Free coffee for cops brews controversy

Police have been paying extra attention to shops and restaurants where they are also getting freebies and discounts

There have long been jokes about police and their fondness for doughnuts, but it seems that coffee is the order of the day for cops looking for freebies.

Politiken newspaper reports that the 7-Eleven convenience store at Højbro Plads Square in central Copenhagen has been giving out free coffee to officers in a bid to create more security at the premises.

The store is located at a busy junction of two pedestrian streets and the store manager arranged the deal with local police, according to manager of the 7-Eleven chain Lars Simonsen.

‘This is a store that is open day and night and there can be trouble at nighttime. That’s why the owner made a deal with the police so they can get free coffee in exchange for more security or just to keep up a good relations with police,’ Simonsen said.

Police sources told the paper that it is common for city cops to get free coffee and discount meals from a number of central shops and restaurants.

Copenhagen Police chief Johan Reimann said he was unaware of the particular case, but that officers should not be accepting regular offers of free coffee.

‘Of course in individual cases it could be okay. For example if Mrs Jensen has had a break-in at her house and offers the responding officers a coffee,’ said Reimann.

The news comes seven years after the ‘Whoppergate’ scandal in Aalborg, North Jutland, when a local Burger King was found to be giving free burgers to local cops in order to discourage theft and crime in the restaurant.

Following extensive reports of police receiving discounts and freebies in 2002, police authorities said they were cracking down on such behaviour.

In light of the recent freebies, the Police Union said it had already launched a campaign focusing on ethics and morals.

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There is No “X” in Espresso – Ordering in Today’s Coffee Shops

Coffee is the number one drink in the world and next to oil it is the second largest export in the world. With the boom of franchise coffee shops across the United States and the world, espresso based drinks have entered into global tasted and not limited to what one might think of sitting in a Paris cafe.

Having spent more than four years as a Barista, I know that coffee shop’s have always had their own culture whether housing beatnik philosophical discussions over a Demitasse or after practice soccer mom’s slurping down their Frappes covered drizzling and whipped cream. This culture can vary from location to the time of day. In coffee shop culture comes language and language can vary from franchise to independent coffee shops. The consumer hates this. They don’t want to have to remember that what is a Frappuccino over at Starbucks is merely a Frappe over at the shop around the corner!

Here are some common espresso based language tips on what you are ordering:

*Latte = espresso + steamed milk (if you hear the milk “screaming,” your Barista is burning it)

*Breve = espresso + steamed half & half

*Cappuccino = espresso + steamed milk + froth (froth is basically foamed milk and should taste sweet; ordered wet/less foam or dry/more foam)

*Frappe/Frappuccino = ice crushed/blended + espresso + milk (many add flavors like peppermint or chocolate)

*Macchiatto = espresso + froth/foamed milk

*Mocha = espresso + steamed milk + chocolate (sauce chocolates are best, but most places use a powder)

*Nervous Cup/Red Eye = regular coffee (usually dark roasted) + espresso

Also, for all those home coffee brewers out there here are the myths/tips/facts:

*Do not refrigerate or freeze coffee/espresso beans or grounds! This dries out your coffee and makes it stale.

*The lighter the roast, the more caffeine! If the bean is a dark roast, all that caffeine has been roasted out and dark roasts are for a bolder taste.

*There is more caffeine in a regular cup of coffee than espresso! The longer it takes for water to pass through the grounds, the more caffeine it captures and espresso is very fast.

*Do not use regular coffee for home espresso machines, use espresso to get the most out of the machine!

*Play with the different fine grinds for home espresso machines and keep the grounds fresh! Your crema or top layer of espresso should be dark/caramel colored and not blond.

*The most expensive coffee in the world travels through a cat’s digestive system and is roasted and ground!

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Coffee’s Hidden Health Benefits

Do you need a reason, besides a jolt of chilled refreshment, to pour a cup of your favorite blend of coffee over ice?

According to a study done at the University of South Florida, “Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment in Mice With Alzheimer’s Symptoms,” coffee drinkers may have a reason rather than cooling off to have an extra shot. Aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease were given the equivalent of five cups of coffee, (500 mg of caffeine) and their memory impairment reversed.

The study was published online in July 2009 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The caffeine administered, significantly decreased abnormal levels of amyloid protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease in the brain and blood of 55 mice examined. The research also suggested caffeine suppresses inflammatory changes that lead to an excess of beta amyloid in the brain.

Further research on the coffee crop is being done at the Vanderbilt University Institute for Coffee Studies, which is dedicated to investigating the health effects and potential therapeutic properties of the pharmacological components of coffee. The ICS seeks to expand its mission on the world’s “second most important” commodity (coffee) beyond biomedical aspects to include historical, literary, anthropological, sociological and economic properties.

Recent research at the University includes coffee’s impact on reducing the use of other vices such as alcohol and nicotine. Coffee can potentially reduce the risk of type II diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, as cited by researchers at Vanderbilt’s school of medicine. The premise is: compounds in coffee, given to rats, enhance the ability of the liver to burn sugar, similarly to anti-diabetic medications.

If sipping a cup of icy French roast brewed alongside complimentary frozen coffee ice cubes, doesn’t sound appealing, or there is a caffeine aversion, you might consider this alternative: sleep. A study done at the University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry proposes that napping has been shown to increase alertness and promote learning on some memory tasks more than caffeine.

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What to Look for When Choosing a One-cup Coffee Maker

Single-serve coffee systems and one cup coffee makers were first introduced in the late 1990s, and have become more and more popular with each passing year. If you are considering a one cup coffee maker for your house or office, there are a number of things you should consider in making your decision.

