If one is to concede that coffee is legitimately a drug, however, they must also concede the fact that it is a benign one. Though it's benign, it is not without its effects. Some of these effects are more desirable and even useful while others less so. It's worth mentioning that white, black, and green tea contain caffeine as well, though at a substantially decreased concentration. The question that many people then face is: how much is too much, and when is the best time to drink it?

Coffee has a relatively long half-life, and is known to disrupt the circadian rhythm even many hours after it's been drank. For this reason it is critical that you drink it an adequate length of time before bed, and frequently this duration will be much greater in length than one might expect. For most folk this means you probably shouldn't drink coffee any later than noon if you'd like to prevent it from impacting your sleep.

Because of the fact that caffeine is a drug like any other, once tolerance builds many people discover themselves creeping up on an ever higher dose. Instead of imbibing a single cup of gourmet coffee they may have four, or five. The truth is, the more copious amounts of coffee that you imbibe the greater chances are that you'll have some of it still in your blood somewhere by bedtime. This may prevent you from ever achieving that extremely deep, restorative level of sleep.

Coffee isn't all horror and doom, though. Gourmet coffee does have some legitimate benefits as well. Just one such benefit is the unusual effect it has on weight lifting and aerobic endurance. Coffee by one means or another is able to cause a physical boost, which is the reason for which so many athletes consume some before a fitness session. It's also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke in females. Do be careful, though! Consumption of caffeine has also been associated with atrial fibrillation.

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Some water, a single K-cup and a button press and you'll have your coffee - if you have a coffee maker. You don't even have to wait that long. You just have to want your coffee and to plug in the coffee maker.

K-cups help you partition out the coffee. While they are disposable, they are incredibly useful in making sure you get quality coffee.

People no longer have a limited selection, thanks to k-cups. The addition of k-cups to their traditional coffee choices has made it infinitely easier for coffee enthusiasts and addicts to make the coffee that they want, when they want it and naturally, immediately as well.

The disposable k-cup may be convenient, but the environmentally conscious could find themselves not wanting to use it. Luckily, not using k-cups in no way diminishes the coffee maker's usefulness.

Taste versus convenience - the ultimate question when it comes to things like this. It comes down to personal preference in the end. If you notice the very slight difference, then you probably won't want a coffee maker.

The taste is often lost because you have to purchase prepackaged and sealed k-cups, which as mass marketed items generally do not have the love and tender care that self-ground stuff. They don't get to your coffee as fresh as they would otherwise.

Coffee makers that make one cup can easily change the dynamic of your morning. From a hassle, making your coffee becomes extremely smooth, easy. You suddenly have coffee at will. That can be exactly what a stressed out worker would be looking for, a quick boost in the morning for little effort. Try it out for yourself.

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Coffee was originally thought by European explorers and scientists to be a chewable energy source from Ethiopia. It is believed to be that shepherds first noticed their goats eating the coffee berries. They ended up smashing ripe berries and mixing them with fat from animals and turning them into gummy round little pellets.

This mixture of fat and coffee berries gave Ethiopians a portable and easy to make energy source. Most noticeably, soldiers would be issued these pellets to eat as energy supplements. In no time, these little pellets became a staple food. The cherries could also be eaten whole and had a good amount of caffeine.

There is even evidence that Ethiopians used this tasty berry to make wine. Coffee was also found to be used on the Arabian peninsula for food as well. It wasn't until later that Arabs started drinking these little energy bullets.

The earliest form of coffee being used as a beverage came well before 1000 A.D. The method was to soak coffee hulls in cold water. After some softening, the hulls were fire roasted and then boiled in water. The end result was a pale yellow liquid that could be used ingested as a stimulant.

This remained the main way to make coffee well through the first millennium into the second one. Simple drying and boiling of yellow liquid was what coffee consisted of.

During the 1400's, coffee changed forever. While looking for new ways to store coffee, researchers experimented with sun drying the beans.

After the beans were dried, they would roast them over a hot fire, and then smash them up and put the grounds in hot water. And that basic process is the foundation for the way modern coffee is produced. Now, coffee beans are second only to oil in terms of traded commodities, and is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It has a long history of energizing people, and thankfully we don't have to eat slimy coffee bean pellets anymore.

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When choosing a drink container, always consider the mug's material and construction for ideal performance. Stainless steel mugs with 2-ply insulation (also composed of stainless steel) boast longer heating and cooling times.

Size matters. Select a size that holds the amount you typically drink and that sits in your car's drink holder snugly. If you choose a travel mug that doesn't fit your car's drink holder, make certain it comes equipped with a lid that seals. This will help prevent or reduce spillage. A screw-top lid works better since snap tops can pop open if not secured properly. But no matter what lid you choose, make certain that you can open and close it easily with one hand (and without looking) for convenience and driving safety.

A big dilemma that people face when purchasing a mug is, handle or no handle. Now remember that if you do not have a handle, the mug will fit better in your vehicle's cup holder, but on the other hand, the handle makes it much easier to use. If you run into the problem of the handle not fitting into your cup holder, try to find a mug with higher placed handle. Basically, a mug where the the handle is closer to the lid top. Another way to solve the cup holder problem is a mug that tapers to a more narrow bottom. But, be careful when buying a mug like this because sometimes they do not hold as many ounces of fluid.

