Drinking habits

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Drinking habits

In contrast to what many assume, drinking liquor is not about getting drunk. It is not about fighting depression, combating stress, provoking carelessness or developing artificial bravery. In fact, it is much more about taste, style and aesthetics. A good liquor heightens your spirit and improve your mood and the way you feel not because of the alcohol content, but thanks to its fine, exquisite taste bouquet. A well-chosen drink can also enhance the taste of any food and make it play in your mouth in dozens of various taste nuances. Visit a reputable liquor storeand pick several bottles for several different occasions to go with several different kinds of food or with no food at all. Some drinks are absolutely “self-sufficient”, some require a special little snack to bring out their taste, some are superb as ingredients of a cocktail. As for cocktails, they give you a chance to impress your guests not only with a striking manifold taste, but also with the looks: a cocktail glass with layers of carefully selected drinks of various colours cannot leave one indifferent. If you are not yet experienced enough in mixing, enjoy store-bought drinks with a special touch like 3 Olives Mango Flavored Vodka.

Coffee Cups

Thursday, July 10, 2008


I have a dotty old uncle who lives alone and drinks his coffee right out of the coffee pot. He doesn't bother to pour his coffee into a cup...maybe washing a coffee cup just makes more work...who knows?

Most people, however, prefer to drink their coffee out of a coffee cup or a coffee mug. It is the civilized thing to do.

When people buy place settings of fine china of just a set of everyday dishes, the thing that determines their choice is the shape and size of the cup. After all, plates, bread plates, soup or cereal bowls, saucers, and other pieces in a place setting or set of dishes are all pretty much the same. They may come in varying sizes and the patterns are different, but still they are all basically the same design. Only the cups are different. The size and shape of the cup and the handles on the cups is most often the determining factor is the selection of dinner ware.

There are different coffee cups for serving different coffees, as well. Most "regular" coffee cups hold between 6 and 8 ounces of coffee. But there are demitasse cups that only hold between 2 and 4 ounces and big coffee mugs that hold up to 20 ounces. Latte coffee cups must be large enough to hold the frothy milk.

Coffee cups can be purchased separately, or as part of a set of dishes or a piece in a place setting of china. Coffee cups don't all have handles either. There are double-walled cups without handles that are used to serve espresso or cappuccino.

The thickness of the wall of the coffee cup is the determining factor of how long coffee will stay hot in a coffee cup. Remember those old thick-walled white cups of roadside coffee house fame? Coffee would stay hot in those things all the way through the eating of a meal and beyond. On the other hand, coffee in a delicate fine china cup will only stay hot a very few minutes.

Setting Up A Coffee Shop

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.

When you walk past a coffee shop the aroma is very tempting and can lure you inside. Setting up the atmosphere to attract the customers from outside is an important start to the process of getting a successful and rewarding business.

Planning

Having a good business plan will go a long way towards being successful in business. It is not the magic that ensures success, but it can help to ensure that you are on the right track when starting out. Plan properly and get the advice that can help you set up correctly. Without a plan you can easily miss vital stages and this can be heartbreaking when the chips are down and you haven't done your homework. Competition is another area that you may need to look at seriously. Look around for other sellers of the coffee products especially look at businesses other than coffee shops that may have a little cafe bar selling one particular product.

Suppliers

Get your suppliers right early and ensure that they can deliver to you the right products at the right time. The suppliers are critical as no products readily available at your shop and you have nothing to sell. Customers won't come back if they get a bad experience and you quite often only get on chance to be the best in the business. Any slackness and you will lose out badly. There is a chance that bad service spoken by word of mouth can become detrimental to you business. It hard enough just to start a business without having to fix bad service and delivery.

Product

Test your product and get to know it. When a customer comes in and asks for a recommendation, you can truthfully give them one and a reason why. This will give you a better chance of selling the product. Dont' be afraid to specialise in something as it can become a unique selling item and may become the main drawcard of the business. Have good quality products and don't skimp just to save a few dollars. Customers want good value for their money and you should always strive to deliver this.

