October 1 is International Coffee Day, a day celebrated around the world. Each year, the International Coffee Organization, the founder of the holiday, recognizes a different part of the coffee industry. This year, the holiday is focused on the farmers who produce the beans.
Farmers go through six different stages before the beans are sent to market:
- picking the cherries (what a coffee bean is called when it’s still on the tree);
- washing to remove the outer skin of the cherry;
- drying the beans;
- grading the beans based on size, where and at what altitude they were grown and how they were prepared and picked;
- roasting; and
- cupping or assessing coffee according to sweetness, acidity, mouthfeel, balance and flavor.
Once the beans make it to San Diego break rooms, choosing the right type of brewer becomes the next step. It is important to understand which types of brewers should be used for different types of beverages and the number of employees.
There are four types of brewers that are primarily used in break rooms: automatic brewers, drip brewers, single-serve machines and bean-to-cup brewers.
Automatic Brewers: Never run out of freshly made, hot coffee with an automatic machine. Connected to an incoming water line, an automatic brewer can brew either a single pot or multiple pots at one time. Automatic brewers are built to handle high levels of daily traffic.
Drip/Pourover Brewers: Built similarly to automatic brewers, drip or pourover brewers can handle high amounts of daily traffic. The key difference is that drip brewers are not connected to an incoming water line. The user is responsible for adding water to the machine each time a new pot is brewed.
Single-Serve Machines: This type of brewer can meet a different set of needs when compared to the previous two brewers. A single-serve machine requires less physical space in a break room and can cater to employees who have very different coffee preferences, but it works better in areas with less traffic.
Bean-to-cup Machines: A bean-to-cup machine uses a built-in grinder to deliver freshly ground and brewed coffee. As with traditional single-serve machines, only one cup can be brewed at a time, but San Diego employees have the option to make a variety of espresso-based, specialty beverages.
There’s one other thing to remember when choosing a brewer. It’s important to understand the steps involved to keep your machine in top shape. Not only will regular maintenance extend the life of the machine, but it will impact the taste of everyone’s coffee.
But don’t worry, Tri-R Coffee & Vending can help your facility/office manager choose the best brewer for your organization, perform required maintenance and create a customized refreshment menu that meets everyone’s snack and beverage needs. We offer a variety of office coffee service, micro-market and vending service solutions for your San Diego break room.
For more information, please call Tri-R Coffee & Vending at 760-753-1112. We look forward to celebrating International Coffee Day with you.