Three Beverage Trends to Explore in Warren and the Detroit Area During 2019

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Katie Waxman
Beverage Trends in Warren and the Detroit Area

Everyone has that one beverage that they can’t live without. It might be a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, a specific brand of bottled water, or a favorite carbonated beverage from childhood. While those beverages often spark feelings of contentment, comfort or happiness, there are new cold beverages out there waiting to be discovered.
In 2019, Warren and Detroit Area employees will find new approaches to three very popular beverages, soft drinks, coffee and iced tea.

Artisan or Craft Soft Drinks

The interest in artisan or craft soft drinks has increased as Warren and Detroit Area consumers look to explore new products and flavors and seek to match their personal beliefs with the products they purchase. Craft soft drinks are thought to be healthier as they are made from natural and organic ingredients and are made by smaller, more artisanal companies who put a lot of care into their products. For consumers and these producers, craft soft drinks are not simply consumable products; they have a story to tell. Whether it’s helping their local community or the environment, each organization and/or beverage has a specific focus and purpose.

Cold-brew Coffee

Cold-brew coffee has been available for a couple years in a small number of locations, but that has changed. Today, this coffee beverage can be found in a variety of Warren and Detroit Area locations in several different forms including ready-to-drink, single-serve containers, bulk containers, and on tap. Crafted at room temperature over a long period of time, cold brew is up to 70 percent less acidic than traditionally brewed hot coffee. The more balanced, lower acidic levels of cold brew are the result of a slower, cooler brewing process and are responsible for a smoother, creamier, full-bodied and less bitter taste profile.

Beverage Trends in Warren and the Detroit Area

Specialty Iced Tea  

While iced tea, as we know it today, has been around since the early 1900s, new and specialty flavors are making their way to the front of the line. For many Warren and Detroit Area consumers, the traditional flavors from unsweetened black or green tea are not enough. Consumers want the benefits of unsweetened tea, but they also want a sweeter flavor without the extra sugar. The hibiscus plant is a popular solution to the problem with its sweet flavor and bright, appealing color, and there has been a 62 percent increase in its use in iced tea since 2014. Offering specialty iced teas in ready-to-drink containers such as cans and bottles has also helped increase the visibility and availability of these tasty beverages.

Can Warren and Detroit Area employees purchase any of these beverage choices in their break room? Instead of going off-site to purchase a craft soft drink, a cold-brew coffee, or a specialty iced tea, meet your employees where they are — at work.

Whether it’s customizing a new vending machine or micro-market beverage menu, American Vending can help. We offer a wide variety of hot and cold beverages as well as snacks and fresh food. For more information or to schedule a tasting, please contact us at (248) 895.2606.  

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Warren and the Detroit Area Love Salty Snacks

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Katie Waxman

Healthy snack options in Warren and the Detroit AreaSalty snacks are here to stay. Warren and Detroit Area individuals will continue to find them at a variety of retail establishments, at home and at work. In fact, a recent report developed by Freedonia Focus Reports found that the demand for corn chips is expected to outgrow the demand for potato chips. But it’s not just the demand for traditional salty snacks that is on the rise. Individuals want to enjoy new salty product offerings that are healthier.

Saltiness like sweetness is one of those tastes that can cause Warren and Detroit Area employees to eat too much of it. The human body needs salt, but it is important to be careful how much salt one eats. Understanding how much salt is the right amount of salt for one’s body is challenging. It’s sort of like “Too little, too much, and just right.”

Let’s take a look at why the “just right” spot is so important.

Salt consists of sodium and chloride, and sodium and chloride play a crucial role in maintaining human health. Since the human body cannot produce sodium and chloride, an outside source is needed. That source is salt. A familiar example of using and replacing sodium and chloride in the human body is when Warren and Detroit Area individuals excrete sodium and chloride by sweating. They then replenish the lost sodium and chloride by consuming salt.

The components of salt are very important.

  • Sodium is essential for nerve and muscle function, is involved in the regulation of fluids in the body and helps to control blood pressure and volume.
  • Chloride, an electrolyte, regulates fluids, transmits nerve impulses, maintains the acid-base (pH) balance in the body, and is a crucial component in the production of stomach acid (HCl).

Healthy snack options in the Warren and Detroit AreaBut too much salt is unhealthy.

  • People who consume too much sodium may develop hypertension or high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.
  • When too much chloride is in the body, the high levels of acid in the blood can cause a condition called hyperchloremia to occur.

