Coffee Connoisseur's Secrets

Tassimo Coffee Maker Not Just Another Single Cup Coffee Machine

2009-09-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tassimo Coffee Maker Not Just Another Single Cup Coffee Machine

The TASSIMO Suprema Bosch machine is a one-cup brewing system that works exclusively with TASSIMO DISCS (T DISCS).

A truly unique system, the TASSIMO coffee machine makes a wide variety of hot beverages incredibly quick and easy.

You won`t find this technology anywhere else. Each T DISC features a special barcode with unique information to tell the machine the size of the drink, the amount of water required, its optimal temperature, and how long to brew it.

All the brewing happens inside the T DISCs, keeping the machine clean and ready to use. Simply insert a T DISC and press a button - The Bosch TASSIMO Hot Beverage System does the rest.

About the Tassimo Hot Beverage System and T Discs

If you unfamiliar with the variety of hot beverages the Tassimo Coffee Maker By Bosch can make, you will be pleasantly surpised. The new Bosch Tassimo beverage system is completely compatible with all of the current T Discs as well. The system can deliver the following from over 40 varieties of hot beverages delivered in a T Disc format:

Coffee
Espresso
Lattes and Cappuccinos
Tea
Hot Chocolate

You will find some of your favorite coffees in T Discs that work in the Bosch Tassimo hot beverage system including Starbucks Coffee, Seattle's Best, Gevalia, Maxwell House, and others.

The Tassimo system is also the only hot beverage system to feature liquid shelf stable milk in a single serve coffee format. The milk T Discs are filled with hyper-pasteurized milk, making the lattes and cappuccinos produced from the Tassimo very buttery, and delicious. The only other beverage system that adequately compares when using powdered milk is the Nescafe Dolce Gusto.

Features and Difference of the Braun Tassimo and the Bosch Tassimo

So what's been updated and improved on the Bosch Tassimo hot beverage system compared to the older Braun Tassimo model?

The Bosch Tassimo design has a classy, modern style. The adjustable cup stand accommodates most cup sizes making it flexible to meet your needs and the Tassimo brewer is capable of customizing the strength of each beverage to your taste by using the manual function.

Making a Cup of Coffee with the Tassimo Bosch Hot Beverage System

Making a cup of single serve coffee with the Bosch Tassimo single serve coffee maker is easy. You simply pick out your favorite T Disc, insert it and close the brew head, put your mug underneath, and hit the brew button. You'll have hot coffee in about a minute.

Bosch made the new Tassimo easy to clean with most of the movable parts being dishwasher safe.

The new Tassimo made by Bosch Features:

Chrome finished details and metallic finish

Stainless steel drip tray on adjustable cup stand

Extra large removable 61oz water tank including LCD filter monitor

MAVEA MAXTRA Water filter

UL Approved

Dimensions: 12.3" High x 10.3" Wide x 14.5" Deep Weight: 7.5 lbs Imported.

Compare Tassimo Coffee Maker And T Disc Coffees To Keurig Coffee Maker and Discount K-Cups

What Coffee Maker Is Best? Yours Should Fit Your Lifestyle.

2009-07-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today, the array of techniques used to brew coffee ranges from simple and easy to technical and artistic. When you buy your next coffee maker, you will want to find the one that suits your lifestyle rather than chosing the most popular, least expensive or most modern appearance.

Is drinking coffee a morning ritual or a grab and go experience? Do you prefer an uncomplicated cup of black coffee or an espresso with a light crema layer? To help you decide on the ideal brewer for your lifestyle, here are some of the characteristics and functions of some of the most popular coffee machines, from single cup Keurig coffee makers to the more elaborate espresso makers:

Drip Coffee Maker

You can’t get more traditional in your approach to coffee brewing than by using a drip coffee maker. Introduced for home use in the 1970s, these machines work by letting water pass through coffee grounds held in a paper filter or plastic filter. The clear, light-bodied coffee then collects in a brew pot.

Drip coffee machines range in size, but typically brew eight to twelve cups at a time. Many models have a heating element which keeps the pot warm. Coffee left sitting in the heated pot for too long may develop a burnt or bitter taste.

Benefits: Ease of use. Brew multiple cups in a single pot.

Drawbacks: Moderate brewing time. Need to clean up used grounds and coffee pot.

Single Cup Coffee Maker

Single cup coffee machines are among the newest trends in coffee brewing. These machines use individual portion packs of coffee to brew one cup at a time. Simply fill the water reservoir, pop a portion pack of your favorite coffee in the holding chamber, and press the brew button. In under a minute, you’ll have a fresh cup of gourmet coffee.

While the most common type of portion pack is the coffee pod – a paper filter containing coffee grounds – some brands of single cup coffee maker call for the use of their own proprietary portion packs. For instance, single cup brewing systems from Keurig coffee machines use K Cups and the Tassimo coffee maker uses Tassimo T-Discs.

Prices for single cup coffee makers range from less than $50 to more than $300, depending on the size and model. Many models can brew tea and hot cocoa as well as coffee. Some high-end models are capable of producing coffee with a crèma layer. A single cup coffee maker is a great choice for someone who’s always on the go.

Benefits: Quick brewing time. Minimal clean up.

Drawbacks: With the exception of some high-end models that take loose ground coffee, you must use portion packs designed to go with the individual coffee machine.

Percolator

Coffee percolators are a type of drip brew coffee maker. Highly popular in the early twentieth century, percolators have resurfaced as a nostalgia item in many homes.

What distinguishes percolators from standard drip brewers is the way water moves through the percolator chambers – boiling first in the lower chamber, bubbling up through a vertical tube, then percolating down through the coffee grounds before re-circulating. This process gives percolated coffee a unique taste. If heated for too long after the percolating process completes, the coffee may develop a bitter taste.

Benefits: Characteristic “perking” action. Non-electric and electric versions available.

Drawbacks: Slow brewing time. Diminishes natural flavor of coffee beans.

Espresso Machine

Espresso machines offer coffee with a more European flair. The machines operate by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee beans. This process results in espresso’s characteristic crema layer. Espresso typically has a thicker consistency than drip brewed coffee and contains more sediment from the coffee grounds.

The flavor of espresso is much more concentrated than drip brewed coffee, making it the perfect base for lattes, mochas, macchiato, and cappuccinos when mixed with varying amounts of frothed milk. While espresso is higher by volume in caffeine than drip brewed coffee, the customary small serving size means that most espresso drinks contain less caffeine than a mug of coffee. This is a true luxury item.

Benefits: Trendy. Quick brewing time. Produces a variety of espresso drinks.

Drawbacks: More complicated to operate. Espresso flavor degrades quickly after brewing.

As you suspected, not all coffee makers are created equal. Once you’ve decided which type of coffee machine best suits your lifestyle, making a purchase becomes a matter of deciding your price range and desired features. If you take your time and research all the options, you’re sure to find a coffee maker that will perk up your mornings for years to come.

Marley Coffee Jammin' This Summer! Organic Coffee From Jamaica Blue Mountain Region

2009-06-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Marley Coffee Jammin' The Summer of 2009!
Marley Coffee Is Ready For You!

YOU MUST TRY this Organic Coffee From Jamaica Blue Mountain Region.

Bob Marley had intended to return to farming one day but his passion for music was a stronger destiny. Bob's son Rohan and friend Shane Whittle fulfill this dream with Marley Coffee.

The Marley Estate sits atop the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, long revered as the region with the world's most desirable coffee beans.

Rohan remembers his grandmother drying their wild coffee berries in the sun, hulling and roasting them for her own cup of coffee each morning.

Marley coffee is determined to deliver that same intoxicating aroma and rich, smooth flavor into every cup that bears the Marley name.

Marley coffee offers a unique line of single origin and blended coffes. The produce and source the finest beans from the top growing regions in the world. Blue Mountain Jamaica, Central America, Indonesia and the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia Yrgacheffe.

ITAL is Rastafari for food that is pure true and vital. Marley Coffees are certified organic and sustainably grown; beyond organic, they are ITAL. Shade grown on bio-diverse land with no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other additives. All of the coffee that they roast is grown under a canopy of rainforest-preserving shade trees at an elevation of over 3000 feet.

Shade grown and organic farming methods make for healthier soil, prevent water contamination and provide habitat for donzens of species of migratory birds. They are also a critical component of Marley Coffee's exceptional flavor.

Keurig Brewer 15% Discount For Mothers' Day!

2009-05-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

Keurig Mothers Day Special! Keurig Brewers Discount 15% Coffee Club Members

15% Discount Keurig Brewers With Free Shipping!

Flavia Discount! Flavia Fusion Deluxe $20 Off Plus Free Case Coffee

2009-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Flavia Fusion Deluxe Sale! $20 Off Plus Free Case Flavia House Blend Coffee.

FLAVIA FUSION Deluxe brewers give you the freedom to brew more than 30 gourmet hot or iced drinks, one delicious cup at a time. It's a combination of coffee maker, espresso machine and teapot all-in-one, with none of the mess or crowded counter space.

FEATURES & BENEFITS:
Enjoy a delicious FLAVIA coffee, tea, cappuccino or hot chocolate brewed from the most stylish and easiest to operate personal coffee maker you'll find. And all at the touch of a button.

Total Inspiration: Discover a world of flavorful drinks, including Coffees, Teas, Chocolates and Specialties. Combine FUSION's fresh packs to brew cappuccinos, lattes, mochaccinos, healthful infusions, iced drinks or your own unique drink creations. All this at your fingertips with no mess.

Pure Freshness: The single-serve FLAVIA fresh packs seal in perfect freshness with every cup. Unlike other single cup coffee makers, revolutionary FLAVIA technology brews direct from pack to cup, guaranteeing that every drink is completely pure and ""untainted"" by previous brews.

Hassle-Free: The FLAVIA FUSION Deluxe brews any variety of drinks without the waste of a whole pot coffee maker or clean up of an espresso / cappuccino machine. It is so convenient you can spend more time enjoying your drinks.

There Are 30 different types of Flavia drinks that quickly make authentic cappuccino and indulgent frothy drinks Contains a special water filter that ensures purified hot water Easily removable water tank with a large capacity that requires minimal refilling Accommodates different size cups and mugs

The FLAVIA FUSION Deluxe requires no cleaning between drinks, and features one of the most convenient, easy-to-use systems for a fresh, hot cup at the touch of a single button.

But even in a small office, one size doesn't fit all. The FLAVIA SB100 brewer gives you an exciting menu of drinks, including Coffees, Teas and Chocolates that will keep everyone engaged. So toss your old stale office coffee pot and give your staff variety and refreshment they won't find from run-of-the-mill office coffee service.

FLAVIA FEATURES & BENEFITS:
With over 30 different drink options, every employee and client can have the inspiration they need whenever they want it. Whether they want to feel invigorated, alert, indulged or soothed, the FLAVIA SB100 has it all.

Hassle-Free: Just fill the stylish brewer with water and plug it in. The compact size allows you to put the brewer nearly anywhere in your office - even the smallest corner space. Great for small offices, teachers' lounges and other small business settings. Enjoy single-serve Coffees, Teas and Chocolates at the touch of a button.

Pure Freshness: Thanks to the innovative FLAVIA technology, this cutting edge brewer brews direct from pack to cup, for a fresh taste no matter what the previous brew. With FLAVIA Coffee Makers you don't have to clean between brews, so you can spend more time enjoying your break instead of cleaning up.

The Flavia SB100 does not brew 2-pack Flavia drinks such at cappuccinos, lattes and mochas.

Gevalia 3 Boxes Coffee For $3, Free Gevalia Stainless Steel Travel Mug.

2009-04-27T07:09:00.001-07:00

Come home to an irresistable Gevalia offer: 3 Boxes Coffee For $3!

Simply choose three boxes of coffee to try for just $3; PLUS a free stainless steel travel mug. Love them and go on as a member. There's never an obligation. You'll always love your coffee or it's free.

Join the invitation-only world of handcrafted coffee that Gevalia brings to your door.

Need a new coffee maker? Here's your opportunity to get a FREE STAINLESS STEEL COFFEE MAKER From Gevalia. Check out the various Free Coffee Maker Packages Available From Gevalia just for trying the Gevalia coffee club.

Explore over 40 handcrafted varieties of fine coffees and teas. Whole bean or ground, Regular or Decaffeinated, single bean or blend, our gourmet coffees are always 100% Arabica and gently roasted by our Master Taster.

Our experienced Customer Service Representatives are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll free at 1-800-GEVALIA.

Columbian K-Cups Fair Trade Coffee From Green Mountain Coffee

2009-04-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

A delicious blend of flavors, the Columbian Fair Trade Select K-Cup Coffee from Green Mountain Coffee evokes the taste of a variety of fruits from apricots to grapes.

It finishes with a smooth, nutty undertone, making for a pleasant and bright experience. The perfect coffee for those of us who enjoy a lighter roast. The Columbian Fair Trade blend is a familiar blend that is best when brewed in the smaller 7.25-ounce cup.

A round bakers’ chocolate character in the aroma, with subtle berry, citrus and aromatic wood notes. Balanced acidity supports the dominant sweet chocolate tones in the cup. A long finish with fruit-toned cocoa complication, suggesting cocoa hulls or nibs.

The rich aroma announces its brewing even before the cup is served; a vibrant but balanced brew that is reliably enjoyable. Whether you take a splash of cream or like it black, the Columbian Fair Trade Select K-Cup Coffee is exactly what you would expect.

To make this blend even more appealing, it is sourced from farms on which the workers are guaranteed a fair price for their harvest. Not only can you enjoy a delicious and exceptional cup of coffee, you can also feel good about supporting a humane and socially responsible production process.

The combination of top-notch ingredients and fair trade production makes the Columbian Fair Trade Select a great coffee for the casual drinker or the connoisseur.

Keurig B70 Platinum Brewer $152.95 With Free Shipping

2009-04-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Platinum Brewing System is Keurig's best single-cup brewing system for your home. This premium model offers discerning coffee drinkers the widest range of five cup size options for brewing.

The Platinum offers the full spectrum of features including Auto On/Off, Digital Clock, Adjustable Temperature Control and the "Set Your Favorite Cup Size" option. The largest available 60 oz. removable water reservoir holds up to ten cups before refilling and the removable drip tray allows for easy cleaning and the use of travel mugs. The sleek, award-winning design is a unique footprint among Keurig's line of home brewing systems and includes both a blue lit water reservoir and blue lit LCD display.

Platinum Keurig B70 Features:

5 Cup Sizes: 4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, & 12 oz *
Removable 60 oz Reservoir
Fully Programable Features
Blue Backlit Display
Quiet Brew Technology
Award Winning Design

Keurig B70 Brewer New! Lower Price! Was $199.95
Now $169.95

Lowest Price For Keurig B70 with discount coffee club $152.95 plus FREE shipping
With This Free Green Mountain Coffee Club Membership Join this coffee club and get an additional 48 k-cups!

How To Make Espresso: The Perfect Espresso Martini Recipe

2007-08-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

Learn How To Make Espresso: The Perfect Espresso Martini Recipe

Search Video Codes At Youtube-Video-Codes.com

Keurig Single Cup Brewer and K-Cups Coffee, Tea & Cocoa

2007-08-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Keurig K-cups Coffee, Tea & Cocoa For Keurig Single Cup Brewers.

Did You Know That You Can SAVE $2.00 Per Box Plus Get Free Shipping On K-Cup Coffees For Keurig Single Cup Brewers?

K-Cups Coffee Club From Green Mountain Coffee For Automatic Coffee Delivery Of Your K-Cups Coffee, Tea, & Cocoa For One Cup At A Time.

A Coffee Brewing System Without Heat Proves Its A Contender When It Comes To Taste

2007-08-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

My Coffee Is Cold!

By Jon Bonné MSNBC

Updated: 4:13 p.m. PT Aug 20, 2004

The more you think about it, the more clear it becomes that hot-brewed coffee is by no means a culinary dictate. I personally gave up drip coffee for espresso years ago, finding that filtration brought too little flavor and too much caffeine into the mix.

