Brewed Coffee

Coffee OR Tea? Why You Can (and Should) Have Both

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A hot beverage starts most families’ mornings at home and features in almost all offices around the world. Some people prefer to breathe in the fragrant scent of coffee grounds brewed with or without sugar, sweetener, milk or milk substitute. Others cannot start the day without sipping on a large cup of steaming-hot tea while having long conversations lounging on the floor, or analyzing serious business inside a boardroom. Drinking one of these two has become a daily ritual, a hard habit to break and an essential part of a person’s routine.

Both coffee and tea are staples, so common in households and in office pantries that companies have produced many different varieties and myriad flavors, to be consumed either hot or cold. A hot brew to start the day, calm the nerves, spice up business deals or just staying focused is necessary for certain people. Some need a daily dose to keep them energized or awake. Others might want two, three or even more cups to fuel them for the whole day.

Whether to choose coffee or tea is not much of a debate anymore, especially since each offers its own taste and benefits. In fact, you do not need to choose between the two because you can have both. Here is a list of reasons to convince you why the two drinks can work for you.

Protection from serious disorders

One thing that is common to both coffee and tea is that they contain substances that can help prevent pretty grave illnesses. Coffee has antioxidants which help in neutralizing free radicals that may contribute to developing cancer. Tea, on the other hand, also has antioxidants that help in the reduction of tumor growth. Consumption of either tea or coffee also lowers chances of developing diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disorders, dementia, liver problems and a list of possible medical conditions.

Lift or Calmness

Depending on what’s coming ahead of you, the caffeine content of either tea or coffee can suit you. If you have a loaded day and want a morning jolt, then go for the beans. Coffee has around 80mg of caffeine content, which suffices your need to kick off, in high spirits, a packed timetable. But if the day is serene and you are looking for a source to keep you at peace, calm and focused, then you should be asking for the leaves. Unlike coffee, tea has lower caffeine content. Apart from that, tea has the amino acid, L-theanine, which has anti-anxiety effects on your brain.

Weight Loss and Muscle Build-up

There are times you can’t help but to give in to your big appetite and guilty pleasures. But, you can always do something to maintain your shape, fit body and healthy condition without the need for extreme workouts or an indefinite gym membership. If you want to release the weight fained by extra cravings, then you may take the herbal wonders of tea leaves. The epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG present in green tea does magic by shrinking fat cells and making muscle cells more active.

If you’re done losing the additional pounds you gained, then firming the muscle is your new task. You can add coffee to your daily exercises to help build up muscles and tighten those areas loosened by excess weight. This is because coffee stimulates your body, which allows you to perform exercises faster and longer.

You do not need to limit yourself to just a solitary brew. You can drink both coffee and tea at different times, depending on your purpose and need, and reap the health and other benefits both beverages offer.

How to Enjoy That First Cup of Joe in the Morning

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Winter is almost here. As we wind down the last few days of Fall, the craving for those comfortable hot beverages calls to us. Hot chocolate, hot tea, and the most popular of them all, that steaming cup of joe. It’s a necessary part of quite a few people’s morning.

There are even memes that state the danger that exists if you choose to talk to someone before they have that first cup of coffee. With that said, avid coffee drinkers understand that there is a certain way to enjoy the first cup of coffee. [Read more…]

Why Green Tea is Japan’s Coffee

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The Japanese are well-known for leading a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to food, they are also particular about eating the right foods and in moderation.

One of the main components of a Japanese meal is the green tea. Known as a healthy drink, it is a part of Japanese tradition handed down from one generation to another. It also comes in different varieties such as the popular matcha, gyokuro, sencha and kukicha. In short, green tea is Japan’s coffee, the drink most preferred by the people in the land of the rising sun from morning until night. In fact, this is also served to guests as a sign of hospitality. [Read more…]

The Pleasure Of Coffee: Addiction or Just Enjoyment?

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coffee-lovers

There’s absolutely no doubt that coffee is one of the great pleasures of the world. But there is some matter of contention wondering where the balance is between enjoyment and addiction (mostly to the caffeine aspect, you could probably assume). So for those of us with coffee habits, it’s at least something to wonder about in passing.

