Coffee Drink Vending Machines Blog

Coffee Street Art

2009-11-06T08:43:00.001Z

Check out this cool piece of art showing the iconic image of Mona Lisa made with cups of coffee. This interpretation is actually sidewalk art put together by a group of artist assistants in Sydney, Australia. The image was created by using 3,604 coffee cups. Each cup was filled with different amounts of coffee and milk to create the proper pigment color that brings Mona Lisa to life.

Cool Coffee Mug for photographers

2009-10-06T11:32:00.000+01:00

Check out this cool coffee mug. Not just that it looks great; it scores high even on functionality.A must for photographer lovers everywhere!

Japan Vending Machines

2009-09-23T11:22:00.000+01:00

Japan is home to roughly 127 million people and has one of the most concentrated populations on Earth.

According to the Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, Japan has one vending machine for every 23 people

Obviously these machines are very popular in Japan and can be found almost anywhere from street corners to office blocks.

In the UK however, vending machines seem more commonplace in the workplace than on the street – which is probably a direct result of our fondness for vandalism and graffiti. Having a much lower crime and disorder rate than the UK, Japan’s dispensers command much more respect than their Western counterparts and are more widely received therefore.

Although not as widespread as in Japan, vending machines first appeared commercially in the UK during the early nineteenth century, used to vend post cards in London. The first ones introduced in the US supplied gum to train users on platforms.

The Japanese machines often make use of colours to attract people and to distinguish between hot and cold drink products. The products tend not to be disguised behind panels and compartments, instead are displayed naturally so the consumers can see what they will actually get before making the purchase.

The multitude of items on offer from these machines can vary from drinks to novelty items. There seems as if there is no limit to the variety of items that can be sold from these machines. Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of various items offered by the ‘metal vendor:’

Drinks (hot & cold)
Confectionary
Snacks
Cigarettes
Ipods
Trainers
Alcohol
Novelty Gifts
Rice
Flowers
Newspapers & magazines
Lingerie
Batteries
Tickets
Toilet paper
Umbrellas
Eggs

However, I am (not yet) aware of vending machines offering the following products & services:

MP3/4 audio (music & audio books)
Digital Media (films and computer games)
Stationary
Vehicle hire (booking & key collection)
Maps

Surely it will only be a matter of time before these services are brought to the high street through machines. The world of one-way, human-free commerce is obviously prevalent and could possibly revolutionise the way consumers conduct purchasing. Consumers have already warmed to making purchases over the internet, yet still like the idea of walking around the high-street, actually looking at the product(s) available before purchasing. Vending machines may well bridge the gap between the internet and the high-street.

An alternative concept is a ‘reverse’ vending machine; whereby the consumer places a used plastic container in the machine which it then proceeds to wash and compact, before returning a redeemable voucher to the consumer.

In today’s economic and environmentally conscious world, these machines can only become more popular. Extensions of this principle could be developed to include refuse collection and garment washing.

The future is uncertain for the humble coffee vending machine but must be optimistic for the vending business in general, even if only in Japan.

Vending machines in Japan are as commonplace as temples, bicycles, and karaoke booths. It's not uncommon to see a street lined with a dozen or more machines selling products ranging from cold and hot drinks to flowers or rice. And almost none of these vending machines are vandalized or non-functional.

According to the Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, Japan has one vending machine for every 23 people. Here are just some of the Vending Machines available in Japan:

Umbrella Vending Machine

Pizza Vending Machine

Popcorn Vending Machine

Porn Vending Machine

Rice Vending Machine

Flight Insurance Vending Machine

Flowers Vending Machine

Hot Snacks Vending Machine

Horse Racing Betting Vending Machine

Name Card Vending Machine

Cigarettes Vending Machine

Coca Cola Vending Machine

More Japan vending mad machines

Now why would a cigarette vending machine need to recognize faces? Apparently, this "Child Check System" introduced by Japanese company Fujitaka uses facial recognition to determine if the person buying cigarettes is over the legal age limit, which is currently set at 20 in Japan. A camera embedded in the vending machine takes a picture, compares it with its database of 100,000 faces. It even checks for lines and skin tones to ascertain a person's age.

We have it that the Fujitaka Child Check System will be installed in about half a million vending machines in Japan from July this year.

Whether this system actually works in stopping underaged consumers from smoking is still too early to tell. After all, there are lots of people who look younger than their actual age, and some who appear more mature than they are. Besides, young people can still easily buy cigarettes from convenience stores. So what's next? A vending machine that determines if you are too fat to consume sugared drinks? Hey, you never know.

If all the regular ways to give up smoking fail, then a new Japanese machine that counts wrinkles and determines skin age could make a pretty good deterrent.

A Japanese company is developing a vending machine that counts wrinkles and skin sagging to check a smoker's age.

The face recognition technology is actually aimed at stopping anyone under the legal age of 20 from buying cigarettes. However it will also give smokers a fright if their predicted age is older than it actually is.

From July onwards in Japan, vending machine companies could be prosecuted if cigarettes are sold to anyone under the legal age.

People buying cigarettes who fail a digital camera 'age test' must show the machine an ID card to determine if they are legally allowed to smoke.

The system compares facial features including bone structure, sags and crow's feet against a record of 100,000 people.

A spokesman for the new technology, Hajime Yamamoto told Reuters: 'With face recognition, so long as you've got some change and you are an adult, you can buy cigarettes like before.'

He added: 'The problem of minors borrowing identification cards to purchase cigarettes could be avoided as well.'

Japan has 570,000 tobacco vending machines and although underage smoking is on the decline, a 2004 survey showed 14% of boys and 4% of girls between 17 and 18 smoke everyday.

3 Cool Coffee Mugs

2009-09-22T14:36:00.000+01:00

Coffee lovers must have their favourite coffee mug. Here are my 3 favourite coffee mugs.

Biscuit Lover Mug

Darth Vader Coffee Mug
Hot or Cold Coffee Mug
Finally, this simple cool clever mug automatically indicates its current state of mind when you pour a hot beverage into it.

In its dormant state, the mug offers a black “OFF” display, but once your hot coffee or tea hits the inside, it gradually transforms to read “ON”. A heat sensitive pigment changes the colour of the mug from black to white.

Office Coffee Machine - MyFlavia Review

2009-09-21T08:33:00.000+01:00

We are currently using a Flavia Fusion office coffee machine and this is my other office staff reviews about the drinks machine we purchase from MyFlavia. It also includes a MyFlavia video demonstration which can be viewed below.

The design is very cool for a drink machine with a choice of colour facias, black, red or ice blue. Great for the office and also the home.

There is a superb a selection of more than 30 hot or iced drinks, one cup at a time. The Flavia Fusion makes cappuccinos, lattes, mochaccinos, coffees, teas and well being drinks. The next cup is unaffected by the previous cup.

When you buy the drink machine, it comes with 18 drink packs so you can experiment and find your favourite Flavia drink.

The Flavia Fusion coffee maker includes a special water filter that ensures purified hot water to make your Flavia beverages with.

MyFlavia Drink Machine Demonstration:

Office MyFlavia Reviews:

Sam:
This machine makes great coffee and the main reason (as well as looking cool) we went for it in our office. The range of coffee is excellent, everything from mild, smooth and decaf to Italian espresso and the uber-strength Sumatra (and plenty in between). Great for speciality coffees such as hazelnut mocachino. The range of teas is also good with a selection of herbal and green teas as well as a choice of regular cuppas. The girls love the hot chocolate, especially the chocochino! Very easy to use, hardly any mess and your drink is ready in less than a minute.

Mark:
We were looking for a coffee machine that produced decent cappuccinos without costing the earth. have tried two other machines both which were fiddly, difficult to clean and set up, and produced cool drinks with little froth. Tried this machine at a local department store at a demonstration and was instantly impressed. The cappuccino taste was lingering for so long afterwards I had to go back and purchase a machine. During purchase received the trial drinks pack with the machine but also received a further 140 or so drinks sachets, a thermos drinks mug and drinks sachet dispenser (all worth around £50 to 60) for the price of the machine. excellent value, better than buying online. Free drinks sachets also obtained during first online drinks sachet purchase. Highly recommended as no problems so far with machine, however still a bit new but does feel fairly durable. Great for our office and also great at home.
Good Points: Very easy to use, and no fiddly parts to clean afterwards just the odd wipe with a cloth. Very hot drinks produced in no time at all, and also you can vary the amount of drink produced by the setting of a knob. Drink choices are very varied and can be mixed and matched.
Bad Points: None at present although drinks sachets may prove costly over time. However drinks quality is so good.

Janine:
Overall the Flavia is great. We have used the office version for the past year and prefer the speed that this offers as in the morning it takes 1 minute and I can set it up the night before. To begin with, it was a bit fiddly. It is pretty much a 1 button press machine but due to the fact there are so many drinks, you have to read the instructions to get the drink mixes correct. Overall, it is smaller and a lot easier to use than a clunky coffee maker where I always get the frother wrong!
Good Points: Really quick and easy to use and Flavia is owned by Mars so it should be around for a while yet.
Bad Points: As it is set up for simple use, when I started to combine drinks (cappachino, etc.) I made a few mistakes so keep the instructions handy.

Other Drink Machine Choices out there:

Vending Machines from KLIX
Qualitasse
Refreshu

Coffee fights dementia

2009-07-14T14:31:00.004+01:00

Mice at the University of South Florida have helped scientists discover a positive attribute for Alzheimer's disease in coffee. The mice were given the equivalent of two large cappucinos a day, after caffeine given to some of the mice showed they were able to perform better in memory tests than the ones who were just given water.

The caffeine mice also showed a 50% reduction in the beta amyloid protein, which clogs up the brains of dementia sufferers. However, Neil Hunt, who is chief exec of the Alzheimer's Society, said a lot more research is needed to see how caffeine may affect humans, and that it's too early to say whether or not "a cup of coffee is anything more than a pleasant pick me up."

In the meantime, our rodent friends will carry on sipping Mochas and hopefully not walking down the street with their nightdresses on calling people they've never met before "son" or "Mary". See more information on dementia links at the UK web directory

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

2009-02-27T14:57:00.003Z

Einen Kaffee bitte! Aber pronto!! Jawohl mein Herr.

Latte Coffee Rosetta Art

2009-02-09T09:48:00.037Z

Latte Rosetta Art is evolving, taking new shapes and forms every day. The creators of some of these frothy wonders are true artists, practicing their skills in cafés all over the globe. Here is a collection of the most creative, strange and funny Rosetta designs. A big thank you to all the contributors!

If you want to enjoy great coffee (or tea) but don't have the machinery or skills (or time), check out the nation's favourite coffee served with the best coffee creamer there is. Klix presents a full coffee vending range to cater for all tastes. And if you also like tea, soups and cold drinks, please have a look at these all-in-one vending machines.

If you liked these coffee works of art then check out this cool stuff blog featuring cool food art, cool car art and cool pictures from around the world.

Where does your coffee money go??

2009-01-29T12:30:00.003Z

Check out the "Coffee Calculator" on the promo site for the new movie Black Gold and find out how much of your annual coffee money goes to the farmers and how much goes to the re-sellers. Don't be shocked ; )

20 Benefits of Coffee

2009-01-29T12:07:00.003Z

I just read a very good article on the benefits of drinking coffee at ecosalon.com. Here are the main points again:

* Apparently, coffee and alcohol really do go together. Believe it or not, alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have a lower chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver. That’s not to say it’s a healthy lifestyle - obviously, lowering your alcohol consumption is better. But…science says…

* Caffeine reduces risk of skin cancer. Sorry, venti quaffers, this prevention method is topical. Lotions containing caffeine (both from coffee and green tea) have been shown to prevent the occurrence of cancerous tumors on the skin - in murine trials, anyway.

* Have a smile with your morning brew! If you’re a caffephile, you don’t need this Johns Hopkins study to tell you that a cup or two a day increases your sense of well-being and happiness. You can thank dopamine for that, which also contributes to coffee’s addictive nature. But be aware, the study also noted that more than 2 cups daily increases the risk of anxiety and panic attacks. Some people respond more readily than others - if you find yourself feeling jittery or nervous, ease up on the joe.

* Caffeine may reduce chance of Parkinson’s Disease. A 30-year study has shown that non-coffee drinkers have a higher chance of developing Parkinson’s Disease than their coffee-drinking counterparts.

* Most Americans get their antioxidants from coffee. That doesn’t mean it’s the best source of antioxidants, just that it’s the most consumed. But, it’s true, coffee is very high in antioxidants. As for me, I’ll stick to fruit.

* Black gold. After petroleum, coffee is the second most valuable economic product in the world. Imagine the financial potential of running our cars on coffee grounds.

* Coffee may cut colon cancer in women. A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer. They found no beneficial effect from green tea on the colon - in this case, it was strictly a coffee thing.

* Coffee and diabetes, that’s a tricky one. Even though a Finnish study shows that drinking large amounts of coffee can reduce the risk of developing Type-2 Diabetes, coffee drinkers who already have diabetes have a harder time controlling their blood sugar levels.

* Coffee reduces muscle pain. After a hard workout, a cup or two of coffee has been shown to reduce muscle soreness (in women, anyway) more effectively than naproxen, aspirin and ibuprofen. (But don’t replace your water thermos with coffee.)

* Coffee will detox your liver in surprising ways. This remedy is not one for drinking: we’re talking about the coffee enema. Some people swear by it - using a tube to introduce coffee into the rectum and colon in order to stimulate the liver to remove toxins. Definitely not for the squeamish.

* Coffee may reduce chance of death from heart disease. Studies show that drinking 4-5 cups of coffee a day can make you less likely to die from heart disease. The researchers think it may have something to do with coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects.

* The devil is in the grounds. When coffee, which originated in Ethiopia and became popular in the Arab world, was first introduced to Western culture, Christian priests denounced it as the devil’s drink, given to the Muslims as a substitute for the wine (Christ’s blood) they weren’t allowed to consume. The belief at the time was that any coffee-drinking Christian risked burning in hell forever. Hooray, progress!

* Coffee may help with short term memory. It’s probably because of caffeine’s stimulant effects, but an Austrian study showed that volunteers given caffeinated coffee had better reaction times and short-term memory function than those who were given the cup of decaf.

* For women, caffeine may prevent long term memory loss. Because caffeine is a psychostimulant, older women who drink 3 or more cups of coffee or tea a day have less memory loss and cognitive decline than their counterparts who drink less or none. Unfortunately, caffeine consumption doesn’t seem to have any preventative effect against dementia.

* Caffeine won’t cause hypertension. Some of the studies can be contradictory and confusing. What we do know is that for non-habitual coffee drinkers, those first few cups will cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, but for regular drinkers, a tolerance develops and won’t cause any long term, permanent increase.

* The injustice of cheap coffee. No, it’s not just an injustice to your connoisseur taste buds; conventional coffee farming exploits workers and destroys communities in third world countries. On average, 5% of the profits actually make it back to the farmers, who are hungry, underpaid and treated badly. Why do they work on coffee plantations at all? Because in many cases, the plantations own the most fertile land (which was most often acquired unscrupulously) and the local people won’t survive from subsistence farming alone. How can you avoid supporting the cycle of poverty, corruption and injustice? Only buy Fair Trade certified coffee.