Others find regular coffee too acidic. Of the estimated 54 million Americans who suffer heartburn, according to the National Heartburn Alliance, three-quarters say it can be caused by beverages.

Cold-brew coffee systems largely solve these problems, which may be why Toddy claims 20 to 30 percent of its customers are coffee lovers who find regular brews too much to stomach.

No heat, no plug
It’s not an immediately comfortable transition. The technology is profoundly low-tech: a plastic pitcher with a fabric filter, sitting atop a carafe that catches the finished product. No electricity needed, just gravity, a pound of ground beans and nine cups of cold water. That and 10 to 12 hours steeping time.

“We live in a culture that almost demands something be complicated,” says Brett Holmes, a partner in Houston-based Toddy Products. “It’s got to have a plug.”

The resulting concentrate is strong stuff. Toddy recommends three parts of either hot or cold water to one part concentrate, depending on how you like your coffee, not unlike an Americano.

During a two-week test in the MSNBC.com newsroom, the 3-to-1 ratio was rarely used, given our preference for maximum coffee in minimum time. My own fave was 1-to-1 with cold nonfat milk.

As it turns out, cold brew is familiar to the caffeinated elite. Many die-hard coffee fiends swear by systems like Toddy, which retails for $35, or the similar Filtron. Seattle’s Best Coffee fessed up earlier this month that they have for years used industrial-sized Toddys to brew concentrate for cold coffee drinks, and will now sell Toddy systems in their stores.

None other than Seattle’s Best founder Jim Stewart brought Toddys into the chain’s back rooms because they could turn out flavorful coffee without astringent or chemical qualities. Even after the coffee chain was bought by java megalith Starbucks, it opted to keep its own brewing traditions, including the Toddy.

“We’re not just trying to make up another of what everybody else is doing,” says Shannon Jones, Seattle’s Best’s director of field marketing.

Breaking the rules
The more you think about cold brew’s weirdness, the less weird it seems. After all, coffee has been around since before 1000 A.D., depending on whose version of history you believe, yet it was initially thought to have been eaten as a berry, not brewed.

Who decided on the drip method anyway? Prior to the early 1700s, when the Europeans developed a rudimentary coffee filter known as a biggins, coffee grounds were usually left in the brew. It wasn’t until 1908 that a German housewife named Melitta Bentz devised a paper filter for drip.

Even the precise espresso process — now a backbone of coffee consumption — wasn’t engineered until 1901. So why should the world be governed by the laws of Mr. Coffee?

“I can serve hot or cold coffee at the same time, and I can serve a large group without standing in the kitchen for a good 30 minutes pouring hot water through a drip filter,” says Toddy fan Kristin Yamaguchi, who first bought one to conserve space in her tiny Yokohama, Japan, kitchen.

Yamaguchi became an instant convert. While she prefers coffee cold, she not only enjoys hot Toddy but unlike regular coffee, can drink it later in the day and without food.

Four decades ago, a similar rethinking of coffee norms prompted the creation of the Toddy, due to sell its one millionth unit this fall.

In 1964, a newly graduated chemical engineer named Todd Simpson, ordered coffee in a small cafe in Guatemala. He received a small carafe of cool concentrate and some boiling water, which set him wondering whether his mother — who couldn’t otherwise stomach coffee — might be able to enjoy the cold stuff. She could, he devised a formal brewing device and the Toddy business was born.

Smoother on the stomach
Though coffee aficionados have murmured about it for the past 30 years, Holmes and his former college roommate, Strother Simpson — Todd’s son — now hope to take their contraption to the big leagues, including a marketing campaign, a redesign of the plastic pitcher and a line of ready-to-mix bottled coffee and tea concentrates. (As many Southerners will attest, tea can be cold-brewed, too.)

Where cold brew truly comes from is a total mystery. The Simpsons believe it may be an ancient Peruvian method, and coffee concentrates first showed up in 19th-century America. Another theory traces it back to Java. The trail seems to stop there.

What’s apparent, though, in Toddy’s independent lab tests and in our own less scientific tastings, is that cold concentrate contains far less acid and a good bit less caffeine.

Toddy claims to brew up two-thirds less caffeine than regular coffee; in a side-by side test using Starbucks’ regular blend, the Toddy version had a pH of 6.31 and 40 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of coffee, while Starbucks store-brewed clocked in at a pH of 5.48 and 61 mg of caffeine. (Lower numbers on the pH scale, which is measured logarithmically, denote more acid.)

In a beverage near you
Not all our newsroom testers were convinced. One enjoyed the taste but thought the mechanics of cold brewing were a bit much. (He compared it to a fondue pot.) Another suggested coffee fans who cherish a full dose of acid and caffeine might be turned off. There were inevitable comparisons to instant coffee.

Still, a carafe of concentrate remained fresh over a week, with no dulling of flavor. It even avoided absorbing the tastes of the newsroom refrigerator’s other contents — possibly the first beverage ever to avoid that fate.

Potential uses kept emerging. Camping trips. Coffee ice cubes for undiluted iced lattes.

Seattle’s Best recently announced it will take over café operations at more than 400 Borders locations, so Toddy concentrate could soon appear across the nation — though you might not know you’re drinking some. (Seattle’s Best’s Naughty Toddy and JavaKula iced drinks, among others, feature it.)

I’m likely to stick to my espresso machine at home. But cold-brewed coffee may just become a regular work habit, and not just because the always-overheated communal coffee pot fills me with dread.

Organic Coffee Roasters; Fair Trade and Organic Coffee

2007-08-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

CoffeeAM is a certified Organic Coffee Handler and Processor by the Georgia Crop Improvement Association Organic Certification Program (GCIAOCP). They abide by the standards established by the National Organic Program.

Why is this so important? Anyone can sell certified organic coffee, but only Certified Organic Coffee Handlers and Processors can legally roast organic coffees.

If your source for organic coffee is not a legally certified handler, they are purchasing their beans pre-roasted and pre-packaged from another source.

CoffeeAM is dedicated to bringing you the freshest organic coffee available online. They buy organic beans raw and roast and package them prior to shipping.

They have worked very hard to obtain their certification to insure our customers recieve the freshest coffee at the best prices! Check out their products, you will be more than pleased by the quality as well as the prices. Buy purchasing larger quantities, you will recieve the best bargain on organic coffees.

Bolivia Colonial Caranavi Organic Coffee 5 lb. Bag $31.25 1 lb Bag: $10.95
Colombia Cafe Organico Mesa de los Santos Organic Coffee 5 lb. Bag $34.75 1 lb Bag: $11.95

Costa Rica 'La Amistad' Organic Coffee 5 lb. Bag $38.95 1 lb Bag: $11.95
Decaf Organic Swiss Water Peru Coffee 5 lb. Bag $34.75 1 lb Bag: $10.95

Fair Trade Coffee: Central American Beneficio 5 lb. Bag $34.75 1 lb Bag: $10.95
Organic Galapagos Island Estate Coffee 5 lb. Bag $49.95 1 lb Bag: $13.95

Organic Guatemala "Santiago Atitlan" Coffee 5 lb. Bag $31.25 1 lb Bag: $10.95
Organic Mexico Coffee 5 lb. Bag $31.25 1 lb Bag: $9.95

Organic Peru "Andes Gold" Coffee 5 lb. Bag $31.25 1 lb Bag: $9.95
Sumatra 'Gayo Mountain' Organic Coffee 5 lb. Bag $36.25 1 lb Bag: $10.95

Java Queen International is an authorized coffee merchant for CoffeeAM's organic coffee

Selecting The Right Coffee For During Or After Your Meal

2007-08-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Most holiday dinners are made and presented with lots of care and attention to the taste of the food. But paying attention to what's in the cup can also affect what's on the plate. When entertaining this year, make holiday dinners more memorable by pairing the right coffee with your meal.

The level of roast — light, medium, medium-dark or dark — dictates the intensity of each coffee and helps determine what foods it will pair with best. The general rule is, the richer the food, the darker the coffee needed to balance the flavor.

While most people think of coffee as an after-dinner drink, it can be served throughout the meal. When serving coffee with dinner, a non-flavored roast is best. Most holiday meals are very rich, so a medium or medium-dark roast is best to balance the richness of the food. A "Colombian supreme" or medium-dark blend is a great compliment to holiday dinners.

If serving a coffee over the course of a meal, be sure to keep the coffee fresh. Java Queen International CEO, Donna-Lee Moore-Stout, recommends keeping coffee fresh and hot during and after a meal by using air pots. Coffee can get "burned" by sitting on a hot plate meant to keep it warm. Coffee can also lose freshness if exposed to air for more than 20 minutes So she suggests that you use freshly roasted coffee beans, grind your coffee just before you make your fresh pot of coffee and use an air pot to keep coffee hot — without burning it — and fresh for several hours.

After dinner, consider offering a selection of coffees to match the range of desserts that are offered. When pairing desserts and coffee, consider the richness of the dessert. Light roasts, because of their delicate flavors, go marvelously with light desserts, but are overwhelmed by rich desserts. Conversely, rich sweets are best answered by dark coffees that can stand up to the flavor. Many holiday desserts, such as pecan pie, pumpkin pie or rich chocolate cakes, should be served with a darker coffee, like a deliciously smoky French roast. Flavors also make great complements to dessert.

You can also indulge in holiday flavors without the guilt by selecting a flavored coffee instead of dessert. Many premium coffees have special roasts, such as pumpkin spice coffee or peppermint, just for this time of year. Favorites such as French vanilla or hazelnut also are great after-dinner coffee flavors.

Coffee tip: To maximize its freshness, open coffee as close to the meal as possible and keep it in an airtight container. (Don't keep coffee in the fridge or freezer, where there can be condensation or food odors.)

Java Queen International Offers Freshly Roasted Gourmet Coffee And Gourmet Loose Leaf Teas.

Cold Brew Coffee Hot Trend! Cold Coffee Recipes

2007-08-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Cold-brew coffee is a hot trend

Brewing java in the fridge creates a trendy but low-tech drink

02:56 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 21, 2007
By KAREN ELIZABETH WATTS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

EVANS CAGLAGE/DMN
Make shots with cold-brew coffee concentrate and heavy cream, and serve with a bite of chocolate for an after-meal sweet. If summer's heat has left you feeling bitter and overextracted, think cold brew, as in cold-brewed coffee.

Fans say cold-brewed coffee is less bitter than coffee that's been subjected to heat. And while there are gadgets for producing cold-brew, you can make it with no special equipment. The technique is so low-tech that anyone with running water can enjoy it.

The following recipes were tested with Parisi Artisan's Bolivian organic dark roast coffee from Costco. The description states that the blend is "rich and sweet with hints of milk chocolate and a nuance of honeysuckle." It made a perfect cold brew.

Karen Elizabeth Watts is a Kansas City food stylist.

BASIC COLD-BREW COFFEE

10 cups of cold water

1 pound coffee, medium grind

Place ground coffee in a large container. Pour water over coffee. Refrigerate container for 12 to 24 hours.

Strain elixir through a coffee filter, and strain it again. (Sometimes, it is a good idea to strain it again, just to make sure no grounds made it through.) Refrigerate and use as needed. Makes 6 cups of cold-brew concentrate.

FLANK STEAK MARINADE TO WAKE YOU

½ cup cold-brew coffee

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 large flank steaks

In a large zip-top bag, combine coffee, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, sugar, ginger, pepper, salt and garlic. Add flank steaks to marinade, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove steaks from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill steaks to desired doneness.

Pour marinade into a skillet and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for at least 3 minutes, reducing liquid by half. Serve with grilled sliced flank steaks. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

USING COLD-BREW

Use treat sticks and paper cups to make Frozen Café pops with milk and cold-brew coffee concentrate. ICED COFFEE: Add 1/4 cup cold brew to 1 cup of cold water. Serve over ice.

ICED COFFEE WITH MILK: If you prefer milk in your coffee, begin with the same 1/4 cup cold brew and add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk. Serve over ice.

BABY MOCHA CAKES (pictured): Using your favorite chocolate cake mix, simply replace the water with the cold-brew concentrate, adding the perfect coffee undertones to the cake. A regular cake mix makes 6 to 7 dozen "baby cakes" in mini muffin pans. The cooking time should be decreased to 6 minutes (at 350 F). Top finished cakes with buttercream icing, cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

Baby Mocha Cakes are infused with cold-brew coffee, which replaces the water in the recipe. SHOTS SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED (pictured): Fill a martini shaker with ice and add 1/2 cup cold-brew concentrate and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Shake and strain into shot glasses. Serve with a bite of chocolate for a perfect after-meal sweet.

FROZEN CAFÉ (pictured): If you don't have a frozen treat mold, you can make your own. In a small plastic or paper cup, freeze your favorite blend of cold brew and milk in layers. To keep a stick in place while freezing the first layer, tightly cover the cup with plastic wrap, and poke the stick through the middle into the liquid. After the first layer is frozen, the plastic wrap can be removed for freezing the rest of the layers.

CAFÉ BUTTER
Place 2 tablespoons cold-brew coffee, 1 table- spoon vanilla and 2 sticks softened, unsalted butter into bowl of food processor and pulse with metal blade until coffee and vanilla are incorporated into butter. Refrigerate until ready to wake up pancakes or toast.

COFFEE ICE TIPS
•Freeze cold-brew coffee in an ice-cube tray.

•When making iced drinks, use half regular ice and half cold-brew coffee ice, avoiding the proverbial meltdown of an iced coffee drink.

Grocery Store Coffee Sales Continue To Fall! Coffee Roasters Coffee Delivery Popular.

2007-08-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Maxwell House, Folgers Fade as Consumers Shell Out for Premium Brands
By Emily Bryson York

Published: August 20, 2007

A correction has been made in this story. See below for details.

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- How is it that Maxwell House and Folgers, a decade ago the unrivaled kings of coffee, ended up on the back burner?
Folgers has increased spending and launced a new campaign, but has changing consumer behavior altered the coffee market?

The short answer is Starbucks -- or, more accurately, a cultural shift in how Americans drink coffee that has largely been driven by its ilk. Although Folgers and Maxwell House still control the bulk of supermarket ground-coffee sales, the total $29 billion coffee industry has become more about grabbing a paper cup on the way to work rather than brewing coffee at home.

Coffee shops
In 2001, Datamonitor estimated that retail channels, including supermarkets, drug stores and discount clubs, accounted for 50% of U.S coffee sales. But by the end of 2006, that share had fallen to 34%. Meanwhile, the total market climbed more than 50% during the same period, according to Datamonitor, and is expected to grow another $10 billion to $39 billion by 2011, driven mainly by coffee shops.

"It's a complete shift in thinking by the consumer," said Lauren DeSanto, analyst with Morningstar. "You suddenly had premium coffees come available, and people responded well, by really opening their wallets."

Not only are people drinking anywhere from one- to two-thirds of their java outside the home, but specialty brands are increasingly invading the supermarket aisles that were once the purview of Maxwell House and Folgers. And they are seeing success: Brands such as Newman's Own, Intellegentsia and Green Mountain are all gaining market share, largely at the two titans' expense.

Patrick Schumann of Edward Jones said the old reliable brands aren't likely to pick up any lost sales. "The brands that have been established as being higher-quality really are the brands that are going to be able to show continued momentum," he said.

Note to Kraft and P&G
Translation: If Kraft and Procter & Gamble want to save, rather than sell, their coffee businesses, they're going to have to make a product their own executives will drink.

"These companies don't throw very many people at it," said Dan Cox, president at coffee-tasting service Coffee Enterprises, who worked with McDonald's to turn around its coffee business in 2005. "What does their president drink? It doesn't work unless it comes from the top down."

Mr. Cox pointed to the boots-on-the-ground efforts of regional roasters and their tendency to hire people who are passionate about coffee. P&G and Kraft, by comparison, rely more on TV advertising than the grass-roots marketing that has built brands such as Starbucks.

But even traditional ad outlays have fallen for one supermarket stalwart. Kraft spent only $17 million on Maxwell House last year, according to Ad Age's Leading National Advertisers report, down more than 33% from $25.6 million the year before. Folgers, meanwhile, spent about $73 million in measured media -- up more than 137%.

