Business Case Study; Oil Change Business and Coffee Shop Combo Business Model

Needles although in California is not doing to well these days, worse off in summer it can reach 117 degrees out their in the middle of no-where desert. They have a successful business now in a rather run-down and in economic decline town. Well it certainly does for one small business in Needles, CA. Does oil and coffee mix?

Additionally there is not a lot of business to be had besides the I-40 traffic getting off the freeway for a quick bite to eat or traveling thru their town to go to the Casinos in Laughlin or near by Bull Head City, which has recreation areas and good economic growth.

He stated that; Well this discussion came up recently and one gentleman in the area did not even know of the business, yet it still does well. How can some businesses do so well in such run-down areas?

I never noticed the needles location you mentioned, sounds like a neat idea that might work but needles is such a depressed area." Went ok not really enough mom and pops anymore which were my bread and butter. "I ran a wholesale jobber route through the territory you mentioned for 3+ years distributing to c-stores and such.

All the smart people left is my thought? I think part of the problem is the drug issues there, but who would want to live in CA with all the taxes and excess regulations, when you can live in NV or AZ all nearby in that tri-state areas? They need a complete over haul there. Really depressed. Boy you can say that again.

The oil change place is on the corner across from the Coin-Op, semi full service car wash on the weekends on the road, which goes from Needles to Bull Head City. Can't miss it, looks somewhat new 3-4 years I guess?

Why do some business succeed like a desert flower in such challenging economic regions? Well it appears to be due to the fact that this business is a family run business; the wife runs the coffee shop area and the husband the oil change bays. There are always people in line.

Please consider all this in 2006. You can too, no matter what the circumstances you can over come the odds, beat the heat and make hay. Word of mouth, customer service and perseverance and now they have built a strong business. How do they do it?

Decrease Your Brew Time With Programmable One Cup Coffee Makers

Programmable one cup coffee makers are a type of coffee maker that is becoming more and more popular not only in the workplace, but in homes as well. Many companies, such as Keurig specialize in this type of coffee maker, and make separate ones for home and office use. Their advantages are many, but they are not necessarily ideal for everyone.

The basics of a one cup coffee maker are simple. You add water to a holding tank, put a single K-cup (the coffee) in the maker, and hit a button. In about 15 seconds, you have a cup of coffee. No clean up, no preparation (other than making sure the maker has enough water) and very little waiting. You don't need to worry about making too much coffee either, since one cup is usually from 5-8 ounces.

The coffee itself comes in what are called k-cups. These contain enough grounds for a single cup of coffee, and are then disposed of after it is made. No measuring is required, and there are a wide variety of flavors to choose from. Previously, only a select few companies made k-cups, but recently more and more coffee makers are adding k-cups to their traditional beans and ground choices, so limited selection is no longer a big issue.

What may be an issue for some is the extra waste one cup brewers create in terms of plastic. Every cup means that you have a plastic cup you'll be throwing away, so instead of having just paper and some used coffee grounds for a few cups, you'll have 3 or 4 used plastic cups. This may be an issue for some, but others may not care.

A more central issue is the question of coffee quality. Many people won't notice much, if any difference, but there is a trade off of quality versus convenience. You cannot grind your own beans prior to brewing, so you may lose some freshness and taste, even though the cups are sealed. You also have less control over coarseness because of this.

On the whole, single cup coffee makers are a great solution for those who may not feel like grinding and preparing beans every time they want coffee. It isn't something for everyone, but for those that just want a quick, no hassle cup, it's a great solution.

Adrian is a coffee drinker who runs a site dedicated to coffee. Check out http://www.fullcoffee.com/showEntry/18/Programmable-One-Cup-Coffee-Maker---Keurig-B50-Ultra-Brewer/ for more information on one cup coffee makers.

http://www.fullcoffee.com/showEntry/18/Programmable-One-Cup-Coffee-Maker---Keurig-B50-Ultra-Brewer/

Coffee Tips (and the Elimination Thereof)

Rather, it's the tip cup that bothers me... I have recently become frustrated with something at doughnut establishments, and I'm not referring to the scones, although -- seriously -- just think about the writing possibilities if I were.

But for the sake of this column, I need to be oblivious to all of the other ones in order to keep some sort of focus, so bear with me here... To begin, I do realize that doughnut (or donut, take your pick) shops aren't the only places with these cups.

Yogi: That's right, I am.

Smokey: Me too

Blood and jelly are the same color and I realize that... The thing is, I always end up tipping because it's become an obligation rather than a choice. Is it the way the employees stretch to grab the lemon-filled that is so challenging, or is coffee pouring more of an art than I thought it was? At any rate, my first question is what we are tipping when we contribute extra change, sometimes even dollar bills, into the doughnut tip cup.

Still, this tip cup could have its advantages. For example, doughnut establishments could use the money to fund research in the creation of new doughnuts. Personally, I'd like to know that my extra 15 cents per day was putting some college intern hard to work in order to find out if sprinkles really do taste better when they're multi-colored, or to see if crème mixed with pickle juice is such a bad idea after all. And then, when this research is complete (and thorough), I want to see my name somewhere on the official document...

Doughnut Shop Owner: Wait a minute, wait a minute -- you are getting way too carried away.

Greg: So are you. And it's about time someone stood up for the doughnut consumers of America.

Owner: That's ironic, considering most of them sit down.

Greg: True. But that's besides the point. I will only stop writing when you tell me why the tip cup is there.

Owner: I will, but I need you to keep this is a secret, okay?

Greg: Sounds good to me.

Owner: You see, we need advice -- like, really serious advice. And so we put that tip cup there hoping that we'd get it, and unfortunately people are missing the point.

Greg: Oh, I see. Well, I have some advice for you, sir.

Owner: Thank you, what is it?

Greg: Well, it'll cost you 50 cents...

But I digress.

Live the Life of a Civil War Soldier When you Drink your Mornin' Coffee

Civil War soldiers, Confederate and Union, used to make their coffee in pots. But on the march, they just used their boilers. Remember: don't boil coffee. Confederates and Union soldiers had a little bit of coffee, chewin tabaccie, and that was it. Moreover, Confederates usually had tobacco, and Union troops had the coffee. When the troops would cross paths during the war, they would trade coffee for tobacco and vice versa. Soldiers would take their hardtack biscuits and soak it in coffee and get some fat and put it in a frying pan and fry a crust on the hardtack like chicken…real nutritious diet.

Civil War soldiers drank from large tin cups. Hot liquid filled all the way up in a tin cup will burn yer lips. Soldiers needed at least an inch or two at the top. So they would only fill it two-thirds full and let it cool a little so they could tolerate it. Don't drink from old tin cups that you might find in an antique store. They have lead solder. Buy a reproduction of one at a Civil War reenactment or from a Sutler who advertises in some of the military history magazines. Coffee boilers are large tin cups with a handle on them. Some of them even have lids on them. They hold 22-24 ozs. of liquid. They look like a cup that is a coffee pot.

For more information on coffee drinkin' and the Civil War soldier, email lifecwsoldier@coachscoffee.net

lifecwsoldier@coachscoffee.net

Drinkin' from an antique cup definitely enhances the coffee drinkin' experience. The vibes of all the people who have gone before have left their energy and spirit in the fiber of the cup. Antique tin and enamel cups can be found in antique stores Enamel cups are not as hot as a tin cup, but it has that "nostaaaalgic" cup quality. I like drinkin' from antique cups because I like that "antiqueness" of it.

