called an Nrf2 activator that causes the protein to become active. When this protein is active it is a super powerful antioxidant generator. It can clean up those free radicals like no Amazonian berry! When you compare the capability of this protein with generating antioxidants to those you ingest through food or supplements, there is no contest.  Our body has within it, it's own antioxidant generator! 

Once this pathway has been triggered, it has amazing detoxifying effects, anti aging benefits as well as immune support benefits and neuroprotective capabilities. There are a number of papers that have been published in peer reviewed journals on various compounds that up regulate this pathway and it's effects on various diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, various cancers and many others. Nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies are spending millions of dollars acquiring technology in this area for new supplements and medications. This looks to be the next big evolution in the industry!

So, I know you are asking, what are the triggers? Well it turns out there are a few foods that contain Nrf2 activators like broccoli, broccoli sprouts, blueberries, cinnamon just to name a few...and... you guessed it....COFFEE! So next time you have your afternoon latte, you can know that not only are you getting antioxidants but you are generating them too!

What's in Your Cup?

Have you ever wondered what is in a cup of Joe...I mean besides the caffeine, the sugar or the cream that you may put in?

There are actually over 900 compounds that make up a cup of coffee. This includes lipids, vitamins, carbohydrates and even fiber! Yes, fiber. According to an article in Scientific American that appeared March 13, 2007. Scientific American reported that food scientists at the National Research Council in Madrid, Fulgencio Saura-Calixto and Elena Diaz-Rubio found that an 8 ounce cup of coffee can contain as much as 1.5 grams of soluble fiber. Not that coffee should become your main source of fiber, but since most people are far from getting their recommended daily allowance for fiber, it is nice to know you are getting a little more with your daily fix of coffee.

Other interesting compounds in coffee include;
Antioxidants- one of the richest sources of antioxidants in our diet. Helps fight oxidative stress, keeping us younger and helps prevent some cancers.
Lipids- coffee contains lipids similar to vegetable oil and is what gives rise to the wonderful aroma of coffee since the aromatic compounds are mostly oil soluble.
Vitamins- coffee contains many B vitamins, Calcium, Folic acid, Potassium, Zinc and vitamin C.
Protein- coffee in it's dry state contains about 10% protein in the form of a myriad of amino acids such as lysine, arginine, cysteine and glutamic acid, just to name a few.
So there is a lot to celebrate with a cup of coffee...aside from lifting the morning fog!

Hot Day...Hot Beverage?

I heard a long time ago that drinking hot beverages on a hot day actually cools you down.  Since today is 32 degrees and feels like 39, I thought this would be a good day to research the subject and find out once and for all the answer to the question.  And where do you go to find out such information?  Of course, I googled it.  However, what I found was just utter confusion.  Some say, yes, drinking a hot beverage on a hot day will actually cool you down.  The basis for this, it seems, is that if you drink a hot beverage it will actually make you sweat more which is what cools you down, but first you may feel even more uncomfortable if you are already overheated.  Some say that if you drink a cold drink on a hot day that the body has to heat it up to digest it and thermoregulate the body, so energy is exerted doing that.  Finally, there was the group that said that you should actually drink luke warm drinks, as this way it is closer to body temperature and requires less energy for the body to regulate itself.  There was no real consensus, no real scientific evidence one way or the other.
All in all there were lots of people in all camps, some drink hot drinks, some cold and some lukewarm.  As a matter of fact, last week while I was filling a machine, two guys who were landscapers came into the store and both got coffee from the machine and they were working outside, and it was hot!  So I guess they are in the camp of hot day, hot drink. 
Personally, I always found myself to drink hot coffee, even on hot days just because I was in an office and when it was hot outside, it was freezing inside! 
Perhaps, the most important aspect is just drink something...hot, cold or lukewarm, just keep those cells hydrated, however you prefer to do it! 
Stay cool!

What about you?  What is your theory on hot day, hot beverage?

Cafeducation 101

Cafeducation-  meaning- An education in Coffee
Coffee can be served so many ways, by itself or in combination with other ingredients.  This allows a great variety of choice and the right coffee to fit your mood or time of day.  Do you need a thunderous jolt?  Perhaps an espresso is in order.  Or would you like a nice lift?  Then a Latte might fit the bill. 
For me, espresso based coffee beverages are the most decadent break.  The rich, full flavour, the fancy options of steamed milk or chocolate make these seem like a dessert for me.  I just feel like I am getting something special! I love a cappuccino after a wonderful meal, or a Cafe Americano in the morning to clear the brain fog.
Espresso based coffee beverages are different from ordinary drip coffee.  First off, with an espresso, the beans are ground much finer than for drip coffee.  About an ounce and a half of nearly boiling water is then forced with pressure into the tightly packed ground coffee.  This means the water is in contact with the ground beans for a lot less time than with drip coffee.  Voila...espresso.
The espresso shot becomes the base for other specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, mochaccino, latte and cafe americano.
Cafe Americano- Sometimes referred to as Black Coffee.  This is an espresso shot that is diluted with more hot water, hence making a coffee similar to a drip coffee, but with a fuller flavour.  Surprisingly, this has less caffeine than a similar amount of drip coffee.
Cappuccino- This is an espresso shot mixed with milk and a thick foam is created at the top of the drink. This is one of my favourites.  It is a nice, smooth drink, perfect in the afternoon.
Latte- Similar to a cappuccino, but less foam.  Again, a smooth boost for the afternoon.
Mochaccino- Think cappuccino mixed with hot chocolate.  This is nice when you want something a little sweet... and what goes together better than coffee and chocolate!
Of course, espresso requires a different machine to brew rather than the traditional coffee maker that we are used to.  The espresso machine requires the ground beans to be packed and the water to be forced through the "puck" using pressure, so these means a few extra parts. As well there may be a milk steamer on the side of the machine for making cappuccinos and lattes. Espresso machines are available in a manual form, requiring the expertise of a very well trained Barisa, to semi automatic and then entirely automatic.
The Office Bean machines use a completely automatic espresso maker inside and all of the above specialty coffees can be made at the touch of a button.  Enjoy something special...call for a free trial today.