For P&G, which controls 35% of the ground-coffee market -- valued at $2 billion in food, drug and mass merchandisers excluding Wal-Mart, according to Information Resources Inc. -- the outlook is somewhat sunnier than at Kraft, which IRI said holds 34%. P&G also owns Millstone, which has had fair success in the grocery channel, and is licensing the Dunkin' Donuts name for a supermarket brand. "We saw an opportunity to drive incremental growth with a great-tasting brand that has high customer loyalty," said Folgers spokesman Bryan Brown.

Folgers' latest effort
Folgers launched an ad campaign this summer from Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, featuring Chandra Wilson from "Grey's Anatomy" and TV journalist Lisa Ling.

P&G's total coffee sales were $727 million for the 52 weeks ended July 15, IRI said. Yet lingering production problems from Hurricane Katrina (P&G's facilities are in New Orleans) and increasing commodity prices have made business difficult and a sell-off likely.

Kraft, meanwhile, has announced that it's switching its coffee blend from cheaper robusto beans to fuller-bodied Arabica. "We believe it's going to put Maxwell House on a new growth trajectory," said spokeswoman Bridget MacConnell.

Kraft also has a licensing agreement to market Starbucks-branded coffee in grocery stores. According to the company, its Starbucks grocery business grew 8% in 2006 and has already risen 11.4% percent in 2007.

But according to IRI, Kraft's Starbucks-brand whole-bean sales in supermarkets totaled $108 million in the 52 weeks ended July 15, just a fraction of Maxwell House's $697 million. So why, then, if Starbucks is selling briskly in street-corner shops, aren't consumers buying more of it at the supermarket to brew in their kitchens?

Home brewing
"Most consumers have a difficult time making a decent cup of coffee at home," Mr. Cox said. "They don't own commercial brewing equipment and they're impatient."

That makes all the more serious signs that Maxwell House has been flagging. The company sold its Texas roasting facility earlier this year, and activist shareholders have been pushing for divestments.

~ ~ ~
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Kraft no longer roasts its own coffee. The company has roasting plants in Jacksonville, Fla. and San Leandro, Calif.

Gourmet Coffees - a Brief Overview of Beans

2007-08-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

by Jerry Powell

The coffee plant has two main species. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional coffee and considered to be superior in flavor, and the Coffea Canephora known more commonly as Robusta. Robusta tends to be higher in caffeine and can be grown in climates and environments were Arabica would not be profitable. Robusta is also typically more bitter and acidic in flavor. Because of this Robusta tends to be less expensive. High quality Robusta is also used to blend espresso for more bite, and to lower costs.

A little known fact is that some coffee beans improve their flavor with age. It is the green unroasted beans which are aged; the typical length of time is 3 years, though there are some houses which sell beans aged to 7 years. Aged beans have a fuller flavor and are less acidic.

Growing conditions, soil types and weather patterns during the growing season all contribute to the flavor of the bean, creating the differences in flavor from points of origin, such as Kenya or Brazil. However, roasting adds its own flavor, sometimes to the point that it is difficult to tell where the beans originated from, even by experienced cuppers.

The lighter the roast the more the natural flavor of the bean remains. This is why beans from regions such as Kenya or Java are normally roasted lightly, retaining their regional characteristics and dominate flavors. There is a method of roasting in Malaysia which adds butter during the roasting producing a variety called Ipoh White Coffee.

Beans roasted to darker browns begin to taste more like the method of roasting than the original flavors. Dark roasts such as French or Vienna Roasts tend to completely eclipse the original flavor. Roasting to whatever degree, while adding stronger flavor does not effect the amount of caffeine of the bean.

Fry pan roasting was popular in the 19th century, since the beans were normally shipped and purchased still in their green state. You simply poured the green coffee beans in a frying pan and roasted them in the kitchen. This process took a great deal of skill to do in a consistent manner. Fry pan roasting became much less popular when vacuum sealing pre-roasted coffee was perfected. However, in order to vacuum seal roasted beans, you had to wait for them to stop emitting CO2, as roasted beans do for several days after the roasting process. What this meant was that vacuum sealed coffee was always just a little stale as the flavors begin to turn bitter and deteriorate in just about a week after roasting.

Home roasting is once again becoming popular with the creation of computerized drum roasters which help simplify the process. There are some people who have found methods of effectively roasting beans using their hot air pop corn makers.

The region the bean is from as discussed before is a primary factor to the type of flavor you can expect from the brew, though it is very true that 'new' or unexpected tastes come from every region.

Arabia and Africa grow their coffee beans in high altitudes in the rich black soils of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The flavors of these beans are distinct and of legendary status.

The Americas coffees are grown in near rainforest conditions in areas such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala. Coffees of the Americas tend to be very well balanced and aromatic.

The Pacifics includes coffees from Sumatra, Java, New Guinea and Sulawesi, which are as various in flavor as the islands they come from.

Then there are the exotics such as certified Jamaica Blue Mountain and certified Hawaiian Kona. These are rare indeed and can go for as much as $60.00 per pound.

About the Author
Jerry Powell is the Owner of a Popular site Know as Gourmet911.com. As you can see from our name, we are here to help you learn more about different kinds of Gourmet food and Wines, Coffees from all around the world. http://www.gourmet911.com/

Click Here For Your Perfect Cup Of Coffee In Whatever Roast You Love.

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Green Mountain Coffee Extends Agreement With McDonald's Restaurants

2007-08-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

McDONALD’S® RESTAURANTS OFFERS NEWMAN’S OWN® ORGANICS COFFEE IN NEW ENGLAND & ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Waterbury, VT (January 25, 2007) – Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. has extended its agreement with McDonald’s USA, LLC to source, roast and package Newman’s Own Organics Blend coffee exclusively for more than 600 McDonald’s restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Albany, NY. McDonald’s introduced Newman’s Own Organics Coffee roasted by Green Mountain to its restaurants in New England and Albany, New York in October, 2005.

Created exclusively for McDonald’s, Newman’s Own Organics Blend Coffee is a combination of light and medium roasts with a smooth body and clean finish. The Blend is available in regular and decaffeinated and served as both hot and iced coffee. McDonald’s also offers two iced coffee flavors, Hazelnut and Vanilla.

“It has been gratifying to see the response to our organic coffee among McDonald’s customers. We look forward to its continued growth,” says Nell Newman, co-founder and president of Newman’s Own Organics.

Robert Stiller, president of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters says, “When we began our relationship with McDonald’s in 2005, our goal was to provide the highest quality coffee to customers in New England and Albany, NY. We are excited to continue working with McDonald’s to deliver a selection of great tasting coffee products.”

About Newman’s Own Organics
Great tasting products that happen to be organic is the slogan of Newman’s Own Organics. Founded by Nell Newman and Peter Meehan, they develop their products from certified organic ingredients. “We focus on the kinds of products we loved as kids, but take them one step further by using the highest quality of available organic ingredients,” says Nell. Paul Newman donates all of his royalties after taxes from Newman’s Own Organics to charitable and educational organizations.
For more information visit: www.newmansownorganics.com.

About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is recognized as a leader in the specialty coffee industry for its award-winning coffees and successful business practices. The Company sells over 100 high quality selections, including Fair Trade Certified™ and organic coffees under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters® and Newman’s Own® Organics brands. While the majority of the Company’s revenue is derived from its wholesale, direct mail, and e-commerce operations, it also owns Keurig, Incorporated, a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems.

Keurig markets premium single cup coffee makers and K-Cup coffee for the office and the home while the Company licenses, manufactures and sells Green Mountain coffee and tea K-Cups® for offices, homes and other venues. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was recently ranked No. 1 on the Business Ethics list of “100 Best Corporate Citizens,” and has been recognized repeatedly by Forbes, Fortune Small Business, and the Society of Human Resource Management as an innovative, high-growth, socially responsible company.

"This exciting collaboration between two Ceres companies is a great example of how corporate social responsibility is becoming more deeply embedded in the core business practices of our nation's biggest companies," said Mindy S. Lubber, president of Ceres. McDonald's was approved as a Ceres company this fall and Green Mountain Coffee Roaster's in the summer.

"This coffee is a member of the Newman's Own Organics family of coffees that has been our best selling line of new products in supermarkets," added Robert Stiller, president and CEO of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

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Coffee Club Membership

2007-07-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

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Coffee club membership is a pleasure for avid coffee lovers and connoisseurs. The coffee club concept is relatively new but is becoming quite popular in the busy coffee lover society.

Coffee lovers reward themselves and friends and relatives with coffee clubs by joining for their automatic delivery, free shipping and even discounts on their coffee and other purchases.

In some of the coffee clubs you receive a monthly coffee club delivery direct to your door.

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Allowing the coffee club to decide which coffee you receive is a great way to taste new coffees, sample different varieties, find a brew that you really like and ultimately avoid a trip to the store to buy your favorite coffee. Automatic shipment is very convenient, especially for those who need coffee first thing in the morning because delivery means that you shouldn't run out of coffee. If you do, you simply increase your order to ensure that you never run out when you need it the most.

Other automatic coffee delivery options are available through other coffee clubs; those that allow the customer to choose which coffee, how much and how often they want coffee delivered.

Coffee clubs are now perking up all over the world and different clubs have different offerings so it is easy to find one that suits you.

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Some clubs even offer newsletter subscriptions with informative articles about the month's featured coffee as well as coffee recipes and helpful hints about coffee making and removing coffee stains. When you join one of these clubs, you are also usually entitled to a members-only discount. If the company has a sale or special offering, generally the club members will be the first to hear about it through the newsletter. In addition to coffee, gourmet coffee clubs sometimes include extras like coffee mugs or books with coffee recipes in them.

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With clubs, the membership terms are generally flexible. You can usually choose the length of your club membership, from a single month at a time or three to twelve months, whether you want whole beans or ground, the type of grind you would like and finally, you can choose flavored or regular, caffeinated or decaf coffee, flavored or not. The choices are endless and are designed to cater specifically for each person's tastes.

A fabulous idea for a coffee gift is a coffee club membership. This is where you purchase a subscription for a coffee of the month club, and your recipient gets coffee delivered to them each month.

Gourmet coffee club memberships make a great gift idea for holidays, birthdays, or as thank you gifts. you are looking for a unique business gift, think about giving a coffee club subscription.

Most people appreciate a good cup of coffee; but if tea is the preference, many coffee clubs also offer tea. Your recipient will like the convenience of having the coffee or tea delivered on schedule, without having to reorder all the time.

If you send a coffee club subscription as a gift, your coffee gift will be sent with a giftcard to your recipient.

Looking for information about Coffee?
Check out the Java Queen Int'l Coffee Academy for coffee information, reviews and recipes for the coffee lover and barista

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The Rage About Keurig Single Cup Coffeemakers

2007-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Keurig single cup coffee makers are gaining popularity because they allow you to brew one cup of delicious gourmet coffee at a time... fast!

No need to spend time grinding beans, dealing with messy filters or waiting for the pot to brew.

Instead of buying whole or ground beans and using your old drip brewer, the Keurig one cup coffee makers use K-Cups. These are sealed cups which contain both a measured amount of ground coffee as well as a filter.

You just pop the K-Cup into your Keurig brewer and press one button.

Presto! You get consistently perfect coffee wih every cup.

But which of the Keurig brewers should you choose?

Keurig offers three main brewers right now, the B40, the B60 and the B70.

The Keurig B40 is the base, no-nonsense model without the gadgetry of the other Keurig one cup coffee makers. The Keurig B40 brews just one amount ideal for a regular mug of coffee.

If you are looking for a Keurig brewer for under $100, or want to buy a second brewer for your office or home office, this may be just the model you are looking for.

The Keurig B60 one cup coffee maker is their most popular model. For $149.00 it offers three different brew sizes and an adjustable brew temperature.

Their latest model is the Keurig B70 single cup coffee maker , which has the same features of the B60, as well as a larger water reservoir and one extra brew size – for travel mugs.

One thing to remember when it comes to the brew sizes is that regardless of the size you select, the K-Cup amount of coffee remains the same. If you want to use the larger brew sizes, we suggest that you choose a bold coffee to avoid a slightly weaker cup of coffee.

Which brewer should you choose? Compare these Keurig single cup coffee makers.

Keurig K Cups Are Available!

2007-01-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

We've received word over the last few weeks that many online K Cup retailers will soon no longer be able to sell K Cups directly to consumers.

Some of the online etailers affected include Coffee For Less, Coffee Giant, and others. We'd like to say these and other etailers have only lost the ability to sell K Cups online - not all one cup coffee products and K Cups will still be available to purchase online at Java Queen International's "Your Favorite Coffees" website as well as other online stores. The online retailers affected will continue to sell coffee pods, coffee, and other one cup coffee makers.

There are apparently several reasons that K cups Coffee, Tea and Cocoa are no longer available at these online stores. Some of them include issues in the Keurig office, the coffee market, as well as Keurig (now owned by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters) refocusing the selling of K Cups online in a more centralized fashion. We won't speculate at the moment, although there's plenty of speculation in the Single Serve Coffee forums, but we do know that Keurig One Cup Coffee Makers or better labeled, Keurig Brewers are here to stay and is a great choice for single serve coffee.

In the short term, you won't have the variety of K Cup online stores to choose from, but you will still be able to get any K Cup you want online from Your Favorite Coffees, Green Mountain Coffee Club, and Java Queen International

We'll let you know more as we find out.

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Green Mountain Coffee Announces New Partner Coffee!

2007-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

PBS Blend is grown in the lush, tropical rainforests surrounding the El Triunfo Biosphere in Mexico. It is sweetly balanced and smooth, with full flavor and a rich finish. With this Fair Trade Certified™ organic coffee, we invite "viewers like you" to enjoy great taste while preserving both natural habitat and one of America’s greatest national treasures – PBS.

Why PBS?

A trusted community resource, PBS uses the power of noncommercial television, the Internet and other media to enrich the lives of all Americans. Through independent, distinctive and enlightening programs and educational services PBS inspires people to be more - more informed, empowered and engaged. By crafting the PBS Blend Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has not only helped the lives of the farmers who grow the coffee, but they've also provided the public with a delicious new way to show their support of PBS.

Deep within the Sierra Madre mountains of Southern Chiapas is one of the world’s most pristine and diverse natural places—300,000 fog-shrouded acres known as the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve.

This extraordinary cloud forest, is home to the resplendent quetzal, spider monkey jaguar and tapir. Hundreds of butterfly species flit among giant tree ferns bromeliads and orchids. It is one of the few remaining unspoiled places in Mexico, and all of Latin America. And it is where PBS Blend takes root and blossoms.

In the buffer zone surrounding the reserve, family farmers grow coffee under the shade of a forest canopy, which provides habitat to countless species of birds, mammals and insects. In this way, the buffer zone both protects the core zones of the biosphere, and promotes sustainable commerce for the surrounding communities of farmers.

Available now, in whole bean and K-Cup coffees for your Keurig single cup coffee maker.

About PBS

PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public, noncommercial television stations and reaches almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. PBS supports America’s heritage, providing high-quality, award-winning programming and community outreach. PBS is education, arts and culture, history, news and information. PBS is also a leading provider of educational material for K-12 teachers and offers a broad array of other educational services. Visit PBS online for more information at www.pbs.org.

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Hawaii Coffee Crop

2007-01-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

This year's Hawaii coffee crop is a double shot -- lower Kona production but higher output on the other islands.

In an off-year for a crop that tends to alternate between larger and smaller harvests because of the way the trees grow, Hawaii coffee growers will produce 7.3 million pounds this season.

That estimate, jointly released Tuesday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, is down 11 percent from the previous season.

But production actually is higher away from the Big Island.

Because rainfall in Kona was below normal through much of the spring 2006 flowering period, Big Island coffee production is expected to be down 40 percent, to 3.5 million pounds.

Production on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Kauai, is coming in at an estimated 3.8 million pounds, up 58 percent from the previous harvest.

"Most of the orchards on these islands are irrigated," said Mark Hudson, director of the NASS Hawaii Field Office, "which lessens the impact of dry weather."

