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According to an Office Space survey of 12,000 workers, 95% of them said good coffee or tea was the most important thing for them in the workplace.
If your water is too hot, your coffee will taste awful, too cold and you’ll have coffee flavored water. The sweet spot is between 197°- 204°F.
Coffee in the workplace is king! The people want and need it, and employers would be smart to supply it.
Here’s a shocker: office coffee machines and coffee service are the lifeblood of American businesses. Thankfully, for employers, coffee keeps employees alert, fuels productivity and may even reduce pain in worker’s least favorite tasks. Clearly, there is no reason for employers to slow the java roll in the office. However, there are a few very good reasons to upgrade the level of your office coffee machine or coffee service available to employees.
Did you know that according to an Office Space survey of 12,000 workers, 95% of them said good coffee or tea was the most important thing for them in the workplace? According to a national survey, 37% of employees preferred free gourmet coffee or tea over an office holiday party. It’s like they are addicted or something! Evidently, not only is coffee vital to happiness and productivity, but the quality of the coffee also goes a long way in maximizing both.
We at Java Works LOVE great coffee and understand how one hot cup of delicious coffee can be the difference between a bad day and a great one. That’s why we want to share some information on what makes some coffee OK and another out-of-this-world amazing. A lot more goes into a quality cup of joe than you might think.
Water: Liquid Life
Water may seem a little simplistic, but since water makes up more than 98% of coffee, it matters. What can affect the taste of your morning mud is minerals. To get a little scientific for a second, ideal water is between 50-100 parts per million (PPM) or 3-6 grains of hardness. If your water is below 300 PPM or 18 grains of hardness, that’s acceptable. A quality water filter is an easy way to ensure your water isn’t ruining your jitter juice.
Time & Temperature: Down and Distance
Timing is everything in life. It also happens to matter quite a bit with coffee as well. Brewing time or the amount of time the water is in contact with the coffee determines how much coffee end up in your cup. Too much brew time and you’ve got bitter coffee, too little time and you have watery coffee. Generally, brew time should not exceed eight minutes.
In the same vein as water, temperature also plays a big role in the extraction from bean to cup. If your water is too hot, your coffee will taste awful, too cold and you’ll have coffee flavored water. The sweet spot is between 197°- 204°F.
Turbulence: The Motion of the Ocean
Turbulence is normally associated with air travel, however, in relation to coffee, it refers to the process of water passing over the coffee. Proper coffee turbulence is consistent, uniform flow that allows the water to evenly extract that coffee goodness from the grinds. Uneven turbulence will lead to uneven coffee, at the least.
Filtration: Cleanliness is next Coffeeness
As much as we all love coffee, there are some elements you’d rather not have in your cup. That’s why filtration is so important. During brewing, oil substances called diterpenes are released. They are mostly unpronounceable but cafestol and kahweol are diterpenes that aren’t good for you and don’t taste particularly good either. Proper filtration keeps your cup of coffee healthier and tastier.
Cleanliness: The Office Battle
This may actually be a no-brainer but we understand sometimes the office coffee machine can go neglected. If you have taken the steps to ensure your water is clean, your brew time is on point, turbulence is even and filtration is clean, why would you allow your machine to be a mess? Anything in an office or a home can get dirty over time. Keeping it clean ensures nothing but great coffee makes it into your cup. Don’t clean your machine with steel wool or any other abrasives. They can scratch or flake unwanted elements or deposits into your coffee, which is a big no-no.
Coffee in the workplace is king. The people want and need it, and employers would be smart to supply it. Your workforce happiness is vital. According to Forbes, happy employees are up to 20% more productive than unhappy ones. As we’ve laid out, great coffee goes a long way toward happiness. Sounds like an easy business investment to us. For more information on how great coffee can be made or delivered at your office, check out Java Works.