Warren and Detroit Area employees should take the time to figure out what their “just right” amount of salt is. Then, when the mood strikes for something salty, try one these better-for-you, salty snacks.

  • multigrain or whole-grain tortilla chips
  • whole grain pretzels, plain or in a variety of flavors
  • edamame with sea salt
  • baked sweet potato or regular potato chips
  • veggie chips
  • baked lentil or brown rice chips
  • popcorn
  • black olives

As a Warren and Detroit Area employer, remember to include a variety of healthy, salty snacks for your employees in the break room vending machines or micro-market. It will provide an on-site refreshment option and help your employees stay healthy and productive. And don’t forget to include cold beverages such as bottled water to balance the salt.

For more information about customizing the perfect combination of snacks, beverages and fresh food in your break room, call American Vending at (248) 895.2606.

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Healthy and Fun Food Trends in Warren and the Detroit Area

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Katie Waxman

Healthy options in the Warren and Detroit areaFinding the right balance between healthy and not-so-healthy foods can be challenging especially if one’s current diet feels boring, but it doesn’t have to be. A variety of new food trends can be found throughout Warren and the Detroit area that will satisfy a healthy craving or offer a bit of silliness and hopefully, bring things into balance.

Healthy Food Trends

Turmeric Milk or Golden Milk: The primary ingredients in this beverage are cow’s or plant-based milk, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger. Not only does this beverage contain antioxidants and powerful anti-inflammatory properties, but it has also been found to help form new connections in the brain and promote brain cell growth.

Gut-Friendly Foods: This group of foods includes sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, and pickles, all of which have undergone the process of fermentation or pickling. A short explanation of fermentation is that yeast or bacteria is added to a particular food and then feeds on the natural sugars in that food. The result is a preserved product that contains gut-healthy probiotics and other helpful nutrients.

Drinkable Soups: Easy to enjoy on-the-go or throughout the workday, drinkable soups are made with vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant-packed produce and are packaged in ready-to-drink containers. Similar in consistency to smoothies, drinkable soups offer a more filling, higher fiber, and lower sugar option that can replace a less healthy snack.

Healthy is super important, but we also need a little fun in our lives. Enjoying fun food trends (in moderation of course) is a great way to taste something new and have fun.

Healthy options in Warren and Detroit areaFun Food Trends

Rolled Ice Cream: Part of what makes rolled ice cream so intriguing is its preparation method. Using a process that is similar to the one used to make a classic Yule log dessert, liquid ice cream is poured on a cold slate which freezes the ice cream. The frozen sheet of ice cream is then rolled by hand, sliced, and served with a variety of toppings. Yum!

Doughnuts with Customized-Fillings: ‘Boutique’ doughnut shops have been popping up across the U.S., and the options are endless. Unique ingredients include sweet and regular potato, pumpkin, and fruit jellies. Fillings and flavors such as custard, snickers bars, and banana malt and toppings like bacon, marshmallows, and cereal can also be found. There’s a flavor combination for everyone.

Instead of seeing your Warren and Detroit area employees always going off site to find something healthy or fun to eat, provide them with a reason to stay on site. Offer a balance of healthy and fun beverage, snack, and food options in your break room micro-market or vending machines. To create a customized menu for your organization, survey your employees about their preferences, but don’t forget to include coffee service options in your survey. Coffee, tea, and espresso-based beverages can also be fun and healthy.

Increase the odds that all of your Warren and Detroit area employees can find something in the break room with a custom break room menu designed by American Vending. We can help you create a space that is inviting, fun, and relaxing all at the same time. For more information, call American Vending at (248) 895.2606.

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Coffee, Cells, and the Domino Effect in Warren and the Detroit Area

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Katie Waxman

Office coffee options in Warren and the Detroit areaFour cups of coffee. That’s all the caffeine it takes to trigger a protective effect in the human heart. Researchers have known for awhile that drinking coffee plays a positive role in lowering the risk of developing type II diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but the how remained somewhat elusive. Until today. Researchers at the Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University and the IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Duesseldorf, Germany have discovered new knowledge about how caffeine interacts with cells in the human body.

All living beings, including humans, are made up of cells. In fact, there are about 200 different types of cells in a human body that do everything from creating linings to repairing different parts of the heart muscle. It’s the caffeine in those four cups of coffee that triggers the domino effect which ends with the protection and repair of the heart muscle.