Growers also have been ramping up production at several farms outside Hawaii County. In fact, a 7 percent increase in acreage on other islands -- rejuvenating previously abandoned or neglected fields -- more than offset a 3 percent decrease in Big Island coffee acreage. Statewide, there were 8,200 acres in coffee this season, and 6,300 harvested acres, the most in five years.

Comparing the situation to previous "off" years, Nils Morita, research statistician for the field office, reported that the estimated production is close to that of the 2002-2003 season and much better than the 2004-2005 season.

Coffee prices paid to growers have been averaging $4.15 per pound, down 9 percent from the previous season. Total farm value, factoring in both the lower price and the lower production, is gauged at $30.3 million, down 19 percent.

The report said there were 3,000 harvested acres on the Big Island this season of which 2,650 acres were on 630 farms in the Kona districts. There are 50 more Kona coffee growers than there were five years ago. The other 350 acres are on 115 farms scattered around the Big Island.

World Coffee Update
World coffee production for the 2006-2007 season is estimated at almost 129 million bags, up almost 15 million bags from the previous season. Brazil coffee production alone is 46.5 million bags, while Vietnam production is 16.5 million bags.

Reach Howard Dicus at hdicus@bizjournals.com

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Nantucket Blend Coffee Review

2007-01-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Nantucket Blend Coffee as prepared in a Keurig single-serve brewer
Waterbury, Vermont
Reviewed: September 2006

Aroma 8
Acidity 7
Body 7
Flavor 8
Aftertaste 7

Origin: Not disclosed.
Roast (Agtron): Medium (na/57)
OVERALL RATING: 87

Notes: Keurig brewing devices were among the first single-serve coffee brewers on the market. Keurig now offers three home models with a wide range of coffees available in compatible “K-Cup” format. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is one of the country’s leading specialty roasters, offering a particularly wide-ranging variety of origins and roast styles. Visit “K-Cup Coffees & Teas”; Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for more information.

Blind assessment: (As brewed in a Keurig B60 single-serve brewing device using a “K-Cup” at a cup volume of 5.25 ounces): Delicately complex aromatics: suggestions of flowers, chocolate, peach, sweet orange, all of which take on a Riesling-like sweetness and delicacy in nose and cup. Gently bright acidity. Fades rather quickly in the finish.

Who should drink it: Keurig owners who want a classically refreshing, light-footed morning cup.

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Coffee Lovers Valentine Recipes: Love Muffins and Sinfully Delicious Devils Food Cake

2007-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day Recipes Your Coffee Lover Will Moan Over.

LOVE MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly brewed TROPICAL KISS gourmet coffee
1 Tablespoon baking cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 oz. white chocolate chips
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins (or line with baking papers).
In a small saucepan, bring Boca Java coffee to a boil. Add 3/4 cup sugar and stir until dissolved, then continue boiling over medium heat for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter with 2 Tablespoons sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add coffee mixture and beat until blended. Fold in half of the dry ingredients using spoon or spatula. Fold in sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full then bake 15 to 17 minutes.

Tropical Kiss

Take a trip to the tropics with this tantalizing coffee blend that is kissed with coconut and chocolate!

SINFULLY DELICIOUS DEVILS FOOD CAKE

Ingredients:
1 package Devil's Food cake mix
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons Boca Java Double Mocha cocoa
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brewed COURTSIDE CHOCOLATE gourmet coffee (chocolate, coconut)
3 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour cake pan, using cooking spray or oil. (Shake out any excess flour.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and blend on low, scraping sides of bowl. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until cake springs back when touched and toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Luscious German Chocolate Cake flavored coffees! The sensational taste of chocolate cake with a hint of coconut frosting will surely make you fall in ''love.''
White Mocha Blizzard
Get Caught Up In Our Blizzard with Boca Java's scrumptious, White Mocha Blizzard, a creamy White Chocolate cocoa.
Mocha Mint Ocean
What do you get when you combine a rich Chocolate with the fresh taste a Peppermint? A hot chocolate that is out of this world! Mocha Mint Ocean is the cocoa for you! Voted one of our staff's favo
Double Mocha Dream
Relax over a nice hot cup of rich and creamy Double Mocha Dream gourmet hot chocolate. Double the chocolate for double the pleasure. Unlike any hot chocolate you have experienced, this is sure to please the palate.
Berry Mocha Kiss
This love inspired cocoa features two love birds on the canister, which is a tell tale sign that Berry Mocha Kiss is a sweet, delicious combination of Raspberries and Chocolate! This will become a new favorite!

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Never Compromise With Chocolate!

2006-11-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

Oh my Gawd! Now this chocolate is simply "orgasmic"!

We just had to tell you that we were just introduced to chocolate gift items that you will find on our shelves this Christmas. You can bet that we will be satisfying many a Christmas Shopper looking for a unique chocolate gift in our shops.

Not only is this chocolate luxuriently scrumptious, the presentation of these chocolate gifts will impress even the father-in-law and the boss! A gift of a box of chocolates will forever more be held to this standard.

Forbes Favorite online chocolatier: zChocolate is committed to elevating the art of chocolate gift giving to a new level of personal expression - on of imagination, intelligence and elegance - and one that ensures the giver will make a grand and lasting impression with these chocolate gifts.

Take A look at these chocolate gifts and see what we mean!

Chocolate-Coffee Cheesecake with Mocha Sauce

2006-11-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers
1/2 cup butter margarine, melted
PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
4 (80z) packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1/2 teaspoon finely ground Boca Java Sunrise Coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 (1oz) bittersweet baking chocolate squares
Mocha Sauce (recipe below)

Instructions:
Stir together crushed graham crackers and butter; press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325.
Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add liqueur, coffee, and vanilla, beating on low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Remove and reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining batter into prepared crust.

Microwave chocolate squares in a medium-size bowl 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds; let cool slightly. Stir reserved 1 cup of cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate, blending well. Spoon chocolate mixture in lines on top of batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.
Bake at 325 for 1hour or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen for sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool on wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
Remove sides of springform pan. Serve cheesecake with Mocha Sauce.

Mocha Sauce
1(12-oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
¼ cup strong brewed Boca Java Sunrise Coffee

Cook first 3 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes of until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in coffee. Serve warm.

Coffee Recipe
Coffee Dessert
Dessert Recipe
Cheesecake Recipe
Coffee Cheesecake
Mocha Sauce Recipe
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

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Brewing Coffee 101; How To Select The Right Kind Of Coffee Maker

2006-11-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

BREWING COFFEE

There is a myriad of ways to brew your favorite coffee and for the most part it all begins with a simple introduction: Exactly what kind of coffee do you like? Are you after a thick silty morning mug? A thinner brighter brew? A full bodied but smooth sensation? Once you have this part down, you’re ready for the facts.

AUTO DRIP
About 70% of the coffee made in this country is brewed with paper filters, a method that produces what some refer to as the classic American style: light-bodied and clear, free of oil or sediment. Due to the popularity of the drip method, the brewers out there are constantly being improved. Gone are the accidents, the errant grinds, the unpredictable water temperatures.

One improvement is the “gold” filter which allows more oils and organic compounds to get into your cup. With a washable filter you eliminate the slight papery taste due to the disposables, and you get a fuller-bodied brew.

With an auto drip brewer you can usually get peak performance with even the most inexpensive of machines. Any more money you spend will go towards whatever bells and whistles fit your fancy. Of course, the folks at GMCR have their preferences:
Capresso Thermal Coffee Maker
Capresso CoffeeTEAM Brewer
Krups

SINGLE CUP BREWERS
Single-cup brewing is the latest step in the quest for great coffee. GMCR stands behind the line of Keurig brewers which offers easy, fast, personalized coffee – and total satisfaction. That is, of course, if you are using the right coffee. Luckily, they make this part easy; the Green Mountain Coffee K Cups live up to our standards of great coffee, and ensure that your morning mug will live up to yours. For more information on single-cup technology, go to and check out the options from Keurig.

For more information on single-cup technology, go to thesingle cup page and check out the options from Keurig:
Keurig B40
Keurig B60
Keurig B70

COFFEE PRESS
Developed in Italy in the 1930s, the coffee press is most often associated with France and most commonly known as the “French Press.” Its sophisticated design belies the simplicity of the concept - manual filtration. The coffee press itself looks like an elegant beer mug wearing a cap. Coffee and water are added to the glass and allowed to sit for around four minutes depending on taste. Finally a plunger (a mesh filter on a stick) is pushed from the top of the mixture to the bottom, pushing the grounds to the base of the contraption and readying the clarified coffee for pouring. The result: A much heavier, grittier, richer taste than the above-described creation. This difference is due to the presence of sediments, oils, and a gelatinous substance called colloids, most of which are eliminated in the drip method. Lately, there has been a proliferation of research findings that indicate that coffee made via the french press method contains elements that are not good for us. We would encourage you to do some research of your own to determine the accuracy of these statements. None the less,Coffee press users: Make sure to grind your coffee on a course setting as even the biggest grounds have been known to find their way through this filter. Coffee press novices: Here are some french press suggestions.
Chambord Coffee Press
Eileen Press
Bodium Travel Press
Thermal French Press

MOKA POT
Also known as a stovetop espresso maker, the modest metal moka pot creates a thick dense brew that rivals the real stuff. The moka pot consists of two reservoirs and a filter that separates them. Water is poured into the bottom bucket, coffee grounds are spooned into the filter basket, and steam-produced air pressure forces the not-quite-boiling water through the coffee and up into the top reservoir. Presto, a perfect little cup. Our experts suggest using finely ground beans for this one. Bodum Mocca Pot

VACUUM POT
No, this is not a nightmare; you are not back in your high school chemistry lab. This crazy contraption is actually a coffee brewer, and a good one at that. Similar in concept to the moka pot, the vacuum pot consists of two glass globes that attach to either side of a filter. Water is poured into the lower globe, the lower globe is set on the stove. As in the moka pot, the increased air pressure (see? chemistry class was relevant!) forces water to escape through a tube, through the filter, and into the upper compartment. Hot coffee then cools and is sucked back down to the bottom globe via yet another imbalance of air pressure. No papery taste, rich but without the sediment of the french press. Check this one out here...Bodum Mini Santos

USA ESPRESSO MACHINE
As its Italian name implies, Espresso is pressed coffee. Even if you are loyal to your drip brewer, you have no doubt seen the giant espresso machines in coffee houses, the tampded-down grounds, the slow trickle of the dark rich liquid into delightfully delicate receptacles. You have heard the hiss of steam as it makes the coffee and is used to steam the milk, and you have smelled the luxurious aroma. This is espresso, and to many people, having a machine in the house that will create this thick, dark, “crema”-topped coffee is well worth the effort and expense.

What the espresso machine basically does is force water through a compacted cake of finely ground coffee with pressure and heat high enough to emulsify the oils and organic compounds that are left out of regular gravity-brewed coffee. Beans should be blended especially, roasted accordingly, and ground into a fine powder.
Jura Avantgarde S9 Espresso Maker
Impressa F9 Espresso Maker

Therein ends the Coffee Brewing 101 lesson. Now you can make an educated decision when deciding which coffee maker is right for you.

Brewing Coffee
Making Coffee
One Cup Coffee Brewers
One Cup Coffee Makers
French Press
Capresso Coffee Machine
Espresso Machine
Vacuum Coffee Pot

Storing Coffee To Keep It Fresh and Measuring Coffee To Make The Perfect Pot

2006-10-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a critical care nurse and a pretty serious coffee "addict". Drinking coffee in the evening rarely interferes with my sleep. I wake up with a cup of coffee in hand.

Now, bear in mind that I live in the Pacific Northwest, coffee shops abound. My mother owned a coffee shop for well over a decade and my brother has his own coffee shop, Clipper Ship Coffee in Lincoln City, Oregon.

While my caffeine "fix" is required to ward off the nasty headache, I am very particular about the kind of coffee I drink. Typically, I prefer my coffee black, just plain rich, flavorful coffee. Poorly roasted or poorly brewed coffee verges on impossible to palate compared to the delightful aroma of freshly roasted, freshly ground and freshly brewed coffee.

The coffee at my hospital is described in the poorly roasted, poorly brewed category. Coffee at the local Starbucks and Seattle's Best, although consistent, is consistently not my cup of black coffee. If I have to have their coffee, I do what has made Starbucks a coffee empire. I drink one of those horrendously expensive cups of flavoring syrups, milk and coffee. I can't find room in my financial or caloric budget for too many of these 'frou-frou' drinks so, I drink my coffee at home.

My husband is a wonderful guy... he makes my coffee for me while I am getting ready for work at O:dark:30. But it is very early in the morning and he is no more awake than I am, so freshly ground coffee is rarely in the cards on a work day. In fact, pouring the coffee grounds into the coffee filter is the extent of his capabilities at this time of day. Needless to say, we have had some pretty nasty pots of coffee related to his technique, not the quality of the coffee itself.

I realize that I am blessed with a man willing to haul himself out of bed to make our coffee at that hour of the day, so on days where the morning brew has been eye opening but not enjoyable, I try to bite my tongue and just clean up the grounds that missed the target when the dear man was pouring them.

If only there were a way to make it easier for him to precisely measure the coffee grounds to assure us of a consistently great pot of coffee for our morning treat; no more surprises.

You can well imagine my interest when I first found the Coffee Meter. I was initially impressed with the concept of a device for precision measurements of exact amounts of coffee. And the affordable price of the Metari Coffee Meter made me buy it right away. In fact, I bought two!

"Metari" is Latin for, "I measure", and what a fitting name it is; whether your preference is a darker cup of French roast or a milder blend of Columbian or Guatemalan coffee beans, you will have the perfect measurement every time with ease and no mess. Your brewing ritual just became exacting, faster, simpler, and much more stylized. At a surprisingly low price for the quality and function, it's a great deal and at the top of my list for gift items this season.

The Metari is a handsome piece, with a clear chamber made of high-impact Makrolon plastic with your choice of a chrome or white casing and dispensing handle. It rests next to your coffee maker in a matching shallow tray to catch any stray grounds, and is a lovely way to display your coffee. We're happy with our white coffee meters, but have friends especially happy with their new chrome model since it matches their chrome French press.

A feature that many people may overlook is the airtight seal on the Metari's lid; this ensures the maximum freshness and flavor of the coffee. So, the Coffee Meter features several benefits...

Precise coffee measurement
Easy to use
Neat and tidy; No Mess!
Stylish and durable
Airtight coffee container

Designed with the popular automatic drip machines in mind, the Metari couldn't be simpler to use. It holds almost a full pound of coffee so it doesn't need constant refilling. Simply pour in your grounds, reseal the lid, firmly tap it to settle the grounds down, and you're ready to allot yourself the perfect cup. Or two. Or ten. Whatever your need may be. It's even constructed underneath to accommodate an espresso maker's basket for precision amounts of that dark delight. Cappuccino guesswork is a thing of the past!

However, precise measurement of coffee alone does not alleviate the need for a precise measurement of water to complete the recipe. You will create your own formula to meet your expectations of a perfect cup of coffee. It will take a few tries to decide how best you like your ratio of water to coffee; everyone's preference is different, and perhaps that's why they don't include explicit directions for that with the unit. Dave Schnedler of Metari says, "there are essentially two variables with this - coarseness of ground coffee and darkness of bean or blend."

I myself prefer a rich mug of java, so the perfect measurements for me were 7 squeezes of medium dark Columbian coffee to 12 cups of water. However, my daughter prefers a lighter brew (her favorite is the Chocolate Raspberry Flavored Coffee) and she's happy with 6 trigger squeezes to a 12 cup pot of coffee. The point is, no matter how you like it, as soon as you get the recipe for how you want it, you can have it exactly that way every time thereafter.

In an unpredictable world, it's comforting to know that you can rely on some consistency first thing in the morning. Thank you, Metari!

For more information or to purchase this coffee dispenser, visit www.StoutCoffee.com

Coffee Meter
Storing Coffee
Measuring Coffee
Coffee Containers
Coffee Measurement
Keeping Coffee Fresh
Ready To Drink Coffee

Are We Really Too Lazy To Make Our Own Coffee?

