5 Incredible Holiday Gift Ideas for the Coffee Lover in Your Life
If you are a coffee lover, or know a coffee lover, then you know how fanatical people can be about their coffee. It’s not just a beverage. It’s a way of life. After all, how many times have you heard someone say, “I just can’t get started in the morning without my iced water?” Never. Coffee is where it’s at. And if you really want to impress your special someone this holiday season, a great way to do that is to prove your coffee fluency by finding the latest and greatest coffee offerings. Here to help is this list of five incredible holiday gift ideas for the coffee lover in your life:
Coffee Gift Baskets
If you can’t seem to decide which coffee gift to get, then why not get a little bit of everything? Coffee gift baskets are all the rage – a wide array can be found with a simple online search – and may contain any of a variety of coffee products, including holiday coffee blends, coffee mugs, coffee bean candy, coffee bean grinders, and flavored stir sticks. Read more
Starbucks Steps Up Fight Against Climate Change to Preserve Coffee Supply Chain
Starbucks has been making headlines recently for various reasons, from their logo change to lawsuits, and now for their efforts against climate change.
The Guardian reported yesterday that Starbuck’s Sustainability Director, Jim Hanna, expressed their concern over the effects of climate change, as well as their seriousness in finding ways to tackle the problem. Being a business though, Starbucks concern for climate change is obviously not just for the welfare of the environment, but its possible effects on the global coffee supply chain, which will obviously hurt their bottomline. As Jim Hanna said, “If conditions continue as they are – is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean…If we sit by and wait until the impacts of climate change are so severe that is impacting our supply chain then that puts us at a greater risk. From a business perspective we really need to address this now, and to look five, 10, and 20 years down the road.”
Starbucks is definitely not taking this problem sitting down; in fact they have been implementing their “climate change strategy from 2004, focusing on renewable energy, energy conservation, and collaboration and advocacy.”
Early this month, Starbucks also renewed their partnership with Conservation International, which involves a $3 million, 2-year renewed commitment that will “expanding pilot programs in coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and Sumatra, Indonesia, which are designed to support and reward coffee farmers and coffee-growing communities for efforts taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”
So who says that profitability and environmental responsibility can’t go hand-in-hand? Not Starbucks.
Starbucks settles suit
Starbucks is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, coffee establishment on earth. And as with any extremely popular establishment, it will attract different kinds of legal action against it. Some are unfounded while some may have basis in truth. Starbucks recently got rid of one lawsuit through settlement.
The suit, a discrimination charge against the company, was filed by Elsa Sallard, who was born with dwarfism. Sallard claimed that she was discriminated because of her height. During an orientation for possible Starbucks employees, Sallard suggested that she can use a stool so that she can perform other tasks that are part of the job. But on the same day of the orientation, she was fired allegedly because she will likely put her co-employees and customers in danger.
Sallard’s suit was filed through the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, and charged Starbucks of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The settlement amounts to $75,000 which Starbucks will pay to Sallard. The company will also give ADA training to all of Starbucks’ managers and supervisory employees.
I understand Sallard’s grievance and equality should be something that all companies and people should strive for. But I do understand where Starbucks is coming from. Handling extremely hot beverages is a work hazard and there really is an increased likelihood of a mishap or accident if a person, even if she is extremely capable, goes up and down a stool. There’s political correctness but then there’s also common sense.
Recipe Finder Will Get You All Buzzed Up
Recipe Finder Logo
How do you like your coffee? I normally take it with a little sugar – either brewed using the drip machine or the espresso machine. While I would never complain about this kind of brew even if I had to drink it every single day of my life, there is something to be said about playing around with coffee and trying out various ways of preparing it.
If you are adventurous, and you have a creative mind, good for you! But even then, wouldn’t you like to have something handy to refer to for recipes and coffee ideas? That’s what I am going to share with you – a cool find that just might give you a stronger buzz than your regular cup of coffee!
Recipe Finder it is called, and it is a new recipe search engine. Recipe web sites are a penny a pound these days, don’t you think? They can be found everywhere, and if you want to look for a recipe, you have to check out all those recipe sites to make sure you’ve covered your bases. That is where Recipe Finder comes into the picture. It puts together the recipes of hundreds of the most trusted recipe web sites you can find today, and presents them in a format that is easy to search, easy to read, and easy to follow. Read more
Coffee Break Will Make the Boss Happy
Several studies have varying opinions on coffee side-effects. On one side, they say coffee is helpful; on the other, they say it’s dangerous. Well only one thing is for sure—having coffee break will make your boss happy.
Better Memory Retention
David Foster’s research along with colleagues from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has discovered that taking a break helps the brain to retain information better.
They experimented on rats to repeatedly run on a track. Their brain has memorized a pleasurable pattern on the track. What’s surprising is that when they repeated the experiment after the rats’ break, their memory retention is 20 times faster.