* Pesticides in your brew. Because almost all coffee is grown in third world countries with less stringent laws than Europe or the United States, your non-organic cuppa is probably laden with chemicals. That’s not just bad for you, it’s bad for the farmers and the tropical ecosystems in which the coffee is grown. Go organic, will ya?

* Pick your poison - literally. Caffeine is an alkaloid, which is a type of poisonous, bitter substance found in plants. Other alkaloids include strychnine, nicotine, morphine, mescaline, and emetine (the deadly ingredient in hemlock). Fortunately, in small quantities the bean is harmless, but it’s worth thinking about if you choose to use other drugs (both pharmaceutical and recreational).

* The FDA has approved caffeine for babies. This doesn’t mean you can wake up your sleepy infant with a bottle of latte. Caffeine injections have been used medicinally since 1999 in the United States to stimulate breathing in infants who are experiencing apnea. It’s still recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women keep their caffeine intake to a minimum, but a modest amount is safe.

* Coffee can fight cavities. Just avoid all the sugar and milk! Actually, roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, one of the major causes of cavities. By the way, these properties have nothing to do with caffeine, so decaf drinkers will get the same protection.

But keep in mind that too much is definitely too much, even with a "healthy drink" like coffee. If you feel bad or edgy after drinking coffee, please swap the coffee for green tea. And don't forget to drink lots of water during the day!

The Diary of a Vending Machine Girl

2009-01-28T11:45:00.004Z

I never thought that I would have a job in customer service. When I left college the idea that in five years time I would be sitting in a glass fronted office behind my own desk was a natural prediction. The last thing I thought I would be doing is serving students coffee from behind a glass fronted counter instead. Five years later my 'desk' is cluttered with selections of muffins and baguettes and I have but one chewed pencil.

In the most depressing moments I console myself with the fact that I must be helping the future of the country by providing students with food and drink. No one can come up with genius thoughts on an empty stomach can they? Of course if it wasn't me pacing behind the counter of overpriced sandwiches and fair trade coffee it would be someone else. You can easily be replaced in this line of work.

As in almost everything in this world I am not entirely as I seem at a first glance. There is a task that I perform every Tuesday which I'm certain that no one could replace in quite the same way. Filling up the drinks machine on Tuesday afternoon has become somewhat of a ritual, a methodical process I have become quite attached to. If anyone else tries to muscle in on my duties, perhaps in their attempt to avoid mopping or to offer respite for a cigarette break then I make sure to find an excuse they can't penetrate. I avoid training new employees like the plague.

No one can take care of the vending machine like I do. Although I will never meet many of the customers that benefit from my meticulous service, I like to think that they believe their instant coffee tastes better since I have been around. I have a relationship with the vending machine that no one else could understand; even I have trouble putting my finger on the exact reason why I have become so attached to this rectangular receptacle.

In doing my maintenance I have no contact with the outside world, it's just me and the machine yet I am inadvertently serving the customer every time I replenish a riveted plastic cup. I clean every inside corner and hinge as if it were the inside of my own kitchen and take my time polishing the finger marked front. I stock and re-stock; Mars, Nestlé and a hundred others. As I therapeutically wipe the coin storage system I think about all sorts of things from what I am having for dinner that night to how many children I would one day like to have. It's my time for contemplation and reflection.

My boyfriend is constantly nagging me to get a 'proper' job where I can make use of my qualifications instead of stuffing confectionary into a machine and I know that he is probably right. I have found a company looking for candidates for their IT department and I am going for an interview next Tuesday. I know I will have to work the rest of the week knowing that someone else has done an insufficient job of servicing the vendor but it is something I am just going to have to let go and pass on my duties to someone else. When the day comes for me to administer my last service I plan to spend a little longer than usual doing the fill up, after all whoever opens it next needs a standard to be set.

It will be like saying goodbye to an old friend...albeit a friend so old he has lost the ability to speak or see but it will nevertheless be a sad day for us both. Good bye coffee vending, I already miss you.

By Sarah Maple

Drinking coffee reduces Alzheimer's risk study

2009-01-22T09:54:00.002Z

Middle-aged people who consume modest amounts of coffee can significantly lower their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by Finnish and Swedish researchers released on Thursday.

"Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease by between 60 and 65 percent later in life," said lead researcher on the project, Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

The study, which was also conducted in cooperation with the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki and which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease this month, was based on repeated interviews with 1,409 people in Finland over more than two decades.

They were first asked about their coffee-drinking habits when they were in their 50s and their memory functions were tested again in 1998, when they were between 65 and 79 years of age.

A total of 61 people had by then developed dementia, 48 of whom had Alzheimer's, the researchers said.

"There are perhaps one or two other studies that have shown that coffee can improve some memory functions (but) this is the first study directed at dementia and Alzheimer's (and) in which the subjects are followed for such a long time," Kivipelto told AFP.

She said it remained unclear exactly how moderate coffee drinking helped delay or avoid the onset of dementia, but pointed out that coffee contains strong antioxidants, which are known to counter Alzheimer's.

Some studies have also shown that coffee helps protects the nerve system, which can also protect against dementia, she said, pointing out that yet other studies show that coffee protects against diabetes, which in turn is known to be linked to Alzheimer's.

"Going forward, researchers should try to nail down exactly what the protective elements in coffee consist in," Kivipelto said.

The Finnish-Swedish research results surfaced just a day after a separate study published by psychologists at Durham University showed a link between heavy coffee drinking and hallucinations.

"I guess this shows that you shouldn't exaggerate," Kivipelto said when asked about the British study, pointing out that her research showed "insignificant" benefits to drinking more than five cups of coffee a day when it came to protecting against dementia.

"Too much is simply too much," she said.

Cat Vending Machine

2009-01-14T10:32:00.001Z

A cat vending machine? Surely not! In the future, we will be putting cats in the PetSpa. Cats may not like it, but it's more efficient than dumping one in a sink and hoping to God your skin doesn't get torn asunder. Such a device is controversial, however. Many commenters declare these vending machines as tantamount to animal cruelty. A cat can clean itself, why does it need human assistance? And now for the cause of all the hoopla, here are the videos

Gun Vending Machine

2008-12-23T14:49:00.002Z

A Gun Vending Machine. Photo-shopped or not?

Caffeine effects Men greater than Women

2008-12-23T13:53:00.001Z

A strong cup of coffee has a greater effect on men than women, research shows.

In a study on 668 healthy volunteers, an espresso pepped up men after just 10 minutes. Women also became more alert after the beverage, but less so.

The University of Barcelona researchers say some of this effect might be psychological because decaffeinated coffee also worked to some extent.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry reports the work.

The volunteers were asked to drink either a classic espresso containing 100mg of caffeine or a decaffeinated espresso containing 5mg of caffeine.

Then the researchers looked for changes in alertness over the following minutes and hours.

Both men and women saw an improvement in their activity levels after drinking the classic espresso and these effects began after as little as 10 minutes.

According to the investigators, 45 minutes is the time needed for maximum caffeine concentration to be reached in the blood, but levels reach half this concentration after just a few minutes. And the effect appeared to be greater in the men.

The decaf coffee had a similar, but weaker effect and tended to be more potent in the women rather than in the men.

Lead researcher Ana Adan said: "Numerous studies have demonstrated the stimulant effects of caffeine, but none of these have looked at their effects in terms of the consumer's gender."

Anna Denny of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "This study provides an interesting insight into how the effects of specific foods and nutrients may differ between men and women.

"Research into 'gene-nutrient' interactions is moving forward quickly and we are finding out more about how our genetic make-up affects our requirements for certain foods and nutrients, and how our bodies react to these. In the future this could allow scientists to formulate dietary recommendations based on our genetic make up, as well as our age and body size."

Dr Euan Paul of the British Coffee Association said: "This new scientific study demonstrates interesting differences in the positive effects that caffeine may have on alertness between men and women, an area that has not been heavily researched in previous scientific investigations. We welcome further research to investigate with greater certainty any differences in the stimulant effects of caffeine that may be experienced between gender groups."

Mars Drinks O2

2008-12-23T09:23:00.002Z

Mars Drinks have won a five year agreement to deliver KLIX and FLAVIA drink vending solutions to O2 in the UK.

Mars Drinks has just won a five year contract to provide its KLIX® drinks vending machines and FLAVIA® drink machines to O2’s regional and local offices throughout the UK. In total over 100 Mars Drinks machines will be installed across O2’s UK sites, delivering over three million drinks to O2’s employees every year.

“Ensuring our people are motivated and happy at work is vital for us as a company,” explains Sara Burton, National Facilities Manager at O2.

Ian McGrady, Sales Director at Mars Drinks, commented, “Knowing that your employer cares enough to provide services on-site to meet your needs is a powerful thing. Working with such a proactive, innovative and people-focused company as O2 has been a great experience for us.”

To ensure O2 employees immediately get maximum benefit from their new drink vending machines, Mars Drinks teams will visit each site during the first month after installation. Feedback collated from these events will then be shared with all O2 employees.

The five year agreement includes 59 KLIX machines and 50 FLAVIA drink stations. Mars Drinks also provides approximately 25 FLAVIA machines to O2 retail stores for customers to use.

To find out more about how Mars Drinks can help your organisation with drink vending systems, call 0800 0323 444 or visit the Mars Drinks website

Types of Coffee Drink

2008-12-22T15:26:00.003Z

There are many drinks of coffee but here is a list of the best well known ones.

Algerian Coffee
Central European type of brewed coffee (not espresso) of any roast or origin with egg liquor

Arab Coffee
Similar to Turkish coffee , but normally flavoured with cardamom

Café au Lait
French version of Caffè Latte , with coffee and milk poured simultaneously in a cup.

Cafe con Leche
Spanish for Caffè Latte

Caffè Americano
Similar to Lungo , hot water is added to a regular size espresso to obtain a coffee with less strength.

Caffè freddo
(Iced Espresso)
Chilled, sweetened espresso served in a tall glass, possibly on ice.

Caffè Latte
(syn. Latte, Caffelatte)
Espresso mixed with steamed milk; usually a breakfast drink. Typically made with more milk than a cappuccino , with little or no froth on top. In Italy, the coffee in a caffè' latte is made out of a stovetop machine, rather than an espresso machine.

Cappuccino
Espresso with foamed milk - 1 part espresso, 1 part steamed milk, 1 part froth. Often topped with cocoa powder or cinnamon.

Cappuccino Chiaro
Cappuccino prepared with more milk than usual.

Cappuccino Freddo
Cappuccino served over ice

Cappuccino Scuro
Cappuccino prepared with less milk than usual.

Caribbean coffee
(syn. Cuban coffee, Jamaican coffee, Hawaii coffee )
Brewed coffee (not espresso) of any roast or origin with rum

Con Panna
Like " macchiato ", but whipped cream substitutes steamed milk.

Corretto
Espresso with a touch of grappa, cognac, sambuca, or other spirit.

Dark cappuccino
See Cappuccino scuro

Demi-tasse
Espresso served in regular size cup (French)

Doppio
Double espresso (twice the amount of coffee and twice the amount of water. Basically, two shots of espresso in one cup).

Dry cappuccino
See Cappuccino scuro

Erlängter
German for Lungo

Espresso Romano
Espresso with a lemon peel on the side.

Espresso
Small amount of dark, rich coffee.

Flat White
An espresso-based drink common in New Zealand and Australia with whipped steamed milk.

Frappé
Espresso or strong coffee blended with equal amount of icecream

Galão
Portuguese for Caffè Latte .

Grande
Large cup of coffee, cappuccino or caffè latte

Greek coffee
Similar to Turkish coffee , but from Greece .

Grosser Brauner
German for Caffè Latte .

Iced cappuccino
See Cappuccino freddo

Irish coffee
Brewed coffee (not espresso) of any roast or origin with (Irish) whiskey

Kapuziner
German for cappuccino

Koffie verkeerd
Dutch for Caffè Latte

Latte
See Caffè Latte

Latte Macchiato
Steamed milk with a shot of espresso coffee, served in a tall glass rather than a cup.

Latteccino
Mixture between latte and cappuccino

Light Cappuccino
See Cappuccino chiaro

Lungo
An espresso made with more water than usual by prolonging the extraction of a regular espresso.

Macchiato
Espresso with a spoonful of steamed milk on top. Macchiato comes from the Italian word that means "stained". In America macchiato often is made with large amounts of milk, which means that in many shops a true macchiato is listed as an "espresso macchiato"

Moccha (Mocca)
Either regular coffee from the Moccha region in Yemen, or to resemble the taste of this coffee, regular coffee with a bit of chocolate flavour.

Mochaccino
Cappuccino made with chocolate milk

Ristretto
More concentrated espresso - made using the same amount of coffee but less water.

Schlagobers
German for coffee with whipped cream.

Turkish Coffee
Non-filtered very strong sweet coffee, often flavoured with cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg.

Viennese Coffee
(Wiener Melange)
Brewed coffee (not espresso) of any roast or origin topped with whipped cream. In Austria simply called Melange.

Wet cappuccino
See Cappuccino chiaro

Coffee is good or bad?

2008-12-22T14:51:00.001Z

Coffee's good for you. Coffee's bad for you. You've seen the studies and heard the comments. So, which is it, really? That's still up in the air. It seems that coffee, like most things in life, is fine in moderation. It only becomes a problem when people can't seem to wrap their minds around the idea of what moderation actually means. Some studies even say the more you drink the better, and almost all studies have shown that there are many more benefits than dangers to a lot of coffee drinking. There are some interesting facts about coffee, though, that we bet you didn't know. Here are just a few of them:

Health Benefits:

Coffee can lift your mood, make you happier, and make you feel better. It alleviates depression.
Have a headache? Drink a cup of coffee. It's been shown to help people get rid of their headaches.
People who drink coffee have less colon cancer than people who don't. That's a big deal, especially if you have a family history of cancer.
Parkinson's disease has also been shown to be reduced by drinking coffee.
Coffee drinkers have lower rates of Type II diabetes, and that's an especially important finding since diabetes is becoming more prevalent today.
Gallstones and cirrhosis of the liver – both lowered by drinking coffee.
Coffee can protect your teeth from cavities.
If you have asthma, drinking coffee can help manage your condition and might help you stop an attack if you don't have your medication available.
One of the biggest benefits? People who smoke or drink alcohol get protective benefits from drinking coffee and have lower rates of liver problems and heart disease.

Other Uses:

Coffee can be used to dye paper and fabrics. If you put the beans in hot water their color will start to come out. You can use that water to dye fibers.
If you need a good facial scrub, you can coarsely grind some coffee beans and use them to scrub your face. They have great exfoliating properties.
If you've been preparing food and your hands smell like it, rub some coffee beans between your hands for a few seconds; you can also suck on a coffee bean to freshen and clean your breath, no matter what you've been eating.
Have a garden? Coffee makes great compost if you don't use it in excess, and sprinkling coffee grounds and orange peels around plants will keep cats from bothering the plants or using the garden as their personal litter box.
Greasy pans can be cleaned with the left over ground beans that you used to exfoliate and scrub your face.
You can also use coffee beans, placed in a bowl in your refrigerator, to get rid of food smells that might accumulate in there.
These are just a few of the many uses for coffee. Drink it for your health, and use it for all kinds of other things. Coffee has lots of great uses! Experimenting with it can give you even more great ideas about how to use your coffee to improve your life in a lot of ways. It's not just for drinking anymore.