2006-07-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Drink Makers Want America To Buy Coffee To Go

By CAROLINE WILBERT
COX NEWS SERVICE

ATLANTA -- What? You brew your own coffee? That is so old-fashioned!

At least that is what the beverage industry hopes you soon will say if you smell coffee percolating in someone's home. The industry, led by Pepsi, is on a quest to make the coffeemaker a relic. They are selling cans and bottles of coffee drinks, aimed at convenience-obsessed Americans who want an indulgence and an energy boost but don't want to actually dump grounds in a pot, add water and -- this is the worst part -- wait.

Sponsored Advertising

"It is about converting users from the coffee form they have today to a new form that is ready to drink," said Tracey Doucette, who runs North American Coffee Partnership, a joint venture between Pepsi and Starbucks that sells ready-to-drink coffee drinks. She was speaking at Beverage Digest's recent industry conference.

About 80 percent of American households have coffee, but only 10 percent have ready-to-drink coffee, Doucette said. "There's a big opportunity there."

Java drinker Nancy Wyatt, 59, said she regularly brews decaf at home. She hasn't tried the ready-to-drink varieties but would like to.

"That would be good," Wyatt said as she added cream and sugar to her coffee at a Starbucks in CNN Center downtown. "That would be less work."

Of course, Starbucks started the process of antiquing the coffee maker by opening thousands of outlets and somehow persuading Americans to skip their boring brew-at-home joe and plunk down several bucks for a fancy macchiato or latte.

Pepsi and Starbucks teamed up in 1994 and started making canned and bottled coffees, including DoubleShot and Frappuccino, which are hugely successful, with more than $750 million in sales. They recently added canned iced coffee.

Coca-Cola is getting to ready to launch its own line of latte and mocha drinks with Godiva.

Coke also recently rolled out a coffee cola called Coca-Cola Blak.

Plus, a line of Cinnabon coffee drinks, created by New York beverage company Brain-Twist, hit the market last year.

Though the industry is bullish on ready-to-drink coffee, which is meant to be consumed cold, companies have learned the hard way that figuring out what Americans want can be tricky. There have been a handful of flops.

Pepsi had a coffee-cola drink called Pepsi Kona in the '90s that fizzled, and the first Pepsi-Starbucks product, a coffee drink called Mazagran, also was a bust.

In January 2001, Coke bought a drink called Planet Java -- then discontinued it a couple of years later.

Coke's situation is somewhat complicated because of a joint venture with Nestlé, which basically requires that the companies only create and market new ready-to-drink coffee and tea products together. The Godiva drinks will be labeled as lattes and mochas, instead of coffee, to get around this issue.

The consensus is that Americans don't want straight black coffee in a can. They want a treat, even if it means a big calorie count.

"How many people say they are coffee drinkers but what they drink is a latte, which is 90 percent milk?" said Brain-Twist's Larry Trachtenbroit, the entrepreneur who sold Planet Java to Coke and also came up with the Cinnabon drinks, which have since been sold to Coca-Cola Consolidated, a bottler in Charlotte, N.C.

Trachtenbroit said he wanted to create Cinnabon beverages because the brand already had a connotation of "refreshing, creamy and satisfying."

Coke and Godiva also are going for indulgent, describing their soon-to-launch drinks as "a revitalizing experience more decadent than just plain coffee."

Doucette from Pepsi said the key is "making coffee special, less ordinary and more experiential."

Coffee
Java
Coffee Drinks
Coffee Drinkers
Promoting Coffee
Ready To Drink Coffee

Coffee Prices May Go Up On Rise In Demand

2006-07-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Coffee prices, near a six-year high, may rise as Indians, Indonesians and Mexicans are urged to drink more of the beverage.

Coffee consumption in the three countries, which are among the world’s six largest coffee exporters, may grow more than 25% in the next three years, the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said.

ICO executive president Nestor Osorio plans to replicate an advertising campaign in Brazil, the world’s biggest exporter, which doubled its coffee drinking.

There will be a “significant,” increase in prices, Christopher Wyke, who helps manage London-based Schroders Plc’s $75 million commodity fund, said. “As producing countries get richer, they use more resources, use more metals, eat more food and drink more coffee,” Wyke said.

The ICO, which is funded by its member countries, plans to start promoting coffee drinking in those countries to balance supply and demand. By curbing the amount of beans exported, it plans to lessen the extent of price swings. The campaigns in India, Indonesia and Mexico start in September.

Schroder’s commodity fund is “likely” to increase its “substantial investment” in coffee because consumption may outpace production in those countries, Wyke said in an interview. “There are constraints on supply in terms of how much land is available to expand coffee production.”

Coffee futures for September delivery fell $12 or 0.9%, to $1,305 a metric tonne on London’s Euronext.liffe exchange as of 1:19 PM local time. Coffee climbed to a six-year high of $1,340 on July 7. It has risen 11% this year.

“We are now working with the governments and institutions in India, Indonesia and Mexico to do something similar,” to the campaign in Brazil, the ICO official said on Wednesday in an interview in London. These three countries are “traditional coffee-producers without a strong coffee-drinking culture.”

India, the world’s second-fastest growing economy with a population of over 1 billion, consumed 1.3 million bags of coffee last year, while its farmers produced 4.4 million bags, according to US Department of Agriculture figures. One bag weighs 60 kg (132 pounds).

The US, the largest coffee consumer, used 20.8 million bags in 2004, according to the international organisation’s data.

Indonesia’s 245 million-strong population drank 2 million bags, while the country produced 6.75 million bags.Mexico, with 107 million people, consumed 1.5 million bags and produced 4 million bags.

—Bloomberg

Coffee
Coffee Prices
Coffee Drinking
Bags of Coffee
Promoting Coffee
Mexico Coffee Drinking

Companies Brew Up a Kinder Cup

2006-07-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Many people take cream with their coffee, but how about some corn?

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont and International Paper Co. unveiled an ``eco-friendly" cup made from corn and paper yesterday. Because the insides of conventional paper cups are lined with petroleum-based plastic, they can theoretically live ``for an eternity in a landfill," said Green Mountain spokeswoman Sanda Pecina.

The eco-friendly cup uses a corn-made ``bioplastic" lining, which can help the cup break down into ``water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter," according to the companies.

The cup represents a ``fantastic advance," said Stephen McCarthy , director of the Center for Biodegradable Polymer Research at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Starbucks Corp. recently started using cups made of ``10 percent post-consumer recycled content." While always studying innovations, Dunkin' Donuts said it has no plans to change cups.

As part of a national launch, eco-friendly cups are being distributed to about 800 Massachusetts outlets that offer Green Mountain coffee , Pecina said.

But will the cup change the taste of your java?

Said International Paper vice president Austin Lance : ``Consumers will notice no difference as they enjoy coffee with this cup, but the environment will."

CHRIS REIDY

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company

Green Mountain Coffee
Starbucks
Coffee

The Coffee Buzz

2006-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

By Susan Morse
smorse@seacoastonline.com

Drinking coffee is good for you, according to study after study, the most recent released last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association Archives of Internal Medicine.

Coffee reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, it said, the result explained not by caffeine, but minerals and antioxidants in both decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee.

ABC News ran with the story in a recent "Good Morning America" segment, and previously reported on its Web site, abc.news.go.com, that daily cups of coffee have been linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease, liver cancer and gallstones.

A study released last year by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania cited the benefits of coffee as an antioxidant, reducing the risk of getting cancer. Caffeine also revs up brain areas tied to short-term memory, according to webmd.com.

It's a coffee addict's dream -- and good thing. Many of us drink plenty of it, if the number of mom-and-pop coffee shops, chain staples such as Dunkin' Donuts and Honey Dew, and express drive-throughs for java junkies on the go are any indication.

Among the latest is Jumpin' Jack's Java on Lafayette Road in Hampton, a drive-through shop featuring double express lanes for morning commuters.

"It's great," said operations manager John Birmbas, brother of owner Nick Birmbas. "We've been here six months. We're definitely giving our competition a run," he said, referring to coffee chain giant Dunkin' Donuts.

In the morning, drivers are lined up on both sides of the diner-looking shop, reaching for their morning buzz. The store also sells muffins, doughnuts and other pastries.

"It's all to go along with coffee," Birmbas said. "It doesn't matter -- hot or cold."

There are also noncaffeinated drinks, but the big seller is still a hot cup of regular coffee.

"Everybody has to have their caffeine," he said. "For me, it's an enjoyment. I love to have a nice cup of coffee on the road. It's not about the caffeine."

For some, it is. They want that extra jolt from the lattes and cappuccinos.

"You'd be surprised," Birmbas said, "how many people go for the heavier stuff."

Mike Wheat has run the Coffee Station kiosk on Route 108 in Newmarket for three years.

It's a tiny closet of a drive-through business. Wheat bought the business from a couple of guys from Washington State who started it.

"The whole West Coast is coffee crazy. It's coming east," he said. "If you know good coffee, people have their little favorites they go to. It's more personal. You see them coming -- have their coffee ready."

He brews Barrie House out of New York for regular and sells the Commonwealth Roasters variety for flavored.

His biggest seller is regular iced coffee, all year round. Wheat credits the all-important teen and 20-something market for boosting those sales.

"What you're seeing now is a lot more young girls drinking iced coffee," Wheat said. "I call it the Britney Spears factor. They see it in the magazines. They're all dressing like Britney; they might as well drink like Britney. I also do a Red Bull energy drink, flavored shots. The kids love that, too."

There is no law against selling coffee to minors, Wheat said, though he draws the line when adults ask for a cup of coffee for their young children.

"I've had parents pull up and want to give young kids coffee," he said. "I don't tell them. I give them decaf."

On average, 120 to 150 people a day ride through the Newmarket drive-up window, with 7 to 10 a.m. the busiest time.

In June, the Iowa Women's Health Study on coffee and diabetes was released. It looked at more than 28,000 postmenopausal women over 11 years and found coffee intake may be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus because of minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in coffee, according to pubs.ama-assn.org.

Coffee intake was categorized as zero, less than one, one to three, four to five, and six or more cups per day. Compared with women who reported zero cups of coffee per day, women who consumed six or more cups per day had a 22 percent lower risk of diabetes.

This association appeared to be largely explained by decaffeinated coffee rather than regular coffee, the study said. Its conclusion: Coffee intake, especially decaffeinated, was inversely associated with risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in this group of postmenopausal women.

The maximum recommended amount of coffee is four 8-ounce cups a day.

coffee and health
parkinsons
coffee
liver disease
diabetes mellitus
cancer

The Dark Story Of Poverty In Your Coffee Cup

2006-02-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

By TOM THOMPSON
GUEST COLUMNIST

My local Starbucks sells a small coffee for $1.50; a simple latte starts at $2.50. That seems like a lot for a drink whose origin is the humble pit of a berry from a shrub in Ethiopia. Then again, we've come to believe a good cup of coffee, or even better, a latte, can make a bad day better or help with a moment of contemplation.

However soothing its image, coffee is the second most valuable exported legal commodity on the planet (after oil). Literally millions of people depend on the coffee industry for their livelihood. For its consumers, coffee minimally delivers the largest jolt of the world's most widely taken psychoactive drug (caffeine). At various times coffee has been claimed to be an aphrodisiac, enema, nerve tonic and life-extender.

Since the early '90s, coffee production has expanded beyond the traditionally dominant supplies, Brazil and Colombia, for example, to African, Asian and other Latin American countries. Unlike the case of oil, the world's supply of coffee beans has far exceeded demand. The result is that export prices in constant dollars are the lowest since 1900 and are even below those recorded during the Great Depression. Current figures suggest that the global revenue from coffee sales is about $55 billion, of which only $7 billion (13 percent) goes to the coffee-producing nations.

In a buyer's market, the share of the coffee trade enjoyed by producers has fallen by two-thirds in 10 years. The result is that the livelihoods of millions of peasant farmers and their families are threatened in a way that entire rural communities disappear and force desperate peasants into everything from crime to illegal migration.

It's a new paradigm in which both producers and consumers lose, what some analysts have called the coffee paradox -- the coexistence of a coffee boom in consuming countries and of a coffee crisis in producing countries.

Coffee cultivation has never emerged from the shadow of colonialism and empire into the sunshine of a more enlightened era. Local labor on subsistence wages produces coffee at the lowest possible price for markets in the developed world.

Producers have tried, but mainly failed, in the past to band together OPEC-style with the hope of maximizing, or even just stabilizing, prices. Coffee may be black and liquid but it's not oil.

Partly from cold war fears in Latin America, in the 1970s the United States supported the International Coffee Agreement, a kind of cartel, but which, unlike OPEC, required both exporters and consuming importer countries to submit to quotas.

By the late '80s, however, Cold War fears no longer provided a compelling reason for the United States to support the agreement and it folded. With the increasing openness of financial markets, the growing allure of deregulation for all industries and the free market atmosphere of the '90s, coffee became part of globalization, which included the steady expansion of hard currency-earning coffee production in other countries, especially Vietnam. Brazil, the world's biggest producer, also upped its output. And Indonesia and other exporters followed suit.

But it was Vietnam that made the difference. Financed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Vietnam went from a very small producer to the second-largest producer of Robusta, the less flavorful, more acrid type of coffee bean. Arabica, the milder, more flavorful, more expensive coffee variety that Starbucks exclusively uses is pickier where it can grow and needs more care.

The resulting Robusta glut has been a source of record profits by the four giants; Proctor and Gamble, Kraft Foods, Sara Lee and Nestle together control about 50 percent of the world's coffee. Their stranglehold has been helped by new roasting technologies -- notably a steaming process that removes many of the unpleasant, acrid tastes from Robusta beans. New kinds of commodity-hedging contracts also have allowed the companies to keep smaller stocks of beans at any single time, allowing them to do most of their buying when prices are lowest.

The Big Four's shift toward Robusta-heavy blends has put thousands of Arabica farmers out of business, and this has brought Arabica prices up, along with prices at Starbucks. Yet Starbucks' sales have risen by an average of 20 percent per year during the past decade, and the average price of its primary coffee drinks has outpaced inflation. In part, Starbucks, and the specialty industry as a whole, has been able to raise prices because it has sold a premium product and marketed itself brilliantly.

The company has taught people to value high-quality coffee, and, of course, to pay a premium for it, along with the casual-but-hip store environment. Starbucks, of course, went public in 1992, and its shareholders, who are meeting here Wednesday for their annual meeting, are, to say the least, happy shareholders.

"But the more successful and high-profile Starbucks becomes," writes Anthony Wild in "Coffee: The Dark History," "the more visible and disturbing the problem its success reveals. The very economics of the coffee bar in general work to highlight the gross inequities of the globalized market." Those inequities are part of the journey of the bean to the cup, where growers, traders, shippers, roasters and retailers claim part of each retail dollar. The Colombia Coffee Federation estimates that of the average price of an upscale cappuccino or latte, less than one U.S. cent finds its way back to the farmers.

This has not gone unnoticed by Starbucks. Unlike the mainstream companies that appear to have staked their businesses on lower-quality, cheaper beans, Starbucks pays above-market prices for high-quality Arabica beans. And anyone who has gone into a Starbucks has seen the "Fair Price/Fair Trade" movement coffee offerings. The message is that your dollars have an impact far beyond the store where you purchase your coffee.

Less well known are Starbucks' laudable farm credit and social development programs in coffee growing areas.

There have been a wide variety of well-meaning proposals to help fix the coffee paradox. Many in the industry hope that the United States will rejoin the International Coffee Organization, giving the cartel the muscle it would need to preside over a short-term reduction in acreage devoted to coffee growing. The United States could reduce trade barriers to processed coffee, and the World Bank could encourage producer-nations to diversify their crops.

One inescapable conclusion is that the coffee paradox exists because what coffee farmers sell and what consumers buy are becoming increasingly "different" coffees. It is not material bean quality that coffee consumers pay for. It is mostly symbolic quality and in-person services. As long as coffee farmers and their organizations do not control at least parts of the "immaterial" production, they will keep getting low prices.