In a very simplified explanation, caffeine is like the hand that knocks over the first domino in a long line of dominoes. Each time a domino falls, it starts a new reaction in the next domino until the very last domino tips over, and the process is complete. For one of the types of cells in the human heart, caffeine creates an environment where the heart muscle cells are protected from damage or repaired when damage happens.  

In a different line of dominoes, caffeine is one of the many components that help Warren and Detroit Area employees stay healthy. Healthy employees then contribute to the process of creating a successful workplace by being productive, alert, and energized. Employers have the opportunity to play an important role in this line of dominoes by providing a variety of snacks and beverages that contain caffeine in the break room vending machine.

Office coffee options in Warren and the Detroit AreaCoffee isn’t the only beverage that contains caffeine. Both hot tea and cold sweet tea contain caffeine although the caffeine levels will vary based on the type of tea. Matcha (tea) has the most caffeine followed by Yerba Mate, black tea, and oolong and green tea. Other cold beverages with caffeine include carbonated colas and energy drinks. Caffeinated snacks include products made with chocolate, protein bars, energy bars, espresso beans, and energy gum.Thankfully, there is a caffeinated option for almost everyone.  

Which caffeinated break room beverage or snack do your Warren and Detroit Area employees seek out the most? Is it coffee, or maybe something else? In any case, it is important to learn your employees’ preferences to be able to encourage them to stay onsite and visit the break room instead of leaving the premises and going to a local cafe or restaurant. American Vending would like to help your organization customize your employee break room to meet your employees’ coffee, snack, and beverage wishes. For more information about about micro-markets, coffee service, or vending services, contact us at (248) 895-2606. We look forward to working with you.

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Find a Bit of Spice in Your Warren and Detroit Area Snack Vending Machine

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Katie Waxman

vending machine options in Warren and the Detroit AreaWith Halloween rapidly approaching, it’s time to reassess the sweet treats in your Warren and Detroit Area vending machine and consider which sweet snacks would be better with some heat. Spicy snacks have been around for awhile, but they were usually located in the ‘not-sweet’ snack section of the break room vending machine. It’s time to explore new flavor combinations and see what happens when your favorite candy is mixed with a bit of spice.

Historically, cinnamon was the most frequently used spice in the U.S. to add heat to candy. With the increased awareness of and interest in Latin American flavors, that has changed. Today, Warren and Detroit Area employees can find a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors from cayenne, habanero, or sriracha in their sweet vending machine snacks. And Warren and Detroit Area employees are buying a lot of them.

Based on recent sales’ data from CandyStore.com, sales of spicy and hot-flavored candy increased 25 percent between June 2017 and June 2018. Larry Levin, EVP of Consumer and Shopper Marketing at IRI, a market research firm, reported that “sales for non-chocolate spicy and hot attributed candy products are growing eight times faster than non-chocolate in general, at a rate of 25%.” A 25 percent increase over a 12-month period is huge considering that growth in candy, as an industry, has been less than one percent.

There’s just one more thing to mention.

Break Room options in Warren and the Detroit AreaIf Warren and Detroit Area employees are not used to the heat from certain spices, it is important to offer them different options in the break room that will cool the heat. The following suggestions might might help when things are just too spicy.

Milk: Plain milk is one of the best remedies, but if it’s not available, yogurt from a fresh food vending machine or a micro-market would be a great alternative.

Sugar: A teaspoon or a single packet of sugar from the office coffee service could also do the trick.

Milk Chocolate: The fat and casein (the protein in milk) content found in a milk chocolate bar from the vending machine can help combat the heat. While dark chocolate may have more health benefits, milk chocolate is a better choice in this case.

What combination of sweet and spicy do your Warren and Detroit Area employees hope to find in their break room? Whether it leans more to the sweet side or the spicy side, we can help you customize a solution that meets your employees needs and wishes. American Vending offers a variety of vending services including micro-markets, office coffee service, and vending machines. For more information, contact us at (248) 895.2606.

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Coffee and Collaboration in Warren and the Detroit Area

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Katie Waxman

coffee options in Warren and Detroit area

Getting together with friends to grab a cup of coffee and catch up is a popular activity for many Warren and Detroit Area residents. But what about at work? Do those same individuals have the opportunity to enjoy a hot caffeinated beverage with their colleagues and talk or collaborate about work-related topics? If they don’t, it might be time to look at a new approach for combining coffee and collaboration at work.