Enamel cups can be found in antique stores. They range in price from five dollars to thirty dollars. Rare ones are those that are a unique color like brown or gray. Most enamel cups are white with a blue, green or red trim or just plain white. Blue is a common color also. Enamel cups are not as old as tin cups, but they have been being made for about fifty to sixty years. Enamel cups have been around since World War I and are still being reproduced today in a variety of colors. A reproduction of an enamel cup can be acquired for about five dollars.

Everyone needs to have his or her own identity when drinking coffee. Cat people have cat cups, etc. you need just the right cup for drinkin' coffee. A decent coffee cup size should be in the 12 - 16 oz. region because a small cup does not quite get it. It needs to be bigger.

How you drink it is up to you. Be sure you have good quality Arabica beans and that the water is at just the right temperature. Coffee should never touch boilin' water.

For specifics directions on the exact temperature of the water, the feel of the fine grind, what to look for before you stir, what type of strainer to use, and how to serve, and for more information, email openpotbrewing@coachscoffee.net

openpotbrewing@coachscoffee.net

2003 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the contact information is included to coach@civilwaruniforms.net

coach@civilwaruniforms.net

Coffee Connoisseur 101

Like most things in life, if you'd just delve into a particular topic, you'd be amazed at the rich tapestry of culture and stories involved with it. A great example is that of coffee. Now to the average consumer, they may not think too much of it. They know that it's widely accessible, and that it tastes good. And if you want to make some at home you'd just buy a coffee maker and some beans.

Well that is a great outline for the coffee culture, but you can literally expand on each specific element of coffee ranging from it's history, to how it's purchased, how to properly taste test coffee, roasting strategies, grinding techniques, brewing tips, serving styles, and how to grow coffee itself.

If you are remotely interested in coffee, then you owe it to yourself to get some books on this massively interesting topic. There are even entire careers beyond being a server within the coffee industry from the science of coffee, to business, and logistics. It's much more than meets the eye and yet it's something we take for granted on a daily basis.

I am sure that once you've learned more about the nuances and intricacies of coffee, your coffee days will never be the same. You will know that being a connoisseur is not just about being a pretentious know-it-all who makes others feel dumb, but someone who truly knows how to enjoy real coffee.

Commercial coffee grinder affiliated packages and services are available at our web page.

Commercial coffee grinder affiliated packages and services

The Art of Coffee Making

There are specific and significant components to making good coffee, and to all coffee lovers out there, this should be taken seriously. Okay, it's just coffee, but people, Americans especially, are drinking a lot of it, so why not brew coffee to the best of its potential? People all over the world are simply doing it wrong! The steps to brewing a better cup of coffee are so simple that there's no reason why you shouldn't try them out and see if you're satisfied with the results. All you have to lose is one pot of coffee, and that's only if you decide you don't like it and end up pouring it down the drain.

The factors of coffee making that you need to consider are the grind of your beans versus the type of coffee maker you are using, the water, the measurements of coffee versus measurements of water, and the freshness of your coffee bean. You may wonder what could be so important about any of these things, but they are simply the fundamentals of coffee making.

What type of coffee maker you are using will determine how coarse or fine your grind needs to be. The coarsest grind is used with French presses, and the finest grind is used with espresso makers. When grinding your coffee, simply follow the guide on the grinder or in the manual, or ask someone who would know how coarse or fine of a grind you need for your specific coffee maker.

Since brewed coffee is 98% water, then you should use clean and fresh purified water. Also, the water should be no less than 190 degrees and no more than 205 degrees for the brewing. Between those temperatures, the water will better extract the full flavor of the bean. Water that is too hot will result in coffee that has a burnt taste.

It is very important that you accurately measure the amount of coffee and water that you use. Normally you can be sure to do this correctly by simply reading the directions on your container of coffee. Generally, though, good coffee is brewed with two tablespoons of coffee per every six ounces of water. If this produces coffee that is too strong for your liking, then the best thing to do is add hot water (between 190-205 degrees) after it is brewed. This way you maintain the invigorating flavor, but at a milder strength.

The last, but not least, important factor to brewing great coffee is the freshness of your coffee bean. Grinding your beans right before you brew them truly helps make a fresher cup of coffee. Even if you don't do that, though, you can keep your coffee fresher by storing it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Maybe you didn't know that your coffee could taste better, but now you do. If coffee is what you wake up to every morning, or if you drink it throughout the day, you owe it to yourself to make it as good as it can be.

John Gibb is the owner of coffee making sources , For more information on how to make coffee check out http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info

coffee making sources http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info

Secrets to the Perfect Cup of Coffee

How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee

How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee

A few simple steps will make your coffee taste great every cup. Want to know how to make the perfect cup of coffee?

And buy only the amount of coffee that can be used within a couple of weeks. Water or ice attaches itself to the porous coffee and ruins the taste. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer will also lead to deteriorating flavor. Keep your coffee at room temperature. Ceramic is best because plastic and metal containers can impart a taste to your coffee or coffee beans. Before you even start, when you bring your coffee home, store it in an airtight container that blocks the light.

Experts advocate using two heaping tablespoons of whole beans to the grinder for every six ounces of water you use. Coffee grinders improve the taste of coffee because they release the oils and aromas of the coffee beans immediately before you brew your coffee. Coffee drinkers who want the perfect flavor use whole coffee beans and grind their coffee just before brewing. Enthusiasts agree.

And if you have control of the temperature of your water, keep it between 195 degrees and 205 degrees to ensure getting the best flavor extraction from your ground coffee. You want the taste of the coffee, not the taste of the water used for brewing. Since coffee is 99% water, use water that is free from chlorine and other minerals.

And what about that coffee maker? Drip coffee makers are easy and can produce terrific coffee. The key to making perfect coffee with a drip coffee maker is making sure to use a gold, nylon, or other type of permanent filter. Permanent coffee filters insure that the flavor molecules from the coffee grinds pass into the water without adding additional flavors. Those disposable paper filters have an aftertaste that they impart to the coffee on the one hand and on the other, they absorb those special aromatic oils from the grinds that are essential for excellent taste. If you must use paper filters, use the unbleached kind and rinse them with hot water before you use them.

When was the last time you cleaned your coffee pot and mugs and cups? Clean equipment can make a tremendous difference in how your coffee tastes. Every so often clean out your mugs and cups with baking soda and water, and rinse them out thoroughly. Every month pour a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water into your drip coffee maker and turn it on. Let the mixture run all the way through, turn off you coffee maker and let it cool for a half hour. Pour out the vinegar mixture and run one or two reservoirs full of clear water to rinse it out, letting the pot cool for 15 to 20 minutes between each rinse.

And one last step. Be sure to drink it while its fresh - more that 20 minutes after brewing is done, your coffee will begin to taste bitter. Now its time to make your coffee.

And now--ENJOY.

Why Antique Coffee Grinders Are So Great For Grinding Coffee Beans

For coffee lovers, the rich smell of freshly ground coffee beans in the morning is enticing. The aroma fills the house and you can almost taste the coffee before you pour it in your cup. The delightful aroma increases as the coffee brews and you stand ready with your mug in your hand just waiting to take that first delightful sip. For coffee lovers such as this, an antique coffee grinder is a welcome kitchen appliance.

