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One of the most interesting stories in the world is the history of that amazing drink that we call now coffee. OK, coffee is varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political intrigue, and the pursuit of wealth and power.

According to one legend (no idea is the legend is real or not), the great effect of coffee beans was noticed by a smart sheep herder from Caffa, in Ethiopia named Kaldi as he was watching his sheep. He noticed that his sheep became happy and very active after eating the red fruits of this unusual plant, the fruits look like red “cherries” . Kaldi, the shepherd soon realized that it was the bright red cherries on the plant that were causing the funny euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned about the great effect .

So what Kabi did next? You bet, Kabi as a good network marketing guy, Kaldi dutifully reported his findings to the his community and after a few tries the monks decided to drink water with berries so they could be awake for longer hours of praying.

So you can say that the first use of coffee was mainly religious. Pretty funny isnt’? But obviously keeping the secret was pretty difficult and the word spread, the rumor about coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, and you pet, coffee was born.

I know, believing in this legend is pretty nice, but some top historians believe something different, they think that the first beans of coffee where brought to Ethiopia (where the legend started) by ships from Yemen, where it existed since the 6th century. Then coffee became world famous once it arrived to key places in that time, Cairo and Mecca.

I love the legends about the origin of things, and in this case, I love the legend of the origin of Mocha mainly because I’m a coffee lover, but the best one so far is the origin of how the name of mocha or coffee was created.

The story goes that Arabian was sent to the desert with his followers to die of starvation (not very nice). Well, the Arabian was so desperate that he had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. (yes, you guess it already, didn’t you? Coffee) Not only this fruit save the exiles, but their survival was taken as a religious sign by the residents of close by town, Mocha.

The plant and its beverage were named Mocha to honor this event. So every time you order a Mocha , think of this. Nice story isn’t?

The ironic thing of the history of coffee is that the plant grew naturally in Ethiopia, but once transplanted in Arabia the Arabic business men took control and make a good profit from the coffee idea, but it took a long time for a country to adapt it as a proper drink. And that was until the Turks started drinking coffee in their everyday life, often adding spices such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom and anise to the brew.
That’s why we have Turkish coffee !

Joaquin Costa is the editor of many ebsites and he has been working for years writing about coffee at http://www.52coffeemakers.com

Coffee makers come in many different shapes, sizes, colours and abilities. There coffee makers that will make good old regular coffee or others which can produce everything from a espresso to a latte at the touch of a button. What ever your preference may be there is an automatic coffee machine out there to full fill your need for coffee. It is even possible to get a coffee maker which can grind the coffee beans and have perfect coffee ready when you wake in the morning, all you have to do is program it the night before!

As with any appliance if you take care of your coffee machine and maintain it properly it should serve you well for many years. This sounds complicated but, something as simple as switching it off when not in use can extend its life. Keeping it clean is also a good way to ensure your machine works well, run a solution of vinegar and water through a cycle once in a while. This will help keep the machine clean inside and make sure you get a perfect brew every time! Just make sure you get rid of all traces of vinegar by running water through the coffee machine a few times before you brew coffee again.

Automatic coffee machines with timers can actually save you a bit of time in the morning. All you have to do is fill and set the machine the night before to start brewing whilst you have your shower or even 10 minutes before the dreaded alarm goes off and you will have coffee ready to get your day started. With some machines you can even get a quick cup before all the coffee has brewed because of a flow interruption mechanism which stops the flow of coffee to stop for a few seconds when the carafe is pulled out.

The choice of automatic coffee makers is huge. Large and small and these days also in lots of colours so it should not really be too difficult to find one which will fit in with your kitchen decor whilst filling all your needs in the vast array of models on the market. The most important thing is to buy a machine which suits you and your families coffee drinking habits, some only produce full pots of coffee while some will make a single cup. Believe it or not there are even portable coffee makers for those weekends away camping!

