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The Professional Coffee Machine Fits the Successful Concept of the Coffee House

Coffee house culture is celebrating its global triumph. There are coffee houses all over the world. No other metropolis is as closely associated with coffee as Vienna. The countless, long-established coffee houses have charm and are visited by many tourists every day. The concept has a long history and its success proves it right. The success can possibly be attributed to the fact that modernity meets tradition in the coffee houses. The professional coffee machine is next to the hand coffee grinder. The hipster works on his new Apple MacBook while sipping a mocha that was made the same way a thousand years ago. Like the professional coffee machine, the espresso machine is now a permanent fixture in all coffee houses.

No coffee house without a professional coffee machine

Anyone who enters a Viennese coffee house often feels as if they have been transported to another, long-gone time. The smell of delicious coffee is in the air, the furnishings are often traditional, dark wood meets comfortable wing chairs and the waiter is called “Herr Ober”.

The incomparable charm of the coffee houses is appreciated far beyond the borders of Vienna. Coffee houses are spread all over the world. Anyone who still expects that preparation equipment from the coffee houses is original is mistaken. The modern, professional coffee machine and the espresso machine are used in the coffee house just as naturally as the traditional mocha pot, which was used hundreds of years ago. The espresso machine is just as indispensable, precisely because espresso is the basis for many coffee variations. Modern preparation methods meet the Viennese tradition and complement it perfectly. For this reason, the espresso machine should not be missing in any coffee house.

The coffee house has had a long history before the espresso machine was invented

Long before the professional coffee machine was invented, the coffee plant was cultivated in the Arab world and the beans were processed into an aromatic drink. Coffee has been roasted, ground and brewed since the mid-15th century.

The first coffee taverns emerged and became popular hotspots. At that time, the espresso machine was far from being invented. Travelers got to know coffee in the popular place of pilgrimage Mecca and brought it with them to Europe. A few years later, starting in 1645, the first coffee houses opened in the port cities of London, Hamburg, Marseille, Venice and Amsterdam. However, it took several centuries before the espresso machine could be invented. The espresso machine was only patented in Italy in 1884. It was finally possible to prepare espresso, which is an essential part of cappuccino and many other coffee drinks. The first cafe serving coffee was in Paris in 1672. Only then, in 1683, did the first coffee house appear in Vienna, although initially without a professional coffee machine.

Turkish mocha at the gates of Vienna

According to a legend about the introduction of the coffee culture in the residence city of the Habsburgs, the Turks besieged Vienna in the expansion struggles. The Turkish army was defeated at the gates of Vienna and retreated. The Turks left sacks of coffee beans as a legacy. These sacks were given to Franz Georg Kolschitzky, who proved brave on the side of the Austrians.

According to another source, the coffee beans were given to the Armenian spy Deodato, who opened the first Viennese coffee house in 1685. This was many years before the espresso machine and professional coffee maker existed. It was only much later that the professional coffee machine changed coffee preparation significantly. With a professional coffee machine, everyone has a piece of Viennese coffee house culture at home these days.

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Lifestyle

Not Just For Drinking: Surprising Beer Tips – Why You Should Always Have Beer in The House

Beer should not be missing in your household. Whether for a snack, after work or at parties, people like to have a beer. But you can also use it in the household.

Everything shines: beer as a furniture polish

Maybe you see it now as a pure waste. But beer is not only suitable as a thirst quencher after work, it also works well as a furniture polish.

Do you perhaps have a beautiful old piece of wooden furniture in your apartment? An old wooden table? A chest of drawers? Then just polish it every now and then with some beer.

To do this, put just a small sip on a soft cotton lamp and gently rub it over the furniture. The good piece is already shining again. We can all make mistakes when cleaning and, for example, damage the surfaces of furniture rather than clean them carefully.

Coffee stains: The stain is quickly gone with beer

You can use beer to clean surfaces very well – coffee stains in particular can be removed very well with the help of beer.

After a few minutes, gently wipe over it with a sponge. For stubborn stains, repeat the process several times until the stain is gone. To neutralize the smell of beer, finally wipe with a little clear water – done.

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Lifestyle

Bugs in The House: This is What The Ball Beetle Can do in Your Home

The ball beetle is a household pest that should not be underestimated. But what does it look like and what damage can vermin actually do in your home? What you should know about the bug and how to get rid of it.

