Tag: commercial coffee machines

Composting With Coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

Composting with coffee

If you use commercial coffee machines on a daily basis, you’ll know how much waste those freshly-ground coffee beans can produce. Those grounds aren’t really waste, though – they’re full of nutrients that plants love, so instead of tipping them into the bin, you could try using them in the garden.

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, which means they’ll help a compost heap to decompose more quickly – and you can even throw the paper filters on the heap too. If you don’t have a compost heap, you can spread the grounds directly onto the soil as a mulch. Rainwater will wash the nutrients out of the coffee and into the soil, and a thick layer of grounds will help warm the soil and protect delicate plants or bulbs. In addition, slugs and snails aren’t as fond of caffeine as we are, and faced with a layer of coffee mulch might decide to quit your garden for easier pickings. Using coffee as a mulch can also help to deter neighbouring cats from using your garden as a litter tray, as they’re said to dislike the strong smell.

If you don’t have a compost heap or flower beds, treat your window box plants or tubs to an occasional feed made with coffee grounds. Dilute a few good handfuls of grounds around 1:40 with lukewarm water to produce a feed that’s rich in nitrogens. Plants with dark green leaves tend to love nitrogen, and will be particularly grateful for a little leftover coffee. These plants include rhododendrons, camellias and hydrangeas as well as vegetable plants such as Brussels sprouts and rhubarb.

If your garden is tiny or non-existent, or you don’t think you’ve got green fingers, why not put a sign up offering leftover grounds to local gardeners – it’s a shame to let all those lovely nutrients go to waste.

Visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk for commercial coffee machines and coffee supplies with next day UK delivery.

What kind of coffee drink are you?

Posted on by Sara Walker

What kind of coffee drink are you?

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

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

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

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

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

Mocha – served in a clear glass

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

Instant Coffee – out of choice – not laziness

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

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

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

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

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

Homemade Chocolate Brownies

Posted on by Sara Walker

Homemade chocolate espresso brownies from the Wholesale Coffee Company

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

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

Before you start:

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

You’ll need:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Britain – a nation full of beans

Posted on by Sara Walker

The UK may have a reputation as a nation of tea drinkers, but according to a recent survey by coffee brand Nespresso, almost half of adult coffee drinkers believe that coffee actually has a higher social status than tea. Of the 2,081 people surveyed, 45% believed that coffee was the drink of choice for ‘ambitious high achievers’, the traditional accompaniment to late night business meetings and high pressure deals.

The survey may be tongue-in-cheek, but it seems as if the UK is really becoming a nation of coffee drinkers – many of us find it difficult to get started in the mornings without our caffeine fix, and the success of coffee bars and takeaway shops are proof of the drink’s popularity. For  aficionados, grinding their own coffee beans or buying exotic mixes from boutique coffee suppliers has become commonplace, and many people also own professional-standard machines, producing café-style cappuccinos and espressos at the touch of a button.

Part of the appeal of coffee lies in its versatility. As well as a morning pick-me-up, the health benefits of the drink are well-documented. Studies have shown that a moderate intake of coffee can help guard against Parkinson’s Disease, dementia and even some forms of cancer.

As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also great for cooking with. If you have some fresh coffee left over from your morning cup, you can use it not only as an ingredient in sweet recipes such as chocolate espresso brownies or coffee and walnut cake, but  also in savoury recipes. Adding a mixture of wine, stock and coffee to stews and casseroles gives an incredible depth of flavour, and produces a rich, glossy sauce.

With all of these benefits, it’s easy to see why the UK now spends around £650 million a year on coffee – and why we’ve turned into a nation that’s full of beans.

Visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk to view the full range of commercial coffee machines and ingredients online with next day UK Delivery.

Beauty ideas with coffee beans

Posted on by Sara Walker

How to reduce dark eye shadows, beat cellulite and get beautiful skin with coffee beans

We all know that coffee wakes up our minds, but coffee beans can also be applied to your skin to help get rid of dark circles, even out your skin tone and even reduce cellulite; not bad for a DIY facial.

And – there’s science to back it up. Researchers at the University of Tennessee found that when caffeine was added to skin care products such as moisturiser, skin tone became more even, less red and inflammation was significantly reduced as opposed to products that didn’t contain caffeine.

Similarly, coffee beans have also been proven to reduce the pesky orange peel effect. Mixing ground coffee beans with moisturiser won’t get rid of your cellulite completely, but researchers have found that when experiments were conducted, cellulite was reduced by 17 per cent.

So, if you’ve been working hard recently and sleep deprivation is taking its toll, a good night’s sleep might help in the long run, but for instant radiant skin from head to toe, why not try some of these DIY coffee bean skin care treatments that won’t cost you a fortune.

If you haven’t done so already, pop out to your local coffee supplier and get ready for seriously gorgeous glowing skin.

  • Coffee Cream Radiant Glow Mask

Mix two table spoons of freshly ground coffee with a good helping of natural unsweetened yoghurt and a dollop of honey – then apply generously to your face. If you’ve got some cocoa powder to hand, you can also add a few spoons and make it a mocha mask! Once you’ve finished mixing, leave it on your face for 10 minutes, wash off and hey presto – enjoy beautiful evenly toned skin.

  • Coffee Bean and Green Tea Under Eye Treatment

As the title suggests, for this one all you need is freshly ground coffee, some loose green tea leaves and disposable tea bags. Once you’ve mixed the coffee powder with the green tea, place it in the tea bags, add hot water, leave to soak for a few minutes until warm and carefully apply the tea bags under your eyes for a few minutes. You can always add a bit of cold water if they’re too hot. Take care not to burn yourself.

  • Cellulite Buster Coffee and Sugar Scrub

Mix olive oil, ground coffee beans, and for some serious exfoliation action, add some sugar to the equation. Give your dimpled parts a good massage, leave to dry for three to five minutes and rinse. Don’t expect instant results, but with time, your skin will start to look smoother.

If you’ve tried any homemade beauty or skin care treatments with coffee we’d love to hear about them. Post your recommendations and comments here.

Fresh Milk Capsule Coffee Machine

Posted on by Sara Walker

Capsule Coffee Machine

COMMERCIAL COFFEE MACHINE | SUPER CAPPUCCINO

Introducing the new fresh milk automated capsule coffee machine.  It has a unique auto steam function which is fully programable to fit any cup size.  With its compact footprint this machine is perfect for a small cafe bar or office environment.

The super cappuccino also produces a range of espresso based drinks from espresso, cappuccino, latte, black coffee and hot chocolate.

Each capsule contains a freshly ground serving of coffee beans which is then sealed in nitrogen to ensure only the best flavour is released.