You might be wondering what the connection between coffee and collaboration is. Before we get to that, let’s look at the benefits of collaboration by themselves. Collaboration, at its core, is the act of freely sharing knowledge quickly and easily. The result of collaboration is an increase in innovative products and solutions, which leads to improved employee engagement and satisfaction. In the long run, profitability also often increases. Unfortunately, a third of Warren and Detroit Area employees don’t experience the level of collaboration that they need to be successful.

This is where a cup of Joe comes into the picture.

coffee option in Warren and the Detroit area

Coffee, or more specifically the caffeine found in it, positively affects the outcome of group performance when the individuals in that group consumed caffeinated coffee beforehand. Recent research at The Ohio State University found that coffee made people more positive by making them more alert. This in turn created a better personal and group experience and better overall team performance results. Another related study found that the participants who consumed coffee in a group setting were also more likely to participate in the conversation and spent more time talking on-topic.   

To increase the likelihood that coffee and both spontaneous and planned collaboration occur more frequently, there are a few changes that can be made to your Warren and Detroit Area work environments.

Start by creating “collaboration zones.” That will mean different things to different organizations. For some, it might entail updating the office break room to include a micro-market with lots of smaller tables and seating areas that encourage conversation. Other Warren and Detroit Area businesses might prefer multiple smaller locations throughout the building with coffee service and vending machine snacks and beverages.

The key is to customize the space to fit your organization. That’s where American Vending comes in. We help Warren and Detroit Area businesses discover the right combination of beverages, snacks, and food to create a break room that supports employee collaboration. For more information or to take the first step, call us at (248) 895.2606. We look forward to collaborating with you.

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Sustainable Cocoa in Warren and the Detroit Area Snacks

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Katie Waxman

Chocolate Snacks in Warren and the Detroit Area

Everyone, well almost everyone, loves to enjoy chocolate as one of their daily snacks. Whether it’s dark chocolate or milk chocolate, the key ingredient is cocoa. Without cocoa there are no chocolate snacks in Warren and the Detroit Area. Frank Mars, board member of Mars, Inc recently spoke at the Fourth World Cocoa Conference about his concern about the future of cocoa, and that should concern all chocolate lovers.

According to Frank Mars, the participants at the conference need “to think differently and work harder together; not only on better [cocoa] plant varieties and farming practices and models, but also on pest and disease control.” Mars further explained that the current progress is not enough to make cocoa sustainable unless more change is made.

Sustainable Cocoa

So what exactly is sustainable cocoa? According to the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, sustainable cocoa is cocoa “produced according to economic, environmental, and social requirements, either through internationally recognized standards such as Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade, or through sourcing comparable to those standards, which have been verified by an “approved method.” Put simply, cocoa farmers need to be able to produce more cocoa seed on less land with fewer pesticides. The increased cocoa yields would allow farmers to plant crops for themselves in place of less efficient cocoa trees thereby improving their own livelihood and quality of life.

Chocolate Snacks in Warren and the Detroit Area

Warren and Detroit Area Employees

Why should Warren and Detroit Area employees be concerned about the cocoa in their chocolate snacks? Because the quality of cocoa used to make chocolate snacks is impacted by the growing, harvesting, fermenting & drying (processing), roasting & grinding, and pressing methods used to make cocoa. Growing, harvesting, and fermenting & drying (processing) are also stages that are directly impacted by sustainable farming practices.

This is important because according to recent research by the Mars Center for Cocoa Health Science, “harvesting and processing of the cocoa seed determines the final cocoa flavanol content,” and “the cocoa seed has a unique combination of flavanols that is found in no other food exactly as it is found in cocoa.” Flavanols are beneficial for Warren and Detroit Area employees’ health. Not only do flavanols support heart health but they also positively impact cognitive function and circulation.

Healthy and mentally sharp employees are great for any Warren and Detroit Area business. One way to ensure that employees have access to snacks with chocolate made from sustainable cocoa is to offer those snacks in the break room vending machine or micro-market. The snacks are healthier, as long as there isn’t too much sugar in them, and easier to find since they are onsite. Don’t forget to offer other healthy beverages such as bottled water or coffee and tea in the office break room to enjoy with a chocolate snack — hydration is also important.

For more information about updating your snack options or customizing a new break room, call American Vending at (248) 895.2606. We look forward to working with you.