Caffeine and Headaches

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Caffeine is one of the most consumed substances of all times. Through the years, people have consciously and unconsciously taken caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, softdrinks and other colas.

Caffeine intake has rapidly become popular that every now and then, critics and health experts have constantly warned about it. A number of health professionals insist that the substance can do harm to the body.

The first blow to the intake of caffeine is the claims that it induces addiction. Thus, many people seem to be pretty hooked up at drinking softdrinks and coffee.

Moreover, people should be aware about the benefits and detriments of taking caffeine.

Caffeine headaches

Caffeine has been found to cause headaches and the claims that the substances causes addiction is linked to this assertion. The idea that what is called as 'weekend headaches' are caused by caffeine is linked to the addiction allegation against the substance.

Experts believe that weekend headaches come as office buffs, who become used to consuming cups and glasses of coffee and sodas everyday in the morning and during breaks, suddenly stop taking caffeine during weekends. Usually, workers sleep and take rest during weekends, so they are not drinking coffee or sodas to be awake.

The migraine triggered by such a cause can be alleviated by taking caffeine. Quitters to caffeine intake also suffer headaches as a form of withdrawal symptom to the allegedly addictive caffeine.

Just like when smokers suddenly quit smoking, caffeine consumers also experience severe or even mild effects on health.

Moreover, too much intake of caffeine may also cause intense stress, especially when the person significantly lacks sleep and proper nutrition. Such stress can lower the body's resistance to the usual causes of migraines, making the person suffer occasional, and eventually, regular episodes of headaches.

Stimulant

You may probably heard from experts that caffeine is an effective stimulant, a group of substances that raise heart beats and makes people awake. Stimulants help people combat sleepiness within a few hours after intake.

Thus, that explains why you feel very much awake and invigorated after drinking that cup of coffee in the morning. Softdrinks also produce a different kick within you. People then take caffeine whenever they need to stay awake during office hours or during over time sessions at work.

Caffeine should not be taken if you are about to sleep or if you have been encountering difficulties in inducing sleep. You may notice that even the aroma of the coffee can almost invigorate you.

Caffeine as headache treatment

It can almost be confusing, but did you know that if caffeine can cause certain types of headaches, it can also help treat headaches? How dos it work?

Migraines are caused by enlarging blood vessels that affect the nerves around them. These nerves then trigger the sensory of the head, producing headaches.

Caffeine works by constricting the blood vessels, making those vessels return to normal and healthy sizes. You may prove this when you encounter a minor headache.

Notice that at least about 30 minutes after you have taken coffee or colas during an episode of headache, you may feel relief.

In other cases, certain medications need the help of caffeine so those treatments can be utilized appropriately by the body. There are various kinds of drugs that are manufactured with added caffeine for them to be effective.

Examples of such drugs are Tylenols, Florinol, Cafergot, Excedrin and Dristan.

Simple over the counter medicines also become more potent when taken with softdrinks or coffees.

Caffeine is indeed a wonderful substance. They may be bad or good, depending on how your body utilizes them and how you take them. Everything should be taken in moderation though. Experts believe that about two to three cups of coffee can still be happy. Anything more than that can lead to addiction and excessive caffeine intake.

Caffeine is certainly a good subject for discussion over a cup of coffee. You may benefit or be harmed by it. Just recognize the fact that as a stimulant, take it to invigorate your energy. Never take it on empty stomach though.

That can be the reason why your grandma always has cookies when serving coffee or tea.

Green Tea Caffeine

As a long time lover of green tea, I immensely enjoy the many different types, flavors, and awesome health benefits of green tea. Even...the health benefit of the caffeine in green tea. Yes caffeine! Now I know there's a lot of talk right now about caffeine and all the harmful side effects it can have. And it's true, caffeine can have negative side effects depending on how much of it you consume. But keep reading and you'll get a taste (no pun intended) of what the caffeine in a cup of green tea actually does for you.

Now this may be hard to believe, but studies have shown that moderate caffeine consumption has been found to be good for your health. Caffeine can make you feel great by giving you an energy boost, uplifting your mood and accelerating your heart beat.