Reasons to Buy an Antique Coffee Grinder

You can buy pre-ground beans in packages or cans, but there is no comparison to the taste of the freshly ground ones. You can also buy whole beans at the grocery store and grind them there, but if the person who used the machine before you ground a different flavor of bean, then that flavor could change the flavor of the ones you choose to grind.

You also have to grind all of the beans at once, instead of grinding them as you need them. Grinding them all at once will still allow that fresh taste to come through in the first cups that you brew but the flavor may decrease with each successive cup that you make. That's why it's better to own your own coffee mill. A lot of people purchase electric coffee grinders. They work well but they make a lot of noise. There's also the chance that it may heat up the beans and take away from the great flavor.

Unlike their electric cousins, antique coffee grinders grind the beans to the proper texture with the added benefit of not overheating the beans. Another reason to own one is that they are beautiful objects, rich in history. Since they come in different styles, you can find one that will go well with whatever decor you have in your kitchen.

What Styles do They Come in?

Some antique coffee grinders mount on the wall, while others are countertop models. They are made from a variety of materials, one of which unpainted wood. These have handles that are made of cast iron and have intricate designs painted on them. There are other collectible coffee grinders, such as the Parker Nation Coffee mill. This mill was created circa 1905, in Connecticut. The beautiful bronze finish at the top sets them apart from other antique coffee mills. Another popular one was made in the 1920s, during the famous Art Deco era. Its sleek design makes it an attractive addition to any kitchen.

An antique coffee grinder is a great investment, not only for the wonderful coffee it provides but also because it's attractive and lends a sense of history to your home

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Gourmet Coffee Gifts at http://www.gourmetcoffeeplus.com

Gourmet Coffee Gifts http://www.gourmetcoffeeplus.com

Coffee: Solace in a Bottle

Even if you aren't an avid coffee drinker, you too have the privilege of going on a "coffee break" to do whatever you want, whether it's to buy a pack of gum, or to call a friend, etc.

So yes, coffee is more than a drink. It is solace in a bottle. It allows us to feel human again instead of a monkey trapped in a concrete building all day long. It's the last vestige of freedom during the working hours of 9-5, which has been demarcated by the powers that be to be when we are all drones working to make another person wealthier while we get older.

The only time we have to ourselves is on the weekends and 2 measly weeks out of the year to spend with our families and friends. That is of course if work doesn't get in the way.

But I digress, the bottom line is, we should be grateful that we have these "coffee breaks"- almost like a magical time when we can shut off the world and day dream like when we were in elementary school.

The next time you go buy coffee hopefully you will see it in a different light. It's much more than just a drink to quench your thirst. If you were thirsty you could always get any variety of drink ranging from water, to soda, to tea, or juice. Coffee holds a special place in the food/beverage chain. Shouldn't you be taking care of your coffee?

Top notch coffee syrups items can be obtained from the author's web page.

Top notch coffee syrups

Employee Satisfaction - Bring on the Coffee Machine!

In today's business world, with its connectivity and information flows, good employees are likely to be the targets of your competitors' recruitment drives.

Add to this the fact that in the knowledge economy, these employees provide your company with a competitive advantage, and you realise pretty quickly that you need them to be happy - but you already knew that didn't you?

Keeping them happy with more money, promotions, bigger offices, better located offices…(the list is seemingly endless) certainly helps, but then if your staff are good at what they do, you're in a bidding war with the company down the street who also recognises this. Employees who are unhappy or who leave, present the company with a cost that is often far greater than imagined. The question then is how to keep them happy?

Over the past few years the National Automated Merchandising Association, which represents vending stakeholders, has identified an increase in demand for higher quality coffee machines - coffee machines that use real coffee beans and provide a cup of really fresh coffee on demand. Take coffee for example. Smart companies have other ways of making staff smile.

Worse still, the last one to use it often has the task of preparing the next pot…so human nature takes over and that last cup sits brewing until it turns into sludge! The problem is that it then sits on the boil and after 10 minutes no-one wants to venture near it, fearing that bitter and burnt taste. Disappearing fast are the days of the pour-over coffee flask…you know the one…when freshly brewed, that little glass jar is the envy of all, and there is no shortage of people around the "lifesaver".

Enter the automatic coffee machine …great concept with beverages available at the push of a button, but the problem until recently was that it produced instant coffee and not very good at that. In desperation, usually early in the morning or during the night shift, the buttons did eventually get pressed, but grudgingly at that!

The good news for those who like decent coffee is that the coffee machine manufacturers have made great progress with automated fresh brew systems. Today you can put fresh beans into a coffee vending machine, along with really decent powdered cappuccino milk powders, and after 20 seconds the beans have been ground, the coffee drawn down and the dairy powder whipped up to provide a coffee shop quality cappuccino.

So it isn't surprising that companies are turning to softer employee satisfaction generators like decent office beverages to keep staff happy. Besides, as we all know, the coffee machine is a great place for interaction between staff and for sharing ideas.

Paul Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels, a UK based company, was quoted in The Scotsman as saying "pay packets are, of course, vitally important, but for many it's the little things that can really make the difference between a good working environment and a great one." The article concludes that many workers do long hours of unpaid overtime, so many employers are also enjoying the perk of having dedicated staff. Keeping staff happy can lead to better staff retention and smaller recruitment bills.

So many companies are investing in high quality bean-to-cup coffee machines because they not only provide a homely odour (the good kind!) but they keep staff on site. In a study by Wirthlin International entitled "Speciality Beverage Systems' Impact on the Workplace" (www.wirthlineurope.com), over 15% of staff were found to leave the office daily in search of hot beverages! With a good coffee machine there is no reason to pop down to the local coffee franchise which takes valuable time away from the office - and usually a lot more than imagined given the traffic jams and congested parking lots that epitomise our city cultures.

The Wirthlin study interviewed 76 procurement managers and 383 staff from a wide variety of companies about workplace coffee. It found that 83% of the staff stated that the provision of a wide variety of hot beverages was one of the most visible daily staff benefits and 86% said that companies that valued them were more likely to offer high quality beverages. Interestingly, over 90% of managers making decisions on office coffee services said that employees would be more productive if staff could obtain a beverage in the office and 96% said that the coffee machine offered a necessary break between activities. Valuable? I think so.

The fact that coffee from coffee machines was readily available was also seen as an important attribute, and for decision makers worried about abuse, how many cups of fresh brew coffee can you really drink a day! (before bouncing around the room on a caffeine high!). Of course coffee machines can also provide fresh tea, hot chocolate, espresso and a host of other specialty coffees like moccachino, café latte and the like.

That reminds me, we need one around here for our staff! I guess not. So is it surprising that there has been a rise in demand for these automated fresh brew coffee machines in the corporate world?

The Types of Gourmet Coffee

Whether you are a coffee connoisseur or just need your morning pick me up, there's nothing to tempt the palate quite like a hot mug of smooth gourmet coffee! These improvements allow gourmet coffee drinkers the chance to choose between many different grades and flavors of the coffee. Since it's first induction as the world's most popular beverage, coffee has gone through many changes and upgrades.

Each process will bring about the shared result of removing all of the fruit from the seed. There are a couple of different ways to extract the seed; wet process and dry process. The coffee bean is not really a bean; they are actually the seeds of a cherry that are found on a coffee tree. To fully appreciate a cup of hot gourmet flavored coffee, you should take a minute to inform yourself with the basics of gourmet coffee.