Ants Nest in Cup of Coffee

2008-12-22T14:10:00.002Z

Check out this cool coffee cup and saucer with ants painted on! You could play a great prank on somebody!

Coffee Prevents Mouth Cancer?

2008-12-22T14:04:00.003Z

The Daily Express reported that “one cup of coffee a day could halve the risk of dangerous cancers affecting the mouth and gullet”.

It said that a Japanese study found that just one cup a day gave drinkers a reduced chance of getting tumours compared with those who hardly ever drank it. The researchers believe that it could “minimise” some of the risks from alcohol and tobacco, the main causes of mouth and oesophageal cancers.

This well-conducted research followed more than 40,000 people for over 13 years to see which of them got cancer of the mouth and oesophagus. The accumulated evidence from this study and the other studies quoted by the researchers seems to indicate that some component in coffee does have a protective effect, at least in Japan.

However, this needs to be put into perspective. The study found that 157 people in the study developed these specific cancers, which is a rate of about four in every 1,000. Knowing this figure – the absolute rate of cancer – is important in this type of study because the apparently large relative reduction in risk of developing these cancers (in this case 49%) is equivalent to only a few people per 1,000 getting possible protection.

As the researchers confirm, the best advice to help reduce the risk of developing these cancers is to reduce or stop drinking alcohol and to stop smoking.

Where did the story come from?
Dr Toru Naganuma and colleagues from the Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine at the Tohoku University School of Medicine in Japan carried out the research. The work was funded by grants from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a peer-reviewed medical journal.

What kind of scientific study was this?
This was an analysis of data from a prospective cohort study known as The Miyagi Cohort Study.

The researchers were interested in investigating the link between coffee consumption and the risk of oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancers (together known as mouth and oesophagus cancer). They say that previous case-control studies had suggested that caffeine provides some protection against these cancers, but with inconsistent results. The researchers wanted to see if this was also true in better-designed, prospective studies. In addition, alcohol and tobacco both increase risk, while a high intake of fruit and vegetable may decrease the risk. So the researchers were also interested in how these risk factors interact with one another.

In this large study, all 51,921 residents (25,279 men and 26,642 women) aged between 40–64 years old and living in 14 out of 62 geographical areas in northeastern Japan, were enrolled on April 1 1990. From June through August 1990 they completed questionnaires on various health habits. Usable questionnaires were returned by 47,605 residents (22,836 men and 24,769 women) - a high response rate of 91.7%.

In the 1990 questionnaire, the researchers asked about 36 types of food and four drinks, including coffee. They grouped the responses to the coffee questions into five groups: people who never drank coffee; people who occasionally drank coffee; people who drank one to two cups of coffee per day; three to four cups per day; and five or more cups per day. The researchers did not ask about the type of coffee used, the method of brewing, or the temperature of the beverage. The volume of a typical cup of coffee was estimated to be 150 ml.

These patient details were then linked to corresponding data from the Miyagi Prefecture Cancer Registry, one of the oldest and most accurate population-based cancer registries in Japan. By doing this, the researchers were able to find out who had died from cancer, and the type of cancer they had died from.

Recognised statistical techniques were then used to assess the significance of the associations found, which took into account (adjusted for) all the other cancer risk factors that had been collected. They adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, consumption of vegetables and fruits and green tea consumption. Because only a small number of people developed new cancers, the researchers chose to combine all people who drank one or more cups of coffee into a single group.

During the study period, 2,207 subjects (1,051 men and 1,156 women: 5.7% of the total) were not followed-up, mainly because they moved out of the area.

What were the results of the study?

Over the 13.6-year study period, there were 157 cases of mouth and oesophagus cancer. These occurred mostly in men (135 men and 22 women). The risk of developing mouth and oesophagus cancers was ‘inversely associated’ with coffee consumption, meaning that people who drank more coffee had a lower risk of these cancers.

The researchers report the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of these cancers, which measure the strength of this association when adjusted for other risk factors. People who drank one cup or more of coffee per day reduced their risk by around half compared with those who did not drink coffee at all (HR 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.33 to 0.77). This was a statistically significant reduction.

This inverse association was consistent regardless of sex or cancer site, and present whether or not the person drank or smoked at the beginning of the study.

What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?

The researchers conclude that “coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of oral, pharyngeal, and oesophageal cancers, even in the group at high risk of these cancers”.

What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?

This is a well-conducted piece of research. In their write-up, the researchers make points about the interpretation of their results:

They describe further the inconsistency in the other studies that have been published on the subject. They say that of the 12 published case-control studies, four also supported an inverse association; two actually showed an increased cancer risk (especially for hot coffee); and the other six showed no association. Two cohort studies had similar contradictory findings, with one smaller study finding no association with coffee, while the other showed an inverse association. They have explanations for why these differences occurred and maintain that theirs was the largest and longest running study and is likely to be the least biased as they adjusted for other risk factors. The fact that the reduced risk for these cancers was seen in the groups thought to be at high risk, such as smokers and drinkers, supports the claim that coffee is having an independent, separate effect from these other risk factors. Observational studies of this type can never completely eliminate the possibility of bias, and it is still possible that coffee drinkers were healthier in ways that were not measured by the researchers. For example, they may have been more physically active.

The characteristics of the volunteers at the start of the study were subtly different. Subjects with higher coffee consumption tended to be younger and less overweight. Coffee drinking was also associated with higher rates of smoking, lower vegetable consumption, and lower green tea consumption by both men and women. All these were adjusted for in the analysis, but it is unclear whether their effect was fully removed by the adjustments.

This study was done in Japan where the methods of brewing coffee, the components of coffee and the other dietary influences on cancer, may be different to the UK.

The incidence of these types of cancer is relatively low. This means that any difference between the groups can appear large when the hazard ratio is quoted. In this case, reducing the risk of developing this disease by 49% might seem impressive. However, it is equivalent to a reduction of a few people per 1,000 in this uncommon group of cancers.

The accumulated evidence from this study and the other studies quoted by these researchers seems to indicate that some component in coffee does have a protective effect, at least in Japan. More studies will be required to determine what this component might be, and whether the apparent protective effect occurs in countries with other dietary patterns.

As the researchers confirm, the best advice to help reduce the risk of developing these cancers is to reduce or stop drinking alcohol and to stop smoking.

Coffee Addicts

2008-11-26T11:41:00.006Z

Funny pictures of coffee related fun including coffee posters and coffee addiction.

I could do with this at the side of my bed some mornings! This person has too much blood in their caffeine system!

Right, i'm off to the coffee vending machine to get my morning fix of caffeine!

Worlds Largest Coffee Cup

2008-11-25T15:21:00.002Z

What is the worlds largest coffee cup? The Guinness World Record for the largest coffee cup is by Vinacafe Bien Hoa, the biggest coffee producer in Vietnam. The aim of the record was to promote Vietnamese coffee worldwide.

The stainless steel structure was constructed by more than 100 people and is 1.53 meters tall, with a diameter of 2.33 meters.

Weighing in at 1,197 kilos, the cup contained 3,604 litres of coffee made with 801 kilos of instant coffee powder and 4,000 litres of boiled water.

$11,000 Coffee Machine

2008-11-25T14:30:00.002Z

Wired.com takes a look at the Clover Coffee Machine. This is a $11,000 coffee machine hand-built by a team of Stanford engineers. View the video here.

There are cheaper alternatives if you want an office coffee machine!

Cool Vending Machine Advert

2008-11-25T14:21:00.002Z

Coca Cola vending machine advert is one of the coolest TV adverts in the past few years. Check out the video here.

Office Vending Machine Video

2008-11-24T16:32:00.001Z

Just for a laugh, I thought I'd share this vending machine prank from The Office

Football Vending Machines

2008-11-24T11:01:00.003Z

What next from the world of vending machines? How about football vending machines! The footballs cost $20 each.

I think this is a great way to get people playing football, while spreading a brand name a little further. Not that Nike need to really!

I think this would also work really well next to popular beaches in the summer selling beach footballs etc.

Free Drink Vending Machines - Pay By Watching Commercials

2008-11-24T10:58:00.003Z

Would you be willing to watch a 30-second advertisement on a vending machine to get a free drink?

According to a vending machine operator Apex Corp, soon, “thirsty Japanese customers will be able to drink coffee or other non-alcoholic beverages at a low price or even for free — as long as they watch a 30-second advertisement on the vending machines.”

Apex said it expected to roll out the service to “turn its machines into a new medium for advertisers, who will pick up the partial or full cost of drinks” very soon.

Coinstar - Turn your coins into cash or shopping

2008-11-24T10:32:00.003Z

Coins are a nuisance. We collect so many and now there is a vending machine that can convert your coins into cash.

The Coinstar Centre features Coinstar-branded coin counting and is fun and easy. Just follow the instructions on the screen and you are a few button pushes away from turning your coins into cash.

This machine not just let you turn your Coins into Cash or Shopping, but it can also donate your Coins to Charity (UK Only). If you just have a little amount of coins, you can just donate it.

I think it is really a good idea, because it can help to needed just only everyone inserts a little amount of money. And also if you can insert an amount of money you can change back to notes or also supermarket cash. So from now on you don’t need to carry somany coins and think that how to use it everywhere. And I think their locations are also really good, they put the machine outside the supermarket or mall site. It’s good because after people shopping or buying things they must have some change, and now they can change it to notes or donate it, I think many people must like it.

Smart Beer Vending

2008-11-24T10:13:00.004Z

Beer vending machines incorporate technology to ensure consumers are 18 or over.

The ‘smart' part of the name comes into play because it has the ability to read ID's to verify age; by way of a driver's license, passport or EU card.

Of course, the technology is not without its flaws, since vending machines have no way to gauge if the consumer might be buying for a minor that's present; a judgement call that can often be made by bartenders and retailers.

Cool Coffee Mug Picture

2008-11-21T14:29:00.002Z

Check out this cool coffee mug picture!

Coffee Glossary

2008-11-21T09:39:00.002Z

For a coffee lovers, this coffee glossary is a must. It explains briefly what coffee expressions mean.

Espresso
An Italian method of brewing coffee using pressure and heat, measuring 1 to 1 1/2 ounces.

Crema
The dense, chestnut coloured froth that tops genuine espresso.

Ristretto
Espresso cut "short" ( to an ounce) to boost intensity.

Doppio
A double espresso; no more than three ounces; served in rounded six-ounce cup.

Double
Double the espresso, not double the size.

Americano
Double shot of espresso diluted by four or five ounces of water.

Macchiato
A single or double espresso stained with a teaspoon of foamed milk served in a 4 ounce cup.

Cappuccino
Typically one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, one-third foamed milk.

Classic Cappuccino
Espresso shot topped with foamed milk.

Caffé latte
Double espresso in steamed milk.

Caffé mocha
Espresso shot mixed with chocolate syrup and steamed milk.

Breve
A caffé latte made with half and half instead of milk.

Café au lait
Equal amounts of strong filtered coffee and heated milk often served in large cups that resemble bowls and typically consumed with rolls or pastry at breakfast

Steamer
A steamed milk drink made with flavoured syrups.

Short
An 8-ounce drink

Tall
a 12-ounce drink

Grande
A 16-ounce drink

Skinny
A coffee drink made with skim milk; ie. a skinny Café au Lait

Acidity
A sharp, pleasing piquant quality that points up coffee's flavour and gives it sharp, verve, liveliness in the cup. Acidity may be medium, light, low or lacking in the cup. Acidity is a characteristic of high grown coffee.

Aroma
Refers to the odour of the prepared coffee beverage. It may be lacking, faint, delicate, moderate, strong, or fragrant. It is a distinctive characteristic.

Bitter
A harsh, unpleasant taste selected on the back of the tongue. Found in over-extracted brews as well as over-roasted coffees.

Body
The tactile impression of weight and texture in the mouth. Coffees may be watery, thin, slight, light, medium, full, heavy, thick, or even syrupy in body, as well as buttery, oily, rich, smooth, chewy, etc., in texture. Easiest to detect in full-strength coffee.

Rich
Indicates depth and complexity of flavour and full body.

Spicy
Said of fine aroma or flavour suggestive of spices.

Stale
Roasted coffee that has faded in quality after excessive exposure to air. Aroma of stale coffee changes from flat to rancid and finally to cocoa-like; the flavour of stale coffee changes from bitter to rancid and tastes cardboardy.

Strong
Term used to indicate intensity of either defects or virtues (strong-flavoured, strong-sour taste).

Sweet
Said of a smooth, palatable coffee free from taints or harshness. Also soft.

Thin
Said of coffees with watery body and lacking flavour; typical of low-grown coffee.

Winy
Sometimes used to indicate thick body and mellow quality, but also used to denote a sappy, vinous acidity. Characteristic of certain fine coffees.

Whirlpool 20RI D4 Espresso

2008-11-21T09:32:00.002Z

The Whirlpool 20RI D4 Espresso is a refrigerator with a built-in espresso machine saving you several precious steps during your rushed morning routine.

No longer will you flutter between fridge and coffee machine like a caffeine-addicted idiot; instead, your milk, creamers, and sweeteners are just inches away from a freshly-brewed cup.

For their next design they could try and incorporate a vending machine into a fridge. Not only would the fridge make coffee, get snacks from but also act as a piggy bank!

Plasma Mug

2008-11-21T08:55:00.003Z

Check out this cool plasma cup. With the new Star Trek movie coming out soon, your going to need to get high-tech and upgrade your coffee cup to a plasma one.

The Plasma Mug and coaster works as you would expect - you simply place the mug on the stand and plasma flows around the beverage within trapped in the glass walls of the coffee cup.

The light emitted by the mug won't affect the beverage in it, and you also don't have to worry about any warp core breaches. The Plasma Cup can be bought for $19,99.

Cool Coffee Machines

2008-11-21T08:25:00.009Z

Cool coffee machines that bring life to your office kitchen and your coffee. Here are the coolest coffee machines from around the world.

Etienne Louis Espresso Machine
Saeco, with the help of Swiss-based designer Carlos Borer, presents a mean design for the new-age kitchen – the Etienne Louis espresso machine – where space-age science fiction and medieval relics meet in an almost dangerous combination.

This daring design sees the machine encased in a shell of polished aluminium and steel in the form of a spiked ball, and the resemblance to the lethal medieval weapon known as a mace is clear. While its fierce exterior may appear impenetrable, the upper half of the spiked sphere easily opens for the machine to be topped up with water.

Italian Casa Bugatti Diva Coffee Machine
The Italian colour - red, it let you remind Ferrari's red sport car, it is classic. This Italian Casa Bugatti Diva Coffee Machine($750) is a work of contemporary art, a piece of history.

"The Bugatti Diva uses the traditional Italian espresso method to make espresso, cappuccino, latte and americano coffee. It is equiped with a powerful steam arm to froth milk. The Diva has a 15 bar water pump and a powerful 1050 watts heating element."

Nespresso Crystal Coffee Machine
They have showered the Nespresso Crystal Coffee Machine with over 3100 original Swarovski crystals complete in the colour crystal.

