The Top Times a Good Coffee Is Just What You Need

Coffee is more than just a drink, it's a way of life. Or, if you're as obsessed with it as I am then it's practically a medicine that you seemingly need to just stay alive...

Whether or not you're at my level of obsession though, you will surely find that there are a whole range of situations that can be made better simply by the presence of a mug of coffee. Here we will look at some of them.

Being Out in the Cold

When I see that plume of steam coming off of a hot mug of tea or coffee, to me it is a feeling akin to love... When it's cold though this feeling is all the more warm and fuzzy, and there's nothing quite like nursing a hot cuppa when it's freezing cold outside. I drank coffee while stargazing in the cold the other night and I've rarely been happier.

Having a Catch Up

Ask me what I miss most about university and I'll tell you that it was standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee catching up on the latest with my room-mates. It was a great way to find out what was going on in each others' lives, and a very chilled way to relax. These days meeting my cousin down the road at our mutual coffee shop is another of my favourite ways to kill an hour or two.

Being Comforted

You've just been dumped, you're feeling ill and you're struggling financially. In other words, your whole life is falling apart and things are looking pretty bleak. What should your friends do at this point? Simple: make you a coffee. Suddenly the world seems just a little brighter.

Working

None of us likes having to work when we could be reading a good book or out with friends, but having a nice cup of coffee next to us can sure make the process a little more bearable. This not only helps to give you something comforting that makes sitting still seem more relaxing, but it will even help you to work better and produce better results thanks to the nootropic qualities of caffeine. Win!

Waking Up

Caffeine doesn't just help you to work better, it also helps you to wake up and gives you a burst of energy. If you have to haul yourself out of bed for work, then a mug of Joe can help you do just that.

Sobering Up

Just home from a tough night out? There's one thing that can help you to sober up - and that's a coffee. Likewise if you wake up feeling hungover, then coffee will help you to think straight once again.

Enjoying Pudding

Coffee is deliciously creamy and bitter - a desert almost in itself. However when mixed with biscuits or cake it is absolutely heavenly.

Relaxing

I find that if I'm going to read a book I've been looking forward to, watch a favourite TV program, or sit down to play some Xbox, that making a cup of tea is a crucial way I can get more out of the experience.

What Makes the Ideal Coffee Shop for Working In?

More and more people are now able to work from home thanks to developments in business as well as the popularity of smaller, more portable and more connected devices. While work once meant being glued to a desk in a soul-destroying cubicle, for many it now means sitting in a coffee shop and enjoying a hot drink while chatting to strangers and sitting in a comfortable arm chair.

Any coffee shop will be preferable to a very bland corporate environment, and particularly thanks to the addition of coffee which, let's face it, makes any situation better. But what is it that makes the ideal coffee shop for knuckling down to work? And what should you be on the lookout for when you decide where to go with your laptop? Here we will look at the most important requirements.

Quiet

Complete silence in a coffee shop is just eerie, but if you're hoping to get real work done then you don't want it to be too noisy either. This means you want somewhere that's off the beaten track enough that there aren't tons of kids running around and workers bustling about, but it also means finding somewhere that has the good sense not to blast rock music from the speakers. Classical music is ideal for working in coffee shops.

Size

Size is related here to the quiet - as a bigger place will have more places to hide. At the same time a larger coffee shop means you can spread out and feel less claustrophobic. It will look lighter, and furthermore you can stay there all day without feeling guilty about the fact that you've only bought a few coffees.

Features

Certain features will be completely required if you are going to work in a coffee shop, and these are a) a power socket, b) an internet connection and c) the right tables and chairs. You'll also want to have lots of power sockets, as otherwise you can end up having to hover around certain seats waiting for them to become free when your battery starts to run low.

Tables and Seating

The tables and seats you choose are their whole own thing, and this can make a huge difference to your productivity. Basically you want seats that will be comfortable for an extended period of time, but at the same time be upright enough to make you feel productive. You need a table to be within easy reaching distance from the best seats, but you also need this table to be the right height, big enough to spread out on, and free from rocking.

The Coffee

This is still a coffee shop though, and as such it's important not to forget the whole point of its existence - to provide coffee. While you may have come here to work, buying a coffee is only polite and is also a great way to relax and to increase your productivity. If the coffee shop you've chosen serves horrible coffee, then you need to try again...