So, having a coffee break will help you perform better at a mentally-demanding work. Actually, taking any break from work, like enjoying other office refreshments or self-grooming, is also beneficial for memory retention.
Activate Mind and Body
Better have a coffee break than just any other break. Coffee has caffeine that activates mind and body, keeping you perform better at work. It’s the reason behind sleeping difficulty when coffee was taken within two hours before bed time.
In fact, a study from France found out that taking at least three cups of coffee everyday by women 80 years old and over can reduce their risk of having memory decline to about 70 percent.
But don’t overdo your coffee break. Drinking more than four cups of coffee everyday will lead to caffeine addiction with symptoms like depression, fatigue, irritability, brain dilate, and jumpiness. Your boss will never be happy with a caffeine-addicted employee, for sure.
Taste the Best Coffee of Your Life in Brazil
Among the things that make Brazil popular, the quality and selection of its coffee is surely among the top of the list – so if you’re visiting Brazil right now and are wondering what to do (which is odd by itself), you should treat yourself to some of the magnificent flavors of coffee it offers, and experience the product from one of its original sources.
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.
Famous Vienna Coffee Houses
Vienna offers quite a lot to tourists – from amazing sightseeing opportunities, to delightful treats in its large number of coffee houses. If you’re paying the city a visit and would like to try out some of the exquisite tastes presented in one of its numerous coffee houses, there are a few things to keep in mind.
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!
How to Make Coffee with a Single Tweet
Some say that technology has turned us into a bunch of lazy people, but I say if things can be made easier, why not give it a try? I stumbled upon a really cool video which shows how you can instruct your coffee maker to brew you a pot of nice hot coffee with a single tweet. Now, people who are continuously on Twitter will certainly feel the excitement that I felt when I first read about the hack. If you are not into Twitter (how can you not be?), then you might think this silly. But, hey, being silly on a Sunday morning is allowed! 
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.
Coffee as a Deal Maker
Being Self-Employed (or a freelancer, Entrepreneur, Solo-preneur, or countless other titles I’ve heard people refer to themselves as – some of which aren’t really suitable to be posted on here), I meet a wide range of people in a whole host of different situations and locations.
Sometimes I’m the customer, other times I’m the supplier. Sometimes I’ve arranged the meeting, and other times, someone has asked to book some of my time.
I’ve read a fair few books, articles and essays related to where the dynamics of where you meet people compared to what you are looking to achieve from the meeting – if you’re looking to sell a service or product, it’s often best to go and visit the customer at their workplace (it gives them more security in their own environment, and they are more likely to buy), if you’re looking to buy a service or product, having the meeting at your workplace often gives you more confidence and ability to intimidate and get more of what you are looking for from the deal. However, I frequently met with Senior Managers and I was more than happy to bet the contract on the fact that they had read similar reports in the past.
Now, I hear you ask what this has to do with Coffee…
Having the meeting in a neutral location (like a Coffee House!) was often touted as a great idea. It allows both parties to meet somewhere which is more social, allowing them to drop the structure that appears in offices. It’s also a great way to sneak out of the office earlier – especially if you have to travel more than five minutes away, get your dose of Coffee from somewhere other than the Staff Kitchen, and also creates a more relaxed scene. The Coffee house was put forward as the best place to meet in, as the features such as the tables and chairs are more informal, allowing both parties to become more relaxed, and hopefully etch out a more beneficial outcome.
IIIIIITS CHRIIIIIIIIIIISTMAS!!!
Currently sat in my local Coffee shop, heard this on the music system, and it now finally feels festive. Weird how those two little words can make everything change hey!
Anyway, being the highly organised person that I am, I’m considering to start my Christmas shopping as I write this (December 21st), and feel that I should sort of start it. Luckily, my brother and mother are coffee addicts. So I’ve just bought their presents whilst ordering my drink. Not bad hey!
One that I’ve found is the $5 free Voucher with a 12 Pack of Starbucks Via Ready Brew for the US, and in the UK, you’re able to load the voucher with an amount from £5 to £150 – a great idea with the current weather and postal problems.
Perhaps look at that Coffee Machine you know they’ve always wanted (I know this would be what my parents would like the most…I think they’re being a bit optimistic myself…) – or just a packet of their favourite brew (You could get the 12 packets from Starbucks, and get yourself a free voucher in the States…of course, the giving is the best part!)
In the UK, Limini Coffee offer a range of courses – ranging from Latte Art, through to running your own Coffee Shop, so if theres that budding Barista in the family, get them down!
Above all, make sure you enjoy yourself. It’s a time for indulgence, so go ahead – have those six coffees (which are good for you), over-eat, and promise yourself in the New Year you’ll go on a diet – I won’t tell anyone if you don’t!!!
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