Those that enjoy this type of coffee will also tell you that gourmet coffee has a much better smell and more desirable flavors than Robusta. It has50% of the caffeine of Robusta and has the best taste. gourmet) coffee is the best grade of coffee. Arabica (a.k.a. Robusta coffee makes up the coffee that has the most caffeine, at the cheapest price. There are two types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta.

Basically, if there is any flavor that you are partial to, you will be able to find. Gourmet coffee is available in many of your favorite flavors, including: almond, amaretto, Irish crème, French vanilla, Swiss mocha, vanilla, chocolate, mint, peppermint, pumpkin spice and just about anything else you can imagine!

Arabica coffee ranks very high among the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which pretty much sets the standards applied to all gourmet coffee drinks. If you have a sensitive stomach, you can even find gourmet coffee that is low in acid, making it a little more gentle. There are gourmet flavored coffees that are caffeinated and those that are decaffeinated.

Though this type of coffee may be a bit more pricey than the Robusta, it's the only choice for true coffee lovers! They are also offered at many different prices, depending on your personal preference. The gourmet coffee beans are offered in a variety of different serving sizes. Many coffee making companies offer a gourmet style drink, including: Gevalia, Green Mountain, San Giorgio, San Francisco Bay, Kona and Javalution.

New Career; Coffee Franchise Options, Good or Bad?

Are Coffee Shop Franchises a good business? Well consider the average Starbucks does over $80,000 per month. An interesting book primer to learn more about the coffee business might be "Pour Your Heart Into It" by Howard Schultz. It is worth a read and you can find used books on Amazon.com cheap enough, you will be glad you did.

Of course Starbucks is not a franchise. Recently, I met the head trainer for one of their licensees; Sheridan Hotels which was putting 1000 Starbucks Coffee Shops in their Hotels. But for the average person you cannot become a licensee or franchisee in the United States. So, you will need to look for other options such as; Coffee Beanery, Caribous or It's a Grind. Actually there are about 8 fairly good and growing options out there now. Now then, over all in studying Coffee Shop industry.

I have also talked with many franchisee's as I travel the country and do a little business writing and most are very happy with their businesses. One former franchisee said his business had failed, but as far as the Coffee Franchise option, well that is a good business model so I am not sure what went wrong there.

He claimed that it was not his fault and that arbitration was stacked against the franchisee and yet in arbitration both sides have equal say generally my experience has been that arbitrators are usually way too liberal and pro-franchisee, siding with them and not with the Franchisor. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Think Tank www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

"Let's Get A Cup Of Coffee--It Will Work After That!"

When I first started doing mechanic work in 1970 (we weren't known as *technicians* then) I learned a great *trick-of-the-trade*.

My boss and I were replacing the clutch on this 1969 Chevy pickup.

After he had put the line-up shaft through the clutch plate to get it lined up, so the transmission shaft would go through it, we bolted the pressure plate up to the flywheel.

I pushed the jack, with the transmission on it, up to the back of the engine.

The transmission still had the bell-housing on it.

My boss was at the back of the engine. He guided the bell-housing up to the engine block.

We were very lucky; the transmission went right up to the block.

Well, almost.

It would not go the last ½ inch.

We put a couple of bolts in and tried to draw it up, but it was in a bind.

Removing the bolts so we could *shake* the transmission; sometimes this will cause it to line up with the pilot bearing.

We pushed up and down, right and left. The transmission was off the jack but we left the jack there so we could set the transmission back down on it and rest our arms.

We tried several times, and for several minutes (2 days to be exact, I think), but the transmission just wouldn't go in that last half inch.

My boss had a large amount of tobacco in his mouth. He motioned for me to rest, spit a long stream of juice toward the left front tire, and said, "Let's go get a cup of coffee."

He was the boss, who was I to complain? :-)

When we returned from the café he said, "Now it will go in."

I thought… no, I won't say what I thought.

We returned to our creepers, slid back under the truck.

He took the tail of the transmission and raised it up just a little bit and pushed the transmission all the way up to the block.

"Now put the bolts in." he said with a silly grin.

"What did you do!?" I asked.

"Nothing, we were just too tired to get it lined up. That's why we got a cup of coffee…to rest up."

Well, throughout the years, I've never forgotten that, and I've used that technique several times.

I'm not sure if I stopped working on a project to rest up or just show the vehicle that I'm smarter than it is. 

Tommy Sessions has been in auto repair since 1970. He publishes Auto Repair Answers Newsletter so you can learn how to keep your vehicle looking new, running safely and efficiently, while you save money and time...also, learn how to avoid shop rip offs. Don't be at the mercy of the dealerships and auto repair shops...they will have more respect for you. http://www.auto-repair-answers.com

http://www.auto-repair-answers.com

Who, When and Where in the History of Coffee

The history of coffee widely varies according to the source due to the length of time as well as the blurring of truth that sometimes occurs. Coffee have been a part of culture for over one thousand years.

This is especially true when something as powerful as coffee is involved, as coffees have brought people much wealth and prosperity throughout the history of coffee.

He noted that his sheep became extremely active after eating the red cherries from a plant as they went from one pasture to another. According to one story that has been passed down through the generations, a sheep herder named Kaldi discovered coffee as he tended his sheep. in the part of Africa now known as Ethiopia. Coffees were discovered around 850 A.D.

The story goes on to say that a monk passed by and scolded him for "partaking of the devil's fruit." However, the monks soon found themselves eating the same fruit to help them stay awake for their prayers. He ate a few of the cherries himself, and was soon as overactive as his herd.

But once the people of Arabia became enthralled with coffee and transplanted plants to Arabia, coffees were monopolized by them. Originally, the coffee plant grew naturally in Ethiopia.

Later, countries beyond Arabia whose inhabitants believed coffee to be a delicacy and guarded its secret with the greatest care began to siphon off coffee plants as was possible.

The Arabian government prohibited the transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations, so the actual spread of coffee was started illegally.

In the 17th century, Italian traders introduced coffees to the West and changed the history of coffee forever. Many Christians believed that coffee was the drink of the devil.

But in Italy, Pope Clement VIII drank and endorsed coffee against the advice of his advisors who wanted it to be considered part of the infidel threat. Because of his endorsement of coffee, it became acceptable as a Christian beverage and spread throughout the West.

Coffee Houses began opening in the mid-17th century in the Western world. The first coffee house opened in Italy in 1645, in England in 1652, in Paris in 1672, and in Berlin in 1721.

In 1668, Edward Lloyd's coffee house opened in England and eventually became Lloyd's of London, the best-known insurance company in the world. By this time as well, coffee had replaced beer as New York's City's favorite breakfast beverage.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the Dutch became a prominent force in the coffee industry with a coffee plant smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha. The Dutch cultivated coffee commercially in Ceylon and in their East Indian colony of Java, which came to be the source of coffees' nickname. However, the French stole a seedling and transported it to Martinique.

Fifty years later, an official survey found 19 million coffee trees on Martinique and eventually, it's estimated that ninety percent of the world's coffee spread from this one seedling.

The Dutch and French monopoly was broken up in 1727 when Brazil entered the fray. Lieutenant colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta was sent by the Brazilian government to arbitrate a border dispute between the French and Dutch colonies in Guiana.

