Roland Jefferson asked:


Beans are classified into two botanical types – Arabica and Robusta. The coffee used in commercial production, which you usually see in instant coffees are Robusta. Arabica, on the other hand, is the older type of coffee that could give you premium-tasting cups.

Roasting

Although the growing factors of each coffee bean provides their distinctive taste, the process in which the beans are roasted will have a greater affect on the overall flavor. Generally, when the beans are roasted lightly, it will taste milder and when roasted darker, gives a richer, stronger and more flavorful taste.

Depending on the type of beans used, some coffees are best when lightly roasted while others taste better when darkly roasted. Professional roasters can identify coffee bean traits and use these them to produce different kinds of coffee flavors. During the roasting process, some manufacturers add chocolate, cinnamon, nuts and other blends to enhance the coffee’s flavor. For this reason, you should look for natural coffee products to avoid chemical coloring or flavoring.

Many people prefer to roast their beans at home to produce the freshest coffee possible. This can be done on your oven, stove or roasting machines. To take advantage of the freshly roasted beans, you should let them sit for at least 24 hours before brewing. Although home roasting usually results in inconsistent tastes, you have the choice of customizing it based on your taste buds.

Understanding Coffee Blends

Blends will affect the overall taste of the coffee because they enhance certain tastes and balance the traits of different beans. The most common coffee blend is mocha-java, which combines the smooth and rich Indonesian Java and the Yemen Mocha to provide a sharp and distinctive taste. The great thing about blends is that your can mix the beans to suit your taste. Most companies who sell beans allow you to mix and match different blends, which they usually record for your next purchase.

Some people have health problems that require they reduce their caffeine intake. If this is your case, you can still drink coffee by choosing decaffeinated types. Most decaf products taste lighter than the original blends; however, if you purchase decaf coffee from an experienced roaster, you will get the same taste as the ‘real’ thing.

Unfortunately, people with heart disease as well as pregnant women should not be drinking very strong coffee. Consult with your doctor for recommendations on the appropriate types of coffee for your health condition.



Jimmy

Tony DiCorpo asked:


 

So you have decided on starting a coffee shop! Congratulations! In my coffee shop business plan package, I go into more detail regarding equipment but due to space here, I am only going to give you some basic ideas of what to consider when looking at your equipment needs.

First of all, do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy any used equipment unless you know the exact age, where it came from, who used it, and that maintenance records are verifiable. I am only referring to anything with a motor or compressor. Used sinks, tables, counters, etc are fine as long as they are in decent shape. All other equipment, be VERY careful!

Even if you get it from a friend, you might be assured by them that the equipment was maintained properly and often, however did they get it used and can they get that guarantee from whom they bought it from? And how old really is it?

As you may have guessed, I fell into this trap and had things breaking down when I did not expect it shortly after I opened my coffee shop. Yes even my espresso machine. I was in a bad spot then! Luckily I had access to a one group machine for backup and a local guy was able to fix the other fast but you may not be as lucky.

I eventually upgraded to mostly new equipment when, but this can be avoided by getting new equipment at the start. You will be glad you did it, trust me!

Equipment Needs

Cash register or POS computer? – A computer POS (point of sale) system is good there is no doubt about it. These are the ones that have the touch screen monitors and such. However, they are probably (and arguably) best for analyzing your sales and inventory only, and not much more. They do not speed up your customer line.

If you want one of these guys, be prepared to pay about $5000 for a base system. The price goes up for multiple terminals and printers, monitors, a kitchen printer, etc.

In my opinion though, a POS fast food register that has price look ups (PLU) and department categories is sufficient for most coffee shops. Try to get one that allows you to download the information to your computer. Most have this feature today. It may, however increase your manual inventory and sales tracking if you have to put this info into your accounting software and spreadsheets manually but it can be a big money saver. If you get in the habit of entering the figures daily, you will not have a huge amount of data entry to do at month’s end. You can usually get these types of registers for about $800 or so.