The cup warmer is made of aluminium and the grill can be removed for preparing Latte Macchiato. The Nespresso Crystal Coffee Machine will retail for a cool £1,995 ($2,000).

Presovar Pac-Man Coffee Machine
Super cool Pac-Man style coffee machine. Presovar’s Chez creator, Martin Necas, has come up with a fully functioning bean to cup machine that’s as smooth as a coffee bean itself with all of the machinery encased within its beautiful polished shell.
The lid flips open to store your cups and keep them warm, while the raw coffee beans go into another chamber at the side. The control panel at the front lights up when it’s in action and let’s you choose a single or double hit.

Lamborghini Espresso Coffee Machine
The sad truth is that I will never be able to afford any Lamborghini. Now I can add to the list of Lamborghini items that I can’t afford, the beautiful Lamborghini Espresso Coffee Machine.

Only 1,000 of the handmade machines were made at a price $1750. I did notice that Lamborghini does carry its own coffee which will have to do when I feel the urge to get a Lamborghini Coffee kick on a budget.

Flavia Coffee Machines
Affordable, cool designs and easy to use, these coffee machines are going to be very popular.
Flavia make some very cool coffee machines from Mars Drinks who also own Klix Vending Machines. Hopefully they can bring some of the cool designs to their vending machines which are traditionally very standard rectangular and boring.

Marijuana Machine Video

2008-11-20T16:25:00.002Z

For those that like a bit of weed with your coffee, here is a vending machine for you. The marijuana vending machine!

How to make a Frappé

2008-11-20T16:17:00.002Z

A frappé is nothing more complicated than instant coffee, sugar, and a small quantity of cold water shaken vigorously together to produce a thick foam, then poured over ice in a tall glass, and finally topped off with milk or water. That basic formula gets muddled not only by personal habits but also by the homespun guidelines passed on by its practitioners.

Coffee and sugar are mixed by the heaping spoonful, without specifying the size of the spoon and the heap, rather than by grams or level measuring spoons. Water is dosed by finger width, without specifying whose finger, as in “pour two fingers of water into the shaker.”

It may therefore be best to describe the frappé formula in terms of volume proportions.

A gliko (“sweet”) frappé, for example, is typically made with between 1 1/2 and 2 measures of sugar per 1 measure of coffee.

To prepare a metrio (“medium sweet”), up to 1 measure of sugar should be mixed with 1 measure of coffee.

To create a thick, creamy foam, the ideal coffee-to-water ratio is about 1 part instant coffee per 4-5 parts water.

The following recipe should be viewed as a beginning and not an end. Use it as a departure point, making adjustments according to your own tastes and moods.

Killer Biscuits!

2008-11-20T16:10:00.001Z

This story is not very related to coffee apart from the fact many of us like a good biscuit with our coffee, but this news article is such a great read I must share it. Enjoy as much as I did!

Clever Coffee Cup

2008-11-20T15:11:00.001Z

This simple, clever mug automatically indicates its current state of mind when you pour a hot beverage into it.

In its dormant state, the mug offers a black “OFF” display, but once your hot coffee or tea hits the inside, it gradually transforms to read “ON”. A heat sensitive pigment changes the color of the mug from black to white.

While it may be designed for coffee, the $25 mug is Charles & Marie’s “Soupe du Jour” offer of the day. So if you want one in time for the holidays, you better grab yours now.

Perfect Cup Size

2008-11-20T14:42:00.003Z

Looking for a new coffee cup, I came across this picture that I thought was highly appropriate. The cup size is perfect :)

Cool Coffee Top Video

2008-11-20T14:30:00.001Z

How do you make cool patterns in coffee - check out this video!

Morning Coffee Quotes

2008-11-20T14:02:00.001Z

Some cool quotes about a morning cup of coffee!

Decaffeinated coffee is kind of like kissing your sister.
- Bob Irwin

I put instant coffee in a microwave and almost went back in time.

- Steven Wright

Do you know how helpless you feel if you have a full cup of coffee in your hand and you start to sneeze?
- Jean Kerr

A morning without coffee is like sleep.
- Unknown

If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.
- Abraham Lincoln

I don’t have a problem with caffeine. I have a problem without caffeine!
- Unknown

Don’t drink coffee in the morning. It will keep you awake until noon.
- Unknown

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.
- Alex Levine

If it ain’t caffinated, it ain’t coffee!
- Unknown

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
- T. S. Elliot

As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
- Unknown

I like my coffee strong, not lethal!
- M*A*S*H

Do I like my coffee black? There are other colours?
- Unknown

I think if I were a woman I’d wear coffee as a perfume.
- John Van Druten

I bought a decaffeinated coffee table, you can’t even see a difference.
- Unknown

Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?
- Stephen Wright

Coffee comes in five descending stages: Coffee, Java, Jamoke, Joe, and Carbon Remover.
- Robert A. Heinlein

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.
- Stephanie Piro

I make serious coffee - so strong it wakes up the neighbours.
- Unknown

15 Cool Coffee Facts

2008-11-20T12:44:00.002Z

Coffee is good for you and coffee is bad for you if you read the news. It seems the best way to look at drinking coffee is like most things in life, it is fine in moderation. There are some very interesting facts about coffee that I would like to share with you:

Health Benefits:

Coffee can lift your mood, make you happier, and make you feel better. It alleviates depression.
Have a headache? Drink a cup of coffee. It's been shown to help people get rid of their headaches.
People who drink coffee have less colon cancer than people who don't. That's a big deal, especially if you have a family history of cancer.
Parkinson's disease has also been shown to be reduced by drinking coffee.
Coffee drinkers have lower rates of Type II diabetes, and that's an especially important finding since diabetes is becoming more prevalent today.
Gallstones and cirrhosis of the liver – both lowered by drinking coffee.
Coffee can protect your teeth from cavities.
If you have asthma, drinking coffee can help manage your condition and might help you stop an attack if you don't have your medication available.
One of the biggest benefits? People who smoke or drink alcohol get protective benefits from drinking coffee and have lower rates of liver problems and heart disease.

Other Uses:

Coffee can be used to dye paper and fabrics. If you put the beans in hot water their colour will start to come out. You can use that water to dye fibres.
If you need a good facial scrub, you can coarsely grind some coffee beans and use them to scrub your face. They have great exfoliating properties.
If you've been preparing food and your hands smell like it, rub some coffee beans between your hands for a few seconds; you can also suck on a coffee bean to freshen and clean your breath, no matter what you've been eating.
Have a garden? Coffee makes great compost if you don't use it in excess, and sprinkling coffee grounds and orange peels around plants will keep cats from bothering the plants or using the garden as their personal litter box.
Greasy pans can be cleaned with the left over ground beans that you used to exfoliate and scrub your face.
You can also use coffee beans, placed in a bowl in your refrigerator, to get rid of food smells that might accumulate in there.
These are just a few of the many uses for coffee. Drink it for your health, and use it for all kinds of other things. Coffee has lots of great uses! Experimenting with it can give you even more great ideas about how to use your coffee to improve your life in a lot of ways. It's not just for drinking anymore.

Is Coffee Good for you?

2008-11-20T12:34:00.003Z

Is coffee good for you? I have heard in the press that regular coffee drinking can have some negative effects on health so I decided to do some research to find out the advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee.

Coffee Pros

1. Antioxidants. Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging.

2. Parkinson's disease. Regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. A number of studieshave demonstrated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

3. Diabetes. Coffee drinking has the potential to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. A prospective study as part of the US Nurses Health Study found that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle aged women.

4. Liver cirrhosis. Coffee drinking may protect against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.

5. Gallstones. There is some evidence that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation in both men and women.

6. Kidney stones. Coffee consumption lowers the risk of kidney stones formation. Coffee increases the urine volume, preventing the crystallization of calcium oxalate, the most common component of kidney stones.

7. Improved mental performance. Caffeine in coffee is a well-known stimulant. Coffee promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The cup of coffee can also increase information processing.

8. Alzheimer's disease. Regular coffee drinking may help to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Recent study in mice showed that caffeine equivalent to 5 cups of coffee per day reduced the build up of destructive plaques in the brain.

9. Asthma. Caffeine in coffee is related to theophylline, an old asthma medication. Caffeine can open airways and improve asthma symptoms.

10. Caffeine safety. In 1958, caffeine was placed on the Food and Drug Administration's list as generally recognized as safe.

Coffee Cons

1. Heart disease. This is somewhat controversial. Most prospective cohort studies haven't found that coffee consumption is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

On one hand, diterpenes cafestol and kahweol present in unfiltered coffee and caffeine each appear to increase risk of coronary heart disease. High quality studies have confirmed the cholesterol-raising effect of diterpenes. Also, coffee consumption is associated with an increase of plasma homocysteine, a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, a lower risk of heart disease among moderate coffee drinkers might be due to antioxidants found in coffee.

2. Cholesterol. Heavy consumption of boiled coffee elevates blood total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Unfiltered coffee contains two cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol.

3. Blood vessels. Coffee negatively affects the blood vessel tone and function.

4. Heart rhythm disturbances. Coffee can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias).

5. Blood pressure. Although coffee drinking is not a significant risk factor for hypertension, it produces unfavorable effects on blood pressure and people prone to hypertension may be more susceptible. Recent Italian study found that coffee drinking can slightly increase the risk for development of sustained hypertension in people with elevated blood pressure.

6. Osteoporosis. Coffee intake may induce an extra urinary excretion of calcium. Heavy coffee consumption (600 ml or more) can modestly increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women with a low calcium intake.

7. Heartburn. A cup of coffee can trigger the heartburn.

8. Sleep. Most are aware of the stimulatory effects of caffeine. High amounts of caffeine taken before going to sleep can cause difficulty falling asleep, tendency to be awakened more readily by sudden noises, and a decreased quality of sleep. However, some people can drink coffee and fall right asleep.

9. Dehydration. The caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic and can increase urine excretion. This effect may be easily neutralized by drinking an extra glass of water.

10. Dependence. Although "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA, caffeine is still a drug, a mild central nervous system stimulant, and it produces dependence. Caffeine withdrawal is a real syndrome. You may get a few days of headache and irritability if you choose to quit drinking coffee, however, it is relatively easy to break this habit, and most people are not addicted to caffeine.

Coffee Flavour Taste Wheels

2008-11-20T11:42:00.004Z

Coffee connoisseurs will love these coffee flavour taste wheels.

PS3 Vending Machines

2008-11-20T11:03:00.002Z

Have you ever been robbed by a vending machine? I imagine so as so many of us have. You put in your change and expect to get a Mars Bar but nothing. It's eaten your money! Ahhhhhh! But imagine instead of a Mars Bar it was a Playstation 3 games worth a lot more money! PS3 vending machines are on the way!

Universal Pictures and Sony have signed a deal to manufacture and distribute "PoP Instant Entertainment 24/7" vending machines across the UK where patrons will be able to purchase DVDs, Blu-rays, various media downloads, and yes, also PS3 games. That's a whole lot of quarters you're going to need to feed.
The plan is to have 150 movies available when these machines are rolled out, including recent movies like Hellboy II and Mama Mia.

What's more is you will be able to view trailers on the vending machine screen before purchasing some of them.

What and how many PS3 games will be available wasn't specified, but people will also be able to purchase and download movies and music directly to MP3 and MP4 players, or to an SD card.

What kind of security these things will have wasn't detailed, but we imagine no less than a cage built around them with a tiger inside will be needed to stave off would be thieves. (Obviously, a complicated rig of levers and pulleys will be used to safely insert money and retrieve your items from a distance.)

The vending machines will appear in theatres, gyms, universities, and travel stations.

Look out Klix Vending Machines - there is a new kid on the block!

Coffee machines hid drugs haul

2008-11-10T09:50:00.003Z

Drugs worth an estimated £6.3m have been found inside coffee machine boxes at the Port of Dover, HM Customs said.

Officers from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) discovered 700kg (1,500lbs) of amphetamines and 120kg (265lbs) of cannabis at docks on Tuesday.

The drugs, said to be hidden inside a Polish registered vehicle, are thought to have been destined for Northampton.

Polish national Gracjan Marcin Zientara, 32, of Pila, Poland, has been charged with drug smuggling offences.

Mr Zientara was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Dover Magistrates Court in December 2008.

Malcolm Bragg, of HM Revenue & Customs, said: "Our priority, in partnership with the UKBA, is to wipe out illegal drugs and their availability on city streets.

"We hope our efforts will reduce the devastating impact drugs have on individuals as well as the wider effect on local communities."

Original Source: Coffee Machine hid drugs haul - The BBC

Trapped in a Vending Machine

2008-11-04T16:03:00.007Z

A number of vending machines are designed to catch the attention of young children - but 'catch' is used literally in the images below:

The below clip is very amusing, but you would think precautions are made to stop children from crawling into these machines.

PS3 Vending Machine

2008-11-03T10:15:00.003Z

Soon UK PS3 gamers will be able to purchase games the way they'd buy a soda. You're hungry, you see a vending machine, and you reach in your pocket for that last crumpled dollar. After much fussing, the machine takes it.

C7 -- some delicious Fritos sound appetizing. The bag jostles, begins to move forward, and then... gets stuck against the glass. Annoying? Now imagine instead of chips, it was a $60 game.

As Stuff.tv reports (via VideoGamer), Universal Pictures and Sony have signed a deal to manufacture and distribute "PoP Instant Entertainment 24/7" vending machines across the U.K., where patrons will be able to purchase DVDs, Blu-rays, various media downloads, and yes, also PS3 games. That's a whole lot of quarters you're going to need to feed.

The plan is to have 150 movies available when these machines are rolled out, including recent movies like Hellboy II and Mama Mia -- you'll even be able to view trailers on the machine's screen before purchasing some of them.

What (and how many) games will be available wasn't specified, but people will also be able to purchase and download movies and music directly to MP3 and MP4 players, or to an SD card. What kind of security these things will have wasn't detailed, but we imagine no less than a cage built around them with a tiger inside will be needed to stave off would be thieves. (Obviously, a complicated rig of levers and pulleys will be used to safely insert money and retrieve your items from a distance.)

The vending machines will appear in theaters, gyms, universities, and travel stations.

Gun Vending Machines

2008-10-29T11:25:00.003Z

We have mentioned about different vending machines on this blog before, however this vending machine is slightly worrying:

It was actually installed into universities and shopping malls in South Africa by the Gun Control Alliance to demonstrate how easy it is to obtain and gun in Africa.

The money collected was used to support the activities of the gun-free society.

I don't know how long this machine was in operation for, or even if the guns were real, but it isn't something you would find on Paddington Station in London. Chocolates, Cigarettes and Coffee vending machines are the norm in the UK.

Where have your coffee beans been?

2008-10-24T14:41:00.010+01:00

Kopi (the Indonesian word for coffee) Luwak comes from the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), which are part of the Indonesian Archepelago's 13,677 islands (only 6,000 of which are inhabited).

But it's not strictly the exotic location that makes these coffee beans worth their weight in silver. It's how they're "processed."

Nice smelling coffee beans
Would you drink this?
Then read on!

Kopi Luwak is a rare and gourmet coffee from Indonesia that is made from beans passed through the digestive system of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also known as the Common Palm Civet or the Toddy Cat, simply put it's Monkeys POO!