Not only did he settle the disagreement, but he also began an affair with the wife of the governor of French Guiana.

The dear lady bid the lieutenant colonel adieu with a bouquet in which she hid cuttings and fertile seeds of coffees that began the Brazilian portion of the history of coffee. By 1907, Brazil accounted for 97% of the world's coffee production.

As the Industrial Revolution swept through Europe and the United States, coffees were changed forever.

Hills Bros. became the first company to vacuum pack coffees, changing the coffee industry from a local one to a regional and even national one. Sanka was introduced to the United States as the first decaffeinated coffee. And Nestle learned how to freeze dry coffee and keep it fresher longer.

The most recent changes in the history of coffee has come over the last sixty years. In 1946, the espresso machine was invented in Italy, giving rise to the Cappuccino.

And in 1971, Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle's Pike Place public market. And that ladies and gentlemen is a small and brief history of coffee, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Coffee House Possibilities

We think about it a lot! While driving we're thinking about it. At work we think about it. At work we think about it. While we're in the gym we think about it. We also incorporate our fantasies into our daily lives and imagine meeting that person who gets our heart racing and our palms sweaty at the places we go. Come on admit it, we all have our fantasies. When your single your always imagining meeting that right person.

So that person walking in is hoping for the same thing you are. After all you're not the only one thinking about it, we all are. Why not, it could happen and it certainly does! We hope for that coffee house possibility of meeting that right person. Certainly while we are sitting at our local coffee shop we look up as someone is coming in and wonder and hope.

In fact, take a hot sip while driving and you might have a different possibility, an accident. After all, there are no possibilities while sipping your mocha café latté driving. Try not just picking up your coffee to go, sit and enjoy a refill. Regularity creates familiarity creating a sense of comfort, which allows two people to ease into conversation. Most people follow routines and by following one yourself you could see the same person regularly. To give your possibilities more of a chance try going to the same coffee shop and go at the same time.

If it goes nowhere don't worry, the great thing about your coffee house, there is always another person coming in creating endless coffee house possibilities. You never know unless you try. Take a chance and even say hello. When you see that certain someone that cause your heart to have a little arrhythmia, don't just freeze, at least smile.

So sit enjoy, what's your rush after all the coffee is good and that next person walking in could be the one you want to meet who wants to meet you, anything is possible at the coffee house!

Your Guide To Wholesale Gourmet Coffee

I would like to have a grande caramel macchiato now so badly. Isn't it so perfect? You can taste the sweet caramel just as you can smell the aroma of the freshly ground coffee nearby. I know that everything you desire right now is a cup of great coffee. Just imagine it, a tall cup filled with rich coffee sitting before you. And this coffee is with your favourite flavour, with or without milk and sugar just as you like it. I personally cannot imagine that there is someone who doesn't expect his everyday coffee with anticipation. It is probably the best moment of the day.

But here it comes, you thought you would just whiz through the drive-through but you see eight other cards waiting in front of you. And you have to wait forever in order to get that fresh rich coffee. It might not take so long but you definitely don't feel like waiting any minute right now. Of course, you might have already thought up of a way to get rid of this awful routine. All you have to do is purchase a personal espresso super machine and wholesale gourmet beans.

Do you know a lot about wholesale gourmet coffee beans? What about home espresso machines? Let me share a little secret with you concerning java. To begin with, it has a great taste. Well, you might have already known that fact. Anyway, what really matters is that you know that you can prepare your very own java mixes and espresso drinks in your own kitchen. That's right, you heard me well. No longer should you rely on that drive-through teenager who may or may not use the old espresso grounds already in the coffee machine. This can be so unpleasant. Today you can buy quality wholesale gourmet coffee and the right coffee machine to get the coffee you deserve.

Personally, I don't see any better way to go. I like buying my own wholesale gourmet coffee beans because I know how old they are. That's how I don't have to use those Starbucks stores which use some of the cheapest beans. My best advice to you would be to purchase wholesale gourmet coffee beans online and I can assure you that you will end up with a finer cup of coffee. After all, all that matters is the fine equipment. Espresso machines are really popular these days. What people want is to be able to prepare their own caffeinated drinks at their homes. We no longer have to run to the coffee house downtown when we feel like having a cup of rich coffee. If you follow my advice, your next step will be hopping online and conducting a search for espresso machines and wholesale gourmet coffee beans. You would never regret if you purchase them.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gifts. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Wholesale Gourmet Coffee

Wholesale Gourmet Coffee

History of Arabian Coffee

robusta. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin C. Arabian coffee accounts for about 80% of all coffee produced in the world. Arabia lends its name to the highest quality coffee plant in the world, Coffea Arabica. Arabian coffee is the quintessential coffee of the world.

This gives it time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures. The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabian coffee which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet.

Arabian coffee soon came to be known as an Islamic beverage. Soon it became a beverage endorsed by the Islamic clerics as drinking alcohol was prohibited in their religion. Soon it became a beverage endorsed by the Islamic people. Coffee soon made its way to Yemen where it was embraced by the Islamic people. Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, just across the Red Sea from Arabia.

However, the Catholic Cardinals shunned it as the ‘Devil's drink' and tried to have it banned. Arabian coffee was exported to Europe where the people embraced it.

He decided that to banish the delightful drink would be a shame to let the impious ones have this delightful drink all to themselves. As legend has it, the Pope was immediately enamored by the distinct, pungent aroma and taste. But then Pope Clement VIII decided that it would be imprudent to ban the beverage without having tasted it, so he summoned a sample.

Arabian coffee is still a part of the Islamic faith and is use in ritualistic ceremonies.

Arabian coffee growers protected their monopoly on the prized plant. They were the exclusive providers of coffee throughout the world for several hundred years.

That is until a coffee plant finally made its way to the Caribbean. This began a new legacy of high-quality coffee in Latin America.

It is said that all the Arabica coffee grown in the world started from this plant as cuttings were transplanted all over the world. Arabian coffee is truly the source of coffee throughout the world.

The word mocha comes from the name Mokha, the shipping port in Yemen where all Arabian coffee was exported. Mocha has become a term used for describing a coffee beverage in which chocolate is added. But originally it had nothing to do with chocolate.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Coffee Pods and Espresso Machines

There's nothing like the perfect espresso . Finely ground, dark roasted coffee, pressed and percolated into a strong, rich coffee drink that delights the senses and perks up your day. In Italy, ordering a coffee means that you're ordering an espresso. The Italians stop in their local bar once, twice, even three times a day for the perfect cup of espresso. But here in America, it's not as easy to find espresso done right. The grind of the coffee, the right temperature, the pressing of the coffee and the foaming of the milk are skills that few people know how to wield properly on this side of the ocean. But now with espresso machines and coffee pods , the guesswork is taken out of making espresso at domestic bars or even in your own kitchen at home.

perfect espresso espresso machines coffee pods

In Italy, most Italians wouldn't recognize what we think of as a coffee maker. They use a "machinetta", a contraption that looks like a metal hourglass that has a top like a pitcher. The machine has 2 chambers. Water and coffee go into the bottom chamber. The machine is placed on the stovetop and heated until the water boils, percolating through the espresso grinds and into the second chamber. The pressure on the grinds between the two chambers insures that the coffee is pressed - the word espresso means "expressed" - and the rich taste comes from getting as much of the flavor out of the grinds as possible. The milk is heated and whipped separately. But it's easy to make a mistake in this process. Either by using the wrong amount of water or coffee , turning the heat on too strong or not using the right timing .

