In times of pandemic, our habits have changed a lot, both in terms of the social and working dimensions. However, some rituals cannot be abandoned and for this reason, even in smart working, one must take a coffee break at home.
We know you miss your colleagues, the office jokes, your favorite bar. However, with a little organization, you can recreate a coffee corner in your kitchen, where you can sip a good espresso, like if you were in a bar.
In the last year, our daily life has been almost turned upside down and, what used to be familiar, has now turned into a memory.
Taking public transport to work and spending time with colleagues are habits that for many of us hardly exist anymore. Just like walking into a bar and ordering a cappuccino and a croissant.
Remote work began in Italy, reaching around 90% in a short time. This is an evolution that has speeded up digitization and introduced an agile, interesting, and modern way of working.
On a personal level, it is also a great opportunity: you can spend more time with your family, regain important space, manage your work independently.
But the loneliness is felt now and then, and there are some moments that it is impossible to give up: one of these is the coffee break with colleagues from work or university.
You know, the coffee break in the office or university is not just the time to get up from your desk and relax your back and eyes. But it has a real social dimension, in which relationships are built, advice exchanged, stories shared or smiles on funny episodes.
But how did the coffee break change with Covid?
What does the coffee break ritual represent?
Already in school, the break during the morning represents one of the most awaited moments for many people. It allows you to disconnect from daily activities and take a moment to relax.
In high school, in a brief moment, you have a snack, someone smokes a cigarette, you go out to get some air. All in a festive and friendly atmosphere.
And even for adults, the coffee break maintains this aura of pleasure in which you can disconnect and allow yourself a moment of relaxation.
It doesn’t matter if shared or sipped alone, the 11 o’clock espresso is a must. While you appreciate the aroma of the blend, you gather your ideas and get your fill of energy to continue the day.
In many films, the coffee break has been described as an integral part of the daily routine. Starting with Fantozzi who, in the 1970s, waited in vain for his espresso in front of the automatic coffee machine, there are many scenes of all kinds that have coffee as the protagonist.
In the American TV series of the 90s, it was impossible not to notice the large cups of American coffee. But the most emblematic case was probably the sitcom “Camera cafè” with the comedians Luca and Paolo. The episodes were entirely filmed in a corridor, set in front of the coffee machine, where colleagues formed relationships, got to know each other better, made jokes, and confronted each other.
The cup of coffee has always had a real symbolic value: it creates confidence, releases tension, helps consolidate relationships. And this happens both with workmates and friends with whom we chat every day.
The barista himself not only takes care of operating his beloved professional coffee machine but takes on a “friendly” role.
How the coffee break has changed with Covid-19
For those who continued to work in an office or go to university, the coffee break took on a different dimension. Although there is no link between coffee and coronavirus, due to the closings, it was no longer possible to go to the bar and order an espresso.
Many have had to resort to take-away, eating breakfast bought at the bar in front of the computer of their workstation. Giving up chatting with colleagues and taking a break outside the company.
Before the pandemic, many employees were used to taking a quarter of an hour in which to go to their favorite place and sip coffee. There was only one ritual: on the stroke of the agreed time, everyone was out!
The bartender, in general, knew everyone’s tastes and, without great expectations, served the regulars. In record time, each worker had their favorite drink in hand so they could get back to the office quickly.
With smart working, these habits have changed a lot. Sometimes you don’t even notice the time passing and the pause becomes secondary.
In fact, at home, there are different rhythms. You barely get up to smoke a cigarette or stretch your legs, leaving the pleasure to other times of the day.
However, even organizing a coffee break while working from home would make your days less heavy and help you get back to work with more energy.
Of course, we know that without colleagues it is not the same thing. But we have prepared some tips for you to make your mid-morning break special.
Here are some tips to have a good coffee break even at home
Even if you work from home, taking a coffee break during the morning is very important, both to distract yourself and then to restart with greater freshness. A small break allows you to regain concentration and be more focused on your tasks.
So, if you still can’t go back to the office, for now, you can recreate a home coffee bar at home, where you can cultivate the art of espresso and enjoy your free moments.
Here are our tips for having a perfect coffee break:
- Respect your work schedule and set the break time;
- Organize your home coffee corner with everything you need (coffee machine, sweetener, milk, chocolates, and some pastries, cups, spoons, saucers);
- Choose your favorite coffee blend;
- To have an espresso as good as the one of the bar, learn how to manage a lever coffee machine;
- Prepare a bottle of freshwater to drink with the coffee;
- During the break, get up and take some steps;
- Disconnect from work completely;
- Don’t use your coffee break to tidy up your house: pretend you’re in the office.
Also, try to use this time to maintain your network of relationships, as you did in the office. If someone is at home, share the coffee time with your loved ones. Otherwise, you can agree with your colleagues or with some friends to spend the coffee break in a call, as if you were all in the same bar.
Alternatively, while enjoying your coffee, enjoy the silence, looking out on the balcony, take some air.
Make your friends jealous with your perfect coffee
Covid has changed many of our daily habits, from work to social life, from school to free time. But with a little imagination, it is possible to experience this new dimension as an opportunity to learn new things and appreciate others.
Taking a coffee break during your smart working activity can help you discover different attitudes and make you taste things with greater awareness.
First of all: rethink your spaces, so that they are liveable both day and evening. So you could renovate some rooms in the house to make them more suitable for the daily dimension.
Plus, you could start learning more about coffee, to show off as soon as the situation is back to normal. Consider that it is a real universe, a kind of magic that transforms a plant into a source of energy and taste. So you could go in search of a roaster, look for the coffee beans you like best, try different blends from different parts of the world.
And you can also experiment a little bit: change the grinding, the water, or the pressing.
In short, before returning to the office, start living this time as a resource. You will see that when you go to the usual bar, you will know what type of roasting they choose and where that blend comes from. Plus, you’ll look great when you invite your friends over to your house.
Imagine yourself in your home café, serving an espresso that even your barista would envy!
Keep in mind that to enjoy a coffee as good as at the bar, you need an exceptional coffee machine, just like the ones we handcraft at Pontevecchio Srl. Discover our models of lever machines, they will help you make your coffee break is unique even at home.