Choosing The Right Coffee Grinder

A freshly brewed espresso is a delight for any caffeine lover. Coffee machines for home use are now available in the market which brews you a drink anytime you wish to have it. These products are an essential part of this unit to serve drinks with the rich taste and fresh aroma of powdered beans. There are a number of models available in the market, so choosing the right one depending on your use is essential. Before deciding to buy one it is essential to know the basic details which are discussed in this article.

The Many Options Available

Grinding units differ in the type of the blades that are used in the machine. These blades decide the texture and final form of powder. Conical burr produces a very refined bean powder and are best suited for Espresso Machines. The rancilio grinders are the most commonly used ones at home. The features vary with regard to speed and storage. There are advanced grinding units which are very fast and quite. Some of these units also have storage facility which offers convenience.

Enrich Your Espresso

For individuals who appreciate this rich drink with its fresh aroma, a grinding unit is the best option. The quality of the drink made from the powder fresh from the grinder can never be compared to the packaged bean powder. Making your own powder ensures you are drinking an unadulterated drink. You can enjoy the purest drink just the way you like it. Having one such unit at home gives you the liberty to powder just the amount of beans required for the day. This way every time you prepare your favorite drink you can savor the fresh aroma of powdered beans. Before heading to buy one decide on the features you are looking at and also if you are planning to use it with Espresso machines.

Make The Best Choice

The best choice of grinder is the one which gives you the freedom to ground both big and small batches of beans. This will ensure that you receive the same quality of grounded powder irrespective of the amount of beans in it. Along with cost effectiveness, do consider the time efficiency and quality of grounded powder. The material used should be durable and stable. Make sure you go through all the features offered by the different models before making the choice. Other factors to be considered are the maintenance of the unit and the safety factor.

How to Wake Up On Time Every Time With the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Waking up on time is something that many of us struggle with, and this is particularly painful as it's something that we have to try and do every single day. For many of us, our every day will being with a painful struggle as our body begs us to stay in bed and we are forced to push it out anyway into the cold outside. Often we will lose this struggle though, and we'll end up sleeping in meaning that we have to rush to work dishevelled and badly presented, or that we'll get behind on the things we need to do at home and end up going to bed later.

There is an art to waking up on time though, and if you combine the right techniques with the right cup of coffee then you might find the whole experience can be made much more pleasant and much less difficult. Here we will look at how.

Something to Lure You Out of Bed

Of course coffee is great at bringing you round when you drink it, and the caffeine is great at helping you to focus more during the day and gain the motivation you need to drive in to work. However, what you will also find is that coffee is great at motivating before you have even had any too, and when you smell it early in the morning or just think about having it, it can be enough to make getting out of bed worth it.

To this end, having a coffee maker that you can set on a timer is a great way to encourage yourself to get up each morning. This will then brew in the morning as you come around, and you will then have the risk of letting it go cold if you don't get up. Even better, if you have the coffee maker in your room (and you can keep some milk in a mini-fridge too), then you'll be able to sit up and come around while you read.

You can also lure yourself out of bed even more effectively by finding other things to make this even more pleasant. I used to wake up for 8am even when I worked from home for instance because I could have a nice warm cup of coffee while watching an episode of Frasier. Today I pull myself out of bed by reading the paper on my Nexus 7 which works well too and by checking through my e-mail and messages. This is a great way to come round and by the time you've finished the coffee you'll find you don't want to go back to bed.

Meanwhile something else I've found is that doing something active with your brain can really help to invigorate you and wake you up. I've lately been playing a boggle-type game app in the morning too, and since doing that I've found I'm much more active and energetic throughout the day. Combined with the stimulating effects of coffee I'm practically buzzing with energy. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean...

Which Cappuccino Machine Is Best for You?

When you pass through your favourite high street coffee shop on the way to work to pick up a cappuccino before you reach your office each day, it's great. Many of us wish we could make a cappuccino when you arrive home from work to forget a difficult day and relax with your family. You can, if you buy one from a range of cappuccino machines from your favourite supplier. In fact, you could start making it at home in a travel mug, too, and save yourself quite a few quid each and every week.

Having a cappuccino maker at home means you can enjoy your favourite brand of coffee, without having to leave your home when it's cold and wet outside.

Experimenting at Home

With your own machine at home you can experiment with different cappuccino flavours, simply by choosing from a range of espresso coffees and by your choice of sprinkling over the foam. While many people choose to sprinkle cocoa on their cappuccino, cinnamon works well and you can always add vanilla or chocolate flavouring to your coffee. If you get bored with one particular type of cappuccino, you can just change the coffee whenever you want and enjoy a different blend.