it's easy to make a mistake wrong amount of water or coffee heat on too strong right timing

The growing popularity of espresso has meant that people want an easier, error free way to make it at home. So now you can find espresso machines that let you get the right combination of the necessary steps every time. There is a wide range of models to choose from, with different features and capacity. Some are designed for use in restaurants or bars, capable of producing large volumes of coffee in shorter amount of time. Unless you do enough entertaining at home to justify the cost, these probably aren't the best solution for you.

espresso machines

Models made for home usually produce either one or two "shots" of espresso at a time. If you prefer your espresso "macchiato", with milk, or you want to turn your espresso into a cappuccino, you will want to get an espresso machine with a nozzle that creates the steam and lets you froth the milk. Beyond these choices, you might want to consider a product that lets you use coffee pods . These pods look like large tea bags. They contain the exact amount of espresso to deliver a perfect shot every time. You simply put the pod into its slot, close it, and start the machine. When the cycle has finished, you just throw the pod away. It helps prevent any problems with measuring out the espresso and makes cleaning up absolutely easy.

coffee pods

If you purchase a machine that uses coffee pods , you might want to consider whether or not it can also take either another brand's coffee pods or regular loose espresso. Some machines do, but many will work only with the coffee pods that the same company also designs. Having the flexibility to use either the pod or loose coffee means you can still use it even if you run out of pods, which might need to be special ordered. Until these machines become more popular, it's not likely that the pods will be carried consistently in local grocery stores. Plus, the choice to use either kind of coffee also gives you the freedom to experiment with other roasts or flavors of espresso to further indulge your love of coffee.

machine that uses coffee pods

The Rat Race and Smiling Over Spilt Coffee

As if choreographed and rehearsed the night before, one lays witness to the rumble of heels, a sea of italian-crafted, waxed, buffed and protected from any Act of God footwear, tap-tap-tapping down the staircase: the mesmerizing beat of the damned.

Brandishing their Palm Pilots in one hand, and orchestrating life's events with the wand of bad penmanship, they record their thoughts: In a heave of a massive sigh, worthy of destroying all sound barriers, they look down at their footwear and see a blemish. On cue, all eyes dart to the tunnel, shift to the clock display, and as if mistrusting the red numbers flashing on this digital billboard, raise their watches in unison, tilting their rolex faces on an angle so as to blind the few people who dare to look elsewhere.

Kiss X goodnight. Check stocks. Go to office room. Make appearance at dinner table. Remember there's a family waiting at home. Check Stocks. Make ten times as much money as those people doing ten times more work than me. Pretend to look busy. Check Stocks. Shoeshine. Buy Financial Daily.

As quick as these strands taste their forbidden fruit, the fiesta terminates: Only a few hairs swagger out of place, licking the air as if it was their first time breathing oxygen. Starched blouses and suit jackets, unmoving and defensive. A few grimaces surface here and there, yet their hard, solid shoes maintain their ground. The train jets into the station, a cup of designer coffee dislodges from a hand and dies on the platform.

Gel hair. Insert after shoeshine: Check hair.

And I, as I examine my own hair, dishevelled and marked with split ends, my hand stained with the stamp from the concert two nights ago, my shirt with the gaping rip in the shoulder from a misfortunate accident with a wire hanger, as well as my own feet, swathed in worn canvas casings a la Payless, I watch them collectively board the commuter vehicle, each person's suit jacket spooning another suit jacket, as anonymously and unemotively as possible.

The conductor tilts his head. "You coming?"

I stand still, watching the occupants of the train, looking off into the distance, as if daring not to blink, daring not to breathe.

"Hey, you! You coming or not?"

"No," I say, jumping right into the puddle of spilt coffee. "I've got other plans."

About The Author

A moderately unhappy graduate of Ryerson University, Connie embraced the world of experience and is now a suffering travel-holic, life lover and raving diarist.

Coffee Storage Myths; Freeze Your Fresh Roasted Coffee & Other Popular Misconceptions

It's now time to take matters into your own hands! You are financially outraged at the price of a single cup of designer coffee shop coffee. So you are finally fed up with that bland black liquid, you once called coffee, brewed from the finest can of generic supermarket grinds.

You splurge on several pounds of the finest fresh roasted Arabica bean coffee the world has to offer. Even the engineers at NASA would envy the bells and whistles on this baby. So you invest in the latest technologically advanced coffee maker, including your very own coffee bean grinder.

No more long lines and outrageous prices at the neighborhood café for you! You feel like a mad scientist as you adjust every bell and whistle on your space age coffee maker and you revel in this accomplishment as you finish your first cup of home brewed gourmet coffee. Your eyes widen at the site of all those shiny brown beans as you begin to grind your first pound of gourmet coffee. You pop open the vacuum-sealed bag and release that incredible fresh roasted coffee aroma.

Now it's time to store all those pounds of unopened packages of fresh roasted coffee beans and the unused portion of the black gold you have just ground. Then you remember what your mother told you; "Freeze the unopened beans & Refrigerate the freshly ground coffee".

"Freeze the unopened beans & Refrigerate the freshly ground coffee".

Having the best coffee beans available and using the most advanced coffee brewing equipment will do little to provide you with the best cup of coffee you desire if the beans are not treated correctly. At this point, it would be best if you just returned to the supermarket and purchase a stock of those generic grinds you had grown to loathe.

Looking at the facts, we learn that the natural enemies of fresh roasted coffee are light, heat and moisture. Storing your coffee away from them will keep it fresher longer. Therefore, an airtight container stored in a cool, dry, dark place is the best environment for your coffee.

But why not the freezer, It's cool & dark? This does make sense, but if it be the case, then why do we not find our supermarket coffee in the frozen food section?

But why not the freezer, It's cool & dark?

Here's why!

• Coffee is Porous. It is exactly this feature that allows us to use oils and syrups to flavor coffee beans for those who enjoy gourmet flavored coffees. For this same reason, coffee can also absorb flavors and moisture from your freezer. The absorbed moisture will deteriorate the natural goodness of your coffee and your expensive gourmet coffee beans will taste like your freezer.
• The coffee roasting process causes the beans to release their oils and essences in order to give the coffee its distinct flavor. This is the reason why your beans are shiny. These oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso beans and the reason why these coffees are so distinct in flavor. The process of freezing will break down these oils and destroy the natural coffee flavor. So unless you don't mind frozen fish flavored coffee, you should avoid using the freezer to store your gourmet coffee beans at all costs.

• Coffee is Porous. It is exactly this feature that allows us to use oils and syrups to flavor coffee beans for those who enjoy gourmet flavored coffees. For this same reason, coffee can also absorb flavors and moisture from your freezer. The absorbed moisture will deteriorate the natural goodness of your coffee and your expensive gourmet coffee beans will taste like your freezer.
• The coffee roasting process causes the beans to release their oils and essences in order to give the coffee its distinct flavor. This is the reason why your beans are shiny. These oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso beans and the reason why these coffees are so distinct in flavor. The process of freezing will break down these oils and destroy the natural coffee flavor. So unless you don't mind frozen fish flavored coffee, you should avoid using the freezer to store your gourmet coffee beans at all costs.