Types of Single Serve Coffee Makers

These days, a one cup coffee maker is more than a just a miniature drip coffee maker. There are many different kinds of coffee makers that only make one or two servings of coffee at a time. They include some of the oldest types of coffee makers in the world – the French press and the steam mocha pot, for instance. However, when most people refer to one-cup coffee makers today, they’re talking about automatic coffee makers. These fall into two different types of machine – a drip coffee maker that serves up one cup of coffee at a time, or the so-called single-serve coffee systems that use pods, cups or some other sort of special delivery system for coffee.

The first thing to consider when deciding on a single cup coffee maker is whether you’re willing to be limited in your choice of coffee. The major brands of single serve coffee makers – Senseo, Tassimo, and Keurig – all require that you use coffee that is specially packaged for their machines. If a wide selection of coffees is important to you, or if you have a specific favorite, you’ll either want to be sure that the coffee maker you choose offers your favorite brand of coffee or choose a standard drip coffee maker that brews a single cup at a time.

What to look for: One-Cup Drip Coffee Makers

There are only a few considerations if you’re choosing a one-cup drip coffee maker.

They include:
Does the coffee maker require paper filters, or does it use a permanent filter?

Does the coffee maker dispense coffee into a regular sized mug?

Can the height be adjusted for a larger mug or does it come with a thermal travel mug for easy dispensing?

Can you make two or more cups immediately after one another?

Can it be set to start your coffee automatically on a timer?

What to look for: Single Serve Coffee Systems

All single serve coffee systems have a number of things in common – they all have a reservoir to hold water, a boiler or heater to heat water, and some sort of specially designed coffee-and-filter combination through which the water is either pumped or dripped to extract the coffee. The major difference between the brands is in the coffee holder/filter mechanism. Each of the major brands uses a different kind of system.

Coffee Pod Systems

Many of the single serve coffee systems use coffee ‘pods’ (sometimes called coffee pads in other markets). The pods are an all-in-one coffee and filter arrangement that most often look like a large, round tea bag. There are standard pod sizes for single serving, double serving and espresso pods, and the better coffee pod systems will include coffee baskets to fit each of the three sizes so that you can use the coffee maker with the widest variety of coffees. In addition, there are products on the market that allow you to create properly sized coffee pods using any brand of coffee. The results are variable and it can be time-consuming to make your own coffee pods, though, so you may want to be certain that your favorite coffee is available in pods before choosing one of the coffee pod systems.

Single-Serve Coffee Brewing Systems

In addition to the pod systems, there are several one cup coffee systems that use a patented, proprietary ‘mini-brewer’ that is sized to fit their machines. The most popular of these are the Keurig brewing system, the Senseo and the Tassimo brewing system. Each of them uses a very similar mechanism for making your coffee. You simply drop one of the pre-packed pre-measured coffee ‘cups’ or ‘discs’ into the coffee maker, hit a button and wait. The cup or disc contains both the coffee and the filter. The machine is designed to force water through the disposable brewer and dispense it directly into the cup. When your cup is finished brewing, you simply remove the spent brewer and toss it out – no dealing with messy grinds, and since the coffee never touches any part of the machine, you can easily make multiple cups of coffee in different flavors and roasts without worrying about crossing flavors.
The biggest thing to consider when choosing one of the coffee brewing systems is whether the coffee that you prefer is available in packages that fit your machine. Currently, Keurig’s K-cups seem to come in the largest variety, with more flavors and roasts being added frequently, but each of the major brands is affiliated with one of the world’s major coffee roasting houses.

One further consideration when choosing a coffee brewing system is the cost of the coffee. As a general rule, you will pay more for coffee when you’re buying capsules, cups or pods for single serve machines, and in most cases, you have to order your coffee through the manufacturer. Also, few of them are sold in supermarkets or groceries.

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Organic Coffee Beans – Why You Should Make the Switch Now

We see a lot of organic coffee beans available in the market. Are they worth it? Here is a look at some of the reasons for making the switch to organic coffee beans.

The Future of Agriculture

From all indications, the future of agriculture lies with organic farming. For the consumer, this means healthier produce. Organic farmers make use of sustainable farming processes and avoid the use of dangerous chemical pesticides and fertilizers. These harmful substances are known carcinogens.
In order for produce to be certified as organic in the U.S., it must pass strict requirements by an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For organic coffee beans, these requirements include proof of being grown in an area that is proven to have no exposure to prohibited pesticides and chemicals for at least 3 years. Additional requirements for certification include a sustainable crop rotation plan which avoids soil depletion and pest control through non-chemical methods.

Try a New Organic Lifestyle

It’s becoming easier these days to adopt an organic lifestyle, since organic products are now more common in the market. Your diet can now include all kinds of organic foods, from milk to meat to fruits and vegetables. There is no question that lowering your exposure to deadly chemicals and pesticides is vitally important to your health. It’s only natural to make organic coffee beans part of your organic lifestyle.

Respect the Earth

Many farmers who grow organic coffee beans also make a commitment to protect the earth in other ways besides avoiding pesticides and chemicals. Many plant their coffee under trees in the rainforest, rather than clearing the trees. This helps preserve the diverse bird population that calls the rainforest home.

Are Organic Coffee Beans more Expensive?

If all the arguments for avoiding pesticides and helping to preserve the fragile rainforest haven’t convinced you to buy organic coffee beans, you should give them a try because they taste great. You may think organic coffee beans are significantly more expensive, but this is not the case. You can find organic coffee with prices comparable to non-organic online and at many stores. You will feel good knowing that you are getting less exposure to harmful substances and helping to protect the planet at the same time.

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