Java Jim

March 9, 2010

Why Do We Drink So Much Coffee?

Filed under: Coffee — Tags: , , , , , — Kevin Collins @ 3:17 pm

Did you know that around the globe we drink over a billion cups of coffee on an average day? That is billion not million – which is a whole lot of coffee! Everyone seems to love this simple little drink, but why is that? Let’s look at the top reasons here:

Caffeine - Ah yes, this has to be the first and main reason why people drink coffee. Now not everyone drinks coffee for the kick it gives you, I got off that rollercoaster years ago and only drink decaffeinated now, but only something like 10% of coffee consumed is decaff.

Caffeine is actually a stimulant which is why people love it so much. When you wake up in the morning and you have to drag yourself out of your comfy bed and down into the cold kitchen, then people like to have a quick ‘pick me up’ to get them started on their way. After you drink your coffee and the caffeine kicks in then your tiredness falls away and you feel alert and ready to face the day. Caffeine also raises your dopamine levels (like an amphetamine does) which makes you feel good, another reason people love it!

The scary thing is that caffeine is actually classed as a psychoactive drug, and you can get addicted to it. The ‘high’ that people experience from a cup of coffee is only shortlived, around an hour or so in a typical coffee drinker. After that then you start to crash and will feel worse than before you had a cup, so then most people go and grab another cup to pick themselves up again.

Taste - In a world dominated by sugary, carbonated beverages, then it is nice to have something like coffee which is more of a savoury taste. It is something entirely different to other kinds of drinks, which makes it more appealing.

Social reasons - Coffee is so popular that almost everywhere you go you’ll be offered a cup, it is part of the social side of our lives, we all get together round a good brew and have a chat. Plus you can get it almost anywhere now so you never have to struggle to get a cup.

Temperature - If we didn’t have tea and coffee then what other hot drinks would we enjoy? Maybe hot chocolate, but that is not really a drink you can enjoy throughout the day. So the fact that coffee is hot is a big selling point, I love to have a warm drink on a cold winters day, there is nothing better.

There is no doubt that the world is in the grip of coffeemania, and these are the reasons why. I think that as time progresses then we’ll only grow to love this drink more, and now I’m off to get a cup of coffee?

A great way to make real coffee is with a vacuum coffee maker, it makes a great tasting brew and it is fun to watch! If that sounds good then you might want to consider a Bodum Santos coffee maker.

March 6, 2010

Is Coffee Consumption Healthy Or Unhealthy For Your Health?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Amelie Rogers @ 11:07 am

If you regularly enjoy a cup of coffee, you might occasionally wonder if it’s doing you any good. If, like me, you’re the anxious type, then the question could pop into your mind practically every day.

A great many of the world’s population are coffee drinkers. The taste of coffee certainly grows on you over time but it has another big advantage, too. When we’re feeling exhausted and nothing else can get us going, caffeine will come up trumps and give our energy levels a huge lift.

A cup of coffee can also help us while we work. In studies, caffeine was shown to make people more alert, better able to concentrate and more efficient.

It’s clear, then, that coffee has a positive effect on the way the brain functions. However, there are differing opinions as to whether coffee is good for the body as a whole. Some say it’s harmless, whereas others are convinced it can’t be beneficial.

Some studies will show that coffee may in fact raise blood pressure levels over time. This, coupled with the fact that heart rates increase with caffeine consumption, worries many people.

Conversely, other research programs have indicated that only drinking large quantities of coffee very frequently would produce these effects. If you’re consuming an average of about one cup of coffee a day, then you have nothing to worry about.

Then there’s the antioxidant argument. More recent studies have shown that coffee beans contain antioxidants that may be effective in warding off diseases like cancer by lowering your risk of contraction. Being that coffee is natural, this is very well conceivable. Red wine is known to have similar qualities.

Of course, any powerful stimulant should be handled carefully, especially as we grow older. We just have to be careful not to overdo things where coffee is concerned. As the saying goes, moderation in all things and all things in moderation!