If you end up opening other stores, I think the touch screen computer POS may be the way to go then because it will make your management and inventory control much easier, and you can link all of your stores together and control them from one place.

Espresso Machine

This is the Mack daddy of the whole business, your life blood. DO NOT SKIMP ON IT! However, having said that there is the line of overkill you do not need to cross either. I say, two group maximum, if you need more power or want a backup, get a one group as well.

The feasibility of a three or four group is great but it’s difficult to get more than one person working on them due to spacing of the group heads, etc. Ordinarily, you do not need more than one person pulling shots and making the espresso beverages anyway. It is almost impossible for one barista to use all four groups at one time so you be the judge! However that may be up to debate if you get REALLY busy. However, a two group is always my choice.

There are three basic types of espresso machines: Semi-Automatic, Automatic or Super Automatic. Well My choice is always the automatic because you can program them to cut off a shot at 23 seconds, or whatever you choose but still do it manually. The semi-automatic requires manual shut off by the operator.

The super automatic machine will grind the beans, tamp, pull the shot, shut it off and even discard the used grounds. Yes, I am serious. I believe you lose a lot of ‘art’ when you use one of these. You’d be surprised at the amount of people that love to see a barista set up and then pull a great shot. These super autos are also big bucks. But if all you want to do is move your cattle call through the line, this is the machine for you!

The boiler capacity should be large enough for a big rush, 9-14 liters should be sufficient. You do not want to run out of steam or hot water in a rush and with a smaller boiler that will happen! Trust me on this from experience!

Buy a machine based on the availability to get parts and service locally. Do not buy based on price alone, or ‘coolness’ or ‘features’ of a machine. They are all good these days. Features will not mean anything if you cannot get local service on your machine.

As far as water softeners, the choice to get a whole water system softener is going to depend on where you are located. In central Texas, the water is VERY hard but I chose to not soften my whole water system, just for the espresso machine. If you are not familiar with hard water, this is what causes lime build-up. It’s a white, crusty looking build up that will kill your $5000 or 10,000 espresso machine. It clogs up the piping that in time, builds up to the point of the water not being able to get through. Then your machine needs to be completely taken apart and de-limed. Not pretty and not cheap!

You will most likely have to have a complete de-liming performed several times over the life of your machine, however if your water is very hard and you do not soften it for your espresso machine, you will most likely have to have it de-limed at a minimum of once per year. This will get time-consuming and expensive, even if you learn to do it yourself. I had my one group de-limed for about $900 so do the math. Avoid lime scale build-up by getting a water softener.

Espresso Grinders

You will need one for decaf and one for regular espresso. There are several manufacturers and models. I will tell you though to be sure it’s automatic and has a doser/coffee hopper. They make a doserless model that grinds right into the portafilter and though this is freshly ground espresso, it does not work well in a rush! The units with a hopper allow the hopper to fill with ground espresso and have a lid to keep out the air. The bigger units have a bigger hopper and vice versa. Also, these have a bean hopper that you can get about 2 lbs of espresso beans in.

Bulk Coffee Grinder

These are the types you see in the food store bulk coffee aisle. Be sure to get the full scale version, not the shorter one. The only difference I can see is the taller one is easier to get a bag under to grind beans for customers. The shorter one is not! Try to have one grinder for regular and decaf, and another for flavored coffee if you will serve it. Using the same for all three will make the regular and decaf coffee taste like the flavored coffee. This grinder will need proper maintenance and burr replacement after so many hours as well. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on this.

Coffee Maker (drip)

Be sure to buy for your volume. Automatics are best as they are plumbed to a water line. Pour over units will you need to fill manually! The air pot brewers are the better fits because they brew the coffee directly into the air pots. There are single unit models and double unit models. You will save a lot of time especially in a rush, with a double brew unit.

Pastry Case (refrigerated and non)

There are several different sizes. Take your floor space into consideration but also buy for capacity and visual display. A nice, attractive unit that holds and displays a nice array of pastries is key for merchandising. Dual zone cases are a good idea because they let you have part cold, and part room temperature (dry case) pastries that do not need to be refrigerated.

