What kind of coffee drink are you?

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Sara Walker

What kind of coffee drink are you?

Once it was just coffee; then in the 1600s, a French doctor added milk – the latte was born. Fast forward to today and there are now dozens of coffee based drinks to feast on – from the caramel latte (skinny or with soy) to the mocha in a clear glass. What kind of coffee drink are you?

Black Coffee – no milk – maybe a sugar or two – but never instant

If you’re partial to a freshly brewed black coffee made from your own good quality coffee beans, you probably have opinions, an intellectual outlook and sophisticated tastes. Your sense of humour is dry, you’ve got a quick wit and you hate trashy T.V. You’re not a snob – you just have good taste.

Espresso – or anything – as long as it’s strong

On the ball and moving it in the right direction is the best way to describe you. You’re an entrepreneur – a career focussed go-getter on a mission and nothing’s going to get in your way. It’s either this or the clock on your office wall has reached 3pm, you’re hung-over and you’re about to drift into a deep sleep on top of your mouse mat. If it’s the latter, you’ll take any coffee that’s to hand – from one of the coffee machines, instant… as long as it’s strong.

Mocha – served in a clear glass

You’re not a huge coffee lover, but you’ve been invited out for coffee with Sue from up the road and she loves coffee. So you order a mocha, but you’d actually prefer a hot chocolate but mocha seems like a good compromise and it looks nice served in a glass cup.

Instant Coffee – out of choice – not laziness

You’re straightforward, down to earth and practical. A coffee is a coffee and you can’t understand why there are now so many different types. You think that anyone ordering a cinnamon skinny/ soy latte, for example, is just trying to show off – you’re not impressed.

Syrup (Caramel, vanilla, toffee…) Latte – as long as it’s sweet

Add some complementary pick ‘n’ mix sweets to your order – in a bag or on the saucer and you’re happy for the rest of the day or at least the next couple of hours. You appreciate the little things, you’re a lover of surprises and you love life best when no two days are the same.

And there we have it – a small descriptive selection of some popular coffee drinks and the kinds of people who drink them. If you have some suggestions for the list, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

For more information on commercial coffee machines and coffee beans visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk

Homemade Chocolate Brownies

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Sara Walker

Homemade chocolate espresso brownies from the Wholesale Coffee Company

You’ve got up early to grind the coffee beans, you’ve kick-started your day with the perfect cup of espresso – now make sure that lovely, fresh leftover coffee doesn’t go to waste. Coffee is the secret ingredient in many cake recipes, and works particularly well with chocolate, adding a depth of richness and flavour.

Use what’s left in the coffee machine to make these easy Chocolate Espresso Brownies – the coffee gives a lovely, squidgy texture and a rich dark colour. It’s best to use good quality chocolate, with a high cocoa content, ideally around 70%. This will combine with the espresso to give an intense flavour hit.

Before you start:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 20cm square tin, and line the base with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
Make sure you’ve got some leftover coffee – if not, it’s time to fire up the coffee machine and maybe have a small cup just to keep you going…

You’ll need:

60g butter or margarine
50 g good quality plain chocolate
175g sugar
70g self raising flour
2 eggs, beaten
60g walnut pieces (optional)
2 tablespoons espresso coffee

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in the microwave, using 20 second burst of power and stirring between bursts to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

Add the sugar, and mix thoroughly. Add all the other ingredients except the nuts, and mix to a smooth batter. Finally, add the nuts, if using.

Pour the batter into the tin, and smooth it out evenly. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until set round the sides and just slightly soft in the middle. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then cut into squares or bars.

These are great served as a mid-morning treat with a latte. For a decadent dinner party dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream and decorate with a couple of chocolate-coated coffee beans.

For more information on our commercial coffee machines and coffee beans visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk

The Best Commercial Coffee Machine

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Sara Walker

The search for the perfect coffee machine can sometimes seem complicated. Here at the wholesale coffee company we aim to provide the full range of coffee equipment to suit your requirements. From traditional espresso coffee machines to fully automatic fresh milk machines we provide the full installation service , supply your coffee beans and ingredients and service your commercial coffee machines.

Which Is The Best Machine For A Busy Cafe Or Restaurant?
The best commercial coffee machine is what is best suited to your style of business. If you have a very busy cafe with a large turnover of staff we recommend an automated bean to cup coffee machine. This type of machine provides consistent quality drinks at the push of a button, staff training is minimal and the automated machines can cope with high volumes of drinks.

Fresh Milk Powdered Milk?
The fresh milk coffee machines provide a full replication of a barista quality drink where as powdered skimmed milk tastes very similar the comparison is mainly due to the storage of fresh milk and the cleaning of the coffee machine. Fresh milk requires refrigerated storage for the milk and a daily cleaning cycle to flush the milk pipes. By using dehydrated milk powder the ingredients can be stored in a cool dry place and daily cleaning is much faster.

For more information visit our website for more information and machine packages.