Can I Offer You a Coffee?

If you are thinking about offering your clients and/or customers coffee as a value added service, you may want to consider this...
We think of having coffee for our clients or customers as just a nice add on to the business.  It seems so hospitable to be able to offer a cup of coffee while our customers are listening to us extol the virtues of our business or to have them enjoy a nice beverage while they wait for a service to be completed, but did you know that having something warm in their hands actually influences their perception of those around them?


Per Majnus Persson/Johner Images Royaly Free/Getty Images



Indeed, in the October 2008 issue of Science Magazine, a study was published that proved just that.  Researchers Lawrence Williams (University of Colorado) and John Bragh (Yale University) had volunteers carry either a hot or iced coffee while they were escorted to the laboratory.  Once in the lab, the volunteers were asked to rate a stranger on 10 different personality traits after reading a description of the stranger.

The recruits that held the hot coffee rated the stranger as having a warmer personality than those who held the iced coffee.  The difference was statistically significant and other personality traits that were rated that did not have to do with warmth, remained unchanged.

A second part of the study had volunteers hold either a cold or hot cold pack under the premise of evaluating it.  At the end of the evaluation, volunteers were offered a small reward.  Those that held the hot pack were more likely to give the reward to a friend than those who held the cold pack.  Seventy-five percent of those who held the hot pack, compared to fifty four percent who held the cold pack chose to give the reward away!

Apparently, this association of a physical experience with a psychological concept is deep rooted. Some psychologists claim this association results from early infancy when our parents provided us with physcial warmth by holding us, but also psychological feelings of trust and comfort, linking the two together. 

So it seems that it is scientifically proven that offering a warm beverage may help your customers "warm" to you and feel more charitable!

Office Coffee...the good, the bad and the ugly

"If I am providing coffee for my employees, does it really matter how good it is?" 
Of course, if you ask me the answer is a resounding "YES!".  Not only because I have a business in Office Coffee Service, but I have also been an employee.  If you are providing coffee at no charge or minimal charge for your employees, that is a wonderful gesture and I truly believe that it shows you value your employees.  However, if you are providing coffee for your employees and it tastes bad, what is the point?  You are not getting the value out of providing the service and the employees are not "feeling the love".  It becomes something you feel you have to do rather than something you want to do and then that is what you get back from your staff.  The staff goes somewhere else to get their coffee, a cup of coffee that is good.  You have lost any productivity you were trying to obtain with providing the coffee.  It just becomes a bad investment.
Think of this scenario, you provide a wonderful, fresh ground and fresh brewed specialty coffee for your employee.  The employee looks forward to getting to work, to start the day with a Cappuccino.  They get to work early because they didn't have to stop on the way in.  Later in the afternoon, the employee decides they need a little pick me up, they have been going over in detail a spreadsheet that has to be completed for year end.  They go to the lunch room and get a Latte, a few minutes later they are tackling that spreadsheet and it is ready by the end of the day. 
The employee loves the coffee, loves that there is so much to choose from and really appreciates the employer for this value added service and then that is what the employer gets back.  Lots of appreciation and productivity.  And that becomes a good investment.
The bottom line is...you get what you give.

Office Coffee...Wait what?

I get a lot of questions about how my business works.  People ask me, Do I have to buy the machine? Do I have to buy supplies?  What do you mean by service?
Well, this is what office coffee service is with The Office Bean.  The service that is provided is the fact that the machine is placed in your facility at no charge.  We fill the machine and keep it clean.  It's that simple.  All employees have to do is enjoy a great cup of coffee.
There are no worries over..."Who made the last pot of coffee?"..."When was it made?"...Is that still from this morning???".  The coffee is freshly brewed and ground straight from the bean when you are ready for a cup.  And there are a variety of choices.
The machine brews Black Coffee, Cappuccino, Mochaccino, Espresso, Hot Chocolate, French Vanilla and Latte.
If coffee is provided at no charge for your employees and clients, then there is no worry over bringing in inventory or placing orders for supplies.  That is all taken care of through the service.  No worries about running to that big box store to get the deal on those "pods".  The company is invoiced on a monthly basis for only the cups that have been dispensed.  The machine keeps track of all the statistics and this is recorded by The Office Bean.
Coffee.  Always available, always freshly ground, always to your liking...it's like having your own personal barista.