This is certainly the thinking of the National Federation of Coffee Growers in Colombia, which has opened retail coffee shops under the Juan Valdez name in Seattle, New York and Washington, D.C. The coffee shops, which have airy interiors of Colombian wood, and emphasize the quality of their coffee rather than a spot for social gathering, represent a belated effort by the Coffee Federation to grab a slice of the world retail market for specialty coffee. The Colombian group is, of course, tiny compared with Starbucks, which has more than 6,000 outlets.

But the logic of its efforts is an understandable gamble. Its stores in Colombia are profitable. If its U.S. stores succeed, the Coffee Federation has announced it will use those profits to restore some of its spending on rural development, which in recent years has suffered.

No matter how successful efforts are at coffee sales, either at the wholesale or retail level, the existing world coffee supply is far too large for any market adjustment to be easy, painless or fast.

Tom Thompson of Bainbridge Island is president of Analytics Inc. and also teaches economics on the adjunct faculty in the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University.

Flaming Coffee Tia Maria Recipe

2006-01-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

FLAMING COFFEE WITH TIA MARIA Recipe

The fun of cooking is putting on a show and being watched. A stage is your dining room and your audience is your guest.
Practice makes perfect so please practice before putting a show on in front of someone.

Ingredients
1/4 medium lemon
1 cup granulated sugar in bowl
1 1/2 ounces cognac
1 1/2 ounces Tia Maria
3 cups of hot, fresh coffee
1 cup Romance Whipped Cream

Equipment Needed
1 small fire extinguisher
1 portable gourmet stove and fuel
3 long handled matches
2 heat resistant glasses with stem
1 serving spoon
1 jigger
2 napkins
2 dessert plates with under liner

Light the burner and adjust the control to moderate eat.

Rub the rim of a glass with lemon. Dip the rim in the bowl of granulated sugar to coat.

Pour 11/2 ounces cognac from a jigger into the glass hold the glass by the stem over the burner, turning continuously to prevent breaking, until the cognac ignites.

Remove the glass from the burner and swirl until the sugar on the rim caramelizes.

Pour in 3/4 ounces of Tia Maria.

Add hot coffee to within inch of the top of glass. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to coffee.

Next, spoon romance whipped cream over top of coffee.
For presenting, wrap the glass in a clean white napkin, place on a dessert plate with under liner and serve.
Yield: 2 servings

Coffee Passion Pound Cake Recipe

2006-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

Espresso ... latte ... cappuccino ... café au lait ... COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE. We brew it freshly every morning, visit coffee bars daily, carry containers of it wherever we go, and speak earnestly about which coffee beans are best and the qualitative differences between various brewing methods. We're obsessed.

If you are among the many who share this passion for coffe, you'll love the Coffee Passion Pound Cake recipe. It is a coffee-lover's delight. The flavor of java is rich and pronounced and complimented by the bitterness of the walnuts. Mildly sweet, this pound cake doesn't interfere with the dominant coffee taste.

We offer two different glaze recipes. My husband prefers the vanilla one as it is similar to his coffee with cream and sugar. But if you like your brew black and want a double shot of coffee flavor, use the coffee glaze.

Though this coffee passion pound cake is ready to eat as soon as it is cooled and glazed, we like it best the day after it has been baked; the flavors mellow. And of course, the best way to finish this dessert off is with a cup of superb coffee!

Be sure to use a pan with a middle tube, like a Bundt pan, as it needs heat from both sides to set the batter quickly and prevent the possibility of falling.

This cake freezes well; just defrost it and add the glaze before serving.

Coffee Passion Pound Cake Recipe
(Adjusted for altitudes above 8,000 feet)

Make in a 12 cup Bundt pan. You can successfully half this recipe

Cake Ingredients

1/2 cup of milk

5 tablespoons of instant coffee granules

1 1/3 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 2/3 plus 2 tablespoons flour (gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and sweep the top to level it; don't dip the measuring cup into the flour or you will get too much)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup of walnuts, chopped medium

Vanilla Glaze

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons cream or milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

A pinch of salt

1-2 cups confectioners' sugar

Coffee Glaze

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm milk or cream

1-2 cups of confectioners' sugar

A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you are using a dark metal pan), with a rack in the center position. Grease and flour the pan or spray it well with Baker's Joy, wiping the spray with a paper towel to assure uniform coverage. Be sure the pan's central tube is well greased and floured.

Warm the milk in a small bowl, add the instant coffee and stir until it is dissolved. Set mixture aside to cool.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set the mixture aside.

Cream the room-temperature butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture is lightened in color and fluffy. Take your time with this; it makes a big difference in the cake's texture.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the coffee-milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix the batter gently after each addition. Don't overbeat the batter at this stage.

Stir the walnuts in with a rubber spatula.

Pour or spoon the batter into the cake pan, smoothing and leveling it as you do so.

Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, the time will depend on the size and shape of your pan. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Remove the cake to a cooling rack. Wait about 15 minutes, invert the cake, carefully remove the pan, and let it cool.

Prepare the glaze: Whisk the melted butter, milk or cream (mixed with instant coffee for the coffee glaze) and salt until combined. If making the vanilla glaze, add the vanilla at this stage. Add about a cup of confectioners' sugar and mix well. Continue adding the sugar, a bit at a time, until the glaze reaches the consistency you want. If it becomes too thick, add a bit more milk or cream. Drizzle it decoratively over the cooled cake.

This recipe is inspired by one in the Bundt Cookbook.

Serve This Delicious Cake With Your Favorite Freshly Roasted Gourmet Coffee

Can Great Coffee Save the Jungle?

2006-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Persuaded that guilt alone won't get Americans to pay more for environmentally friendly coffee, importers are trying a market approach by giving farmers the tools to grow better beans

The goals of a better cup of joe, social justice and a healthier environment are nowhere more tightly entwined these days than in the small Central American nation of Nicaragua, with its turbulent history of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, revolution and U.S. intervention. Coffee buyers say Nicaragua has recently become the "hot origin" for gourmet coffee, with its beans winning taste awards and its decent wages for many small farmers a hopeful beacon for a global coffee market under siege. "Nicaragua is where you see the future of socially responsible coffee," says California-based importer Paul Katzeff.

Katzeff believes that good coffee, sweetened with social justice, has the power to change the world, offering dignity to the downtrodden and protecting the forests that provide their income. He has invested much of the past 17 years in caffeinated nation-building in these rolling northern hills. The work of Katzeff and others are a last-ditch attempt to avert the effects of a coffee crisis that has pushed prices in some parts of the world below production costs. Between 1999 and 2002, the price of coffee was halved in a race to the bottom that has trampled many of the world's 25 million small coffee farmers, throwing millions out of work and off their land and leaving families impoverished and malnourished. And as farmers have despaired, the quality of coffee has suffered.

But what does gourmet coffee have to do with rescuing the forest, or the families who tend it? It's all about shade: today's crisis stems mostly from an overflow of cheap, sun-loving, easy-to-grow robusta beans from chemically fertilized plantations in Brazil and Vietnam. The best-quality coffee, most traders agree, comes from delicate, sun-intolerant arabica plants, which tend to be grown on small farms. In Nicaragua, arabica is grown in rain forests more than 3,000 feet above sea level, sheltered by orange, mango, mahogany, rosewood and inga trees. The rich soil nurtures the coffee plants, while the forest canopy shelters both the berries and a host of bats and birds

High Breast-Cancer Risk Women Get Coffee Help

2006-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

MONTREAL, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Some women at high risk for breast cancer may be helped by drinking six or more cups of coffee a day, Canadian researchers found.

Study co-author Parviz Ghadirian of the University of Montreal says women who drink six or more cups of coffee a day could slash their risk of developing breast cancer by 75 percent -- but only if they have a genetic mutation that places them at extremely high risk of developing cancer.

The study shows that women with the BRCA1 mutation -- who have about an 80 percent risk of developing breast cancer before age 70 -- saw their risk fall to about 20 percent if they were heavy coffee drinkers, reported the Toronto Globe and Mail Friday.

The researchers say caffeine has a demonstrated effect on hormones -- and the hormone estrogen in particular. Excessive estrogen is known to cause breast cancer.

Ghadirian says caffeine helps the body break down estrogen and coffee is an important source of phytoestrogens, which may have protective effect against cancer.

However, Ghadirian warns caffeine can rob the bones of important minerals and hasten osteoporosis.

The findings are published at International Journal of Cancer.

© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Brewing Espresso that is Just Right; Espresso Instructions

2005-12-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

How To Make Espresso; Espresso Instructions
By Jonathan J., Jun 28, 2005

Brewing espresso is extremely dependent on the steps followed and the skill of the maker more so than any other method of brewing coffee. There are three important variables that are more difficult to control while producing espresso than with other methods. The three variables are:

Grind
Temperature
Extraction length

With many other brewing methods these variables are controlled for you. However with espresso, the barista must be in complete control of these the variables to ensure a quality cup. There are several important steps to keep in mind when making espresso.

Grind coffee beans immediately before brewing.

Obviously the fresher the coffee the more full flavored the resulting cup will be. This is extremely important when brewing espresso.

Use a grind that is neither too coarse nor too fine.

As outlined in our article Espresso: Extraction Notes, a grind that is too coarse will not allow the water to remain in contact with the coffee long enough to produce quality flavor. A grind that is too fine will cause the water to remain in contact too long with the coffee resulting in flavor that is unevenly robust. Use a burr grinder which is better capable to produce a consistent grind than a blade version. If you do not own a grinder or prefer to have it ground at your coffee store, be sure to let them know the exact type of espresso machine you will be using so they can fine tune the grind for you. In addition make sure they write down which grind setting they used for future experimentation or to duplicate a grind that was just right. Keep in mind that if you visit different stores, these numerical settings may not equate to the same grind.

Use the correct amount of freshly roasted, ground coffee.

Using a small spoon place enough copy in the portafileter so that the amount in the middle is slightly higher than the rim amount. Using the backside of a butter knife or similar straightedge plane the coffee in the portafilter to a flat surface.

Correctly pack the coffee into the portafilter.

Using a tamper, gently push down on the coffee. Try to create a two to three millimeter space between the surface of the packed coffee and the top rim of the portafilter. Now gently tap the bottom of the portafilter against a hard surface to remove any coffee that has stuck to the inside walls of the portafilter basket. The coffee must then be packed again using more force, about fifteen pounds of pressure for home units and up to twenty-five pounds of pressure for commercial units. These are only guides and you should adjust based on experimentation with the result obtained. You should turn the tamper in a circular motion after pressing down on the coffee. This will help to ensure an even coffee surface for the water to penetrate.

NOTE ON PRESSURE: One method to get a feel for the correct amount of pressure is to press down on a bathroom scale with your tamper and adjusting based on the readout and desired amount of pressure to be obtained.

Brewing the Espresso

The desired volume of espresso to be produced in an ideal shot is 1 ounce. This is accomplished by a brew cycle of approximately twenty-five seconds. The brew cycle is defined as the length of time water comes in contact with the coffee. Here is a breakdown of happens after you activate the switch to turn the espresso machine on:

There is a brief two-three second pause before you begin to see espresso emerge as a light drip, during this time water is slowly moving through the densely packed espresso.
Seconds five through fifteen may continue to be a drip albeit faster than the initial three and the color should be reddish-brown.

The crema will begin to develop during seconds sixteen through about twenty-two and will progressively thicken.

After about twenty-two seconds, the espresso may begin to flow more quickly and you should look closely at the color of the crema which should be a light to a golden brown color. As soon as this color is achieved the brewing should be stopped.
This occurs at about twenty-five seconds, and there should be about one ounce of espresso in the cup. Any continuance after twenty-five seconds risks turning the espresso to a bitter, thin and watery tasting espresso.

Coffee Shortage Worldwide Looms Two Years From Now

2005-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

A world coffee shortage is looming two years from now as yields from Brazilian trees dwindle and a global surplus in 2006-07 fails to replenish stockpiles in producer countries, commodity analysts F.O. Licht forecast.

“In 2007-08, stocks could be at a critically low level,” F.O. Licht Man- aging Director Helmut Ahlfeld said Fri-day in a telephone interview from its head office in Ratzeburg, Germany.

Costs have risen for producers in Brazil, the world’s biggest grower and exporter of coffee, while the strengthening real has hurt earnings. The Brazilian currency has gained 53 percent versus the dollar since the beginning of 2003.

“This makes it difficult to embark on renewing billions of trees, which are now beginning to age and are past their prime,” F.O. Licht said in a report today. “Without replanting, yields will begin to slip back in the years to come.”

Yields from Brazilian trees will naturally fall in 2007-08 after a big harvest the previous year. Abundant coffee crops are typically followed by smaller ones as the trees require about one year to recover.

Brazil’s coffee production in 2006-07 will increase to between 40 million and 48 million bags, each weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), F.O. Licht predicts.
The Brazilian government has lowered its estimate for the 2005/06 harvest to 33.3 million bags from 39.3 million bags. Coffee traders estimate the crop will be between 34 million and 36 million bags, the report said.
Vietnam

Production probably will increase next year in Vietnam, the second-biggest coffee grower, according to the report.

“After this year’s drought, water reserves are now good, with the trees green, and a bumper crop is expected for 2006-07,” F.O. Licht said. Still “stocks in producing countries should be extremely low. Any surplus in 2006-07 may not be high enough to allow producers to replenish depleted stocks.”

Prices of Robusta, bitter-tasting beans used by Nestle S.A. and Kraft Foods Inc. for instant coffee, have gained 54 percent this year on the Liffe exchange in London. Vietnam is the biggest grower of Robusta. Milder Arabica beans, which account for most of Brazil’s crop, have fallen 1.4 percent this year on the New York Board of Trade. “Stock figures are notoriously unreliable and levels will only be known to have ‘hit bottom’ if prices make a sharp upward jump, prompting producers to sweep their warehouses.”

By Peter McGill
Bloomberg News

CINNAMON NUT SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

2005-12-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Serve this delicious coffee cake with a cup of your favorite Java Queen International coffee or tea. You won't go wrong with this sure-to-please coffee cake layered with cinnamon and walnuts.

Preparation 20 min.
Baking 50 min.

Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coffee Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened*
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups LAND O LAKES® Sour Cream
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining coffee cake ingredients. Beat until well mixed.

Spread 1/3 batter into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt® pan or 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with half filling mixture. Repeat with batter and filling mixture. Spread remaining 1/3 batter over filling.

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.

*Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil right from the refrigerator.
Ingredient Substitution Index

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrition Facts (1 serving)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calories: 440
Fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 90 mg
Sodium: 500 mg
Carbohydrates: 60 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 7 g

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5011B Copyright © 1995 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Espresso Chocolate Torte

2005-12-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

Yield: 8-10 Servings
Difficulty: ** (Intermediate)
Preparation: 50 minutes, plus baking and chilling times

Chocolate Cake:
8 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva® Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup very hot espresso
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Coulis:
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored liqueur

Decoration:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fresh raspberries for garnish

Make Cake:
1. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9- by 2 1/2-inch round springform pan. Line bottom of pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter paper.

2. In food processor fitted with metal blade, place chocolate and sugar. Cover and process for 15-20 seconds, until finely ground.

3. With motor running, pour espresso through feed tube. Process for 10-15 seconds, until chocolate is completely melted. Using a spatula, scrape down sides of work bowl. Add butter and process for about 5 seconds or until incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla and process for about 5 seconds or until mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape chocolate batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula.

4. Bake for 55 minutes, until edges of the cake are puffy and center is just set. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until ready to serve.

Make Coulis:
In medium saucepan, place frozen raspberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely dissolved and berries are soft. Do not let mixture boil. Strain raspberry mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Add liqueur, cover and refrigerate.

Decorate Chocolate Cake:
1. Run a thin-bladed knife around edge of cake to loosen it from sides of springform pan. Remove side of springform pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate. Peel off paper and refrigerate while preparing whipped cream.

2. In a large chilled bowl, beat cream with sugar and vanilla just until stiff peaks begin to form. Spread thin even layer of whipped cream over top of the chocolate cake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (such as Ateco #6) with remaining whipped cream. Completely cover top of cake with whipped cream rosettes.