Coffee is Porous. It is exactly this feature that allows us to use oils and syrups to flavor coffee beans for those who enjoy gourmet flavored coffees. For this same reason, coffee can also absorb flavors and moisture from your freezer. The absorbed moisture will deteriorate the natural goodness of your coffee and your expensive gourmet coffee beans will taste like your freezer.

The coffee roasting process causes the beans to release their oils and essences in order to give the coffee its distinct flavor. This is the reason why your beans are shiny. These oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso beans and the reason why these coffees are so distinct in flavor. The process of freezing will break down these oils and destroy the natural coffee flavor. So unless you don't mind frozen fish flavored coffee, you should avoid using the freezer to store your gourmet coffee beans at all costs.

There are some exceptions to freezer storing your coffee, but you should proceed with caution! Fresh roasted coffee will remain fresh for approximately 2 weeks. If you have more than you can use in this 2 week period you can, and I shutter to say, freeze your coffee but you should follow these steps:

• Apply the Freeze Once Rule. What this means is that once you take the beans out of the freezer, they should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean, destroying the coffee oils and allowing absorption of unwanted flavors. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process and destroying your expensive gourmet coffee
• Keep moisture out! Remember, moisture is coffee's natural enemy. If you have a five-pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. If possible, suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw or a vacuum sealer. Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. And remember, Do not put it back into the freezer!

• Apply the Freeze Once Rule. What this means is that once you take the beans out of the freezer, they should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean, destroying the coffee oils and allowing absorption of unwanted flavors. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process and destroying your expensive gourmet coffee
• Keep moisture out! Remember, moisture is coffee's natural enemy. If you have a five-pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. If possible, suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw or a vacuum sealer. Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. And remember, Do not put it back into the freezer!

Apply the Freeze Once Rule. What this means is that once you take the beans out of the freezer, they should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean, destroying the coffee oils and allowing absorption of unwanted flavors. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process and destroying your expensive gourmet coffee

Keep moisture out! Remember, moisture is coffee's natural enemy. If you have a five-pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. If possible, suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw or a vacuum sealer. Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. And remember, Do not put it back into the freezer!

So when is it best Refrigerate Coffee? Simply put, Never ever, unless you are conducting a science experiment on how long it takes to ruin perfectly good coffee. The fridge is one of the absolute worst places to put coffee. The reasons why not to freeze fresh roasted coffee also apply here.

So when is it best Refrigerate Coffee?

Other Popular Coffee Myths Exposed.

• Grind all beans before storing Absolutely wrong!. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving!
• Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee. Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee. The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesn't allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffee's freshness and taste.

Other Popular Coffee Myths Exposed.

• Grind all beans before storing Absolutely wrong!. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving!
• Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee. Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee. The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesn't allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffee's freshness and taste.

Grind all beans before storing Absolutely wrong!. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving!

Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee. Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee. The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesn't allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffee's freshness and taste.

A quick review for storing your gourmet coffee

• Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible
• Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed
• Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place
• Grind your beans just before brewing
• Enjoy!

A quick review for storing your gourmet coffee

• Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible
• Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed
• Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place
• Grind your beans just before brewing
• Enjoy!

Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible

Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed

Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place

Grind your beans just before brewing

Enjoy!

Why Is Coffee Not My Cup Of Tea? Is It Stale?

In many cases it is due to over stocking. How does coffee get to the point of being stale? Stale coffee can leave a bad taste in your mouth, but if you buy coffee that is guaranteed fresh when you brew it then it will taste smooth and refreshing. Stale coffee itself is horrible to drink. After some research it a cured to me that the problem is lack of freshness, and coffee that was brewed hours ago. So what is giving coffee such a bad rap? In fact, fresh coffee is smooth and tasty even undoctored. Fresh coffee is never bitter. Most everyone that I have talked to that does not like coffee said that it is the bitter taste they don't like.

Another problem is over stocking. This is the main reason coffee gets to the point of being stale. Poor packaging is when the product is not properly sealed from the manufacture, or the seal is broken then the coffee is exposed to the air, which dries out the coffee.

What about coffee that was brewed 4 hours ago? If you were to brew a cup of coffee will be horrible. I have worked for a grocery store before and I have seen products stay on the shelves for months. Do you see the problem now? It can vary, but the average length is about 6 months. How long can coffee remain fresh in a vacuum-sealed container? The problem is they can sit on that coffee for month, or even years until it is sold. Many distributors of coffee buy by volume to get the coffee at a cheaper price. When a store over stocks there products the product sits longer on the shelf or in the back and over time the freshness fades away.

How fresh is your coffee? My wife hates coffee because of her first bad experience, and after I roasted her a fresh batch she admitted that it was really good and not bitter. If it is not fresh don't drink it. The coffee can have a burnt taste that is also bitter. In many cases the coffee appears thicker because the water is vaporized over time.

Coffee Shops

But have you ever wondered when the first coffee shop started? For most harried career individuals, a visit to their coffee shops for a nightcap with friends and business associates is their idea of a relaxing evening.

It quickly grew in popularity, and by 1675, three thousand coffeehouses were born in England. Boston welcomed its own version of this haven for coffee lovers in 1670, while Paris opened the doors of its first-ever coffee shop in 1671. The first coffee shop opened in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1554, while the first coffeehouse opened in Cornhill, London, in 1652.

Its success was akin to that of tobacco in seventeenth-century Europe. The first coffee plantation in modern times was started in Brazil, in 1727, using slave laborers from Africa. A more credible version asserts that the first coffee shop opened in Krakow, in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, owing to its close trade ties with the Turks. The coffeehouse was started using supplies left behind by the losing Turks. As the legend goes, the first coffeehouse was believed to have opened in Vienna in 1683, after the Battle of Vienna.

For the French, Spanish, and German people, a café is a place where a wide variety of beverages are served, ranging from different types of coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages. In the Netherlands, the term coffee shop is used to refer to places where marijuana is sold, since one needs fewer permits to open a coffee shop. The Dutch people associate the word with bars and thus relate it more to alcohol. The term "Café" is synonymous with a place where coffee and meals are served together.

Visit your favorite coffee shop and take your pick from among these wonderful concoctions, sure to warm your hearts and lift your spirits. What are you waiting for? In addition to those blended commercially, a lot of coffeehouses have their own signature house blends.

Coffee: Specialty Gourmet Coffee For Everyone

Specialty gourmet coffee quenches the thirst of millions of people a day and billions of servings of gourmet coffee is served yearly. You will find gourmet coffee in any event imaginable from board meetings, to casual meetings between friends.

Gourmet coffee is one of the fasted growing sectors within the food economy. Vendors have found that gourmet coffee beans have been able to satisfy the collective palates of countless individuals around the world.

The beans used in gourmet coffee are generally grown at very high altitudes within Arabic trees and are known to feed and grow upon volcanic ash. These beans need lots of moisture as well as a relatively cool climate.

The very soil in which beans are grown have a distinct effect on how it ultimately tastes in the end. Gourmet coffee has a markedly richer and fuller taste than it's mass produced coffee counterpart.

Gourmet coffee is actually put through a very rigid certification process which helps maintain consistent high levels of quality throughout the batches. The overseeing organization for these standards is called The Specialty Coffee Association of America.