Five aspects of coffee to look up as your pondering where you are on the scale of enjoyment or. requirement might be learning about the chemical nature of coffee, brushing up on the types of coffee that there are, going to tasting classes, browsing through research studies, and understanding that your tastes will change and develop as you get older. [Read more…]

Tips For Getting the Perfect Cup of Coffee Every Single Time

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It seems pretty natural to say that the world is full of a lot more coffee drinkers than non-coffee drinkers. Of course, you can then divide the categories of coffee drinkers down even further and you have the people who take it black, you have the people who take it stout, you have to people who take it black and stout, you have the people who like a little coffee with their cream, a little coffee with their sugar, and you have those people who prefer that they get their caffeine intake in a way that excludes coffee altogether.

This post is not for the people who prefer to get their caffeine in ways other than the magical elixir of life that is coffee. This post is for the people who live, breathe, dream, and sometimes even eat their coffee. It’s in their blood, it coats their kitchen counters, the aroma fills their home every morning at 8am sharp, and without it, the day doesn’t continue. If you fall into this category, here are tips for getting the perfect cup of coffee every single time-because you know how much of a struggle that can be:

Get the Right Machinery

In the world of coffee, not every press, coffee maker, espresso machine, or other contraption for making the potent brew is equal. There is no one way to make coffee, and limiting yourself to one method of getting the job done is not a way to live, as you’ll miss out on the fullness that coffee can have.

However, if you want the perfect cup of coffee every single time, you’re going to have to get the right machinery, and you might even have to make it yourself every morning to get it right. Do your research. Try different methods of brewing and see which appeals to you. The quality of a cup of coffee is measured in part by the machine doing the work, so this is a crucial first step to achieving perfection in your cup.

Know Your Measurements

Your recipe for perfection in a cup of coffee is all about measurements. If you don’t have the kind of personality where you abide by recipes, it would be good for you to actually get down a system of measurement.

It’s okay to wake up, throw some beans in the pot, put as much water in as you think you’re going to drink that day, and just splash some cream, sugar, and whatever else you like in the cup, but it’s a guessing game this way. If you want a perfect cup of coffee every single time, get out the tea spoons, pour the cream a spoon at a time, and take note of how much cream and sugar makes a perfect cup of coffee in your mind.

3 Common Characteristics of Awesome Coffee Shops

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You know when you’ve found one: the awesome coffee shop. These little spots brighten up the days of millions of people each day, and you’re one of their favorite customers. Still, if you’ve been a coffee drinker for more than a few months, you’ve definitely experienced some coffee shops that left you feeling like something is missing. This is a sad state to experience. No amount of caffeine can bring joy to the experience. But why are these coffee shops such a downer, and what makes a great coffee shop? Here are three common characteristics that great coffee shops all share.

1. They Keep Things Moving Without Sacrificing Quality. Most successful coffee shops are high-traffic places. In the future we’ll have automated services that spit out caffeine-beverages (they already exist in some markets), but it is going to be a long time before these services come close to matching the quality achieved by a skilled barista. Quality shops have experienced staff who can work fast without screwing up. They also don’t cut corners on ingredients or best practices. A quality coffee shop will seem busy (because it is!), but it won’t seem like the line is endless or the staff seem in over their heads. The person running the iPad POS will knock out dozens of orders every hour, and each one will arrive at counter or table at the peak of quality. It’ll seem like magic, but it’s just hard work and knowledge.

2. They Know Where to Spend Their Money. Coffee shop profit margins are tight – don’t let anyone tell you different. This is why so many coffee shops go for a “minimal” look inside. It’s not just looks, it’s impractical to spend money on expensive furnishings. Sometimes, coffee shops opt for the more expensive embellishments, but they do so at the expense of other important aspects of the coffee shop experience. Sometimes its employee pay, meaning that talented workers go elsewhere or experience burnout. Other times they don’t spend money on their core product, or don’t maintain their equipment. All of these factors can produce a mediocre product and a mediocre coffee shop.

3. They Make it About the Coffee…And the People. Every coffee lover has been to a coffee snob coffee shop. There, coffee nerds shiver in caffeine-induced titillation while watching the stream of espresso take on different shades, commenting on each. This is all well and good, but sometimes these folks can make the less enthusiastic feel out of place. Great coffee shops make a priority of coffee quality. They’re into it. They know what they’re doing. But they don’t make people feel stupid if they’re not as knowledgeable about coffee. Coffee has its place, and it’s beneath the importance of the customer experience.

There are other ways that great coffee shops do their thing, and there is diversity in this category as well. But there are certain characteristics that all great coffee shops share, and you know you’re in one the moment you step through the door. Drink great coffee, friends.