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and the United States.

Exotic it maybe, but I wonder if this coffee bean is available for the standard coffee vending machine?

The History Of The Teasmade

2008-10-17T12:45:00.016+01:00

What? I hear you ask. A post about tea on a coffee blog?!? Well, to be honest, the design of today's coffee machines owe a lot to that of the eccentric automatic tea making contraptions being invented as early as the 19th Century. So today I thought we'd take a little look at the history of the teasmade (photos from teasmade.com).

The first patent for an automatic tea making device was granted in 1892, a year which also saw the invention of the diesel engine and basketball (well, official basketball anyway). The inventor was Samuel Rowbottom, an electrical engineer whom also helped invent the first armed tank with Frederick Simms.

In 1902 Albert E Richardson designed what is widely
believed to be the first commercial automatic tea making machine. The device incorporated an alarm clock and a small kettle that physically tipped hot water into the waiting cup as the user awoke. The rights were subsequently sold to Frank Clarke, a reputed gunsmith, and it was at this time that the term teawaker was used to describe these new-fangled contraptions.

The word "Teasmade" was in fact a trade name for Goblin's version that was released in 1936. The design incorporated a tea pot, lamp and shade, as well as clock all arranged in a symmetrical combination - and available in a range of
colours.

In the fifties designs began to get smaller and more compact and the teawaker boom was in full swing. Goblin, Pifco and Pye all saturated the market and by the sixties the lamp and shade aspect of the earlier teasmade was phased out completely, and was often replaced with one or two bulbs encased and at one with the more typical rectangular shapes of the time.

Into the 70's and designs began to change again. By the end of the decade Goblin wowed the market with it's release of the 870, a teawaker that even included a radio, keyboard switches and also included a tea set.

By the 80's, designs that resemble those of modern day coffee vending machines began to fill the market. Companies such as Russell Hobbs and Swan brought out designs that incorporated mugs in a vending style.

Not only, do the styles of yesteryear look familiar when compared with today's multi-function hot drink machines. Even the technology of the oldest Rowbottom teawaker, by which water is heated with the result of shooting it through a thin spout into a cup is almost exactly the same, so too is the age-old desire for multi-functionality.

Today, only a few manufacturers remain in the business but I'm sure the teasmade is due a resurgence...maybe all they need in the 21st century are USB capabilities and remote control...

Home Brew Espresso

2008-09-16T15:09:00.003+01:00

Is this the future of vending?

I couldn't resist this post - on a coffee forum, Matadero's ongoing quest to engineer the perfect home made espresso machine has been attracting a lot of attention. Naturally, most of us aren't technologically gifted anough to understand his drawings...

...let alone why you would bother to do this when there are tons of perfectly good tried and tested vending machines out there. But, I have to concede, it's a bit like trying to build Concorde in your back garden - when it flies, it's going to be really satisfying. Carry on the good work, Matadero!

Bean to Cup - the big spend, the big dilemma

2008-09-16T12:23:00.012+01:00

If you're looking at buying a machine for the office to please your workers, then bean-to-cup is perhaps the best way to go.

They'll be grateful for the improvement in quality from Mellow Birds, they'll work faster, and the office will smell of lovely fresh ground coffee every day. For those who don't know, bean to cup technology is basically a step down from the top class dedicated espresso maker, but a step up from the kind of machines you get at motorway service stations, or in large offices.

There are all kinds of pitfalls, as you'd expect with an automated process - details like water hardness, frothing attachments without multiple boilers, and 'rapid steam' should all be investigated before you leap in at the deep end and fork out a few hundred quid - or a thousand or more for a small to medium sized office.

Here follow a selection of machines by different manufacturers - check them out.

The Gaggia Event Platinum

The entry level Gaggia - this maker is synonymous with good coffee - and this machine uses nice clean simple technology - a stainless steel boiler, a bean grinder with an option to add pre-ground manually, and a milk frother. The range goes up from here, prices starting around £500.

The Krups Automatic B-to-C maker

This basic model is suitable for home and small office - the shiny pot you can see attached is the milk container - an automatic frother is incorporated. There are allegedly some glitches with beans sticking around the edge of the hopper, but if it's looks and a named brand you're after, then this model (at £500-odd) won't break the bank.

The Jura Impressa Z5

There's a lot of chat about Jura. They're meant to be really nice. They certainly look wonderful - Swiss design and workmanship more or less guarantees good quality. But does all that glitter really deliver a without-par cuppa? There are no reviews around, except in forums, so you'll have to see for yourself - at £1,600, that's quite a gamble. But if you know you like and want the best, you can't do much better.

The Franke Saphira

I did say "much". Programmable, fast, and a more or less professionally-made by your favourite barista taste in the coffee - this is the top end machine. But can anyone justify the layout?

Starting at around twice the price of the Jura, this is a machine for the serious coffee-holic with no time but plenty of money.

Clover Coffee Machine

2008-09-11T08:51:00.004+01:00

It has been called: “majestic,” “ingenious,” and “sleek.” Those are only a few of the words that have said, describing this commercial coffee machine - the Clover, an $11,000 device that brews regular coffee one cup at a time.

The machine works using an extremely fine filter on top of a piston that sinks into the machine. Over time, the piston will rise, creating a vacuum that forces water through the grounds. Finally, the coffee flows into a single cup.
Now for some more facts:

you have the ability to determine the brew time and temperature (which changed by just a couple degrees or seconds, can make a completely different cup of coffee)
an average cup goes for about $22, and can make it’s way up to $100 (in one coffee shop in London)
it’s made of stainless steel and copper
costs $11,000
usually takes several hours to assemble by hand
80 of these machines will be installed in Starbucks stores, by the end of 2008

CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz says: “In my 25 years at Starbucks, the Clover machine unquestionably delivers the best brewed coffee I have ever tasted”. That pretty much says it all…

Video the Clover Coffee Machine Video

The Flavia Coffee Machine

2008-08-29T08:29:00.007+01:00

Shopping for an office coffee machine was more difficult than I expected but I eventually found one that fit all our needs, cheap to run, lots of drinks, cool design and easy to maintain and use. It's called the Flavia Fusion drink machine.

The first thing I love about Flavia Drink Machines is the fact that you can enjoy as many cups as you want without having the trouble of going somewhere just to buy tea or coffee. It's convenience at the end of the day and having a machine that can provide a fresh cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate at the touch of a button when you want.

For the office coffee machine, the Flavia Fusion drinks machine is the perfect choice when there is less that 20 people like in our office. It has a very sleek, curvy, sexy design that looks really cool in our office. Everyone has there different tastes, some like coffee whilst others prefer tea which is why this machine is perfect as it can deliver all these and more! Using Flavia Fusion unique flavour Filtepacks, it brews directly from pack to cup. What's so great about this is that there is no mess, no clean up, and no tainting from the previous brew. Some drink machines get this wrong and a cup of coffee followed by a cup of tea will have the remnents of a coffee flavour to it. Tea and coffee do not taste great together!

If you make a French Roast for yourself and then an Espresso for your work colleague, their Espresso will not have a taste of French Roast, which is exactly why the Flavia Fusion drink machine works so well! I also love the fact that it comes in red, black and blue so you can choice one that will fit your office or home.

For the office environment for those of 20 people or more then the Flavia Coffee Machines S350 or SB100 are the ones to choose from. For years, other office coffee services have provided supplies to create coffee for the masses.

An office coffee machine needs to provide coffee to live up to the standard but with the Flavia coffee machine, it does more that just living up to the standard. As their marketing says 'more than just a coffee machine'

It has raised the standard to an almost unreachable height with fresh ground coffee created from easy to use office coffee supplies and equipment. Thanks to the Flavia coffee machine, the new standard for office coffee machine services matches that of the gourmet coffee shop.

All the Flavia Coffee Drink Machines provide you with the same feature, the one that keeps your every cup of coffee always fresh, delicious, and new coffee without the taste from previous brewing.

They are easy to use and clean, brews direct from pack to cup, portable, and presentable. You can even place them anywhere, whether at your home or in the office. So, don’t just settle for anything less. Choose the Flavia coffee machine and find out for yourself the revolution in office coffee supplies. If you already own a Flavia coffee machine, their coffees might interest you as well.

Flavia offers different variety of coffees for you to choose from like:

French Roast
Italian Roast
Espresso Roast
Sidamo Gold
House Blend
Breakfast Blend
Costa Rica
Colombia Sumatra
Hazelnut
French Vanilla
Irish Crème
French Roast Decaf
House Blend Decaf
Hazelnut Decaf, and more.

For more information with regards to their other services and products, visit http://www.myflavia.com

With your Flavia coffee machine and various coffee flavours, every cup of your coffee gives you different fantastic coffee experience without having any taste from other flavours at all.

Pictures of Coffee Bean to Coffee Cup

2008-08-28T14:49:00.008+01:00

From Coffee Bean to Coffee Cup in pictures. Lovely photos illustrating the process and hard work that goes into making coffee.

Not sure about the coffee machine process but i'm sure I can research into this and do a post in the near future.

Vending Machine Coke Cola Robots

2008-08-28T13:18:00.002+01:00

Cool vending machine robots meet Coca Cola. These Coca Cola vending robots are so cool.

Currently these cool vending machines only offer regular Coke and Coke Zero but I can see many more flavours added to these robot’s menu. What next from the crazy world of vending machines!

Fruit Vending Machines

2008-08-28T12:43:00.002+01:00

To tackle obesity, fruit vending machines in schools could prove a step in the right direction. Primary school boys love apples. Secondary school girls like strawberries and grapes. Nobody's fussed about pears. Cherry tomatoes are OK and so are mandarins. These are the cold (preferred storage temperature 3 degrees), hard (or crisp if we're talking apples) facts about fruit, according to the students of Greenvale's Aitken College. At least according to Jonathan Sampson, who in February installed the college's first fruit vending machines.

It was a trial of sorts for Mr Sampson and the company, Schools Go Fresh, a joint venture between RP Vending Machines and a consortium of Yarra Valley fruit growers, for which he is operations manager. Fruit vending machines, while popular overseas, are rare in Australia.

For the first few months Mr Sampson stocked the machines himself, asking the school's Breakfast Club members what they liked and didn't like, and what their classmates were saying.

He knew he was dealing with tough customers. But he also knew he had a good product, and with the current push to address the increasing problem of childhood obesity, the timing was perfect.

First came the machine's novelty appeal. Swanky, Italian-designed machines that operate according to a cashless system of "swipe tags", they feature a revolving drum that allows fussy eaters to turn the fruit until they see precisely which apple, bag of grapes (but most likely not a pear), they'd like to eat.

The tech-savvy purchasing "tags" function a bit like CityLink passes, allowing parents to select the fruit they want their child to eat via an online account, set a daily spending limit and view their child's transaction history.

Then came the fruit, which, supplied directly from the growers, stored at a crisp 3 degrees, and with only a brief warehouse stop between farm and school, was far fresher than the produce many students were used to. The school still has some "junk" food available, but now there's a healthier alternative.

For Mr Sampson, the trick to getting children to eat fruit is to make it look good.

"It has to be packaged or sold in the right way. What we've tried to do is imitate what a chocolate bar would look like with clever packaging, but it's fruit."

Still, it's not just looks that count. "The school canteen (at Aitken) had a bowl of fruit for the kids to choose from, but it was kept at room temperature and the fruit wasn't as fresh. Kids aren't stupid. They like fruit to be cold, and they can see when an apple has been manhandled by 10 other children before them."

Ian Crocker, assistant principal of St Albans Secondary College, came across Schools Go Fresh in an educational journal and thought "it sounded like a fantastic concept". So he took it to the school council, gained approval for a trial, sent letters out to raise awareness of the program and began working on a school campaign to highlight the benefits of fruit to students.

Another important element of the project, for Mr Crocker, is leading by example. "Twenty-five staff have already signed up to start the ball rolling. A lot of it is role modelling."

The college's first machine was installed last Thursday. When it's stocked tomorrow, Mr Crocker plans to be one of the first people to swipe a tag, get a piece of fruit and tell people how good it is.

Doug Mahoney, principal of Aitken College, says the vending machines have had a better reception from students than he anticipated. While he partly attributes this to the quality of the fruit, he says the "cool gadget" appeal of the tag purchase system holds definite appeal. The vending machines have also led to some curious playground incidents, particularly when a teacher came across a preppie being dangled over a rubbish bin by the ankles by an older student.

Bullying? Well, no. The preppie had accidentally dropped his fruit tag in the bin. "But he was a resourceful little kid because he went and got a big kid and together they retrieved the tag," Mr Mahoney laughs.

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Art Vending Machine

2008-08-27T15:27:00.005+01:00

Here is an art vending machine, discovered in London. The Campbell Works art gallery in Stoke Newington, North London is currently hosting an exhibition by Jake and Dinos Chapman. This vending machine is located outside the gallery and for £2 you can get yourself a piece of local art!

£2 will get you a random print by a local artist. Fantastic Value, well worth £2.

It just makes you wonder what else you could sell via a vending machine! We typically see the Klix type vending machine in offices and leisure centres but increasingly there are a variety of ipod, shoes, food machines out in society. Check out the rest of this blog to find more fun vending machines.

Most Expensive Cup of Coffee

2008-08-26T14:32:00.006+01:00

Where in the world is the most expensive cup of coffee? The answer is Moscow. To find out why along with the most expensive cup of coffee costing £50, please read on.

All around the world, the price of a morning cup of coffee is up. In some places it's way up. Mercer's, the US consulting firm recently charged their London office with the task of taking a survey of the price of a cup of coffee worldwide.

They discovered that Moscow has the most expensive coffee, with the average price of a cup hovering around $10.19.

Lenin must be rolling over in his grave! Just 17 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the one-time capital of communism is now home to the world's most expensive cup of coffee.

The rest of Europe isn't much kinder — coffee is $6.77 in Paris and $6.62 in Athens. International travelers looking to satisfy their caffeine cravings should look to South America and Africa for relief: At $2.03 per cup in Buenos Aires and $2.36 in Johannesburg, both continents offer relief to cash-strapped java seekers. New York is far from the most expensive, weighing in at a mere $3.75.

"The cost of living survey is conducted in stores of international standard, frequented by expatriates," says Nathalie Constantin Métral, a research manager at Mercer's office in Geneva, Switzerland. "We collected the price for a cup of coffee in bars and cafés of international standard frequented by expatriates in Moscow, and those places are very expensive."

Award for 'Most Expensive Cup of Coffee' at £50
But if Moscow if the most expensive place to get a cuppa, then the award for most expensive cup of coffee goes to De'Longhi's Caffe Raro pictured here.

A cup of this coffee went on sale in April 2008 in London for £50. The extra special brew is a blend of Jamaican Blue Mountain and the exclusive Kopi Luwak bean, which is collected from cat droppings.

De'Longhi's Caffe Raro was created by David Cooper, an international barista judge.
Customers could choose from the usual range of coffees, including espresso, which also sells for £50 a shot. All proceeds were donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mr Cooper said: "These rare coffees have been slowly hand roasted for around 12 minutes to ensure that we maximise the potential of each coffee. "The final roast colour is quite dark to ensure that the espresso is perfect for a smooth latte or cappuccino."

