Among the most sacred rituals of the day, the coffee break undoubtedly ranks at the top. After all, we are talking about a true restorative moment, which allows us to take a break from work and indulge in ten minutes of relaxation in the company of our colleagues, exchanging a chat and catching our breath.
What you consider an inalienable right, however, was not always so. Stopping work to drink coffee, until last century, was completely inconceivable. It took entire ranks of workers who, through strikes, earned the right to spend ten minutes a day in the company of a good cup of coffee.
But what are the origins of this habit? We who know about coffee did a little investigation and discovered that the history of the coffee break is the result of countless struggles in various parts of the world. And in this article, we will tell you all about them.
Origins of the coffee break
When it comes to the origins of the coffee break, there are many companies that boast they were among the first to grant it to their employees. In fact, the first certain date associated with this ritual is 1901, the year in which Luigi Bezzera from Milan invented the first espresso machine.
Indeed, it seems that the intention was to get his employees to drink their coffee faster so that they could return to work as soon as possible. If we talk about coffee breaks as we understand them today, however, we have to go to America, to Buffalo, a city in the state of New York, to be precise.
The Barcalounger Company, which, at the time, was known as the Barcalo Manufacturing Company, was based here. Specialising in the production of armchairs, from 1902 onwards it started to give its employees 15 minutes daily to devote to coffee, which they could consume completely free of charge.
Read from your point of view, i.e., that of a person who considers the coffee break such a normal occurrence that it borders on the trivial, stories of this kind will appear completely absurd.
But you must always bear in mind that the working conditions of those years were very different from those of today, and what you rightly take for granted today, was a real luxury for employees back then. Things, however, were slowly beginning to change.
After the Second World War, the first coffee vending machines began to appear in offices, although the term ‘coffee break’ was not officially introduced until 1952.
In that year, a large American company called the Pan-American Coffee Bureau decided to invest in South American coffee production, more specifically that of Colombia and Brazil.
His goal then became to convince his own countrymen to drink the coffee produced in these countries, to the point where he spent to the tune of $2 million on radio and print advertisements that, under the slogan ‘Give yourself a coffee-break – and get what coffee gives to you’, invited people to enjoy this exquisite beverage.
Drinking coffee then began to be considered a real right, so much so that, in 1964, members of the United Auto Workers association obtained a 12-minute coffee break, after having approached the major automobile industries in the United States, threatening a strike.
As you have no doubt noticed, however, the facts we have told you so far refer to the labour situation overseas. But how were things in Italy?
The coffee break in Italy
The 1960s in Italy are known for the numerous strikes carried out by workers. The year 1968, in particular, has gone down in history as the year of protests by workers, who protested for fairer treatment and more rights.
Among these, needless to say, was a daily break to recover from the exertions of work, during which employees would be allowed to drink a good coffee. Just think, among those who at the time were working to push top management towards granting this right, there was one person who even went so far as to quote Don Giovanni Bosco, who used to say: ‘If I kneel too much to pray, I no longer think of the Lord, but of my knee that hurts!’
An impressive quote, which focused attention on a very important issue: the coffee break is not only a right for employees, but also a benefit for owners.
At the time, this was not yet known, but today we all know the effect of caffeine on our alertness and alertness levels, which is why a coffee break is not only for relaxation, but also to recharge us and make us work even better.
Coffee break today
The idea of going through a working day without a coffee break seems completely impossible to you. After all, for you it has become an established habit, without which you would feel lost. As short as it is, the coffee break allows you to recharge your batteries and relax a bit, chatting with your colleagues about light topics and using that time to socialise with them, thus improving the working atmosphere.
But that’s not all. Thanks to the knowledge we have today, it is now certain that the intake of caffeine (in moderate doses!) increases our cognitive abilities: both those related to simple concentration and problem-solving skills, with the consequence of improving our work performance.
Similarly, coffee also helps us feel less tired, keeping us awake and active: two prerequisites for doing our job well, all the more so if we have not slept well (or not at all) the night before.
But the coffee break also has an important aggregative value, as it gives us the opportunity to team up with our colleagues, socialising with them and forming a team. Then again, the ability to work as part of a team is an essential skill in every job position, and one of the advantages of the coffee break is precisely that it enhances and trains this ability. In conclusion, we can therefore state that the coffee break is of real value: not only in Italy, but also in many others, albeit with some slight differences.
To every culture its coffee break
So far, we have told you about the United States and Italy, although the coffee break is also present in the other countries of Europe. But how do our ‘neighbours’ experience this sacred and indispensable daily habit? Well, just to give you an idea, let us mention two particularly heartfelt coffee breaks: that of Germany and that of Sweden.
The Germans use the kaffeeklatsch, as they call it, to chat about the day’s events and exchange some tasty gossip. The Swedes, on the other hand, would never give up their much-loved fika, which in Sweden serves to designate the coffee break. A moment that the Swedes indulge in twice a day: both in the morning and in the afternoon.
As you can see for yourself, therefore, despite being called by different names, respecting the obvious linguistic differences, the coffee break is still considered a sacred and inviolable right, which no one would ever be able to give up. This is, of course, assuming that the coffee you drink is good – a goal that can easily be achieved by using the right coffee machine.
Conclusion
What would a coffee break be without good coffee? What appears to be a nonsensical tongue-twister, as well as a rather obvious fact, is actually not at all. In fact, all the benefits of a coffee break, to be truly such, depend on the taste of the drink, which, in turn, depends on how it is made.
The truth, in fact, is that if you want to drink good coffee, you should do it with the right machine: the only true ally capable of providing the strong, energising taste you so desperately need.
We coffee connoisseurs specialise in lever machines, the only ones that can guarantee you a properly made coffee. After all, a true coffee drinker is certainly not satisfied with just any coffee machine, demanding only the best for his palate.
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