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Understanding the Warren and Detroit Area Micro-Market Shopper

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Katie Waxman

http://americanvendingllc.com/office_coffee.php

The micro-market is drawing more Warren and Detroit Area employees into their at-work break room than traditional vending ever has. This increase is great news for both employers and vending operators. Now, the biggest challenge is determining which beverages, snacks, and food options to offer to keep bringing those new customers back.

The solution — understand the mindset of the micro-market shopper.

Before getting to know your Warren and Detroit Area micro-market consumers, it is important to acknowledge the three types of shoppers: traditional, traditional-healthy, and healthy.

Traditional

The traditional consumer usually prefers products that are traditionally found in vending machines. Their go-to place for snacks and beverages, these employees have been making purchases from the break room vending machine since before the micro-market was available. The key to keeping traditional consumers coming back to the micro-market is to offer multiple flavors of their favorite snacks and beverages.  

Traditional-Healthy

The traditional-healthy consumer moves back and forth between the two sides. They express a desire for healthier items, but micro-market sales reports show that they still mostly purchase traditional items. One way to engage traditional-healthy consumers is to offer extensions of familiar items that meet new wellness trends, such as snack items with more protein or smaller calorie packs.

Healthy   

The healthy consumer seeks out snacks, beverages, and meals that are good-for-you or better-for-you. Offering an expanded variety of options, the Warren and Detroit Area micro-market is a viable option for the healthy consumer. The biggest challenge is ensuring that the healthy product offerings are customized enough and, at the same time, broad enough for the majority. Balancing healthy items with traditional ones needs to be done carefully to ensure that the micro-market is profitable.

Micro-Market Options in Warren and the Detroit Metro Area

To learn what your employees are looking for in a micro-market consider asking them the following questions.

  • What types of snacks are most appealing? When would you consume them? Do they need to fulfill a purpose such as satisfy a sweet tooth or boost energy?
  • What types of beverages would you purchase? When would you consume them? Do they need to fulfill a purpose such as hydration, a caffeine boost, or a meal replacement?
  • What type of food would you buy?
  • Are you looking for a space that is like a convenience store or a place to sit and interact with colleagues?

By surveying your Warren and the Detroit Area employees about one or more topics, it is possible to have a better understanding about what they want. Identify common themes and overlapping results and choose products that meet the needs of at least two types of shopper. Considering why and when a specific item is chosen is another way to ensure that more employees will be able to enjoy it.

And don’t worry. American Vending is here to help you design a break room that fits exactly what your Warren and Detroit Area employees are looking for. Whether it’s a micro-market, healthy or traditional vending machines, or gourmet-style coffee service, we have a solution for everyone. To learn more, contact us at (248) 895.2606. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Warren and the Detroit Area, Enjoy a Healthy Snack Today

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Katie Waxman

Break Room Snack Options in Warren and the Detroit Area

It may be summer outside, but don’t forget to include a bit of dark chocolate in your healthy snack. The key is to use dark chocolate made with a high-cocoa content, low unhealthy-fats, and very little sugar. A few different ways to enjoy a dark chocolate snack in the summer include: dark chocolate ice cubes, fruit dipped in dark chocolate, homemade dark chocolate ice cream, and dark chocolate pudding or mousse in addition to the traditional bar of dark chocolate.

Why dark chocolate? Because dark chocolate contains antioxidants, caffeine, endorphins, and serotonin which offer many health benefits. According to research presented at the Experimental Biology 2018 annual meeting, “consuming dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity” as well as cognition.

Let’s take a look at how caffeine, endorphins, serotonin, and antioxidants play a role.

Caffeine

As many Warren and Detroit Area employees know, caffeine can provide an energy boost when one is feeling tired. But caffeine does more than just decrease fatigue. Caffeine offers a short-term mental boost, improves memory, and even helps decrease pain sensitivity in some individuals with chronic pain.

Break Room Snack Options in Warren and the Detroit Area

Endorphins & Serotonin

While endorphins are a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system, and serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter, both have a similar effect. They can both improve a Warren or Detroit Area employee’s mood. Endorphins create feelings of pleasure, and serotonin elevates one’s mood.  

Antioxidants

Understanding the impact of antioxidants is a bit more complicated. There are many different types of antioxidants. Several of the ones that come into play with dark chocolate include flavonoids (flavanols, flavonols (source of the antioxidant qualities), epicatechin and procyanidins) and polyphenols. Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, improve cognitive function, help absorb UV light, increase blood flow to the skin, improve skin texture, increase skin hydration, fight inflammation and oxidative stress—improving blood flow, improve cardiovascular health, reduce insulin resistance, and decrease cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Those are a lot of benefits!