Do a quick google search on stainless steel travel mugs and get an idea of what is out there. Nine times out of ten, the internet is the best market for retail goods. If you read these helpful tips through, we can guarantee that purchasing your next mug will be a much easier task.

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The first add-ons that you need to get are your espresso making tools and at the top of this list is the espresso coffee grinder. Low end grinders use a blade to grind up the coffee beans and they do a fine job for course grounds. Burr grinders are higher quality grinders and they do a much better job when you need finer grinds for espresso. The blade grinders can also burn the coffee beans if they are used for a long time to make finer grinds.

An espresso tamper is a necessity and you probably got one with your espresso machine. A new tamper can be a nice upgrade if yours is a poorly made model (most that come with espresso machine are poor quality). Make sure the new tamper you are getting fits the opening well and beyond that get one that feels good to you.

A steaming and frothing pitcher rounds out your arsenal of espresso making tools. Many espresso drinks call for steamed milk or frothed milk or both. For example a Cappuccino is made with roughly equal portions of espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk. A 12 oz. pitcher is appropriate for home use but you can also get them twice as large if needed.

Espresso cups are one of the accessories where you can go a little crazy. Many cup and saucer sets come with unique art designs on them and can become very collectible. Other options are espresso glasses and stainless steel espresso glasses. Both the glass and stainless models typically have a double walled design to help retain the heat of your drink for as long as possible. Latte cups are usually 6-12 oz for larger espresso drinks.

Along with the espresso cups you will want to add espresso spoons. Just like with espresso cups versus latte cups, there are latte spoons to match to your cups. Some of these spoons can be quite elaborate in their construction while others are plain.

You will also need to have some espresso recipes for all of the different espresso drinks you can make. A good coffee recipe book will get you hundreds of options to choose from.

Flavors come next and there are LOTs to choose from. Although there are flavored powders (ex: chocolate, mocha, etc) most flavors are added as syrup. There are dozens of flavors of syrup and they range from the perennial favorite of chocolate to seasonal flavors such as pumpkin.

Actually your options for accessorizing your new espresso machine are nearly endless. Add new items when they make sense to you and you will enjoy brewing your own home made espresso drinks for a long time.

Espresso cup are a good present idea for your favorite coffee afficianado and espresso shot glass might be an alternative present for your adventurous drinking friends.

Have you recently given in to your long standing desire to have your very own espresso machine at home? Congratulations! If you set yourself up with a few key accessories you should enjoy brewing your own delights for many years.

The first add-ons that you need to get are your espresso making tools and at the top of this list is the espresso coffee grinder. Low end grinders use a blade to grind up the coffee beans and they do a fine job for course grounds. Burr grinders are higher quality grinders and they do a much better job when you need finer grinds for espresso. The blade grinders can also burn the coffee beans if they are used for a long time to make finer grinds.

The tamper is a pretty simple tool that is used to press down on the coffee grinds prior to brewing. If you have a new espresso machine, a tamper probably came with your machine and it probably sucks too. If you upgrade your tamper make sure it fits will and that it feels and looks good to you.

A steaming and frothing pitcher rounds out your arsenal of espresso making tools. Many espresso drinks call for steamed milk or frothed milk or both. For example a Cappuccino is made with roughly equal portions of espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk. A 12 oz. pitcher is appropriate for home use but you can also get them twice as large if needed.

Espresso Cups and Espresso Cup Sets - This is one of the best places to insert some personality into your espresso bar. There are many types of espresso cups that range from simple porcelain cups to ones with name brand designer patterns. Espresso cups also come in glass and stainless steel. Once you find an espresso cup set that you enjoy for a while, you may just find yourself looking for another set because collecting them is a ton of fun. Your first set of espresso cups don't have to be expensive and you will enjoy using them. If you enjoy larger drinks like lattes and cappuccinos then you will also want to get a set of cappuccinos cups for those drinks.

You will also want to get sets of espresso spoon and latte spoons to go along with your cups. Espresso cups and spoons are geared toward drinks that are 1 to 2 ounces, while latte and cappuccino cups are usually 6 to 12 ounces in size.

Until you master a multitude of espresso drinks, you will want to have a coffee recipe book. These recipe books can contain hundreds of recipes for coffee beverages (wow!). Basic espresso drinks that you will want to master include the latte, the mocha and the cappuccino.

Flavors come next and there are LOTs to choose from. Although there are flavored powders (ex: chocolate, mocha, etc) most flavors are added as syrup. There are dozens of flavors of syrup and they range from the perennial favorite of chocolate to seasonal flavors such as pumpkin.

There are many more options for decking out your new home espresso bar but there is one more I should mention. Although not as exciting as the other accessories, you will need cleaning brushes and cleaning powder to keep your espresso machine in top condition. Follow this list and add the options that make sense to you and you will have a great deal of fun starting down the wonderful path of becoming a home brew barista.