Kopi Luwak, or Civet coffee, is made from beans eaten, partly digested,
and then expelled by the Indonesian civet cat.

Civets, who live in the foliage of plantations across south east Asia, are said to pick the best and ripest coffee berries.

Enzymes in their digestive system break down the flesh of the fruit before the animals expel the bean. Workers collect beans from the plantation floor, wash away the dung and roast them.

Supermarket Vending Machines

2008-08-26T09:25:00.005+01:00

Imagine a supermarket inside a vending machine. Imagine no longer! These new kind of vending machines called self supermarkets mean you can get what you want, when you want!

I wonder if any vending machine manufacturers such as Klix Vending Machines will follow suit? Only time will tell but I think these would work well in the UK, especially in inner city locations that do not have 24 hour convenience stores such as Tesco Express.

Amy Winehouse Slush Puppy Machine

2008-08-19T11:21:00.002+01:00

Amy Winehouse is often pictured with an ice pop in her hand and has shared her own supplies with fans.

Now songstress Amy Winehouse has made sure she can enjoy cool treats on tap after having a Slush Puppy machine installed in her home.

With "Winehouse Chill-Out" printed on the box, Amy's new purchase was delivered to her Camden address.

Trail of Cheetos leads police to catch vending machine thieves

2008-08-19T11:10:00.005+01:00

An orange trail of Cheetos led St. Paul police to three teenagers suspected of burglarizing a vending machine.

Officers were called to the Arlington Recreation Center, where they found a vending machine's glass had been broken with a chair. Most of the candy and chips were missing, according to a criminal complaint. The officers followed a trail of snack debris from the rec center, around the side of the building and to a nearby home. Inside, they found numerous vending-sized bags of Cheetos and other snacks.

Police arrested three males ages 17, 18 and 19 who soon arrived at the home. The two adults are charged with third-degree burglary, the 17-year-old with criminal damage to property.

All three denied being involved, the complaint says.

Brunopasso Expresso Coffee Machine

2008-08-14T14:35:00.000+01:00

Japanese designer Tadahito Ishibashi has come up with an espresso machine which he has named as “Brunopasso”.
He has called the same as design for style because the design is truly majestic and can be termed as a masterpiece. It looks in every bit more like the Italian Sports Cars complete with console panel. While looking stylish it is also very simple to use and even works with pods.

These gadgets are very much available commonly at the supermarkets. So just go ahead and make a style statement by having an espresso machine right on your table.

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Blockbuster NCR DVD Vending Machines

2008-08-06T09:21:00.003+01:00

Blockbuster Video is intent on competing on all fronts when it comes to DVD rentals. When it perceived Netflix and its online model to be a threat, Blockbuster launched its own online rental service. Redbox kiosks are the next target for Blockbuster with a recent announcement that Blockbuster and NCR will be launching DVD vending kiosks.

The kiosks will be launched in small numbers in a pilot program before possibly being rolled out nationwide. Blockbuster says that 50 kiosks will be launched in Q3 2008. At first Blockbuster says that the kiosks will be used for rentals, but could be upgraded in the future for game sales, digital downloads and movie sales. The locations and markets for the first 50 units has not been announced at this time.

"With NCR's advanced technology, these machines will dispense a wide array of DVDs and could offer digital downloading in the future, all under the Blockbuster brand," said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and CEO. "This initial rollout provides consumers increasingly convenient access to their favorite movies and is one more step in the fulfillment of our mission to transform Blockbuster into a multi-channel provider of media entertainment."

This is another step in the right direction for Blockbuster coupled with the predicted success of their movie downloads

Clover Coffee Machine

2008-07-23T10:02:00.006+01:00

I'm not sure this is worth the beans it says it is but the Clover 1S claims to be the answer to a top-shelf single cup of coffee brewed at the coffee shop just to your taste.

Brewed in a fraction of the time your at-home single coffee cup maker does, the Clover 1S allows the consumer to watch their chosen coffee brew to perfection. It probably can't get any fresher than that. The Clover also comes with built-in software that can allow the owner to observe drinking trends and profits since each cup is meant to be served for $22 a cup! Whoa -- that is one pricey cup o' joe. Does that mean the biscotti are free?

Alternative and much cheaper option would be the Flavia Coffee Machine

View a demo video of the Clover coffee machine:

Japanese Vending Machines

2008-07-11T16:03:00.004+01:00

Japan is home to roughly 127 million people and has one of the most concentrated populations on Earth. The Vending Machine Manufacturers Association claims Japan has one vending machine for every 23 people - about five and a half million vending machines in total. Obviously these machines are very popular in Japan and can be found almost anywhere from street corners to office blocks.

In the UK however, vending machines seem more commonplace in the workplace than on the street – which is probably a direct result of our fondness for vandalism and graffiti. Having a much lower crime and disorder rate than the UK, Japan’s dispensers command much more respect than their Western counterparts and are more widely received therefore.

Although not as widespread as in Japan, vending machines first appeared commercially in the UK during the early nineteenth century, used to vend post cards in London. The first ones introduced in the US supplied gum to train users on platforms.

The Japanese machines often make use of colours to attract people and to distinguish between hot and cold drink products. The products tend not to be disguised behind panels and compartments, instead are displayed naturally so the consumers can see what they will actually get before making the purchase.

The multitude of items on offer from these machines can vary from drinks to novelty items. There seems as if there is no limit to the variety of items that can be sold from these machines. Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of various items offered by the ‘metal vendor:’

Drinks (hot & cold)
Confectionary
Snacks
Cigarettes
Ipods
Trainers
Alcohol
Novelty Gifts
Rice
Flowers
Newspapers & magazines
Lingerie
Batteries
Tickets
Toilet paper
Umbrellas
Eggs

However, I am (not yet) aware of vending machines offering the following products & services:

MP3/4 audio (music & audio books)
Digital Media (films and computer games)
Stationary
Vehicle hire (booking & key collection)
Maps

Surely it will only be a matter of time before these services are offered in the high street through machines.

The world of one-way, human-free commerce is obviously prevalent and could possibly revolutionise the way consumers conduct purchasing. Consumers have already warmed to making purchases over the internet, yet still like the idea of walking around the high-street, actually looking at the product(s) available before purchasing. Vending machines may well bridge the gap between the internet and the high-street.

An alternative concept is a ‘reverse’ vending machine; whereby the consumer places a used plastic container in the machine which it then proceeds to wash and compact, before returning a redeemable voucher to the consumer.

In today’s economic and environmentally conscious world, these machines can only become more popular. Extensions of this principle could be developed to include refuse collection and garment washing.

The future is uncertain for the humble coffee vending machine but must be optimistic for the vending business in general, even if only in Japan.

Office Coffee Machine Considerations

2008-07-11T11:19:00.004+01:00

Buying a coffee machine requires careful consideration and especially if you are buying one for the office. When you cook, you want to use the best utensils as it helps create the most delicious meal. The same applies to coffee – if you want great tasting coffee, you need a great coffee machine.

Access to coffee in the office environment is very important for many staff. Caffeine in moderation is a stimulant that gives a burst of energy, keeping our senses sharp. No wonder then the coffee we drink at work has a positive effect on performance levels.

The office coffee machine has the basic components of the standard coffee machine that you use at home but is designed to handle the demand of a busy office setting. Finding the perfect office coffee machine depends largely on the amount of people you have working in the environment. This can help you determine how many cups of coffee the coffee machine will be responsible for brewing on a daily basis.

Ease of use, convenience and low maintenance will play a big part in the type of coffee machine you choose for your office. Several different people will probably be using the machine so you want to be sure that it is not too difficult to operate. It should also be fairly easily cleaned, as some coffee machines can be quite difficult to clean.

The semi-automatic coffee machine would require the user to add ground coffee to the machine each time they want a fresh cup. If you are comfortable with at least partial user participation, then this may be the appropriate choice for your office setting.

If you are more comfortable with minimal user participation, then you may want to explore the fully automatic office coffee machines which requires no user participation as the entire process is machine operated. For larger offices with more people, a fully automatic office coffee machine is most likely the more efficient choice.

There are now drink machines available that can cater for different tastes, perfect for office environment as some people naturally prefer tea or a well-being drink, some prefer coffee or hot chocolate. Flavia drink machines have answered this need with a variety of machine designs and flavours to suit the home and office.
So, now you know the type of coffee machine your office needs, where do you buy it from to get the best deal? Do your research first, starting with the Internet to learn more about the popularity and functionality of different brands. You can also determine the prices you are looking at paying. Online prices are typically cheaper than in stores so shopping online could save you money.

The office coffee machine is an important part of office life, boosting staff morale and improving performance so make sure you buy the right drink machine.

Healthy Vending

2008-07-11T10:41:00.003+01:00

Americans spend $21 billion a year on vending machine snacks. Picture this, a hungry student gazing across rows upon rows of brightly coloured packaging, rummaging thorough their pockets to find the right change for the vending machine to gorge on the chocolate bar they so desperately need.

Located in the back of offices and schools they sit and wait for those weakened by hunger to come, change jingling in their pockets. Vending machines typically offer snacks that would give most nutritionists a migraine. Not only are most the snacks unhealthy, they are also frequently obscure variations of known brands, the forgotten remainders of a failed product launch that no one will ever eat. In essence, many vending machines are where candy goes to die, a carb-loaded elephant burial ground.

To be sure, vending machines have changed a lot since the days of the automats, when Jazz Age eateries like Horn & Hardart would dispense a slab of meatloaf or a hot apple pie through a slot in exchange for a nickel or two. Today, however, instead of meals, most vending machines deal in quick fixes; sodas, candy bars and snack foods intended to quiet a rumbling stomach, not take the place of actual nutrition.

The problem is that, to many people, the vending machine is as much a part of their daily diet as fast food joints. According to the National Automatic Merchandising Association, in 2004, Americans spent more than $21 billion buying food and beverages from the vending machines. The average American works about eight to ten hours a day and, according to food-services giant Aramark about 15 percent of workers don't even have time to take a lunch break. For them, the vending machine is a straight shot down the hall, and the snacks inside it are usually fattening and not so healthy — that is until recently.

Partly in response to pressure from parent groups, customers and the health-care industry, vending business companies such as Klix are now beginning to offer drinks that may pose less danger to the heart, arteries and waistline.

As most students and office workers know, making healthy choices is a difficult task, especially when hungry. A morning spent in meetings and hours at the computer make a Mars Bar hard to avoid. For those office workers who don't have time to head to a restaurant for lunch or are working late, vending machines are their saviour.

In January 2005, the National Automatic Merchandising Association started a million-dollar campaign called "Balanced for Life." It highlights the need for a balanced diet and fitness focusing on nutrition in the workplace where vending sales are highest. According to NAMA, a large part of the campaign is to encourage vending and snack food leaders to develop healthier choices, which, so far, seems to be working.

However, even if there are healthier choices in vending machines, it is very easy to fall victim to a sugar craving. These lapses in judgement are why Dr. Kathy James at the University of San Diego says try not to skip meals, and if you need small snacks, choose peanuts or yogurt. "If you go to a machine and get a candy bar, it makes you quickly energetic, but an hour later you feel slumpy again."

Worlds Largest Vending Machines

2008-07-11T10:06:00.007+01:00

Americans spend $21 billion a year on vending machine snacks but in Tokyo’s Harajuku district they have taken this to the next level. In this store, which isn't so much a store but a massive vending machine, it sells T-shirts crammed into tubes. Look at the pictures, insert the money and choose your t-shirt. No longer need annoying sales assistants!

Smart Car Vending Machine
Imagine yourself, credit card in hand, ready to fly across the Pacific and purchase your very first SMART Car from a vending machine.

However, you are then told it's just some advertisement. Sure, SMART Cars can't float but this was the promise of a car via a vending machine. I would have figured out a way to bring it home and make it work. To paraphrase the late, great comedian Mitch Hedberg "things are just better when they fall!".

Vending machines for many people are part of their daily diet as fast food joints.

Worlds Largest Vending Machine (Funny Video)

Japan Vending Machine

Vending Maching Surprize

2008-07-10T16:24:00.001+01:00

With this vending machine, you just have no idea what you are going to get!

Cool Drink Machines

2008-07-10T11:16:00.005+01:00

Looking for a cool drink machine for your kitchen, office, bar? Here are some very cool drink machine designs that are available to buy today.

Flavia Drink Machine is the most widely available

Golf Club Drink Dispenser

2008-07-10T11:12:00.002+01:00

Everyone knows golf is a thirst-inducing sport so why not get equipped. Here is great way to keep hydrated on the golf course. The Club Champ Kooler Klub is a 48 ounce drink dispenser that looks like a golf club. The Club Champ fits in your golf bag ready to dispense any cold or hot beverage you can think of. Cleaner brush included. It costs $50. So if you are not a skilled golfer, put beer in the club. You might not hit anything, but you’ll have a smile on your face!

Choosing a Coffee Machine

2008-07-10T09:12:00.003+01:00

For most people if not all, choosing a coffee machine can be a daunting task with so many factors to consider, such as price, brand, size, colour and many other details. So what should you look for in a coffee machine?

Coffee Machine Price
Two of the most important differentiators between coffee machines are size and brand. The price can range from 10 dollars to well over 100 dollars, with plenty in between. Like everything, keep in mind you get what you pay for.

However, this doesn’t mean that only $200 coffee machine brews good coffee, it only means that you should buy the best machine possible that is within your price range.

Coffee Machine Size
Another important factor to consider is how much coffee you plan to drink. If you drink a lot of coffee, or if several people will be sharing your coffee maker, you’ll want one with a large pot, to brew a large amount of coffee.

Another thing to take into account is how much shelf space you have, some brands take up a lot of space while other brands are more compact such as Flavia Coffee Machine and Mister Coffee.

Coffee Maker Brand
If you already have a variety of kitchen appliances, you probably have some brand that is your favourite and you think is reliable. When choosing a coffee machine, its best to go with one of the brands you are familiar with.

You might be able to save some money by going with a cheaper brand, but once again, you get what you pay for.

Automatic Coffee Machines for the home or office

2008-07-10T08:26:00.007+01:00

With so many different coffee machines available to choose from, how do you choose the best coffee machine for you? Firstly and most importantly, you simply have to determine what sort of machine you need. Do you need a coffee machine for the home or for the office? There is a massive selection of different models and makes to choose from for both home or office use.

Whether you are making coffee for just a few of your friends at home or you are making coffee for the whole office, there is a coffee machine out there for you. However there is one type of coffee machine that makes quick coffee with little mess and maintenance...the automatic coffee machine.

The Automatic Coffee Machine

If you have a manual or semi-automatic coffee machine right now you will know of the time it takes to make coffee and the mess it creates. However, with an automatic coffee machine you are able to make more coffee in less time with less mess and maintenance. Everything that you have been looking for when it comes to a coffee machine can be found in the right automatic machine, so what are you waiting for?

There are many benefits of buying an automatic coffee machine. The most obvious is that you do not have to go through the process of grinding your own beans, dealing with a filter, or messing with water. Instead, all of this work is done for you, all you have to do is tell the machine to start brewing and the process begins. In just a few moments you can enjoy your coffee or you can enjoy serving it to others and you did not have to do anything for it! If you love drinking coffee this is an awesome benefit that you just cannot overlook.