Why are they so dangerous?

In themselves, the beetles are not directly dangerous or poisonous for us humans, but they indirectly damage our health. Since bullet beetles are omnivores, they stop at almost nothing: they eat wool, fabrics, fillings, grain, but also dead insects, animal and plant remains.

Once they have established themselves, they can spread quickly and besiege entire houses. The females produce clutches of up to 200 eggs, which is one reason for the rapid reproduction.

The beetles can infest half-timbered houses or apartments in old buildings, as these represent the ideal conditions for them.

As a result, they gradually eat their way through the building fabric and over time make living in it difficult or even unreasonable. Since the animals are very hardy and undemanding, it is incredibly difficult to drive them away at an early stage.

It becomes particularly problematic when the ball beetle also infests foods such as flour, spices or oatmeal. They contaminate food with their droppings, pupae and larvae skins

You can do that against the bugs

If you have a ball beetle infestation, you should definitely take the following measures:
Check your supplies regularly: the beetles will eat and burrow through packaging. Make sure the food is well sealed and see if you can spot any holes or debris from the faeces or larvae. Dispose of this packaging immediately.
Use masking tape: This is a great way to check if you actually have bullet bugs in your house. For example, put double-sided tape on the floor so the bugs stick to the tape.
Oatmeal and Newspaper: Set up small traps out of oatmeal and wet newspaper. The animals love the moisture and will congregate there. Therefore, use adhesive tape here as well, which you stick around your trap.
Prevent: Clean regularly, ventilate well and avoid moisture in the house. Also, make sure you regularly check your supplies and wardrobe. Always clean thoroughly and keep everything closed and dry.

However, if the bullet beetles have nested in you for several months or longer, you should definitely contact an exterminator for professional help. This is the only way you can safely rid your house or storage room of the bugs.

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Lifestyle

Tips on Feeding Hedgehogs and Instructions on How to Build a Hedgehog House

Do you have a hedgehog in the garden and would you like to help it through the winter? Then the right food and a warm hedgehog house will help.

In winter, the hedgehog can suffer from cold temperatures. If you want to help the animal, you can provide dry cat food in a bowl. The construction of a simple hedgehog house from a few wooden boards and some leaves is an ideal sleeping place for the winter.

Feed the hedgehog

The hedgehog is very useful in the garden. It usually feeds on pests that attack plants in your garden or negatively affect the garden. Therefore, you should be happy about the hedgehog in the garden. The hedgehog eats snails, for example, and other pests are also on its menu.

However, when the temperatures get a little colder, the hedgehog becomes weaker and may no longer be able to find enough food. As an animal-friendly garden owner, you can provide the food yourself. However, the hedgehog is very frugal and not very choosy. If you have a cat in the household, you can provide a bowl of dry cat food. But there is also special hedgehog food that you can buy and provide. The hedgehog also likes to eat wheat bran or some oatmeal. However, you should avoid providing the hedgehog with milk. Hedgehogs cannot tolerate lactose and can even die as a result of diarrhea.

If you want to give the hedgehog a warm place, building a hedgehog house is a simple option. Here you will find instructions on how to build a cozy home for the hedgehog.

1) Find a suitable place

Before you start building a small house, you should find a suitable place for the house. The finished hedgehog house requires a floor space of about 30 x 30 centimeters. In order for the hedgehog to feel comfortable, it needs a lot of rest and some shade. Therefore, a place in the corner of the garden is best for the little house.

In order to protect the house from the weather, it is advisable to place the entrance on the side that is not exposed to the weather. So no rain can penetrate and the hedgehog is a little more protected. In addition, water must not collect in the house when it rains. A small elevation ensures that the water runs off the edge and does not form puddles in the house.

Some sand or gravel can be placed under the house for further protection. This layer provides good insulation against wet and cold.

2) The construction of the house of wood

Once the right location has been found, all you have to do is build the house yourself. No extensive materials are required for this. A few wooden boards, screws, and a roof panel are enough for a cozy house.

The hedgehog feels most comfortable when the house is divided into different areas. An entrance area protects the actual sleeping area. The front door should be large enough that the hedgehog can easily enter the house, but cats or dogs cannot get in. A small flap presents another obstacle for other rodents.