Choosing from the many cappuccino machines can add a great addition to your kitchen or you might like to give a gift of the coffee maker to a friend or family on their birthday, at Christmas or for no particular reason.

If you drink fancy coffees often, the cost of purchasing a machine will quickly be recouped.

Choosing Your Cappuccino Maker

After spending a few minutes online and the world's favourite dotcom store, you will quickly see the range of cappuccino machines starting at around 60, but incredibly, you can also spend 1500+ more.

All cappuccinos are made from espresso coffee, so you will be able to choose from around four different types of espresso makers. You can buy a steam machine, a pump and piston version, a fully automatic machine or a palin espresso maker. The automatic machines are, not surprisingly, the most expensive.

Steam powered machines are the lowest cost cappuccino machines on the market. If you're extremely serious about your cappuccino consumption, you will probably want to go slightly upmarket.

If you want to create the best steam and pressure, a piston pump machine will likely serve you well.

If your budget allows you to purchase one of the automatic cappuccino machines, you won't have to worry about grinding the beans or steaming the milk, as the machine will do everything for you, being computer-controlled and temperature driven.

If your budget is at the lower end of the spectrum, you will be able to purchase an adequate cappuccino maker, but spending more will make the final experience much more enjoyable. Whatever you choose, if you are a coffee aficionado you'll enjoy experimenting at home to find your inner barista or baristo.

Keurig Single Cup Coffee Makers Review

If you're looking for a great cup of specialty coffee minus the high Starbucks price then I would suggest getting one amongst the Keurig gourmet coffee makers. Keurig offers an excellent selection of machines to decide from while relying on your budget.

All of the Keurig gourmet java brewing systems use the patented k-cup system. This is a nice little single serve system. The system runs by having a vacuum sealed cup that holds your favorite coffee, tea, cider, or coco. The k-cup goes into the Keurig gourmet java brewing systems brew head. Inside the brew head, a top needle and a bottom needle puncture the container. Hot water flows through the k-cup and out of the brew head into your java cup. It eliminates the requirement for measuring out your java grounds. It conjointly saves on mess. When you're done you simply take the cup out of the brew head and toss it into the trash. Nothing easier. The one thing to remember with the k-cup system is the bigger the cup of coffee, the weaker the coffee. They do compensate this by selling bolder flavor k-cups.

The base model of the Keurig gourmet coffee brewers is that the Keurig B31 specialty java maker. This little single cup coffee maker is great for the office or single individuals. It is tiny enough that it does not take up a lot of area in the slightest degree. One of the main down sides to the current system is that you have got to fill the reservoir each time you want a cup of java.

The next model is that the Keurig B40 gourmet coffee making system. This system is larger than the B31. It conjointly contains a abundant bigger water reservoir. It contains a 48 ounce reservoir. It brews an 8 ounce or 10 ounce cup. The drip tray is removable to suit travel mugs and larger java cups.

The mid range model is that the Keurig B60 gourmet java maker. This model also features a 48ounce reservoir. It offers a 5 1/4 ounce,7/4 ounce, and a nine 1/four ounce brew sizes. The factor that creates this model abundant higher than the lower models is the programmability. The B60 has an auto on/off function. This allows you to set the time you wish the system to brew you a fresh cup of coffee. Another great setting is that the auto off feature. This permits you to brew your cup and leave. The coffee maker will shut off once a little while of non use. The final handy setting is the brew temperature setting. This setting permits you to set the brew temperature between 187 and 192 degrees.

The final brewer in this line is the Keurig B70 gourmet java maker. It is just like the B60 except for a few things. The 1st thing (besides the value) that is completely different is the reservoir size. It incorporates a 60 ounce reservoir. No would like to fill that baby terribly typically. Another difference is that the brewing sizes. The Keurig B70 has 5 totally different brewing sizes. It offers a 4 ounce, 6 ounce, 8 ounce, 10 ounce, and a huge 12 ounce brewing size. Just remember, the larger the cup the less strong the java.

All together, I would offer the Keurig connoisseur coffee brewing systems huge thumbs up. They are a little pricey and are made of plastic however they're still a far higher worth than buying the expensive java house cups. They have the proper sized maker for each want and budget.