Another benefit of owning an automatic coffee machine is that there is much less mess associated with it. When you have any other type of machine you have to measure the beans and put them into the grinder and then you take the ground beans and you put them into the machine along with water. Somewhere along the way you will undoubtedly spill something, making a mess that has to be cleaned up. When you are done with the brewing process you will also be required to remove a filter with any grounds, which is also likely to make a huge mess. When you have an automatic coffee machine you do not have to do any of this, in fact many of them are self cleaning, taking all of the work and mess out of the equation.

The automatic coffee machine is known for being very simple to maintain. These machines require very little care and when you do need to service them it is much easier to do so. With other machines you may simply end up throwing them away, assuming that you cannot fix a problem, but automatic machines are much easier to work with and when you need to have it serviced you can take it into someone who will be able to service it without a problem, which will save you both time and money.

Having an automatic coffee machine simply makes sense if you do not enjoy the process of brewing coffee. You have everything done for you and there is less work involved in enjoying your coffee. There are many different brand and models for you to choose from, you simply need to find the one that is right for you!

The Flavia Coffee Machine has become a very popular choice for both the home and the office coffee machine. The Flavia machine does not only brew coffee. You can purchase many different flavours of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, from indulgence drinks to wellbeing drinks so there's always a fresh taste sensation to discover, or a new mood inspiring flavour to savour.

Visit http://www.myflavia.com for more information and order your Flavia Coffee Machine.

Vending Machine Skirt Inspired by Japanese Ninja Assassins

2008-07-09T14:37:00.003+01:00

You've heard of hiding in plain sight.Well, a fashion designer has come up with a more colourful way for worried women to blend into a busy street to elude a pursuer. We've had mini-skirts, skorts, pencils and midis. Now there's the vending machine skirt!

It's definitely not the real thing, but Aya Tsukioka's skirt doubles as a disguise to make the wearer look like a Coca Cola machine. Aya Tsukioka's skirt aims to make the wearer look like a Coca Cola vending machine. Ms Tsukioka, 29, unveiled her design in Tokyo by claiming she hopes it will help ease women's fear of crime.

She lifted a flap on the skirt to expose a large sheet of cloth printed with the familiar bright red Coca Cola logo. By unfolding the sheet and stepping to the side of the street, she showed how a woman walking alone could hide behind it to outfox a potential attacker. Aya Tsukioka unveils her design in Tokyo. She hopes it will help ease women's fear of crime

Her deluxe model even boasts four sides for a more complete cover.

The experimental clothes designer has already sold 20 of the £400 hand-sewn vending machine skirts and it hoping to market the design worldwide. She says the idea was inspired by a trick used by Japanese ninja assassins, who cloaked themselves in black blankets so they couldn't be seen at night. Tsukioka lifts a flap on the skirt to expose a large sheet of cloth printed with the familiar bright red Coca Cola logo

If the fizzy drink machine seems a little elaborate, not to mention impractical, she has also come up with the 'manhole bag' which is supposed to look like a sewer cover when you put it down so unwitting thieves walk right by without noticing it.

For children, she has a backpack that transforms into a fire hydrant. While British women might prefer to take self-defence classes, Ms Tsukioka said: "It is just easier for Japanese to hide. Making a scene would be too embarrassing."

She admits that making the switch from skirt to vending machine might prove a little tricky "especially when your hands are shaking".

But she told the New York Times: "These ideas might strike foreigners as far-fetched, but in Japan, they can become reality."

Tsukioka says the idea was inspired by a trick used by Japanese ninja assassins, who cloaked themselves in black blankets so they couldn't be seen at night.

Vender Bender

2008-07-09T11:01:00.005+01:00

Do you love your vending machine so much that you would want to take a photograph of it every day? Probably not but this person does! He has a Flickr page page dedicated to his passion for vending machines.

Vending Machines High Growth Forecast

2008-07-09T10:40:00.003+01:00

Reportlinker has announced that a new market research report related to vending machines is available in its catalogue and shows a high growth forecast which is great news for those in the vending business.

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Vending Machines in Millions of US$.

The specific product segments analyzed are Drink Vending Machines, Food Vending Machines, Cigarette Vending Machines, and Other Vending Machine (includes Insurance vending machines, fortune telling vending machines, car wash product vending machines, dollar bill changing machines, etc.)

The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual forecasts are provided for each region for the period of 2001 through 2015. The report profiles 176 companies including many key and niche players worldwide such as American Vending Machines, Inc., Azkoyen SA, Coin Acceptors, Inc., Crane Merchandising Systems, Cubic Corp., Dixie-Narco, Inc., Fuji Electric Retail Systems Co., Ltd, Glory Ltd., Interlott, A GTECH Brand, Maas International, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Sanden Corp., Tomra Systems ASA, and Westomatic Vending Services Ltd.

Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources.

View full vending report here

Ultimate Coffee Cup

2008-07-07T14:22:00.002+01:00

Is this the ultimate coffee cup? Designer David Pier says so. He has designed this white porcelain cup and saucer to be the best around. The set is made from lead-free porcelain and is microwave and dishwasher safe. The saucers also double as lids. What makes this mug different is that it has an undulating rim designed to fit the rim better and prevent spills.

The oval body is meant to bring the centre of gravity closer to the hand. I am not sure whether or not it is the ultimate coffee cup but the design is very cool! It sells for $22 each.

View the ultimate Coffee Mug website

Mobile Espresso Bar

2008-07-07T14:07:00.001+01:00

Kaffebilen is a mobile espresso bar who drives around in Oslo and sells coffee and some sandwiches to businesses and individuals. The car they use is only a little more than 3 meters long and 1 meter wide, but they have still managed to place a lot of coffee making machinery in this little fellow as these pictures show....

Worst Drink Machine Operating Instructions

2008-07-03T14:06:00.001+01:00

This is an image of a drink machines operating instructions....for real. Click on the image to read the unbelievable instructions on how to use this drink machine.

Coffee Inspired Art

2008-07-03T13:13:00.005+01:00

A collection of very cool coffee art and design inspired by coffee.

Cool Mug Shot!

This image reminds me of how I feel when I get that first cup of coffee in the morning, and how much I look forward to it!

Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds

2008-06-18T13:51:00.001+01:00

A new study has good news for coffee drinkers: Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease.

"Coffee consumption has been linked to various beneficial and detrimental health effects, but data on its relation with death were lacking," says Esther Lopez-Garcia, PhD, the study's lead author. "Coffee consumption was not associated with a higher risk of mortality in middle-aged men and women. The possibility of a modest benefit of coffee consumption on heart disease, cancer, and other causes of death needs to be further investigated."

Women consuming two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 25 percent lower risk of death from heart disease during the follow-up period (which lasted from 1980 to 2004 and involved 84,214 women) as compared with non-consumers, and an 18 percent lower risk of death caused by something other than cancer or heart disease as compared with non-consumers during follow-up. For men, this level of consumption was associated with neither a higher nor a lower risk of death during the follow-up period (which lasted from 1986 to 2004 and involved 41,736 men).

The researchers analyzed data of 84,214 women who had participated in the Nurses' Health Study and 41,736 men who had participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. To be in the current study, participants had to have been free of cancer and heart disease at the start of those larger studies.

The study participants completed questionnaires every two to four years that included questions about how frequently they drank coffee, other diet habits, smoking, and health conditions. The researchers then compared the frequency of death from any cause, death due to heart disease, and death due to cancer among people with different coffee-drinking habits.

Among women, 2,368 deaths were due to heart disease, 5,011 were due to cancer, and 3,716 were due to another cause. Among men, 2,049 deaths were due to heart disease, 2,491 were due to cancer, and 2,348 were due to another cause.

While accounting for other risk factors, such as body size, smoking, diet, and specific diseases, the researchers found that people who drank more coffee were less likely to die during the follow-up period. This was mainly because of lower risk for heart disease deaths among coffee drinkers.

The researchers found no association between coffee drinking and cancer deaths. These relationships did not seem to be related to caffeine because people who drank decaffeinated coffee also had lower death rates than people who did not drink coffee.

The editors of Annals of Internal Medicine caution that the design of the study does not make it certain that coffee decreases the chances of dying sooner than expected. Something else about coffee drinkers might be protecting them. And some measurement error in the assessment of coffee consumption is inevitable because estimated consumption came from self-reports.

This study was supported by National Institutes of Health research grants.

Coffee aroma alone 'enough to wake up'

2008-06-12T08:10:00.002+01:00

Just the smell of coffee could be enough to wake us up in the morning, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that the aroma of coffee helped restore brain activity in sleep-deprived rats to normal or near-normal levels.

The finding, published in New Scientist, has led to suggestions that factory owners should pump the smell of coffee into the building to revive flagging workers unable to have a cup.

A team led by Yoshinori Masuo at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan, took a group of 30 rats and deprived half of them of sleep for 24 hours.

Half of those kept awake were then exposed to the smell of roasted coffee beans.

When the researchers then dissected the animals to examine their brains they detected lower levels of "messenger molecules" which show up genetic activity in the sleep-deprived rats.

But among those exposed to the smell of coffee, the molecules appeared to have returned to near-normal levels in most cases.

The researchers said that the experiment provided the first ever clues to the possible reviving powers of coffee bean aroma.

No research has taken place on whether the findings can be applied to humans.

But many of the genes singled out have human equivalents and the researchers now hope to carry out further work to identify the molecule in the coffee responsible for the effect on the rats.

"These results indirectly explain why so many people use coffee for staying up all night," the study concluded.

"In other words, the stress caused by sleep loss via caffeine may be alleviated through smelling the coffee aroma."

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Anger Release Machine Smashes Fine China For You

2008-06-11T15:41:00.002+01:00

In this art piece, artists Katja Kublitz and Ronnie Yarisal created a vending "Anger Release" machine where you plunk in some change, select the fine china you’d want destroyed and watch the object fall and shatter into a million little pieces. Now there, don’t you feel better?

Coffee Machines of the 21st century

2008-06-10T16:00:00.005+01:00

Coffee machines now come in all shapes and sizes. Here is a selection of the coolest coffee machine designs:

The most popular coffee drink machine on the market at present is Flavia which has drink machines for the home and office.

You are what coffee you drink

2008-06-10T10:25:00.003+01:00

Yoy are what you drink, say Darebin's baristas. The local folk behind the coffee machine claim to know if you drink lattes, cappuccinos, strong skinny flat whites or chai teas, just by looking at you. "It's about the feeling you get," said Adrian Rigoni of Rucker's Hill Cafe in Northcote, who has coffee spotting competitions with staff.

"Mothers are all skinny lattes. The occasional decaf," he said. "People that are no fuss have the flat white. They don't worry about the froth, they want to get straight to the liquid. No time to be mucking around.

"Tradesmen tend to have a large coffee. Blokes that work a up a sweat ... they just want quantity." Phil Smiley from Palominos, also in Northcote, says guessing sugar amounts and milk varieties is the real art.

"Seventy per cent of people in Northcote drink lattes. Old ladies hot cappuccino ... they want it real hot.

"Anyone who looks slightly kind of alternative, they're going to have soy.

"And people from the outer suburbs usually have a lot of sugar."

Minh Nguyen from Tasties Cafe in Preston says the more diverse cultural backgrounds in Preston mean lattes are not the only coffees ordered.

"Older people want flat whites and cappuccinos because they're meant to be hotter," he said.

All three agree picking a tea drinker is harder. "I have one Aussie looking customer who always has a cup of English Breakfast," said Mr Rigoni. "Tea's a tough one."

DVD Rental Vending

2008-06-10T09:34:00.002+01:00

I have rented VHS videos and DVDs for at least ten years so far, and have carefully watched the changes made to how we are able to rent and acquire new movies. Even though we're all used to seeing promotional advertisements for DVD rental services such as Vizumi (movie downloads), Love Film, Blockbuster and Netflix, I have only recently started to use the Redbox DVD rental service found in grocery stores and restaurants.

Some of you will recognize the Redbox as a big, squarish red box that likely is located near one of the entrances of your local grocery or McDonald's fast food restaurant.

Customers pay $1.00 plus tax per DVD for a 24-hour period, and it costs $1 per day you don't return the DVD back to a Redbox machine.

Interested movie renters simply go to a local Redbox vending machine, select a movie, add it to your shopping cart, checkout and pay using a credit or debit card. If you have a promotional code, you can also enter the code to receive one free movie rental. Redbox e-mails or text messages promo codes to its customers several times per week, and a quick Google search will reveal even more promo codes.

Each vending machine should have at least 50 new movie titles for you to browse, with most of the titles recent releases to DVD or cable on demand services.

Majority owned by Coinstar with significant shares owned by McDonald's, the vending machines can be found in more than 8,000 grocery stores and McDonald's locations across the United States. A search function on the Redbox web site lets you find the machine nearest you.

Assuming you know which DVD you want to rent from the machine, it's possible to have a single transaction completed in less than a minute. Customers who want to simplify the process further can reserve DVDs online and pick them up from the machine, which cuts down time at the Red Box further. Using the online service also lets you figure out which DVDs have already been rented, so you know which movies to select when you go the Redbox.

The Redbox vending machines obviously have a smaller selection of movies compared to Blockbuster, but I believe the lower rental cost plus the ease of renting movies makes up for the smaller selection. I will keep using Netflix to borrow movies I can't get at my local Redbox, but will use the vending machines whenever I go to the store to pick up some groceries.

Redbox warns customers that even though credit card safety is taken very seriously, criminals are still attempting to skim credit and debit card information on some Redbox vending machines. The multiple layers of data encryption offer a lending hand, but the company has posted several tips for customers to be aware of when they use their credit card.

A Redbox employee manually investigates the credit card reader each time he or she visits a Redbox, but the company still warns customers to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

After announcing it has hired former JetBlue EVP CFO John Harvey to be the company's CFO, financial reports also indicate the company will file for IPO sometime during the third financial quarter. I hope to see more stores and restaurants deploy the rental vending machines, and also hope Redbox finds a way to expand the movie catalog; maybe add an occasional classic movie, or even add a couple of Blu-ray titles to each machine.

Those of you interested in trying out the service can go to a local Redbox vending machine and use the promotional code "REDBOX" to get one free rental.

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The Vending Times

2008-06-10T09:16:00.004+01:00

When I was a kid, summers meant trips to New York and Cape Cod. As we grew used to the incredibly long car rides, my sisters and I would develop traditions, milestones, road games, and other ways to make the time pass a little less excruciatingly slowly.

One of our regular stops was at the Maryland House, a rest stop on interstate 95, fairly close to the Delaware line. This was a good place to take a minute, grab some food, hit the bathrooms, restock on all the things we forgot, and generally stretch our legs. Best of all, it had a bank of beautiful, exotic vending machines.

I remember staring at the wondrous goodies, trying to decide if I was going to spend my handful of change on a whoopie cushion, a smoking monkey, a key chain, a pair of magnetic dogs, or one of the dozens of other cool trinkets. I would weigh their relative benefits and deficits, until my parents made it clear that we absolutely had to leave, at which time I would employ the wisdom of Solomon to make my choice. For the next couple of hours, my parents could count on the little toy to keep me occupied in the back seat.

