Some employees use coffee in the workplace to give them a jump start first thing in the morning. Some use coffee to get them through the afternoon slump. Others use it as a break from their job, and others still, to tackle the mounting work on their desks.

In most workplaces low quality break-room coffee leaves a lot to be desired. Through supplying employees with a few key tools, ingredients, and gourmet coffee blends, livening up the coffee at work is simple. Here are five simple suggestions:

1.- Spice up the coffee condiments!

Why not add flavored creamers, natural sugars, spices, flavored syrups, whipped cream and other exciting options to your stock of coffee condiments? Employees will appreciate the selection and delight in the unusual work coffee condiments. This is an simple and sure way to liven up your coffee at work.

2.- Improve your coffee brewing equipment.

The machine you use to brew your coffee in is half the battle. Local office coffee services will provide you with professional equipment free in return for buying your coffee from them and paying a premium for supplies.

A more cost effective option is to go online, buy quality equipment yourself, and buy the supplies from an online cheaper coffee provider. Typically your coffee supplies will be about 20% cheaper compared to those provided to you by an office coffee service. Some online suppliers ship the same day the order is received, and delivery is usually free if you order or more. Typically is 4 weeks of coffee for an office of 15 to 25 employees. You will also be able to reduce your company’s liability risk by not sending employees off-site in their personal vehicles to pick up the coffee. The coffee is delivered right to your office in pre-measured packages! Save yourself the time, liability and money by ordering online from a cheaper coffee supplier.

3.- Use a personalized mug.

Eliminate dull and environmentally unfriendly Styrofoam cups. Treating employees to their own personalized mugs not only makes their individual cup of coffee unique, but also eco-friendly. These make fantastic appreciation gifts and can help you save money on break-room supplies in the long run.

4.- Keep a variety of gourmet coffee blends in stock.

Stocking your break-room with a variety of gourmet coffee blends offers all employees a better quality coffee every day. Gourmet coffee blends and other national brands ordered in pre-measured packages through online cheaper coffee suppliers can score you high quality coffee at a low price. For employees, just knowing that their employer cares enough about them to stock multiple types of quality coffee will dramatically improve their mood at work. Most importantly, a wide variety of gourmet coffee blends stocked in your break-room can liven up your coffee-work situation.

5.- Take coffee requests from all employees.

Let one employee each month make a special coffee request. It may be a full-bodied gourmet roast from a specific coffee shop or a specialty flavored gourmet coffee blend like vanilla crème or hazelnut. Your employees will feel appreciated when they have a say and will be excited to have something to look forward to as their month to pick coffee comes along. And surprisingly, you can usually order an entire pot of gourmet coffee from a cheaper coffee online supplier for what just 1 cup would cost you after you stand in line.

Whatever you do to liven up your coffee at work be sure it is simple, time-effective and budget friendly. There is no need to turn your break-room into a gourmet coffee shop, but offering more variety and options can really liven up the coffee at work. Employees will delight in the small changes in the break-room and will feel more appreciated.

If you drink a lot of coffee, you know that coffee prices can vary wildly from one brand to another. The type of coffee that your purchasing and the roast of that coffee also often play into the price you pay. Coffee is a hugely well loved beverage worldwide. The United States is among the leading consumers of coffee, with an average of around 20 gallons of coffee being drunk by every American every year. The way this coffee is farmed affects the price you pay, as well. Those who truly like this beverage usually know why “top shelf” brands are so expensive: the taste.

The coffee prices you see in a store start with the farmers. At present, Brazil produces more coffee than any other nation. Some Latin American nations produce smaller quantities, but their coffee is prized among gourmets; Costa Rica, for example. The growers that produce the coffee sometimes work under what is called a “Honest Trade” arrangement. This type of price control ensures that the farmers have a predictable income from the harvest. Sometimes, these coffees are more expensive than others and sometimes they’re not. Coffee prices are really quite variable and investors trade the beans as a commodity.

Some roasts are usually more expensive than others. Espresso roasts, which are among the darkest, usually come at a higher price than does the standard, light-roast American-style coffee. This sometimes leads people to reckon that espresso roasts and other dark coffees are snobbish indulgences. There’s really nothing snooty about these coffees, but. The beans cost a bit more for many reasons, from the roasting process to the selection process. Anyone who likes a excellent cup of drip coffee in the morning will also likely appreciate a shot of espresso in the morning.

When you pay higher coffee prices, but, it doesn’t always mean you’re getting better beans. There are some companies that have gourmet-quality coffees at prices which one would expect to pay for regular, bulk coffee. These are brilliant choices for those who want to experiment a bit and see if they like espresso, or a dark French roast or any other kind of coffee. Even gourmet coffee is very inexpensive on a cup by cup basis, so don’t’ be worried to experiment with different types of coffee based on other criteria, in addition to the different qualities and roasts.