Unique Gifts For Coffee Lovers – Do You Recognize Yourself?
I am a coffee lover. I cannot imagine mornings without my favorite cup filled with the magic brew. The warm aroma of the coffee in the pot helps me battle my night owl nature that makes mornings rough. United States has a love affair with coffee; it is the second most traded commodity right behind oil. The term “cup of Joe” is from the World War II era when our soldiers who were nicknamed “GI Joe” showed demand for coffee.
What is coffee actually? Coffee beans are round green fruit seeds that look like beans before roasting. Colombia is a large exported of coffee. Vietnam and Hawaii also have large coffee plantations. The movie Out of Africa describes the delicate weather conditions needed for coffee.
Healthy, Or Not?
The health benefits and risks of coffee are often debated but the jury seems to lean toward coffee being healthful, at least when consumed in moderation. The caffeine in coffee is a drug, a stimulant that delivers the “buzz” of alertness most people seek in their morning cup. Even decaffeinated coffee contains a small amount of caffeine that cannot be removed from the filtering process. The stimulant effect of caffeine in coffee improves concentration and alertness almost right away. Indeed, stimulant medications for ADHD do exactly what coffee does, improve focus.
Caffeine also helps open airways, a benefit to people with asthma. The theophylline medicines used in the past for asthma were chemically similar in nature to caffeine. Migraine sufferers know that coffee will ease their pain. This is because caffeine constricts the dilated blood vessels to the head that are causing the pulsing pain. Look at some over the counter headache medicines like Excedrin; they often contain caffeine to help augment the effect of the other pain relievers. Frequent newspaper and magazine articles tout the antioxidant benefits of coffee and list everything from anti-aging benefits to prevention of cognitive decline and dementia.
How Do You Take Your Coffee?
Socially, coffee is a part of the American custom. Visitors often are offered a cup of coffee. Watch old movies and you’ll often see someone say “I’ll put on a pot of coffee” just as a crisis brews. With the success of Starbucks, coffee has gone upscale and baristas in the coffee shops hustle with machines whirring to whip cream and serve up our grande mocha lattes. Teens hang out in coffee shops; seniors go to McDonalds for their discounted morning coffee and chat with each other. The popular T.V. show Friends showed single New York pals hanging out at a coffee shop called Central Perk and the characters were seen cupping a mug of coffee while they joked and developed relationships. There is something comforting about a hot beverage that is shared socially.
Some people drink coffee straight up, “black” and others are picky about the additives: “Just a little cream”, “real sugar, no fake”, “Stevia only”, “one and one” (what I say when I order from the McDonald’s window meaning I want one cream and one sugar added). When I go to Dunkin’ Donuts I say “light on cream” because the donut shop coffee tends to include a hefty dose of cream. A friend worked for Dunkin’ Donuts and reported that people crave the cream so much that the recipe is guarded closely. The love for flavorful creamers is evident by the large number of powdered flavored creamers in the coffee aisle and the variety of liquid creamers in the refrigerated case: vanilla, hazelnut, caramel macchiato; indeed, coffee can quickly become a high calorie sweetened dessert beverage. Seasonal varieties like pumpkin and peppermint seem to be popular.
Before The K Cup….
The methods for making coffee have changed greatly over the years. When I was growing up our family used a stove-top percolator. I loved watching the little brown spurt of liquid fill the glass gizmo on top of the metal aluminum coffee pot. Then one Christmas my mom got an electric percolator for a gift. I am guessing this worked a little faster, but still “perked” the coffee by heating the water to rise through a metal tube that plopped the hot water though a basket of coffee grounds. For large gatherings we used a “party perk”, a large aluminum drum shaped urn with a black spigot. This beast brewed 50 cups in a half hour, and finally coffee and dessert was served.
Unique Gifts For Coffee Lovers – Also Great For The Gym!
Coffee is served in a wide variety of vessels. Delicate china coffee cup sit daintily on saucers at formal events. A hefty mug might be hoisted for more casual use. Construction workers and night shift nurses leave home with a big Thermos of coffee. Cutesy customized mugs include smiley faces, company logos, and photos of smiling children.
Guess what else coffee can be consumed from? Lively Bottle custom water bottles! Yes, water bottles, not flimsy disposable bottles or cheap thin plastic bottles without any insulating factor. Lively Bottles are double-walled and keep coffee hot! A Lively Bottle full of coffee gives your caffeine jolt to go. I drink coffee on the commute to work then rinse my bottle and fill it with water to begin hydrating. Two drink holders in one! The next time you say “I am a coffee lover” think Lively Bottle and customize your own water bottle.