Blender

There are several models to choose from but some have features you just won’t need. Be sure to get a commercial blender. Consumer units do not have the heavy duty types of motors that commercial units have. That means they will break down a lot faster than a commercial one! I would suggest you give Vitamix a look here.

Sandwich Prep Unit

These come in single, double and triple door units. Of course, plan for your overall room but your needs as well. The larger units have more capacity inside the unit, but the bigger plus is the prep top area that has more compartments to put meats, vegetables, etc in. If you are planning on a regular deli and Panini service, I would say the double door unit would be good. You may even get away with the smaller one!

Under Counter Refrigerator

Do yourself a favor and get a double door unit. These are basically like the sandwich prep units but without the top compartments. The inside capacity should be big enough to hold a good portion of your dairy, as well as opened soy cartons, smoothie mix, bottled water and soda (if you do not have a larger unit or merchandiser for water and soda. Plan accordingly.

Storage Refrigerator

This is for the back of your shop. This will be your commercial refrigerator in the back area to house your back stock of refrigerated items such as milk, as well as your baking ingredients, food items, etc. There are double and single door units.

Ice Maker

Getting an ice maker that can make an average of 600-1000 lbs per day is good. It will give you enough and still be able to make more within 24 hours. In a busy shop, you’d be surprised how much ice you can go through: sodas, fruit smoothies, frappes, frozen chai.

Freezer

You will need one of these to keep your ice cream, and other food ingredients that can and need to be frozen.

Oven

Get this based on your baking level. A ¼ size may be too small and a full size may be too big. The median unit is a ½ size and has 3 racks.

Convection oven? Most pastries, pies and other baking can be done well in a convection oven. That is an oven that has a blower wheel that disperses the heat evenly and faster throughout the oven. Therefore your baking time is usually cut in half.

Panini Grill

Cast iron (non-ceramic) with ribbed plates are the better units. With the ribbed, rather than flat plates you will get the ‘grill marks’ on the bread and that always looks impressive. I recommend a double plate unit so you can effectively grill up to four Panini at once if you have a large order

Three Compartment Sink

This will be essential per most health departments for wash, rinse and sanitize. If you have a commercial dishwasher, it usually overrides the 3 bay sink. However, most restaurants have both. You don’t need a big one, just one big enough to get your biggest ‘washable’ piece of baking or cooking hardware into.

Hand Sink(s)

Check your health department requirements because you may need a hand sink every so many feet or based on how many employees you have, or based on your floor plan. These are sinks only big enough to wash your hands in and that is it. That is why they are so small.

Furniture

Pick and choose what is in between comfortable and not. This will help you avoid squatters that love to stay all day. Ordinarily, people in your store is a good thing but not if they are taking up space and just being comfy! This will include your tables and chairs, as well as couch, wing hairs, etc. If you are an eclectic coffee house, good finds can be had at Goodwill and other resale shops.

Phone

Just get one that you can hear when it rings! A cordless phone is a great idea.

Radio System

If u can, get extra speakers and have one in at least all four corners for best sound quality.

Credit Card Machine

This is the swiper w/pin pad – If you accept credit and debit cards, this is essential. Usually they are purchased from your credit card processor. Leasing one of these is usually a rip-off. Try to buy it outright.

Prep Tables

These are stainless steel or aluminum and great to make a kitchen prep area. They clean easily too. They come in various heights and widths, with or without a backsplash and usually have a shelf underneath.

So there you have some information to get you started on planning your equipment needs for staring a coffee shop. Be sure you take your floor space into account when figuring the sizes of your equipment. Also be sure you account for your anticipated customer volume. Early planning is key to having the right equipment to begin with.

Tony DiCorpo is a coffee shop owner, operator, barista and entrepreneur. He is also a coffee shop business consultant. He has authored many articles on the specialty coffee business and a business plan package that can be found http://www.tonys-coffee-shop-business-plan.com



Peter

Pinky asked:


Is it healthier than other decaf coffee? how do they process their decaff to make it decaf?

