We could all do with a coffee break now and then and it seems elephants are no different. A 2.5-tonne Indian elephant called Baby escaped from Courtney’s Circus in Cork, Ireland and headed straight for a coffee shop. Shoppers picking up there mid-afternoon caffeine hit were stunned to see the elephant charging through the town’s retail park after apparently fleeing from her home just yards away.

The 40-year old elephant managed to wander free during bath time and made her way to the popular high street coffee retailer. The elephant handler Joey Gartner said Baby was having a bath with five others when she decided she didn’t want one so headed off down the street in search of caffeine instead. Thank goodness Coffeee.net is an online site as our coffee is so good that Baby would have stomped down our door if we were a high street retailer. The handlers followed the elephant into the retail park ensuring the public were not in danger as they tried to herd her back. Maybe they should have bought a takeout latte and dangled it in front of her?

As the saying goes, ‘you should never get in the way of an elephant and its coffee’. Ok this isn’t a real saying but in this case it’s most definitely true.

There always seems to be a new study debating the effects of caffeine, as scientists can’t just let us enjoy our morning cup of coffee as it is. This time a new study has revealed coffee may make you lazy. I disagree as I always thought a good cup of coffee was the perfect way to start the day and get you kick started for whatever lay ahead. I also disagree with every study that in any way says chocolate is bad for you but that’s another matter.

The research study carried out on rats found that while lazy rats stayed lazy after a caffeine boost, hardworking rats became lazier. I’m sure the scientists are in no way saying the exact same effects from the rats would of course be found in humans they just wanted to share their findings that hard working rats, after a dose of caffeine, picked the easier tasks to continue with. If this study has you thinking about the negative effects of coffee then maybe you also want to read up on the positive effects caffeine has on the worker, with many researchers claiming the stimulant has the effect of alertness and increases productivity.

There are far more positive results from the effects of caffeine then there are negative, the study above possibly highlights that the hardworking rats needed a coffee break or the coffee wasn’t good. I for one always feel more productive after my coffee break but then again I get my coffee from Coffeee.net.

Why is it coffee from high street retailers can taste better than what you make in your own kitchen? I always thought it was the years of barista training that somehow enabled the coffee maker to be super human at making coffees. Then I bought a coffee machine and I realised it’s not the maker it’s the machine.

Who would have thought these brilliant kitchen appliances would let me have tasty coffee in my own home. With such ease to use and with a handy booklet on what everything does and where everything goes I wouldn’t even think of boiling my kettle for a brew again. If you want to join me in the land of luxury living then why not invest in a coffee machine too? Before you purchase a machine think about what sort of coffee you like as different machines produce different coffee and think about the quantity of coffee you want to make and how often. After all there’s no point making a pot that would just go to waste, that’s just a crime against coffee beans.

If now you’re thinking you want to know a bit more then head over to our coffee machines page on Coffeee.net. Each machine has a full description of usage and what’s included so you can pick the right machine for you or if you’re like me just pick a red one to brighten up your kitchen.

The UK is currently experiencing a slight heat wave and there’s nothing better than a cooling drink to refresh your taste buds when the weather is like this. If you still want to enjoy your favourite beverage in this glorious weather here’s our how to guide into making iced tea and iced coffee.

Iced Tea – Make a pot of tea as normal however only allow the tea bags to brew for no more than 5 minutes, any longer and it can taste bitter. In a large jug place 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of cold water, stir until the sugar has dissolved then pour your brewed tea into the jug and stir. All you need to do now is wait for your drink to cool a little further then serve in a glass over ice.

Iced Coffee – Fill a tall glass to the brim with ice cubes and make sure you have a spoon long enough to reach the base of the glass. Pour room temperature or chilled coffee into the glass over the ice leaving about 2 cm from the top. Here’s where you can make it either a skinny iced coffee by adding skimmed milk or if you just want to go all out and make a decadent treat then top the iced coffee with cream. Add a couple of spoonful’s of sugar, stir it all up and enjoy.

So there you have it the perfect drink to accompany our beautiful British weather which we here at Coffeee.net can’t get enough of.