But the problem is that most people consume way too much of it, which leads to problems like feeling jittery, nervous, anxious, depressed, chronic muscle tension, drowsiness, sleepless nights, and a host of other problems.

A cup of coffee contains 85-150 milligrams of caffeine and a can of soda contains anywhere from 40-80 or even more milligrams. The daily recommended caffeine intake is 200 milligrams. So by drinking 2 or more cups of coffee or cans of soda, you've gone over your limit and may start to feel some of the negative effects of caffeine.

Now... a cup of green tea averages only 8 to 35 milligrams of caffeine. Even by drinking 4-8 cups of green tea you will not have reached your daily recommended caffeine intake! That is great news! As a side note - if you're wondering about the caffeine content of black tea, unfortunately it is higher - black tea contains about twice as much caffeine as green tea.

The caffeine level in a cup of green tea is just right to help you feel energized, alert, and refreshed, but won't leave you feeling as jittery and anxious as a cup of coffee or soda may.

So even though caffeine really can have a negative effect on your health according to your consumption level; you may want to try an experiment and replace green tea for your coffee and soda intake for awhile, and see if you don't feel a whole lot better (not to mention you'll be enjoying all the other health benefits that come from drinking green tea.)

Coffee Beans Come in Many Forms and Tastes

Coffee beans come in many forms and tastes so thus coffee makers in varying shape and size come with different features. There are automatic coffee machines to brew coffee how you want it when you want it.

There is a coffee machine that will match one's taste. Whether one like espresso, cappuccino, latte, or simple brewed coffee, all is possible with a touch of a button. Coffee lovers can invest for a good coffee machine which can last for decades if well maintained. It is not really difficult to maintain these automatic coffee machines, for the steps can be as simple as turning them off when not in use. They can also be cleaned by dripping a solution of water and vinegar in one cycle at least once a month.

These machines can also save you time when you are in a hurry to work or busy attending to the needs of you family. Everything can be set to brew for itself and everyone can enjoy a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. The options vary when it comes to choosing a coffee maker. The following stand out from the rest and is the common choice of the most discerning coffee lovers:

Jura Capresso makes authentic cappuccino, lattes, espressos, and hot chocolate. This is a Swiss made coffee machine which is popular to coffee enthusiast all over the world. The company is the maker of innovative coffee centers known for their beautiful design, sophistication, and ease of use.

Jura Capresso ensures fresh coffee every time with its high pressure brewing method which creates a particular taste depending on the coffee lovers' desires. This coffee center has a sixty second standard when it comes to grinding, tamping, and brewing coffee. It also takes only minute to clean the machine.

Espresso machines on the other hand make the traditional Italian espresso coffee. This process is very specific. Espresso is seven to ten grams of grounded coffee densely packed in a specific amount of force plus 200 degree Fahrenheit water. There are also several designs of espresso machines. It can be piston driven which makes use of a lever system to pressurize the hot water sipping it to the coffee. Pump driven machines are a refinement where a motor pumps the machine so brewing can be completed. Steam driven machines works by driving water thru the coffee beans using steam pressure.

Automatic coffee machines how simple or complicated, aims for only one thing: that is a perfect experience for a coffee lover. These machines can make cups in a matter of minutes. Just remember to clean them after so the brewing and coffee aroma will keep on flowing for years.

Senseo Coffee Pods Make Quality Coffee Quickly

Monday, July 7, 2008

I have been drinking green mountain coffee for several years now, but I was interested in finding something new that I would enjoy equally as much. After trying many products, I discovered the Senseo coffee machine. This brewing system uses Senseo coffee pods, which brew quickly without leaving any mess to clean up. I have been very impressed with this product and I recommend this to anyone looking for a new way to brew their coffee. The main blends available are mild, medium, mocha and dark roast. A decaffeinated blend is also available. The main benefit of using coffee pods is the ability to brew a high quality coffee in about 30 seconds. This helped me greatly because I was able make a cup of coffee on my way out of the house in the morning.