Gourmet coffee is widely available and purchasable via many specialty coffee shops, groceries, coffee shops, and restaurants. Also available via special online coffee shops as well.

Rush onto our site for great stuff on commercial espresso machine exclusive hints this minute!

commercial espresso machine exclusive hints

Gourmet Coffee Stops Decrease Gas Mileage;Home Brewed Premium Coffee Reduce Traffic Congestion

Department of Transportation as the basis for her provocative conclusions. Nancy McGuckin, a travel behavior analyst, studied a report called "National Household Travel Survey" by the U.S. A researcher has stirred up the commuter coffee mug with the suggestion that morning rush hour traffic is worsened by stops for daily morning gourmet coffee at Starbucks and other premium coffee houses.

It has long been known that frequent starting and stopping during a commute drastically reduces fuel economy due to the need to rev up the car engine that the most fuel is wasted.

This behavior is exactly what is required when visiting congested shopping areas on the way to work, find a parking space, (where gourmet coffee shops are often located) stop the engine, return to the car with coffee in hand, restart the engine and make your way back to the highway and finally to work.

This is because people divert from the shortest and fastest route, to one that leads them past the coffee house or dry cleaners. Although not limiting this research finding only to trips to coffee houses, the research suggests that running additional errands in the morning on the way to work has contributed to traffic congestion and increased gridlock. McGuckin, the travel analyst, dubbed her discovery, "The Starbucks Effect" because during the period she studied, Starbucks added over 4000 new locations (1995 - 2001).

The shorter route between home and business office would be much more direct and require fewer bursts of acceleration, engine starts and stops and less frequent visits to crowded shopping areas, which require commuters to search for parking, with trips around the block to find spaces or idling the engine waiting for others to leave spaces nearer the coffee house.

Burning small amounts of extra fuel during those waits over and over each day adds up to very significant wasted fuel and lowered mileage over time. Wear and tear on engines increases as this behavior continues, and becomes habitual.

The cost of gourmet coffee at premium coffee houses is also as much as six or seven times the cost of home brewed coffee from premium fresh ground whole bean blends. Coffee houses have either a "house blend" or "featured" blend on brew and you get whatever they have chosen for you. Then your only choice is to elbow your way through the crowds and merge back into the city gridlock to get to work, further slowing traffic and decreasing gas mileage.

A Washington Post article by Catherine Shaver, discusses the commuter study and quotes Alan E. Pisarsky, Author of "Commuting in America" as saying, "It's more of a problem from a traffic point of view than from anything else."

Increasing the number of stops in the trip decreases gas mileage and stress levels, while brewing coffee at home can actually save you gas over a relatively short period of time. Taking fresh brewed coffee from home could actually reduce stress and wear and tear on the car. When brewing your own gourmet coffee blend at home, you have a choice of fresh ground coffee beans from fine Italian Espressos to the rare and exotic Indonesian Kopi Luwak.

Commuters can consider making gourmet coffee drinks at home before departing for work and enjoy it at home while spending quality time with the family or take it along in a commuter coffee travel mug. You'll save money by paying less than .30 cents per cup for your favorite gourmet coffee made from fresh ground beans, as well as help to reduce gridlock and increase mileage by taking the fastest route to work instead of detouring to the coffee shop.

Copyright © 2005 http://TastesOfTheWorld.net

The Changes You Want - "Coffee House Conversations"

Everywhere you go, you hear people talk about the changes they want to make in their lives. Certainly while your getting your coffee or tea at the coffee house you do.

"I want to lose weight."

"I want a better job."

"I want to make more money."

Maybe for you it's travel, education, meeting someone or improving a current relationship. We all have goals and changes we want that go unresolved. So we talk a lot about wanting them to change. How often does anyone really do anything about changing? In fact, after a while you'll start hearing the wants turn to complaints. Then the complaints turn into reasons why success is not possible. "I don't have the time or money or ability." There are an endless number of reasons.

As a life coach, people are always telling me why they are stuck and why they can't do certain things. "I don't like to workout." or "I'm too forgetful." Basically what they're telling me is, "I have no control over my own behavior." Here's one we have all heard from someone, "I'm not a morning person."

What if I offered a "non-morning person" a million dollars to be a morning person tomorrow morning? Most people would say, "Well, for a million dollars I could be." So in truth, it's not that you are not a morning person, or that you don't have the time or any of the other reasons you give that prevent you from the changes you want, you simply haven't found the motivation.

With the right motivation, and it doesn't have to be money, you can change and create winning actions in your life. You are not locked into any behavior. Stop placing limits on yourself and talking about the changes you want and the reasons you can't achieve them. There is no definition of you other than the definition you give yourself.

We all have the power to redefine ourselves and create the lives we want. Let me show you how powerful you are. Take a sip of your coffee or tea and let me ask you this: Right now, could anything stop you from taking that sip? Oh, you don't have a coffee or tea? Then get one or imagine you have one. Barring a sudden, catastrophic natural disaster, the answer is no, nothing can. The only thing that could stop you from taking a sip is…you!

In fact, nothing can stop you from going to the gym, eating right, getting an education, looking for a better job, paying attention to your relationships, not spending money on your credit cards or doing the things you should to make your life better. Nothing can stop you from anything you want to improve in your life except you. You are the only obstacle in your life.

We need to stop blaming outside factors for our behavior. There is no boogeyman keeping you from creating the life you want. We also have to stop looking for shortcuts. We tend to fall into the trap of wanting instant gratification and there are plenty of folks trying to sell this junk. I hate to be the one to tell you this but there are no magic pills that will make you thin, cure your life in seven days, get rich over night or have great abs in two weeks.

There is only one sure way to success and that's doing the work. This means we must get into action. Get motivated to change right now! Motivation is power and we have established here that being powerful is as simple as taking a sip of coffee or tea.

So enjoy the rest of your coffee or tea and smile while you take that sip, because right now you are powerful and right now you've decided to get into action to achieve the changes you want.

About The Author - As a life coach, Devlyn has made helping people find ways to improve their lives his personal mission and passion. He is a public consultant, a private counselor, an author and creator of Tools To Life. He has hosted his own radio shows called "Tools To Life" and "Love beat" and has been a guest on over 150 various shows. You can read his articles and advice all over the Internet. Devlyn has often been referred to as "America's Leading Life-Coach."

For Free E-books and more information visit DevlynSteele.com

DevlynSteele.com

The Joys of Home Coffee

For those who have not jumped onto the home coffee brewing and roasting phenomena, what are you waiting for! There is no simpler joy in life than being able to control and enjoy the quality of your coffee and sharing it with friends and family.

One thing you will quickly realize is simply how much fun you will have by the simplicity of roasting coffee at home. And the rewards are just the tip of the iceberg. When you have all the processes at your fingertips, you can witness with your very own eyes the crackling of the coffee beans as well as it roasting.

You think you will only have fun once you can take your first sip? Not at all! During the roasting process you will be entranced by a rich and splendid fragrance that will fill your house! It's advisable to be near an open window or have a stove hood and oven fan for darker roasting methods. Also the darker the roast, the more fragrant and swelling the aroma will be so be prepared for that!

Conversely with lighter roasts you will still experience a great aroma filling the air, but not quite laid on as thick as with the darker roasts.

Commercial espresso machine analogous offerings and services are found at the author's site.

Commercial espresso machine analogous offerings and services