A coffee shop in Lincoln city centre is looking to land themselves in the Guinness book of World Records by being the smallest coffee shop in the world. The shop measures just 5ft across, has two seats, an 80cm ledge for a table and can accommodate a grand total of four people; two seated and two in the queue. Owner Adam Lowiss says his Little Espresso Co is currently serving 35 customers a day with clients clamouring for more space.

The coffee shop has become a novelty tourist attraction with many customers happy to queue outside in the rain just for their morning coffee. The owner says his returning customers love the intimacy and as he runs it solely by himself, they enjoy seeing a familiar face to stop and have a chat with. As well as selling teas and coffees, Mr Lowiss offers sandwiches, paninis and cakes to go with his bestselling lattes and cappuccinos.

It’s nice to see that even in a recession a coffee shop like this can stand against some of the high street giants. The appeal is obviously with the novelty factor size however a customer will only return so long as the coffee served is good, which obviously means they shop from Coffeee.net.

Not content with studying the physical attributes of human beings, body Language experts have now deciphered what our caffeine preferences reveal about our self-esteem, stress levels and personality traits. Can a drink really define a person or do we pick a drink depending on our taste as we thought we did?

The espresso drinker tends to be moody, hard-bitten and hardworking; they are into leadership and fast goals. It’s not all work, work, work though as the espresso drinker is also prone to night time shenanigans, followed by a rather shady attempt at day time repair. We all know a black coffee drinker who according to our body language experts is all about minimalism and takes a no-frills, direct approach to life yet they are also proven to be a difficult but a potentially rewarding friend, colleague or partner. And what’s not to like about the cappuccino drinker who are extroverted and optimistic? They are all froth and bubble, bored by detail and have a liking for material objects whereas the latte drinkers are pleasers with an overwhelming compulsion to be liked. Ouch.

If you thought latte was bad then the verdict for non-coffee drinkers isn’t good, describing those as frightened of coffee as frightened of life and if the taste of coffee puts you off you are a child that needs to join the world of grownups. Well you heard the experts so you better put your order in for some rich Arabica coffee quick.

A high-street coffee retailer decided to add a personal touch in a give-away campaign; something free in return for personal data. The coffee chain gave away a free latte in return for the customer’s first name, as the brand looked to create a more personal approach and engage with customers. I for one would most certainly tell a barista my first name for a free latte, but they would have to throw in a free biscotti if they wanted my surname too.

The reason behind the campaign was to make the coffeehouse experience more personal, by having staff introduce themselves and in return ask for the customer’s name. And what better way to get to know someone personally than buy them a drink. It’s such a clever marketing campaign so in return for giving your name you get a free latte, whilst building a rapport with the brand that will make customers want to return. Research has proven by building a personal relationship; knowing something personal not just asking about the weather, engages the customer on an emotional level in wanting to return to where they feel a relationship is held.

Here at Coffeee.net we agree with providing service with a personal touch; by adding value to your experience with us and keeping you in the loop every step of the way. So if you want your coffee with a personal service without leaving the comfort of your home then get online with Coffeee.net.

I bet you’re thinking you’ve got your mum a fantastic Mother’s Day present for Sunday, I mean who wouldn’t love a bunch of Tesco’s Finest Flowers. However Kath Cassidy is about to get the greatest Mother’s Day gift she’s ever hoped for. The 85yr old has been the official tea lady at St. James Park for the past 44 years and can remember how each of the past 27 managers takes their brew.

The grandmother of 13 is a Toon Army fanatic and follows every home and away game however despite being at the stadium at every kick-off; Kath has never seen a game live as she always stays behind the scenes getting the tea ready for all the journalists. This Sunday Kath will be having tea served to her as she gets to enjoy watching Newcastle play against Norwich in the comfort of her own box. The tea lady had her own shot at fame in April 2005 when millions saw her barge into the middle of a press conference to serve then-manager Graeme Souness a cup of coffee on live TV.

Kath admits football is a huge part of her life and in the whole time she’s worked there she’s only missed 6 games. This Mother’s day is going to be very memorable for Kath and let’s face it after reading her story, it’s very deserving. Are you now re-thinking the flowers? Maybe stick the kettle on and make your mum a brew, after all she deserves it too.