Coffee has played a major role in the history of the nation, and if you ask any of the locals they’d probably be able to give you a good insight of how the coffee industry in Brazil came to be.

You should also know that Brazilians have a lot of tradition related to coffee – not only do they have various ways to prepare it in their books, but they also have some traditional rules by which they abide when drinking coffee. If you want to make the most of your experience, make sure you familiarize yourself with those traditions so that you can blend in better.

For example, Brazilians value the talk during a coffee session. They don’t look well upon the idea of the hasty coffee meetings people have to get a quick cup over a few sentences of mindless chatter – when you’re talking to your companions when drinking coffee in Brazil, always make sure you share your most precious recent moments and truly savor the experience. Respect the others and ask to be corrected if you did anything wrong.

Remember that the most popular coffee houses aren’t always the best ones. In some cases, smaller places that are somewhat concealed around the city’s winding streets may end up giving you a better deal and allow you to have a better time as you’re sipping from your coffee at them. Café Prueckl
, which is one of those less popular ones, is one of the best choices for newcomers to the city to experience some of its delightful coffee flavors. Try out all the special varieties they offer and don’t just stick to the first one you like though!

If you’re wondering what to make out of all the sorts of coffee offered in Viennese coffee houses, you should have a look at this great illustration of different Viennese coffee sorts. It can give you a good overview of the most popular sorts being consumed around the city, and you’ll be much better prepared when you go out to have a cup of coffee with some of your friends – or even complete strangers, who tend to be very friendly here in Vienna! So enjoy your stay and savor every moment with Vienna’s wonderful coffee!

So, how does this thing work? You’ll need a little bit of knowledge – both about hardware and software. The things you will need are a coffee maker, a computer, a Twitter account, a mobile phone, and Arduino. Okay, I have to admit that it doesn’t look like the average joe will be able to pull it off, so I will stick to the concepts instead of the specific instructions on how to set it up.

The idea is to hook up the coffee maker to a computer, which will serve as the switch (albeit a complicated one) to turn the coffee maker on. If you do things right, you can simply send a tweet and the coffee maker will have your coffee ready when you want.

Hooking up household appliances to Twitter is not a new idea. A couple of years ago, some guy had too much time on his hands and hooked up his washing machine, toilet, and toaster to Twitter. Pretty soon, tweets from the threesome were flying from the guy’s house, through Twitter’s data service centers, to countless people’s Twitter accounts.

The latter “experiment” is a bit less useful than this coffee maker project, but it is no less cool, is it? Then again, cool and fun is one thing. I would much rather have a coffee maker that will not require me having to clean it and fill it with water and coffee grounds – on top of not having to switch it on. (Who said something about being lazy?)

If you still want to give Tweet-a-Pot a try, though, here’s the video. You’ll at least have a kick out of watching it.

Sadly, no prizes, except the recognition and hundreds of fans screaming your name everywhere you go (okay, I slightly exaggerate on the second part!!!). Of course, the winner will be decided and published in the next months post.

The first challenge is a simple one – head to your nearest (or favourite) coffee shop, and get a photo of the most ornate, fancy cup. Patterns on the outside, weird and wonderful handles, over-sized or even under-sized – All is fair in love, war, and the Coffee Break Challenge!

Once you’ve got the image, all you’d have to do is upload the image to your favourite image-sharing site (PhotoBucket, TwitPic and Imageshack are a few examples of popular services that can be used), once they’ve been uploaded, just post a comment with your name, where you’re from, and where the cup is from.

So, the deadline for this challenge is the Monday 13th December, at 11:59am EST – just to make sure that the time is obvious, and no confusion between midday and midnight!

Get snapping and get sharing!

This article is a bit of a self-exploration. It’s based on explaining why I drink coffee the coffees that I do, when I do, and why I have the cravings for it at random times. It’s also going in to a bit about when I drink it, and how I like to have certain types at different times of the day

I tend to drink two or three main types of coffee. For my sins, I drink a lot of Instant Coffee. It tends to be strong, with three or four sugars in, as it’s my ‘get up and go’ drink. Mainly when I’m still in bed, it’s easier to flick a kettle switch, and wait for two minutes, opposed to either using a percolator, or heading out to get one. I’ll usually only drink Instant in the mornings. It’s a simple taste, which is why I’m guessing it’s a popular one for those who aren’t massive coffee fans. It’s also the type I get most cravings for – I suppose it could be the basic tastes and flavours that mean it’s much more drinkable at a more range of times.

My daytime drinks tend to be large. With lots of milk in, and either hot or cold, depending on the weather – if it’s a cold day, you can’t beat a good old Americano, with a small amount of cream and brown sugar mixed in. Sweet and strong, this classic coffee is suited to so many different tastes and needs – if you ask me, it’s the perfect coffee.

For hot days, a Frappe (or Frappuccino if I’m in Starbucks) is very welcome. It’s a very common drink here in Cyprus, often served in large Pint glasses, with lashings of ice, cream and of course, rich aromatic coffee! The contrast in the cold milk (or cream if you ask nicely!) sits so nicely with the strength of the coffee, that it’s hard to pick a fault in it. Except if the milk is sour, which I’ve had before. Needless to say, I was a bit traumatised, and was nearly put off of these for a week!

My ultimate ‘guilty coffee’ has to be a Jameson’s Irish Coffee, with cream, no milk, and a brown sugar. It’s usually only ordered after special meals, or for a celebration – which explains the decadent nature of it. I can guarantee that one of these made properly is a treat for the sight, taste and smell.

What’s your plans for when it comes to what you have and when?