Janet

Dharmendra Chaudhary asked:


The Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha is actually the Sony Ericsson W890i phone whose color is Mocha. All the features of the phones of this model have same ergonomics, functionalities and attributes. This phone is a 3G smart phone and its better than Sony C902 which is a recent launch. If you are to make achoice between the two go for W890i Mocha. The phone Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha has some excellent features in it which makes this lightweight (79g) and **** phone a must buy. The manufacturer has input some new ergonomics into the handset and you have various technologies in this phone which makes it better than some other W series phone. And this music  phone is intelligent enough to accept your commands for other tasks too.

Lets Explore the features of Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha and see what other qualities the model has to offer. The first thing that attract you in this phone is its color and looks. Then you have the other features like 3G HSDPA facility, 2 inches TFT screen and lightweight. As expected if you browse the software versions of the phone you will realize that Sony have improved a lot and updated the software system of their phones. You will realize this as you use the phone for instant messaging, EMS, MMS, SMS, Email, WAP browsing and other functionalities.

You feel that as you explore other features in the phone most common like camera and media player. The camera of Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha is of 3.15 MP and has features like 2048×1536 pixels, flash, auto focus, image stabilizer, video record, secondary camera for video call. The multimedia is the Walkman player 3.0, there is an FM radio with RDS. You will discover lot of things as you move into the depth of the phone. Battery back up of Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha too has improved than before and you now have a talk time of almost 5-6 hours.

Sony Ericsson C902 is also a marvelous phone with features like - a 5MP camera which has attributes like 2592?1944 pixels, image stabilizer, autofocus, video shoot at  the speed of 30fps, flash and a video call secondary camera. Sony Ericsson phones are always known for their music quality. The C902 too has a superb media player which can play files like MP3/AAC/MPEG4  files and there is an inbuilt FM radio along with technology like TrackID music recognition. But on further comparision you will find that Sony Ericsson W890i Mocha would be a better choice.



Kim

I_have_sth_to_say asked:


I love chai tea latte,but it costs so much to drink everyday there.Does anyone knows how to make chai tea latte easy at home,or something close to it?
oh by the way by saying Chai tea latte I mean Starbucks’ one.It’s really yummy but I couldn’ do that at home yet .

Jerome

Arif Hanid asked:


1. Kick the latte habit

Buy a thermos coffee cup and fill it with coffee before you leave for the office.

Cost of a daily latte £12.50 a week, thermos coffee mug £1.99

2. Grow your own

Rocket, tomatoes, spring onions and corriander

Cost in the shop for a basic salad using the above: £3.10 versus the equivalent in seeds £1.55 per pack which will provide a whole summer of salads

3. Make your own lunch

Save a massive £40 a month on eating pre-packed sandwiches. Average price being £2 a sandwich. Make your own bread too and save £3 a week by not buying two branded loaves (bread making ingredients £3.10 for 12 loaves). You are saving the cost of a trip out to buy it at lunchtime too therefore lowering your fuel and emissions. Salad provided from your garden – see tip no. 2.

4. Car share to work

Save your fuel by walking to school or work twice a week. Get up a little earlier and see the difference on your fuel bill at the end of each week.

25 mile round trip : £5 five days a week £25

Share with a friend and save £12.50 a week

5. Have a clothes swap party

Get together with like minded and like sized friends and go through your old clothes – you’d be surprised at what people have lurking in their wardrobes.

Brand new dress: £29.99* versus free from a friend

6. Take everything off standby

Unplug your mobile charger, go in your children’s bedrooms and unplug their ipods, pcs and games. Unplug the TV at night and switch of the sky box – you can feel the heat from that so imagine the energy it uses.

By unplugging your mobile charger alone you will save 50p a week that equates to £30 a year.

Cost of weekly spending habits before savings £81.84 - after savings £23.79.