3. To serve, drizzle some raspberry coulis onto each dessert plate. With a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice cake, wiping blade clean between each cut. Place slices on plates, and garnish with raspberries.

Use Java Queen International Coffee Delivery For All Of Your Recipes. Your Favorite Coffee Roasters Roast Your Coffee When You Order It To Give You The Very Best Cup Of Coffee!

Cappuccino Caramels Royale

2005-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Each butter, chewy bite of these caramels is accented with the warm flavor of coffee

Ingredients

64 1" pieces (approx 3lb)
WEIGHTS MEASURES INGEDIENTS
1 cup Butter
2 1/4 cups Packed brown sugar
1 can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Light corn syrup
1 tbsp Instant coffee crystals
1 cup Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

144 1" pieces (approx 6 lbs)
WEIGHTS MEASURES INGEDIENTS
2 cups Butter
4 1/2 cups Packed brown sugar
2 cans Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups Light corn syrup
2 tbsp Instant coffee crystals
2 cups Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, extending paper over edges of pan.
In heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup butter. Stir in brown sugar, Eagle Brand, corn syrup and coffee crystals. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers 248 degrees F (120C)(firm-ball stage*). Mixture should boil at moderate, steady rate over entire surface. Reaching firm-ball stage should take 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Remove thermometer. Immediately stir in nuts if desired. Quickly pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly with spoon. Cool.
Cut into 1" squares.

Notes
To test for firm-ball stage, spoon a few drops of the hot caramel mixture into a cup of very cold (but not icy) water. Using your fingers, form the drops into a ball. Remove the ball from the water. If it is firm enough to hold its shape but quickly flattens at room temperature, it has reached firm-ball stage. If the mixture hasn't reached the correct stage, contuinue cooking and retesting, using fresh water and a clean spoon each time

Serve these delicious treats with your favorite cup of coffee.

Starbucks Coffee Introduces Christmas Blend

2005-12-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

By A Staff Reporter

MUSCAT — Keeping the spirit of tradition, Starbucks Coffee has introduced the Starbucks classic Christmas blend for this season.

Starbucks Coffee Company has also brought its much-sought-after Toffee Nut Latte back once again this year for a limited period and adding to the selection is Chocolate Praline Mocha, which is also set to be popular this winter.

In a statement released here, Maan Kouly, senior operations manager, Starbucks Middle East, said: “Winter is a time to get warm and cozy and all our Starbucks Coffee stores are set to emanate such an atmosphere with hot coffees and food selections that compliment our beverages.”

Speaking further, Maan said: “We had introduced a special coffee selection for Ramadan recently and are now doing the same for Christmas. Each year, we carefully select the coffees, which complement the season. We listen to our customers and due to eager anticipation; we are offering the classic Christmas blend, the delicious Toffee Nut Latte and the delectable Chocolate Praline Mocha.”

Starbucks Christmas Coffee Blend is an exclusive annual blend that has become a highly anticipated holiday tradition. Blending the liveliness of Latin American coffees with mellow, smooth Indonesian coffee, results in an elegant and heavy bodied, refined flavour.

These rare, aged Indonesian beans are added for more depth and a hint of exotic spice creating the flavour with a holiday sparkle that has since been known as the flavour of this once-a-year celebration: Christmas Blend.

While the flavour profile remains the same each year, the recipe is modified to account for variations within the coffee origins themselves.

Complementing the seasonal array of coffees and beverages is Chocolate Praline Mocha with a tantalising flavour. With Starbucks Coffee's smooth signature espresso, creamy steamed milk, chocolate lightly sweetened with hazelnut syrup, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, Chocolate Praline Mocha is a must have for the chocoholics.

Customers at Starbucks will experience the warmth within the store ambience, which is such an essential part during time of the year when it’s all wintry outside.

The “third place” aspect of Starbucks creates an atmosphere filled with warm coffee beverages, the best selection of pastries and light savouries, as well as an intriguing assortment of seasonal merchandise including a wide selection of cheerful holiday mugs and tumblers to create a thoughtful gift for friends and family.

The winter selection from Starbucks is available at all the Starbucks Coffee stores for a limited period.

Coffee and Tea Can Reduce The Risk Of Chronic Liver Disease

2005-12-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

Bethesda, Maryland (Dec. 1, 2005)

A study published today in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Gastroenterology found that people at high risk for liver injury may be able to reduce their risk for developing chronic liver disease significantly by drinking more than two cups of coffee or tea daily. This preventative effect was only seen in people at higher risk for liver disease due to heavy alcohol intake, being overweight or having diabetes or iron overload. This is the first study to take a prospective look at the relationship between coffee and tea consumption and chronic liver disease in the general U.S. population.

"While it is too soon to encourage patients to increase their coffee and tea intake, the findings of our study potentially offer people at high-risk for developing chronic liver disease a practical way to decrease that risk," said Constance E. Ruhl, MD, PhD, who conducted the study with colleague, James E. Everhart, MD, MPH. "In addition, we hope the findings will offer guidance to researchers who are studying liver disease progression."

Chronic liver disease is an ongoing injury to the cells of the liver, resulting in inflammation that lasts longer than six months. Its causes are numerous, including viruses, obesity, alcohol, metabolic or immunologic abnormalities, and side effects from various medications. Chronic liver diseases include cirrhosis, fibrosis and hepatitis. According to the most recent estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 28,000 people die of chronic liver disease each year and there are more than 5 million prevalent cases of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in the United States.

Researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and Social & Scientific Systems, Inc. conducted an analysis of patients using the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) and the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. The study population included 9,849 participants whose coffee and tea intake was evaluated and who were followed for a median of 19 years. In this analysis, coffee and tea intake was measured in cups, ranging from 0 to 16 cups per day with a median of two cups per day. Findings showed that those who consumed more than two cups of coffee or tea per day developed chronic liver disease at half the rate of those who drank less than one cup each day.

Over the last few years, there has been a growing body of evidence that coffee decreases the risk of elevated liver enzymes, cirrhosis and liver cancer. This study provides support for a protective effect of coffee on chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and extends these findings to the general U.S. population. However, the study does not provide evidence that coffee and tea protect against chronic liver disease from individual causes, such as fatty liver disease or viral hepatitis.

"In the analysis, we determined that caffeine was partly responsible for the protective effect found. We believe that investigations into the mechanism of action of caffeine for protecting the liver and its clinical application are needed," said Dr. Ruhl.

###
This study was supported by a contract from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease of the National Institutes of Health.

Looking for the freshest, best cup of coffee that you can find? Keurig Single Cup Coffeemakers

Coffee Perks Up Short-Term Memory

2005-11-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

By Janice Billingsley
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Those morning cups of java might sharpen your memory so you can better tackle the tasks of the day, a new Austrian study suggests.

Scientists at the Innsbruck Medical University discovered that 100 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, increased activity in the part of the brain that is responsible for short-term memory, and improved performance on a test that measures memory function.

"We found modulation of a distinct brain area within the working memory network was more activated under caffeine compared to the placebo condition. This is the specific brain region which would be used for short-term memory function," said study author Dr. Florian Koppelstatter, a radiology fellow at the university.

These functions include being able to prioritize information to manage tasks efficiently, as well as plan new tasks and deal with stored information, he said. An example would be the process of looking up a number in a telephone book, and remembering it so you could dial the number.

Koppelstatter was to present the findings Wednesday at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting, in Chicago.

Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate, is the most widely used stimulant in the world, with a global, per-person average of 76 milligrams a day. Americans consume an average of 238 milligrams of caffeine daily, which is the equivalent of four-and-a-half cups of coffee. Scandinavians have the highest daily caffeine intake -- 400 milligrams daily, Koppelstatter said.

For the study, Koppelstatter and his colleagues recruited 15 males between the ages of 26 and 47. Over a two-day period that included fasting and no exposure to caffeine or nicotine, each man was given, on alternate days, 100 milligrams of caffeine dissolved in water and then just water. Twenty minutes after taking their drinks, they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and then were tested to assess their working memory skills.

The fMRI showed that caffeine increased activity in a brain region in the front lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and in the anterior cingulate cortex, the part of the brain that controls attention. None of the men showed an increase in activity in this area of the brain when they drank the placebo.

In an accompanying test, the men were presented with a randomized sequence of capital letters, and they had to decide whether the current letter was the same as or different from the letter presented two letters before. They were asked to respond as quickly as possible by tapping response pads with their fingers.

After consuming caffeine, all the men showed a tendency toward improved reaction times on the test, compared to when they had no caffeine, Koppelstatter said.

"It doesn't mean that without caffeine you don't have activation in this part of the brain, but with caffeine you have modulation of the brain, which means there is more activation," he said.

Dr. Bruce Rubin, a neurologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said this study sheds new light on how caffeine works on the brain.

He added that previous research had shown caffeine improves attention, and that any improved memory function identified was assumed to be a result of better focus --"You have to be attentive to remember."

"But this study showed that caffeine had a direct effect on the networks and processing of the memory," Rubin said.

Koppelstatter said the mechanism by which the caffeine acts on the brain is largely unknown, but is related to the way the substance reacts on the small blood vessels of the brain and on the nerve cells in the brain.

While two cups of coffee might improve your memory, don't think that drinking more will turn you into an intellectual, Koppelstatter noted.

"The positive effects of caffeine don't increase in a linear way," he said, and too much caffeine can make you more anxious, counteracting the positive effects the substance can provide.

Whether you prefer decaf or regular coffee, Java Queen International will give you the best cup of coffee with their freshly roasted coffee beans

Can Coffee Calm Colon Cancer?

2005-11-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

Date:30/11/2005
Written By:GV

German researchers have found a compound in coffee that may prevent colon cancer. The highly active antioxidant called methylpyridinium is found almost exclusively in coffee products. In recent studies conducted on animals the potent antioxidant appeared to boost the activity of phase II enzymes which are believed to help prevent colon cancer.

Although scientists have long suspected that coffee might offer some cancer protection, this is the first study that has identified a specific anticancer compound in coffee. Thomas Hofman, a researcher in the study and head of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the University of Munster stated that, “No one knows exactly how much coffee is needed to have a protective effect against colon cancer … however, our studies suggest that drinking coffee may offer some protection, especially if it’s strong”.

Methylpyridinium is not present in raw coffee beans, but is instead formed during the roasting process from its chemical precursor, trigonellin. Although the compound is present in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, espresso contains about two to three times more of the anticancer compound than instant coffee.

Source: http://paktribune.com/news/

Pay Wholesale Prices For Your Coffee! Make Your Own Holiday Gift Baskets. Java Queen Int'l Discount Fresh Roasted Gourmet Coffee.

Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

2005-11-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 packages yeast
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
2/3 cup dried cranberries - plumped by soaking in 1 cup hot orange juice, then drained well before adding to mixture
1 egg, beaten, for glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
4-5 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, orange zest and salt.
Heat milk, water and butter until warm (105-115 degrees).
Add to dry ingredients; beat two minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat two minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make stiff batter.
Gently fold in drained cranberries.
Grease top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours or up to two days.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Punch dough down.
Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Roll out to 14x7-inch rectangle.
Cut into 14 one-inch strips. Twist two strips together.
Form into coil and tuck ends underneath.
Repeat with remaining strips to make seven coils.
Place one coil in center of baking sheet.
Arrange remaining coils around center coil in circle with sides lightly touching. Cover, let rise in warm, draft free place until doubled in size (about 20 to 40 minutes).
Lightly beat one egg with one tablespoon of water and brush on cake.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.
Remove from sheet and cool on rack.
Make orange icing by combining powdered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle on coffee cake.

Love coffee, vanilla and dark chocolate? Thank an Indian

2005-11-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Posted on Sun, Nov. 20, 2005

ART COULSON

I have tried to pass along to my young daughters the values and lessons I was given as a boy. Among them is the notion that thanksgiving is a daily event, not reserved to one day in late November. When we in the American Indian community gather for a feast or other public event, we often start with a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking the Creator for our health, for the beauty of the natural world and the bounty he has laid before us.

As my daughters and I stock up and prepare to celebrate the national holiday later this week (yes, we celebrate Thanksgiving with a capital "T," too), I like to point out to the girls the many foods that American Indian people gave to the world. Sure, coffee hardly seems like much of a gift to them (for now). But they certainly appreciate some of the other contributions of native people: chocolate and hot cocoa. Vanilla. Corn and potatoes. Turkey. Cornbread stuffing (OK, that last one was a stretch, but, man, could my mom whip up a mean stuffing).

The contributions of the indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere continue to tantalize our palates. Consider:

• Coffee and hot cocoa: Where would Starbucks and Caribou be without them?

• Chocolate and vanilla: America's two favorite flavors. When I read about the Aztec drink that combined cocoa and chile peppers, my taste buds start quivering.

And vanilla was so prized by some indigenous cultures that it was accepted as payment for taxes.

• Corn: One of the most important plants to indigenous people and one of the Three Sisters of the Iroquois, the other two being beans and squash. The Iroquois call the three tsiohekon, or "they sustain us."

In my own Cherokee tradition, we are taught that selu, or corn, was the mother of all the other plants.

• Potatoes: There is evidence that the native peoples of South America cultivated potatoes 7,000 years ago.

• Tomatoes: Imagine pizza without the "love apple."

• Wild rice: Still a staple of the diet and economies of Minnesota's Indian tribes and the official state grain.

• Chewing gum: Originally used as a dental hygiene product, ironically.

As my daughters and I discuss the indigenous foods of the Americas, our conversation often broadens to encompass other Indian innovations, such as:

• Lacrosse, a sport with a particular place in our hearts as the Minnesota Swarm prepares to play its second season at the Xcel Center.

• Parkas: Another invention of particular interest to Minnesotans. Thank the Inuit for this winter wear.

• Our federal system of government and universal women's suffrage. Ben Franklin cited The Great Law of the Iroquois as his inspiration for his earliest writings on a united colonial government.

The Iroquois government, the longest surviving democracy, is divided into three branches, just as our government is today.

But one big piece of the Iroquois Great Law that Franklin overlooked was its granting of political and social power to women — women were the heads of their households and selected the chiefs and other officials of each clan. It took the fledgling United States almost 200 years to give women the vote.

Sometimes, great lessons take time to sink in, I guess.

So as you carve the turkey and dish out the yams on Thursday, give thanks not just to the Creator, but to the indigenous people of this hemisphere who continue to share their bounty with the world.

Coulson is editorial page editor of the Pioneer Press. Contact him at 651-228-5544; 345 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101; or by e-mail at acoulson@pioneerpress.com.

Forget Decaf - coffee full of caffeine is much healthier!

2005-11-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

News-Medical.Net

Medical Study News
Published: Sunday, 20-Nov-2005

Contrary to the hype the public has often been led to believe, a new study has revealed that decaffeinated coffee may be worse for the health than the caffeine rich kind.

Researchers apparently found, in the first randomised study of normal and decaffeinated coffees, that the decaffeinated variety raised the level of fats and "bad" cholesterol in the blood more than caffeinated blends.

In a study of 187 people by the Fuqua Heart Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, researchers saw an 18 per cent rise in blood fat and an 8 per cent rise in a protein linked with LDL cholesterol among decaffeinated coffee drinkers compared with the those who drank caffeinated coffee or none at all.

According to Dr Robert Superko, who led the study, decaffeinated coffee was less healthy because it is made from high-flavour beans that contain more oils because the decaffeination process can reduce flavour, therefore manufacturers are more inclined to choose a bean that has a more robust flavour.

The finding was presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association.

What ever your preferrence, Java Queen International provides the freshest coffee delivered directly to your door. Whether you want international roasts, low acid, decaf or one of our more than 110 flavored coffees, you will be more than happy with the price, product and service from Java Queen International.

LATTE CHEESECAKE BARS

2005-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Cut these bars into triangles to add an interesting shape to a cookie tray.