Photo Courtesy of Il Conte di Luna

My favourite Coffee house

Where I grew up in the UK, there are quite a lot of Coffee Shops – the spread of Costa Coffees and Starbucks, plus the other smaller chains that are more established in the local area, as well as the smattering of smaller local Coffee Shops which are usually quite busy.

Where I currently live, there are a lot more independent Coffee Houses. I don’t know if this is due to the fact that it is mainly a seasonal town (coming alive from May to October, and very quiet for the rest of the year), or for another reason.

Either way, there’s a great deal of difference in the two options.

For example, where I live now (Cyprus) there’s a specialist type of coffee – Cyprus Coffee (strangely enough!), which is very thick – to the extent of being able to stand a teaspoon in it on its own and there’s also the Frappe. As with all liqueur Coffees, there’s also the local spirits to be included in these. Each Coffee House I’ve visited out here has been greatly different – one of my favourites is a very small building, with a large canopied area out front, art-work from the owners friends and families, and a range of newspapers and magazines. It also has two or three different televisions, a varied menu and a high speed wireless connection – great for what I want.

Although just five minutes drive away, there’s a Starbucks. Which, as Starbucks is, very clean, neat and tidy, with a wide range of drinks on offer, and a range of snacks on offer.

So why do I prefer the non-chain Coffee House? I think it’s the atmosphere inside. More relaxed, more focus on what I want as a customer. I often visited Starbucks in the UK when it was inside a book shop I bought a lot of magazines from (I’d spend five or six afternoons a month in there) as it was an easy place to concentrate and work. But the difference I’ve experienced has shown me that there’s more out there.

What do you prefer? If you’re a Chain fan, let us know why, and if you prefer to keep things local, what makes the difference for you?

Photo Courtesy of Emphasis Cafe

I was pleasantly surprised and amused when I read about skin care companies experimenting with coffee-based products, though. Does coffee have skin care properties? Though I have not really seen or tried these products, it seems that in the US and other world markets, coffee-based skin products were released last year.

The idea is that caffeine perks you up – thus my dependence on that morning cup. Skin care companies think that if applied topically, their coffee-based products could perk you up as well and make your skin look and feel better. I don’t know about this, but it could work.

Then again, if you are thinking of using coffee-based skin products to perk you up, I doubt that it will be as effective and as enjoyable as simply brewing a pot of coffee and drinking a cup or two. For one, though the products may contain caffeine, I doubt that there is enough there to give you a jolt. Another thing is that these products are applied topically. That means that if the caffeine is to enter your blood stream, it has to go through the skin – that takes a while and the amount is probably small. The bright side is that you will smell like coffee all day long!

In any case, these products should be worth a try, don’t you think?

Seattle’s Best

Seattle hasn’t always been the center of the coffee universe, in fact the city once served as much bad coffee as the rest of the country. That changed in the early 70′s when a group of passionate coffee lovers started a revolution.

The founders of Seattle’s Best were some of these early coffee pioneers, and in the beginning the coffee was roasted in an old peanut roaster down on the Seattle waterfront. These guys used the finest beans and roasted to achieve a bold and full flavored cup that was also smooth and mellow.

In those days, the Northwest was such a hotbed of competing coffee styles that a local restaurant held a taste-off to crown “the best cup of coffee in Seattle.” Much to the founders delight, their little coffee company took first place.

To celebrate the occasion, they officially re-named the company “Seattle’s Best Coffee” and the rest is coffee history. Today, the coffee revolution has spread across America and now good coffee is fashionable everywhere. There are many great coffees roasted in Seattle, but only one offers the bold flavor and smooth taste that is Seattle’s Best.

Coffee grade: Above Average

Good Points: Breve superb, great organic beans, yummy macaroons

Bad Points: Counter foodoften tasteless ,vanilla latte cloyingly sweet

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Herbert B. Hyman started The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in 1963 with a dedication to excellence and quality, and his efforts made him the founding father of gourmet coffee in California.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has since grown into one of the largest privately- owned, family-run coffee and tea companies in the world.

The endurance and popularity of The Bean, as it is affectionately referred to by devotees, can be attributed to the high standards that were established from the beginning. From trend-setting drinks like the World Famous Ice Blended, to the employees who become a part of the communities they work in, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has discovered the formula for a successful coffee and tea company.

Coffee grade: Decent Brew

Good Points: Good variety of other things to eat, hot breakfasts, chai tea, vanilla lovers should be happy.

Bad Points: Drinks tend to be too much on the sweet side

The making of espresso is both a science and an art. Over the years they have found that precision is required to make a great espresso. There are four factors that affect the making of a great shot. They are also called the four M’s.
The first factor is Macinazione or the proper grinding of the beans. Great baristas in fact will only grind beans for an espresso right before using them. 30 seconds after they have been ground, the beans are already too stale for a good espresso. The proper grind is between fine and powdery. The grind has to be uniform in order to insure the best taste. Instant powder will definitely make an awful espresso.

The second factor is Miscela or the coffee blend. Good beans means better tasting coffee. Perfectly logical, right?

The third factor is the Macchina or the espresso machine. Thanks to many inventors, you now have eay to use tools to help you make your espresso. But it will not magically make perfect espresso if you don’t know how to use it properly. The Rancilio Silva is considered the best by most espresso lovers but feel free to shop around til you find the machine that you are comfortable with.

The last factor is Mano or the skill of the barista – that means you. More than half the battle is knowing how to use your equipment properly. You need to know how to properly fill your filter basket. Some espresso lovers will tell you to tamp the ground coffee, others will tell you not to. Like all skills, making the perfect espresso takes practice so that your every espresso shot has that beautiful crema that is the mark of true espresso.