The food for the hedgehog can be stored in a small pantry. Dry cat food or special dry food for hedgehogs can be placed in a bowl. Since the hedgehog could also do its business there, a layer of newspaper helps to clean this room.

A small bedroom gives the hedgehog enough peace and security. There the hedgehogs can overwinter and recover. They like to build their nest out of crumpled newspapers. This can be placed in the sleeping area so that the hedgehog can use this material.

3) Design the lid

Once the basic walls of the hedgehog house are in place, only the flap needs to be attached. A movable roof hatch should be attached so that you can reach inside the house later. This allows you to refill the feed regularly. You can also clean the hedgehog house in this way.

For the roof, you can take a simple wooden panel and attach it with a hinge. So you can open the roof to one side.

To enhance the look of the hedgehog house, you can staple red cardboard to the roof. This makes the hedgehog house not only practical but also looks very nice. You can also paint the house in color for a nicer color scheme. It is important to ensure that the paint is environmentally friendly. A label with the blue angel indicates environmental compatibility.

4) Spread foliage

The hedgehog does not only like to use newspaper as a material to create a cozy home. Leaves are taken by the hedgehog in nature to build the nest. It is therefore helpful if you scatter some leaves around the house. The hedgehog can use this to independently build its nest in the house.

In these simple steps, you can easily make a hedgehog house yourself. In winter, however, you should not disturb the hedgehog. He goes into hibernation and only wakes up in spring. If the hedgehog has cubs, you should keep other animals away from the house and leave the hedgehog alone as well.

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Lifestyle

Remove Annoying Moss on House Walls and Stones

The growth of moss is particularly favored in wet and windy weather. Moss is particularly annoying on stones and moss also likes to accumulate on your own house wall. Over time, the moss growth can damage the joints until they finally begin to crumble.

Cola as an effective moss remover

However, there is a simple and effective solution to the problem: Conventional cola, regardless of the brand, can be used to remove moss and can also prevent any moss infestation.

Due to the phosphoric acid contained in the cola, the moss dies off within a few days and, thanks to the acid it contains, leaves an unfavorable environment for the growth of moss.

A trick without negative consequences

You don’t have to worry about staining the stones with this simple trick, as the dye in the cola isn’t strong enough to cause discoloration. The joints in the house wall are also not damaged by the cola.

This method can be used on any stone surface infested with moss. It is particularly effective on fine moss and therefore also suitable for hard-to-reach places. With a coke and a sponge or cloth, you can get rid of the stubborn moss so that the stone shines again in its original appearance.

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Lifestyle

10 Tips for a Quick House Cleaning

Useful tips for quick housecleaning at home. Organize the house cleaning properly with a house cleaning checklist and follow the correct order. So that your apartment will be clean again quickly.

Surely you also know days when spontaneous visits are announced. Then it is advantageous to have a house cleaning checklist and to quickly clean the most important rooms in these moments. We have tips on how to do a quick house cleaning.

Organize the house cleaning properly

Cleanliness and order on your own four walls are very important. Because you feel good in a clean apartment. In the following tips and tricks, you will find out how to do a quick house cleaning that is really impressive. And with a certain regularity, cleaning doesn’t take long at all.

1) Set priorities

If it really has to be done quickly because an unexpected visitor has announced, then you should definitely set priorities. Therefore, only the rooms that your visitor is expected to enter will be cleaned. You should tidy up the entrance area and the living room first. It may also make sense to clean the guest bathroom or the kitchen. Find instructions on how to clean the kitchen here.

2) Create a cleaning plan

You should also create a helpful cleaning plan (you can find a template for your cleaning plan here). On this house cleaning checklist, sort the rooms and the work that needs to be done according to their importance. The right order is important for cleaning the house. Therefore, first, clean the entrance area and then the living room. Because that’s where most of the guests meet. In contrast, you only clean the other rooms, such as the study, when there is still enough time. Otherwise do this on another day.

3) Effective home tidying

Then, as a first step, you should put away all the items that shouldn’t be there. Clothing, shoes, rubbish, used dishes, and other items left behind will be collected. Then brought together into the room where they belong. This creates order again, makes further cleaning easier, and immediately makes a tidy and sorted impression. Bags or baskets are suitable for storing toys or other small items. Please also note our tips for proper tidying up and get to know the Konmari method of tidying up.

