14 Jul 2015

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by Derek

Who would’ve thought that in the tea-drinking nation of Ireland we’d be discussing the fact that off-trade volume sales of tea have been in decline for most of the last decade? Yet, here we are. Tea is going down, and coffee is going up.

Kettle sales have fallen from just over 12 million units per year in the UK in 2010, to just over 11 million in 2014 – and experts predict sales will not exceed 11 million again in any year between 2014-2019.*

The launch of pod coffee machines in recent years has played a big part in the declining sales of kettles, but slow sales haven’t just helped the world of pods – it’s attracted those who wouldn’t have previously considered buying a coffee machine to explore the different options available. And as we know, there are many options and benefits beyond the pod machines so most consumers end up graduating from pods to bean-to-cup.

14 Jul 2015

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by Derek

You and your employees deserve the best!

Fabulous coffee is not only available on the High Street. With a Swiss made Jura bean to cup coffee machine, you, your employees, and your customers can all enjoy a perfect espresso, cappuccino and latte in the comfort of your own office, at the touch of a button.

Simple to use and simple to install Jura offer the finest variety of office coffee solutions available today. With unbeatable prices, unbeatable design and unbeatable quality to suit all office sizes, Jura will take your office coffee experience to a new dimension!

Our office coffee machines are listed below, have a browse through and see which model will suit your office best, discover our leasing options available with Coffitas Lease Plan, or get in touch for more information about how you can bring high street quality to your office for a fraction of the price.

02 May 2013

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by Derek

Espresso with warm milk and milk foam. Latte macchiato or ‘spotted milk’ has three layers: A bottom layer of hot milk, a top layer of frothed milk, and a layer of espresso.

Ingredients

45 ml espresso
Milk and milk foam
1.5 cl flavoured coffee syrup or 4 cl Baileys (alcoholic)

Preparation

>The ratio of ingredients for this coffee speciality is two thirds milk and milk foam and one third coffee. As milk is more dense than espresso, the coffee floats on top of the milk.
>Add a little flavoured syrup or Baileys to the latte macchiato glass, if liked.
>Prepare a latte macchiato.

Serving suggestion

Latte macchiato glass
Napkin
Long-handled spoon
Sugar

26 Mar 2013

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by Derek

A barista is an espresso machine “coffee artist” who has extensive knowledge about coffee and prepares, decorates and serves drinks to the customer.

Barista (m/f) is the Italian word for barkeeper. The Italian plural form is baristi (m) or bariste (f). The term was initially adopted in English, where its meaning changed slightly. While a barista in Italy serves all kinds of drinks, the term in English-speaking countries refers to an individual who prepares and serves espresso-based drinks with an air of professionalism, primarily in coffee shops. The term subsequently entered the German language with this meaning.

A barista is also often a master of “latte art” who creates images in the cappuccino when pouring the milk foam on to the espresso.

In their field of activity, baristas require a knowledge of coffee blends, coffee roasting, how to operate and maintain espresso machines, froth milk and much more. Knowledge such as this can be acquired in barista courses.

18 Mar 2013

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by Derek

Birmingham coffee machine manufacturer Fracino, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year, has clinched the UK’s Winner of Winners Award and Outstanding Export Award from the UK manufacturers association EEF.

The accolades acknowledges the trailblazing success of the UK’s only espresso and cappuccino machine manufacturer which sells coffee machines to the Italians and engraves a British flag on every machine which leaves the factory,

Launched in a garden shed by founder Frank Maxwell in October 1963, the third generation family business – which employs 40 people on the Wyrley Road Trading Estate just off the M6 in Birmingham – scooped the EEF’s Midlands Outstanding Export title to clinch a place in the national line-up.

The Winner of Winners Award is the highest honor the EEF can bestow on a British manufacturer. It reflects how, in four years, Fracino has built a global export business with exports representing 25% of turnover in 2012 and on course to account for 33% of turnover this year.

From a virtual standing start in 2008 when Ireland was the company’s only exporting partner, the manufacturer now exports to over 50 countries. Fracino has expanded its export horizons to countries including Australia, Russia, Peru, Spain, Finland and Romania.

The business has been praised at the highest level by Prime Minister David Cameron who, in a speech on exporting and growth in November 2011, said: “It’s not just the film industry where Britain is excelling – Fracino in Birmingham is selling coffee machines to Italy.”

The third generation family business comprises founder Frank Maxwell, MD Adrian Maxwell, a former Rolls-Royce engineer who runs the company. Adrian’s wife Marion is the credit controller and their daughters Rebecca and Katrina are service coordinator and purchase ledger respectively.

Managing director Adrian Maxwell said: “We could not have wished for a more exciting start to our formative 50th anniversary year, than marking this double celebration. These prestigious and high profile awards reinforce our commitment to world class manufacturing, on-going investment and innovation – and are a testimony to the tremendous hard work and dedication of our fantastic team.”

In 2012 the manufacturer invested over £1 million in new machinery and expanded to purpose-built headquarters next to the company’s existing premises. Staff expansion saw four new roles being recruited across July-December 2012.