Find more ways to save money at www.laughingdeals.com



Nicholas

Steve Dubin asked:


DATELINE:  BOSTON; BROOKLINE; CAMBRIDGE; JAMAICA PLAIN; NEWTON CENTRE; SOMERVILLE AND WEST ROXBURY, MA…

Forego the baking and pick up one of J.P. Licks special desserts this season.  Perfect for holiday entertaining, choose from the Yule Log which is made from Oreo ice cream then rolled in fresh baked yellow cake with homemade fudge frosting; a towering Tiramisu, which is Tiramisu ice cream stacked between thin layers of moist cake; Candy Cane Pie, which is candy cane ice cream in an Oreo and fudge crust and covered with chocolate ganache or go for the Kowlua Pie, which is made with Kowlua ice cream in an Oreo crust with fudge and topped with coffee flavored whip.  A small supply of these treats are available at J.P. Licks stores.  Pre-ordering is recommended and may be done by calling ahead or ordering online.  Prices range from $9.99 to $15.99.

                                                                                             

It’s never too cold for ice cream!  Special holiday flavors include peppermint stick, eggnog, gingersnap molasses, Coquito (made with coconut and spiked with rum), cranberry white chocolate cheesecake, Grapenut raisin, butter cashew, chocolate almond lowfat yogurt, chocolate peppermint sorbet and French vanilla lactose-free.

Drink in Some Holiday Cheer

Coffee connoisseurs won’t want to miss J.P. Licks’ special fresh roasted Holiday Blend coffee which will be offered throughout December. It is a syrupy, smooth blend, with strong spice notes and is very warming for the holidays.  Available by the cup or purchase the beans to take home or give as a gift.

Prefer a latte?  J.P. Licks’ Lowfat Eggnog Latte or Peppermint Mocha Latte will warm you or enjoy a refreshing Peppermint Frappe after an afternoon of holiday shopping. 

                                                                                                      

Wondering what to give that special someone?

Sweet treats always go over especially well when wrapped in a beautiful gift basket.  J.P. Licks is offering handsome gift baskets and bags that may be customized to the recipient.  Items that may be tucked into a basket or bag:  fresh roasted whole or ground coffee beans, mugs, travel cups, a J.P. Licks T-shirt and/or hat, a nylon cinch pack and gift card.  Gift baskets and bags are available in a variety of price points starting at $5.99.

Can’t decide what to buy?  J.P. Licks gift cards are a perfect gift – and always the right size.  For every $25 gift card purchased, receive a $5 complimentary card to use or give away.

Visit jplicks.com for more information and to locate a store.          

Best of Boston and Beyond                 

For more than 25 years, J.P. Licks has been serving homemade ice cream and other specialties in their eight Kosher-certified shops in and around Boston.  Locally owned and operated, J.P. Licks has won many awards over the years for their intensely-flavored homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt.  Most recently, J.P. Licks was named “Best of Boston” and “Best Location – Jamaica Plain” by Boston Magazine and also made WBZ’s “A-List” for the second year in a row.  Known for their high quality, scrumptious treats and their knack for “treating people right”, J.P. Licks was named Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s “Small Business of the Year”.

In addition to their frozen creations, J.P. Licks roasts their own fair trade and organic coffee beans on-site at their Jamaica Plain store, which ensures the best and the freshest, full-bodied cup of coffee around.  Decadent hand-packed ice cream cakes as well as breakfast & ice cream sundae catering are also available. 



Shannon

perryfamof8 asked:


I need someone to answer that knows how to make a hazlenut latte like starbucks does,and where I can buy the stuff to do it, like what kind of coffee and syrup ect.

Laurie

RK asked:


A recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of instant coffee but I only have regular coffee and don’t want to buy a whole can of instant for only 2 teaspoons. Can I use the regular coffee as a substitute?

Nicole

randrhaueter asked:


I was very upset to learn that Starbucks is no longer serving the Honey Latte. Is there any way to make this at home? Espresso, milk, honey, but how do I make the spiced honey? I would think this is a syrup, so does anyone know where I could buy some or how I could make some?

Glen