To find out more about the vast choice of coffee machines available visit http://electronicspricecomparisons.com

While coffee and espresso is a trend that doesn’t seem to die down — especially since Starbucks is still so popular, even though you can find them virtually across the street from each other — barista training is hard. In order to get a staff ready to serve high quality espresso drinks, you have to spend hours on espresso, then on milk, and then on building drinks. If you want to serve espresso, but you don’t want to train anyone, you need help. And that help comes in the form of a coffee/cappuccino dispenser.

Isn’t This Cheating?

Here’s the truth about the average coffee drinker — they don’t know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino, even if their life depended on it, they couldn’t tell you. And while you might want to serve the most quality drinks you can, people probably won’t like what you serve. They want sweet drinks that sort of taste like coffee, but not really. And a coffee/cappuccino dispenser does just that. In fact, your customer can serve themselves from this dispenser, saving you time and money in the process.

How’s It Work?

When you buy this dispenser, all you need to have in place is a water source on the counter where it will sit. This water source is going to hook up to the back of the dispenser and mix together with the prepackaged coffee drink mixes you can order. You can choose from popular flavors like mocha and vanilla, or you can do something festive for the holidays like pumpkin spice or cinnamon. All you need to do then is let the machine do its job and then make sure it’s always full so the customer can get what they want when they want it.

Where Can I Use It?

You might want to set up a coffee/cappuccino dispenser where you set up other self serve drinks as this makes the most sense. You can also place this dispenser right behind the counter to serve the customer when they pay for their meal at a buffet sort of arrangement. You can have these machines at your server station as well to help expedite the drink orders.

With a coffee/cappuccino dispenser, you’ll just have to teach your crew how to set the machine up and then how to push a button until the cup is full, then to release it. Baristas aren’t necessary. Heck, most people don’t even know what that means. They just want their coffee.

Able Kitchen (http://www.ablekitchen.com) sells coffee/cappuccino dispensers and other restaurant equipment online. They stock products that have reputable names in the culinary industry with several thousands of restaurant supplies to choose from. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.

How does one brew the perfect cup of coffee?

There are several different brewing methods used through out the world and every avid coffee drinker has their own preference. But the one thing that they all agree on is freshly grinding the coffee beans daily. This is something that they believe in deeply and take to heart. Even the average coffee drinker will be a convert to this after having just one cup of coffee from freshly ground beans. With this in mind, every home should have a good quality coffee grinder.

The next logical question would be, what is a quality coffee grinder?

Well, there are two basic types of grinders, burr grinders and blade grinders. The burr grinders use plates with gears on them, otherwise known as burrs. One plate turns while the other stays still which causes the moving plate to grind the beans against the stationary plate. Blade grinders, on the other hand, use razor sharp blades that spin, grinding the beans in the process. When choosing between these two, keep in mind that heat and uniformity can have an effect on the finished coffee.

No matter what type of grinder you choose, a certain amount of heat is produced. Faster grinders are time savers but they produce more heat, and this does cause a certain amount of damage to the beans. Also, the length of time needed to make finer grounds also causes more heat, thus more damage.

Another thing to take into consideration when producing a great cup of coffee is the uniformity of the grounds. Coffee should be ground evenly through out. This is important because when the water passes over the coffee grinds it only has a small amount of time to take in the flavor of the coffee. When beans are poorly ground and not as uniform, it is harder for proper brewing to take place.

A low speed burr grinder does not produce as much heat, causing less damage to the coffee. Also, unlike the blade grinder, it provides a more uniformly ground bean which allows for better brewing. It is for these reasons that the burr grinder would be a better choice over the blade grinder. This type of grinder can run as much as several hundred dollars, but there are models available to fit into any budget.

For those who do not enjoy the flavor and aroma of a great cup of coffee, this may seem like an extravagant purchase and colossal waste of money and time. After all, there are many different already ground coffees on the market, easily purchased at local grocery stores. But for the coffee enthusiast who has a heightened sense of taste and smell, these prepackaged products just do not do not measure up. Therefore, this is a wise investment that will bring years of enjoyment. Let’s face it; there is no better way to start any morning than with the perfect cup of Joe.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as coffee beans at http://www.gourmetespressoandcoffee.com