Fracino sells over 3,000 products annually to a customer base spanning John Lewis, Costa Coffee, Patisserie Valerie, Druckers coffee shops, Pathfinder pub chains and Greene King.

About Fracino

• Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the family owned and run business is home to three generations of the Maxwell family. Founder Frank is the company’s chairman; his son Adrian was the firm’s technical director for two decades and is now Fracino’s MD. Adrian’s wife Marion is the credit controller and his daughter Rebecca joined the business in June 2009.

• Award-winning Fracino was formed in 1963, when Birmingham engineer Frank Maxwell began making coffee machines in his garden shed.

• Fracino is the UK’s sole manufacturer of cappuccino and espresso machines – a market traditional dominated by Italian and Spanish manufactures.

• The 40-strong team sells almost 3,000 machines every year to customers including the Patisserie Valerie, Druckers coffee shops and Pathfinder pub chains.

• Despite the recession, Fracino saw production increase by 20 per cent in 2009 10.9% in 2010 17.5% in 2011 and 12.3% in 2012.

• The company’s portfolio includes 55 products. Fracino manufacture a range of coffee machines including the bean-to-cup Cybercino machine, hand fill machines and a range of traditional machines including the stylish Romano and the new PID (Proportional Integral Derivative).

• Fracino’s portfolio also extends to dishwashers, glass washers, ice machines and water boilers.

Awards
• A Millennium Product Award for design for the Roastilino counter top roaster
• Recognition as one of the UK’s fastest growing inner city enterprises.
• The first company of its kind to gain the ISO 9002 quality standard.
• The Caterer and Hotelkeeper Equipment & Supplies Excellence Awards 2009 for Fracino’s Cybercino bean to cup coffee machine.

17 Mar 2013

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by Derek

The main active ingredient in coffee is caffeine. Caffeine is found not only in the seeds of the coffee bush, but also in more than 60 other plants such as the tea bush, the mate tree and the kola nut.

Coffee is valued for its stimulative effect on the body’s cardiovascular system and for its ability to relieve tiredness. While Arabica coffee beans contain 1% to 1.5% caffeine, Robusta beans contain between 2.5% and 4.5%.

For comparison:

An espresso (50ml) contains around 50mg of caffeine,
A cup of coffee (90ml) contains about 60-100mg,
A cup of filter coffee (125ml) contains about 80-100mg of caffeine,
A cup of tea contains up to 50mg of caffeine.
Chocolate also contains caffeine: milk chocolate contains around 15mg per 100g and dark chocolate approximately 90mg per 100g.
Energy drinks contain around 80 mg of caffeine per can.

17 Mar 2013

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by Derek

The coffee machine is naturally also an important factor in making a coffee or espresso crowned with a perfect crema. However, apart from the coffee machine, other factors are decisive for making a “Schümlikaffee” as it is called in Switzerland:

The crema, the thick, golden-brown foam which is formed on the prepared espresso, is made up of oils, proteins and different types of sugar, and contains a major part of the espresso aroma.

Coffee blend decisive:
The more oils a coffee blend contains, the less stable the crema. For this reason espresso coffee blends often contain a certain percentage of Robusta beans, as these beans only contain around 10 percent oil in comparison to the quality, highly-aromatic Arabica beans, which contain around 16 percent.

Clean cups:
If the espresso cups are not clean and if they have grease residues on the insides, the crema will also collapse more quickly due to the lowered surface tension.

14 Mar 2013

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by Derek

In the early 20th century, Brazil was the world’s biggest coffee producer. Today almost the entire production of coffee comes from Central America, Brazil and the tropical parts of South America. World coffee production amounts to around 100 million bags a year with Brazil in first place representing about ¼ of total production. 8 ½ million bags are produced in Brazil.

Coffee roasting in the home was definitively replaced by the finished industrial product. In 1901 the Japanese Dr Sartori Kato presented the first soluble coffee powder. In 1938 the Nestlé company laid the foundation for the commercial marketing of soluble coffee (instant coffee).

The scale of coffee use is reflected in the trend of world raw coffee consumption in the last 250 years.

1750: 600,000 bags, 1850: 4 million bags, 1950: 36 million bags, 1995: 94 million bags, 2000: 103 million bags.

The demand for coffee has made this hot beverage the second most important traded commodity after petroleum products. This trend was accompanied by phases of overproduction, incineration of surplus stocks, collapsing prices, world economic crisis, declining consumption during the two world wars and the creation of world coffee agreements to stabilize coffee prices. In Germany after the end of the Second World War, coffee became a symbol of economic reconstruction and the economic miracle. Coffee drinking was synonymous with being able to afford things again.

13 Mar 2013

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by Derek

The main criterion for making a fine and creamy foam is the temperature of the milk, which should be between 4 and 8°C.

The type of milk used and its fat content are not of great importance. The protein contained in the milk is responsible for the consistency of the milk foam, and not the fat. Full fat milk, low-fat milk, goat’s or sheep’s milk – all these milk types can be used to obtain a good milk foam consistency.

Even soy milk can be foamed. Naturally the taste of the different milk types varies, and it is a matter of preference which milk you choose to make your “personal best” coffee milk speciality.