Over the past few years, vending machines have made a major comeback. I think I can trace the trend back to the 1993 furor over Japanese machines that sold used underwear, but I've been watching it slowly spread. Today, it is not only possible to buy a pair of Sailor Moon's unmentionables, but one can pick up fresh-cooked meals, art, and even iPods in vending machines. As customer service rapidly becomes a thing of the past, vending machines are offering a fun, playful way for consumers to get what they want with a minimum of fuss.

Automats
Once upon a time, anybody with a handful of nickels could walk into an automat and be guaranteed a hot, relatively fresh meal. After putting in their coins, customers would open doors on the vending machines to find bowls of lamb stew, plates of spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches, and dozens of other delights.

Unfortunately, however, the combination of inflation and more upscale tastes dealt a death blow to automats. The most famous American automat chain, Horn and Hardart's, went out of business in the 1970's, and the last of the original automats closed its doors in 1991. In 2006, however, a pair of entrepreneurs opened the BAMN! automat in New York City. Offering comfort foods ranging from chicken strips to hamburgers to pizza, BAMN! is thriving. Perhaps the time is ripe for an automat renaissance?

eSpot
Following the success of Zoom Systems' eSpot vending machines, Macy's is adding the automated geek emporiums to 400 of its stores. The eSpots carry high-end consumer electronic items, like Canon digital cameras, Harman Kardon headphones, iPods, and other fun toys. They accept credit cards and, best of all, they have short lines, quick service, and don't dispense attitude along with the merchandise!

Art-o-mat
Since 1997, Art-o-mat has been refurbishing old cigarette vending machines, filling them with miniature pieces of art, and letting the rest take care of itself. There are currently 87 Art-o-mat machines in service across the country, and they are stocked with work from over 400 artists from around the world.

While art may not seem as much a necessity as iPods, sandwiches, and panties, there's a lot to be said for bring artists and collectors together. Besides, as Pedro Carmichael said in Tune in Tomorrow, "Life's a [rain]storm, kid. And when it's raining [hard], the best umbrella is art!"

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Venturing into Vending

2008-06-10T09:10:00.003+01:00

Venturing into the vending business can be a very rewarding business. Here are some practical tips and some advice to get you on your way to start a vending machines business.

If commercial vending machines are a business that you are interested in, there is a wealth of information about vending machines and vending routes available online. Some people prefer to get into the vending machine business by purchasing an established vending route. And most of the people who have dreamed about how to start a vending machine business have been hesitant to put their plans into action, as they cannot find answers to their questions.

The distributors that deal with your area will be able to give you advice about getting into this type of business opportunity. The vending machine sales that you might realize from your vending machine business are hard to predict.

When you sit down to discuss the business with a vending machine distributor, you can get a good estimate of the costs involved in operating this type of business. Keep in mind that you also have to deduct the commission that you pay the business owners of the locations where you place your machines.

A vending machine business comes with the following benefits:

No experience required
Flexible working hours
You can work full time, part-time, or even as an absentee owner
You never have to deal with your boss again
Low overhead
Good financing options for start-up vendors
Excellent return on investment
Immediate cash income
Tax advantages

When you are getting started in this business it is best to try to find a unique product that you know customers want to buy. I can tell you from experience that the lack of knowledge when starting a vending business can be very costly & stressful.

Most people start out in the vending machine business with one or two machines. When you want to start a vending machine business of your own, the first thing you need to do is find a vending machine distributor that has the type of vending machines you want to start with.

Most business owners and managers will be very receptive if you approach them with your idea for coin-operated vending machines. Explain how having a candy vending machine at their location may draw more business and will make their employees very happy.

Since a lot of employees slip out to the nearest coffee shop for a cup of coffee, being able to offer specialty coffee at your customer's location helps to sell him on contracting for your machines.

Due to the demand of machines and the constant rush everyone is in, the vending business has started to reap the benefits and has answered the desire of our new robotic world with a large variety of national brand name products in vending machines.

Maybe you have heard that a vending machine business is one of the most profitable home based businesses. Basically, a vending machine business is just like any other business that needs your good attitude and management in order to bring in a profit.

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Vending Business 2008 Forecast

2008-06-06T14:29:00.002+01:00

Vending has been very successful over the years so has the vending industry peaked? Far from it, the reality is that the UK vending market is still rapidly growing year on year in many sectors.

Estimations predict that UK vending market for 2008 will be worth over £3.6 billion with the major growth coming from the confectionery, snacking and chilled drinks sectors.

This trend looks likely to continue as the market evolves with new products and innovative vending equipment developed giving the consumer more convenient access to low price products.

In today's often busy fast paced lifestyle, vending is finding a new enlarged market as consumers struggle to find sufficient time to fulfill their everyday tasks and this includes eating and drinking, hence the enormous growth within the snacking, confectionery and drinks sectors.

If you do your research, and ask the right questions, you will be able to benefit from the booming vending business industry.

The pursuit of vending happiness and success

2008-06-06T14:09:00.002+01:00

The vending business is not a new industry, far from it. Vending has been around since Roman times when pure drinking water was ‘vended’. Today ‘vending’ is very different with a massive choice of machines from the simple mechanical to sophisticated electronic vending machines. The vast amount of products available from vending machines include pizza, hot-dogs, iPods and even cannabis.

Vending machines are part of our everyday busy lives but have you ever stopped for a moment to think of a world without vending machines? All those convenient places that we just expect to find them, at our office, at the local leisure centre, hospitals, stations, airport, street corners, toilets and pubs.

Vending works as a business concept because it offers the consumer convenience and opportunity, whenever and wherever the consumer desires. It is this fundamental fact that makes vending a truly viable and desirable business proposition.

Many businesses are dependent upon a buoyant economy to thrive. Should the economy struggle like recently with mortgages and credit cards, increased unemployment and the onset of a recession, many businesses reflect this economic downturn with reduced sales and profits, and can even face closure. Fortunately, this barely effects most forms of vending due to the low cost impulse buy nature of most vended products particularly comfort eating treats, which consumers purchase regardless of outside economic forces.

Setting up a business is renowned for high initial set up costs such as acquiring premises, buying equipment, stock, advertising, marketing and so on. Should the business fail, the vast majority of that business investment will be lost and the business will be finished. With the vending business, the major investment is in the vending equipment, the variable is the site, and as long as you are able to acquire sites your vending equipment will always take money, in fact there are many operators today using vending equipment purchased over twenty years ago that has been in several sites over the years.

Other than the largest of vending operations, premises are not required for warehousing or offices. A reasonable size vending business can be set-up from the home garage or spare bedroom for the relatively small amount of stock that needs to be held. A commercial vehicle is not required for most vending businesses as the family hatchback or an estate car would be perfect for visiting your sites.

Compared to almost every other business category, vending provides a relatively low cost, low risk business opportunity with simple predictable growth in the long term. Of great appeal is the speed in which a new vending venture can be established and successfully trading.

Vending further benefits from being a cash business with no debtors and therefore no risk of customers not paying or having to finance the credit terms you offer your customers.

Vending offers total flexibility for those with an existing business or existing family commitments, vending offers total flexibility.

To service a simple mechanical vending machine can take as little as 5 to 15 minutes, with many sites having out of business hours opening, allowing the operator to visit when it suits them and when they have the time.

Finally, vending offers the opportunity to expand and grow your business at will, adding extra low cost vendors as and when required to increase your monthly income. Many operators started their vending businesses purely for some part time extra income, and have eventually built substantial size operations of several hundred vendors producing very serious profits.

Vending like any other serious business requires effort and commitment if you are going to be truly successful in vending you will have to work hard at it.

The good news is that vending is incredibly time efficient compared to most businesses and the real advantage is that as you do other things, your vendors continue to do business and earn you money 7 days a week 24 hours a day, now that really separates vending from the rest!

Flavia - Office and Home Drink Machine Favorite

2008-06-06T10:03:00.002+01:00

Whether you love tea, coffee or hot chocolate, there is now a drink machine that can give you either choice at the touch of a button. FLAVIA, created by a division of Mars Incorporated will revolutionize the way we experience drinks.

The drink machine has come a long way over the years with new technologies bringing us fantastic new features and designs. In the past, it has always been difficult to find a drinks machine that can cater for the office environment as some people like coffee, some like tea, while others prefer hot chocolate, until now!

Finally, Flavia has seemingly answered this problem by developing a set of drink machines that can cater for many differing tastes. With gourmet coffees, real leaf teas, well-being drinks and indulgent creations all available, their will be no more people disappointed that the office machine does not have a drink they like.

You can combine different flavours using filterpacks to brew lattes, mochaccinos, healthful infusions, iced drinks or your own unique drink creations.

The best thing about Flavia drink machines is there is no mess and they guarantee that every drink is completely pure and "untainted" by previous brews so you always get a fresh cuppa. There are currently 4 models with each catering for different environments.

The Flavia Fusion and Fusion Deluxe drink machines are the best choice for the home and designed to use for the home machine. The Flavia SB100 is perfect for the small office with 25 people or less. The Creation 400 is for the bigger office of 25 people or more with the fastest brew time.

We recommend researching on the Internet and compare drink machine specifications so you get a machine that suits your needs.

All the Flavia drink machines can brew a variety of drinks without the waste of a whole-pot coffee maker or clean up of an espresso or cappuccino drink machine. It is so convenient you can spend more time enjoying your drinks.

There are 30 different types of drinks to choose from to suit your mood and tastebuds. The drink machines can accommodate different cups and mugs so you can still use your favourite cup. The Fusion machine contains a special water filter that ensures purified hot water and the easily removable water tank holds a large capacity of water so requires minimal refilling.

Flavia drink machines may well effect the vending business by converting some customers from the traditional vending machine to the office drink machine.

At home, conventional filter coffee machines are messy and take a long time to prepare so our prediction is that the Flavia drink machine with its ease of use, convenience, quality build, the variety of drinks available and cool designs will become a household and office favourite.

Find out more about the Flavia Drink Machine.

How to choose a coffee machine?

2008-06-05T09:28:00.003+01:00

How to a Choose Coffee Machine
Here are some hints and tips on what to look for when choosing a coffee machine. Firstly you need to ask yourself the following questions:

Which type of coffee you drink the most?
How often are you likely to use an espresso coffee maker?
What features do you want your coffee machine to have?
How much money are you prepared to spend?

Types of Coffee: Espresso and Cappuccino
Let’s look at what you should be looking for when buying an espresso coffee machine to make your favourite type of coffee:

Espresso
A more expensive, high-quality, semi-automatic pump machine would be most suitable for this purpose. Although it will take longer to create espresso with a pump machine than it would with an automatic machine, a piston machine is considered by coffee purists to be the best type of espresso maker. Steam driven coffee machines are considered to be unable to provide the pressure required to produce quality espresso.

Cappuccino and Latte
If you prefer the frothy taste of cappuccino, a mocha or a latte made with steamed milk, and the quality of espresso is not important to you, choose a less expensive machine. A super-automatic may be just the ticket for you.

Frequency of Use
If you are going to use your coffee machine for the occasional dinner party, then a cheaper model will suffice. However if you are likely to use it daily, then it’s worth considering a high quality model with a 3-way solenoid connector.

Features
Here is a list of some of the more popular features available on espresso coffee machines and cappuccino makers:

Hot Water Dispenser
Useful for topping up, or when using the machine to make tea and other beverages instead of using the kettle.

Cup Warmer
Usually a flat area on the top of the machine that’s warm. Simple but useful nonetheless.

Frothing Wand
This steam wand is a real bonus when making lattes and cappuccinos. Cheaper machines may just have a wand, but higher end machines may have an actual canister for milk.

Water Filter
This takes out any chlorine or iron tastes that may be present in your tap water. Bear in mind that you will need to buy replacement filters.

Pre-moistening cycle
Moistens the ground coffee prior to the shot of espresso being pulled. Brings out more aromatic oils to improve the taste.

Pod Compatibility
Pods are pre-packed discs of ground coffee which reduce the preparation time quite dramatically. Newer models of coffee machine can take both pods and normal loose coffee.

Strength Controls
Quality espresso machines have controls which let you vary the amount of water used for each pull, giving the exact taste that you are looking for.

Integrated Bean Grinder
Coffee makers with this feature tend to cost more, but the bean grinder will grind enough coffee for the best brew.

Bypass Doser
Used in conjunction with an integrated bean grinder. This lets you use a different coffee to in the one that’s already in the grinder.

Brewing Components
Brewing components (boiler, filter holder and tubes) tend to be made of steel, brass or aluminium. Brass components are the most popular among espresso aficionados as they are heavy and retain heat well. Stainless steel is next in popularity as it retains heat and is non-corrosive.

Power Rating & Water Capacity
The general theory about power is that the greater the wattage, the better performance and endurance of the machine. This is because more power may let the boiler brew the coffee faster. However a larger water capacity in a boiler gives more endurance, making the heated coffee last longer.

If a built-in grinder is used then you’ll need a model with a higher wattage, but the manufacturer will usually fit an adequate power supply anyway, so a large enough boiler is actually the real priority.

Budget
Make sure that when you choose your drink machine that you have set a limit on the amount of money that you are prepared to spend. You’ll find many good deals on espresso/cappuccino machines online, so by shopping around you may get a better model than your budget would normally allow.

Office Coffee Machine Popularity

2008-06-05T09:00:00.003+01:00

Many people have a coffee machine of some description at the office they work. Why are coffee machines so popular within the workplace? Well, the main reason is because it lets employees and managers alike have something in common and lets everyone have a short break from work while they refresh their coffee mugs.

Coffee machines can be found in offices, manufacturing plants and almost every type of business there is from fast food to convenience stores. The office coffee machine is a place everyone can go and chit chat for a few minutes similar to a water dispenser.

The usual office coffee machine (or coffee drink station as many prefer) is of the automatic drip variety and makes about 12 cups at a time. The funny thing is, 12 cups from a coffee maker means about 5 ounces per cup. Nobody drinks that little so you might as well assume one pot will serve 6 people.

For a busy workplace with more than 50 people say, a vending machine may be a better option to accommodate all tastes.

Many people feel better and more alert after drinking coffee along with the health benefits of coffee so naturally, a coffee maker in the workplace helps everyone. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and should help them feel that way. If your employee is alert, there is less chance of incomplete work and injuries as they should be paying more attention to the job at hand.

The type of coffee machine for the office should be discussed amongst those who will be using it to see what preferences everyone has. Budget will play a big part in the choice of coffee machine as they typically range from £15 up to £300.

A standard coffee machine will cost between £20 and £40 depending on the features the model has. The more technology involved, the higher the price. These higher priced coffee machines usually come with a foamer, grinder or some other special feature that would cause the price to be so high. You may want to just get two cheaper machines as there is always someone who wants decaffeinated coffee and doesn't like to mix the two types of coffee in one pot.

Another option is the Flavia drink machines which uses filterpacks that are individually sealed for freshness. Unlike other single cup coffee makers, revolutionary FLAVIA technology brews direct from pack to cup which means that every drink is completely pure and 'untainted' by previous brews.

The great thing about Flavia drink machines is that it caters for everyone because you can buy different flavour packets including coffees, teas and hot chocolates so it caters for a lot more people.