The benefits from antioxidants are often seen in Warren and Detroit Area individuals when three to four ounces of dark chocolate made with 70 percent to 80 percent cocoa are enjoyed each day. Don’t forget to avoid dark chocolate made using processing methods such as fermenting, alkalizing, and roasting as they cause important flavonoids to be lost.

Can your Warren and Detroit Area employees find a healthy dark chocolate snack in their office break room? Offering healthy vending machine options is one way that your organization can support your employees’ health. For more information about adding vending services to your place of business, contact American Vending at (248) 895.2606. We look forward to working with you.

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Warren and the Detroit Area, Do You Know What the Secret Ingredient in Coffee Is?

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Katie Waxman

Making great coffee while protecting the brewing equipment requires Warren and the Detroit Area employees to constantly perform a balancing act. They must choose the best type of water to find the sweet spot between preventing damage to the brewing equipment and brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

Office Coffee Service in Warren and the Detroit Area

Why is the type of water so important? A cup of coffee consists of 98 percent water. That means that the coffee only represents two percent of the beverage. The quality or type of water can range anywhere from “hard” (full of minerals like magnesium) to “soft” (distilled water falls into this category).

To understand the impact of hard and soft water on brewing equipment, consider the following:  

  • many maintenance issues are caused by water because the water comes into contact with almost every part of the machine
  • for example, some compounds found in hard water are sticky and seek out specific compounds in the coffee grounds impeding the brewing process
  • the more minerals the water contains (or the harder the water), the more damaging the water can be to the brewing equipment
  • minerals cause scale buildup (or coat) the inner workings (pumps, boilers, and valves) of the brewing machine, causing corrosion, leaks, and ultimately, the destruction of the machine.

If too many minerals in hard water damage the brewing system, why not use soft or distilled water? The answer to this question is why balancing the water selection is so important. The right balance of minerals in the water improves the taste of a Warren and the Detroit Area cup of coffee.

Office Coffee Service in Warren and the Detroit Area

To understand how hard and soft water changes the taste, consider the following:

  • minerals found in water carry coffee’s body and aroma to the palate.
  • a high mineral content contributes to a decrease in the quality
    • too much alkalinity in the water can cause a soapy taste or residue in the brewed coffee
    • water that is too hard can give a bitter or chalky taste
    • very little mineral content is also a problem at it causes strange extractions and off-flavors
  • soft water can create a bland cup of coffee   

If Warren and the Detroit Area individuals are interested in monitoring the water that goes into their coffee, the following table from the Specialty Coffee Association lists the acceptable characteristics for the best brewing water.

Characteristic Target Acceptable Range
Odor 1 Clean/Fresh, Odor free
Color 2 Clear color
Total Chlorine 0 mg/L
TDS 3 150 mg/L 75 – 250 mg/L
Calcium Hardness 4 grains or 68 mg/L 1-5 grains or 17 mg/L – 85 mg/L
Total Alkalinity 40 mg/L At or near 40 mg/L
pH 7.0 (neutral) 6.5 – 7.5
Sodium 10 mg/L At or near 10 mg/L

Specialty Coffee Association’s “Water for Brewing Standards“ Table

However, not everyone has the time or desire to check the mineral content and quality of their water. When that’s the case, consider one of the following options:

  • Reconsider your source for coffee beans
    • a local roaster will likely test their beans with local water increasing the likelihood of your Warren and The Detroit Area employees brewing great tasting coffee.
    • nationally recognized brands often use pure water, which can be found almost everywhere, to test their beans as they strive to create a consistent flavor nationwide.
  • Use water that tastes good on its own; if it tastes and smells good and is clean straight from the tap, the end result will likely be tasty.
  • Avoid pure distilled or reverse osmosis water. While they are often recommended, they are too pure to brew coffee and will leave a lot of flavor behind.
  • Consider installing a water filtration system in your office break room; employees can relax knowing they don’t have to worry about the water quality and Warren and The Detroit Area employers will know the chemical makeup of the water running through their coffee brewers.

Whether your Warren and the Detroit Area organization is looking for a new office coffee service or just wants to update the office break room, American Vending can help. We offer a wide variety of customizable vending solutions including micro-markets and healthy vending. To take the first step, call us at 248.895.2606. We look forward to hearing from you.

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