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?


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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!