Check out more of this writer’s writing about utility cart wheels as well as kitchen utility cart.

February 26, 2010

Glass Coffee Cups Are Not As Weak Nor As Expensive As Some May Assume

Filed under: Coffee — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Ginger Callahan @ 3:04 pm

Not all coffee cups are made of porcelain or ceramic. Not all coffee cups that aren’t made of porcelain are paper coffee cups, either. People’s fascination with caffeine has driven them to put coffee in all manner of things. Some folks even swear that coffee from glass coffee cups tastes different than from a porcelain or ceramic coffee cup, but that’s obviously subjective. There are other reasons that one might choose glass coffee cups over more traditional methods of serving coffee, though.

Looks

Some folks like to see what they’re drinking, and most coffee cups don’t allow for that. If you can’t see it, how can you be sure your cafe mocha contains the correct portion of cream, and that cappuccino the right amount of milk foam? When it comes to coffee, not everyone “gets it”, so coffee shops might make use of glass coffee cups to let their customers know that they’re getting what they’re paying for.

Glass Is Not As Breakable As You Might Think

Glass is usually accepted to be quite breakable, but the reality isn’t so cut and dry. It depends more on thickness than anything, really, just like ceramic and porcelain. As a plus, a glass coffee cup won’t chip or crack as easily as ceramic. Besides, unless your kitchen or office floor is made of concrete, odds are pretty good that, should you drop a glass coffee cup, it will probably just bounce.

Containing Heat

There’s no particular coffee cup material, be it ceramic or porcelain, that will keep your coffee warm, regardless of what some say. Heat does not transfer well through those materials, though, making them ideal for use as coffee cups. The goal isn’t so much to retain heat as it is to provide a handle that’s touchable by human hands. Generally speaking, glass does transfer heat a little easier, but glass coffee cups usually are made in a way that make them even more heat resistant than your standard cup. Of course, none of these will keep heat in like plastic or aluminum insulated mugs, or even lidded disposable coffee cups.

They Only Look Expensive

Glass coffee cups are much more elegant looking than their more traditional cousins, so many people assume they’re pricey. However, glass coffee cups are about as affordable as any quality coffee cup, regardless of the material. There are even glass espresso coffee cups available, complete with little glass saucers. Finding glass coffee cups can sometimes be a challenge, but most larger department stores will carry them, and you can always find an enormous selection online.

Want to learn more about coffee cups of all kinds? Check out Great Coffee Cups.

February 24, 2010

Buy One Of These Energy Drinks Rather Than Coffee

Filed under: Coffee — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Adam Harvey @ 9:10 am

For me, every day must begin with a dose of caffeine usually in the form of a strong coffee. I just cannot function and my day will not go right without it.

It is very easy to become hooked on coffee; so many people rely on it heavily to get through their day. Once they realize that they are addicted, people will normally set off on the path of decaff-detox trying all other ways known to man that will give them a bit of an energy boost during the day.

It doesn’t really matter what the reasoning is behind wanting to give myself an energy boost, all that really matters for me is that I like it and that it works.

One thing that you can do is go the energy drink route. There are hundreds of different options for energy drinks, some of them more natural than others. There’s Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star, and a handful of other brands that you should find in just about every store.

Personally, I like the sugar free version of Monster. The size of the can is big enough to give me a serious kick, and the fact that it’s sugar free prevents any kind of a crash that one with sugar might give me.

Another way you can go is the energy shot approach. There’s the famous five hour energy shot, but newer products like a Red Bull energy shot have caught onto the craze. These don’t pack the calories that others do, but they’ll still give you a great kick.

If you like tea at all then wheat grass tea can give you a real boost even if it does take some getting used to, but it is perfect if you prefer the natural remedy to the chemical.

I’m sure all of these ideas will give you the motivation to give up coffee, and don’t forget after trying out a few, you can always go back on the coffee for a bit. As they say, once an addict, always an addict.

This writer also often blogs about fine table linens and discount table linens.

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