4) When cleaning the house quickly: Wipe dust

Dust is particularly noticeable on tables, electrical equipment, and shelves. Therefore, take a duster, a feather duster, or a microfiber cloth and wipe all visible surfaces vigorously. You don’t have to catch the dust in the cloth. Because it will be removed in the next step. But always swipe from top to bottom. Also, read our article on how glasses no longer get dusty.

5) Use a handheld vacuum

For a very urgent house cleaning, a hand vacuum cleaner, with which you can quickly vacuum through the apartment, is very practical. Because with it you only vacuum where there is really dirt. Also, read how to avoid common vacuuming mistakes. High-quality models from Privileg, AEG, Bosch, and Co. are often on offer. But you can also find other cheap models with good ratings on the Internet:

6) Clean the bathroom

After you have cleaned the entrance area and main room, the bathroom follows. For this you need the necessary cleaning agent – these include e.g. Sagrotan, toilet ducks and universal cleaner. Then clean the sink, shower or bathtub, and toilet one after the other with a damp cloth and cleaning agent. Don’t forget the mirror, shelves, and fittings. Finally, the floor is quickly vacuumed to remove loose hair. So you have done the house cleaning in the right order. Also, note our tips for cleaning the bathroom.

7) Clean up the kitchen quickly

You only have to plan a few minutes for cleaning the kitchen. Here, all the groceries are first put in their place. Then the dishes are put in the dishwasher and then the hand vacuum cleaner is used again. With it, you vacuum the worktop and the table. Then quickly wipe the countertop, dining table, and through the sink with a damp cloth. Pay attention to the right cleaning agent for the worktop!

8) Organize house cleaning and wash windows

So that you can enjoy the view again, the windows follow. They can be cleaned particularly quickly if you use a glass cleaner. It is sprayed on the glass and then wiped off with a kitchen towel. So you can quickly remove dirt from windows. A dash of alcohol in lukewarm water also cleans the window quickly.

9) Set fresh accents and decorate

If you have a garden, patio, or balcony with flowers, use the plants that are currently in bloom. Because a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table creates a beautiful and inviting atmosphere. If you don’t have flowers, put a bowl of fruit on the table.

10) Relaxation after the quick house cleaning

After rushing through your apartment or house like a whirlwind, it’s high time to relax. So make yourself comfortable on the sofa and enjoy your freshly cleaned home. For even more relaxation, read our simple tips for reducing stress.

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Cooking Tips

Viennese Coffee – Austria’s Coffee House Сulture

Viennese coffee – two words that elicit a smile to the coffee connoisseur. No other country in Europe can boast of such a traditional coffee culture like Austria. Its breathtaking capital Vienna is not only known for the Wiener Schnitzel, but also for Viennese coffee. Thanks to the traditional coffee house culture of Vienna, many different coffee specialties have been created in Austria. So that you do not lose an overview of the huge coffee offer at your next Vienna trip, we want to briefly familiarize you with the Viennese coffee specialties.

Viennese coffee: Whoever has the choice …

The Viennese coffee houses offer such a variety that is difficult to choose one of the delicious coffee variants. Here is a small overview of the most popular Viennese coffee specialties, which are traditionally served with a glass of water.

Mokka or small black: the base of the Viennese coffee specialties

Viennese coffee. The Mokka. The basis of all Viennese coffee specialties is the Mokka. It is a black coffee without sugar or milk. It is classically filtered in a Seihkanne or Karlsbader Kanne. In modern coffee houses you can now get it from the espresso machine. If a mocha is ordered in Vienna, it is served as a so -called small black man. If it is stretched with hot water, it is called an extended black one.

Big black

The big black one is nothing more than a double small black man, which is served in a shell in a correspondingly larger shell.

Small brown and big browner

A small browner is simply a simple mocha that is served with whipped cream in a small shell. Just like the little blacks, there is also the little brown as an extended version with hot water. The big brown is the slightly larger counterpart to the small brown – here a double mocha is prepared with whipped cream.

Franciscan

The Franciscan is a Viennese coffee specialty from a somewhat extended mocha with warm milk and whipped cream. This preparation is served in a large shell.

Wiener Melange

The Franciscan is very similar in terms of preparation. The only difference is that the Viennese melange is served with a hood made of milk foam instead of whipped cream. It resembles the cappuccino. Differences are the milder variety of coffee and the lower amount of milk foam on the melange.

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