Preparation 20 min.
Baking 20 min.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling Ingredients:

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Heavy Whipping Cream
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Combine 2 tablespoons whipping cream and coffee granules in small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until coffee dissolves.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add coffee mixture, eggs and vanilla. Beat, scraping bowl often, just until combined. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is nearly set. Cool on wire rack 1 hour.

Place 1/3 cup whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until whipping cream almost comes to a boil (1 minute). Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 1 hour. Cut into bars.

*Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil.

TIP: Be sure to use the size baking pan specified in the recipe when making bar cookies. Using a pan too large or too small will alter the baking time and texture of your bars.
Ingredient Substitution Index

Yield: 36 bars

Nutrition Facts (1 bar)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calories: 150
Fat: 11 g
Cholesterol: 45 mg
Sodium: 110 mg
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 2 g

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12709 Copyright © 2003 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

For a perfect cup of coffee with these latte cheesecake bars, we recommend Java Queen International

ORANGE ESPRESSO SPICED NUTS

2005-11-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

Espresso powder, orange and cinnamon give this tasty snack a grown-up flavor.

Preparation 10 min.
Baking 25 min.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon expresso powder*
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
2 cups pecan halves
2 cups lightly salted dry roasted whole cashews
1 cup walnut halves
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter

Instructions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt in small bowl.

Place egg whites in medium bowl. Beat at high speed, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form. Continue beating, gradually adding sugar mixture, until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in nuts and orange peel by hand.

Line 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Melt butter in oven in foil-lined pan (4 to 6 minutes). Spread nut mixture over butter. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 25 to 30 minutes or until nuts are browned and no butter remains. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

*Substitute 4 teaspoons instant coffee granules.

TIP: Teachers, mail carriers and neighbors will appreciate these sweet-spicy nuts at holiday time. Just place the cooled nuts in a festive mug, cover with plastic food wrap and tie with holiday ribbon.
Ingredient Substitution Index

Yield: 5 cups

Nutrition Facts (1/4 cup)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calories: 250
Fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 130 mg
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12713 Copyright © 2003 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

For Your Special Holiday Coffee, You Must See The Huge Selection At Java Queen International

Lots Of Coffee In Pregnancy May Be Risky

2005-11-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

16 November 2005

NEW YORK: Women who drink eight or more cups of coffee daily while pregnant are at risk for spontaneous abortion and stillbirth, Danish researchers report.

In their study, they found that fetal death was twice as likely among heavy coffee drinkers relative to pregnant women who did not drink coffee.

Adjusting for other risk factors weakened the association somewhat, but heavy coffee drinkers remained at 59 per cent greater risk of foetal death, Dr Bodil Hammer Bech of the University of Aarhus and colleagues report.

Women who drank four to seven cups daily had a 33 per cent increased risk of fetal death.

"Due to our findings and previous studies we think it is reasonable to apply the precaution principle and advise pregnant women to abstain from drinking more than 3 cups of coffee per day," Bech told Reuters Health. Denmark currently has an official policy warning women to restrict their coffee intake to three cups or less daily.

While a number of studies have linked coffee drinking to undesirable pregnancy outcomes, and there are plausible physiological mechanisms by which caffeine might harm a fetus, the risks of coffee drinking in pregnancy have been questioned, Bech and colleagues explain in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

To investigate, they surveyed 88,482 women enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort, among whom there were 1102 foetal deaths.

The women were interviewed about coffee intake and potentially confounding factors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, at approximately 16 weeks' gestation.

Among the women, 55.4 per cent reported drinking no coffee during pregnancy, while 31.4 per cent drank one-half to three cups daily. Thirteen per cent of the women drank more than three cups of coffee daily, while 3.4 per cent drank eight or more cups a day.

After adjustment, the researchers found, women who drank one-half to three cups a day had a 3 per cent increased risk of foetal death; those who consumed four to seven cups had a 33 per cent increased risk; and those who drank eight or more cups had a 59 per cent greater risk of foetal death. The association was strongest for fetal deaths after 20 weeks gestation.

The researchers found no link between tea or cola consumption and foetal death, suggesting that caffeine may not be the exposure of interest.

"Coffee contains a number of chemical compounds," Bech noted.

"Further studies should try to disentangle a caffeine effect from a non-caffeine effect."

Java Queen Int'l Coffee Academy Provides You With The Best Tasting Decaf, Low Acid Coffee, If You Are Mindful Of These Elements.

Coffee Might Help Women's Blood Pressure

2005-11-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

By LINDSEY TANNER
AP MEDICAL WRITER

CHICAGO -- Here's good news for women who love coffee: Drinking it doesn't seem to cause long-term high blood pressure, a study suggests.

But for some reason, women in the same study who drank colas did seem to have a greater risk of high blood pressure. Researchers were surprised at that and cautioned that the study wasn't conclusive.

Caffeine is a well-known ingredient in both beverages, and has been shown to cause short-term increases in blood pressure. But coffee drinkers in the study were no more likely than abstainers to develop high blood pressure during 12 years of follow-up.

Previous data on coffee and hypertension is mixed, but there's a common perception that its temporary effects on blood pressure mean an increased long-term risk, said Dr. Wolfgang Winkelmayer, the study's lead author and a researcher at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"We found strong evidence to refute" that belief, the researchers wrote.

There was even some evidence that women who drank lots of coffee - four or more daily cups of regular or decaf - faced a slightly lower risk for developing high blood pressure than those who drank little or none.

Winkelmayer said that may be because coffee has lots of antioxidants, substances which are thought to help protect the heart and reduce risks of cancer.

He called the results for cola drinkers surprising and potentially worrisome, but also far from definitive because it's unclear how sodas might increase blood pressure.

The government-funded study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Several recent studies have shown possible health benefits from coffee, including a report calling it a major food source for antioxidants; results linking heavy coffee consumption in men with a reduced risk of diabetes; and Japanese research suggesting that coffee might help prevent liver cancer.

Winkelmayer's group examined data on 155,594 mostly white female nurses aged 55 on average who took part in two long-running health studies. They were questioned periodically about their diets and health and followed over 12 years. About 33,000 were diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Women who drank more than three cups of coffee daily were about 7 percent to 12 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than women who drank little or no coffee.

Those who drank at least four cans of sugared cola drinks daily had a 28 percent to 44 percent increased risk of high blood pressure, compared with women who drank few or none. Diet sodas also increased the risk, although slightly less than the non-diet drinks.

Dr. Charalambos Vlachopoulos, a lecturer at Athens Medical School in Greece whose research has linked coffee with mainly negative cardiovascular effects, said the results "don't necessarily apply" to others, including men and women of other ages and races.

Nutritionist Margaret Savoca, whose work has linked caffeinated soft drinks with higher blood pressure in black teenagers, said she suspects caffeine explains Winkelmayer's results in heavy cola drinkers, too.

Women who drink a lot of soda might have other characteristics that make them different from those who drink lots of coffee, and caffeine might affect them differently, said Savoca, of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.

Sodium might also be a culprit, said Dr. William Frishman, chief of medicine at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y.

Though a single can of soda doesn't have much salt, drinking lots of soda can add up and high blood pressure was most common in those who drank four or more cans daily.

"No one's going to say that cola is dangerous," said Frishman, who added: "It should be consumed in moderation."

---

On the Net:

JAMA:

Espresso Fudge

2005-11-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

There simply can't be anything any better than coffee and chocolate!
So, to mix them together in a smooth creamy fudge is decadent!
Try this recipe for the holidays for a little extra energy boost.

3 c Sugar
3/4 c Milk
1/4 c Espresso
1/8 c Non-dairy liquid coffee cream
1 tb Light corn syrup
2 tb Butter
1 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 c (6 oz.) chopped chocolate coating or wafers
1/3 c Finely chopped nuts.

Combine sugar, milk, espresso, coffee cream and syrup in a 3-quart saucepan.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Uncover and place thermometer in pan; cook without stirring to 236 degrees F.
Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla without stirring.
Cool to lukewarm.
Beat until candy begins to thicken; pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan.
Melt the chocolate coating over hot, not boiling water in a double boiler.
Spread evenly over fudge, sprinkle nuts over chocolate.
Cut into squares before candy becomes firm. Makes about 49 pieces.

Coffee's Not Just A Morning Eye-Opener

2005-11-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Jazzy Java

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/2/05
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Your familiar morning beverage, coffee, has a hidden side - a dark side, you could call it.

You've seen it in a variety of light drinks from the hot or cold latte made with milk to a white Russian made with vodka and coffee liqueur.

It has pushed your calorie budget over the edge with sweets when paired with chocolate for mocha-flavored cakes, or cream for a dreamy coffee milk shake or a bowl of coffee ice cream streaked with caramel.

Multitudes of recipes for these coffee-flavored drinks and desserts populate the pages of popular cookbooks and restaurant menus.

What you might not have thought about is the aspect of coffee that enhances savory foods. You have to dig a little harder to find recipes for sauces, soups, marinades and entrees featuring coffee as an ingredient — your secret ingredient.

In these places, the coffee flavor doesn't scream out at you. Instead, it provides subtle undertones that add a depth of flavor that's hard to identify — something like soy sauce when it's used with a light hand, except that coffee isn't salty.

There are certain flavor pairings where coffee works best.

Coffee and tomatoes seem to have a particular affinity for one another. When you add it to tomato soup or to your favorite spaghetti sauce, you'll find that there is a new, slightly smoky flavor in it that wasn't there before. If you add too much, coffee's undesirable bitterness shows up, so it's best to start with a little.

Robust coffee flavors of the darker roasts bring out meaty flavors of beef and other meats when it's used as a rub or marinade.

It also blends well with spices and strong-flavored sweeteners such as dark brown sugar and molasses in a barbecue sauce. Here, coffee flavors add a richness if used judiciously. Too much and they overpower the other ingredients, potentially leaving a burned aftertaste — not at all the goal of this secret seasoning.

Coffee provides an undertone of earthy flavors in a beef stew or in other long-simmered meat dishes including chili. In these dishes that call for a fair amount of liquid, you can easily use freshly brewed coffee.

Using coffee to deglaze a pan is not a new idea. Remember country ham with red eye gravy? In a recipe from "Southern Country Cooking From The Loveless Cafe," by Jane and Michael Stern (Rutledge Hill Press, $19.99), you use a little brewed coffee with a little brown sugar and water in the cast iron skillet when you cook your ham. It gets its name "because when you cook a slice of ham in a pan, the ham bone, surrounded by the ham's juices, looks like a red eye."

Instant coffee granules come in handy when you need only a little bit of coffee taste. Use it as you would pepper or other powdered seasoning. Most recipes calling for powdered coffee ask for instant espresso because it delivers a robust flavor in small amounts.

BEEF STEW WITH COFFEE

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Cooking time: two hours.

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups chopped

1 quart low-sodium, no-fat beef broth

3 large carrots, sliced

2 tablespoons instant espresso granules

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon sorghum molasses

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

Trim beef of gristle and most of the visible fat, cut into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Toss to mix well.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter in a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven. When butter foam subsides, add half the floured beef. Saute about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and rest of the beef and onion; saute until meat is browned and onion slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Return the reserved beef to the pan and add the beef broth, stirring to remove browned bits from the sides and bottom the pan. Stir in the sliced carrots, espresso granules, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with the lid ajar and cook, stirring from time to time, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.

COFFEE BBQ SAUCE

Makes about 1 3/4 cups

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small Vidalia onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons pure ancho chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (pimenton dulce) or regular sweet paprika

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup brewed coffee, preferably dark roast

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ancho powder, cumin, coriander and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ketchup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, just until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coffee, broth, vinegar and Worcestershire, season with salt and pepper, and simmer over medium-low heat until the onions are very soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and process until smooth. Will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Use with grilled or baked chicken or pork.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH COFFEE RUB

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours marinating time.

Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes.

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon espresso granules

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 large clove garlic, grated

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon olive oil

Trim pork tenderloin of all fat and gristle. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the espresso granules, salt, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, garlic, ginger and lemon rind into a paste. Rub the paste all over the tenderloin. Place it in a glass or other nonreactive dish, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Prepare charcoal grill, allowing the coals to burn down to a gray ash or preheat gas grill for 10 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil all over the pork tenderloin and place it on clean, oiled grates. Cook, covered over medium heat 10 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer reads 155 degrees, about 10 to 15 minutes. Allow meat to rest 5 minutes before carving.

Source: Thayer Wine, The Tennessean and "Get Saucy," Grace Parisi (Harvard Common Press, $32.95).

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Served Warm, Tea, Cider, Coffee, Broth Nourish Body, Soul

2005-10-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Oct 28, 2005, 06:00 am

-- Connie Midey --

The seasons are changing, and our craving for hot drinks rises as the temperature drops. From the cup of coffee that starts the morning with a bang to the decaf kiwi-pear green tea at bedtime that invites reflections on the day's pleasures, hot drinks nourish body and soul.

"The benefits of hot drinks may be mostly psychological," says Kelli Morgan, registered dietitian at Paradise Valley Hospital. "Any time you can take a cup of coffee or tea and go have five minutes to yourself, it's a stress reliever. It's a good ritual to have, and it doesn't matter if you have a hot drink or a cold drink."

But hot drinks warm you on cold days. They relax your throat when it's sore, she says, and relieve congestion.

Hot drinks can add nutrients to your diet, too, and they easily can be made even more nutritious, Morgan says. Here's what she and other nutrition experts suggest -- and if you want to create a peaceful escape, we threw in our own ideas for what could accompany your hot drink.

Tea

Health benefits: Green and white teas are high in the powerful antioxidant EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate. Antioxidants, which also are plentiful in fruits and vegetables, remove free radicals from the body, which, "theoretically, reduces cancer risk," Morgan says.

Nutrition boosters: Add fresh lemon for vitamin C or warmed non-fat milk for calcium. Stir in a few puréed berries.

Watch out for: Chai tea can be high in sugar and calories. Instead, add warmed non-fat milk and any combination of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander or ginger to plain green tea. Ginger, for example, can relieve nausea, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. Skip or limit the sweetener.

Enjoy with: A passage from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." The sixth chant of "Song of Myself" (Page 29 in the Penguin Classics first edition) is a good place to start.

Apple cider

Health benefits: Apples are good sources of fiber and antioxidants, and the tannins in apple juice are believed to help keep your gums healthy. Cider spices such as cloves (with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties) and nutmeg (a possible cholesterol-reducer) contribute slightly.

Nutrition boosters: Heat pure, no-sugar-added apple juice with apple-cider spices from the baking aisle of the grocery store. Stir with a cinnamon stick. Cinnamon's good for insulin control and for flavoring and sweetening a drink without adding calories, Morgan says.

Watch out for: Apple cider often is high in sugar. A 16-ounce drink with caramel and whipped cream contains 410 calories. Stick with a 12-ounce plain apple cider for 180 calories. Or use a sugar-free apple-cider mix from the supermarket.

Enjoy with: The CD "Echoes of Nature: The Natural Sounds of the Wilderness," Part 2 (Delta, $18.98). We've never heard Part 1, but any nature-sounds CD likely is capable of whisking you away from it all.

Coffee

Health benefits: Coffee provides antioxidants known as polyphenols, and some studies have suggested that the drink lowers the risk of Type2 diabetes and liver cancer. But "there's really nothing healthful in coffee perse," Morgan says.

Nutrition booster: Make it a latte or cappuccino (add one shot of espresso to a cup of hot non-fat milk) for one dairy serving. Add cinnamon to help control insulin and reduce inflammation.

Watch out for: Too much coffee can make you jittery and raise blood pressure temporarily. Try decaf or half-caf. Add milk for the calming effect of the calcium.

Enjoy with: A piece of dark chocolate, which contains properties found to decrease the risk of heart disease and protect against cancer. It's also delicious, perhaps a more convincing argument.

Hot chocolate

Health benefits: Calcium in the milk is soothing and helps build strong bones, and cocoa beans are a good source of antioxidants.

Nutrition booster: Make it with non-fat milk, which has the same amount of calcium as whole milk, and cocoa powder, which is extra-rich in antioxidants and low in sugar. Or use a sugar-free hot-chocolate mix. Add a peppermint stick for a festive look but little health benefit, although peppermint leaves aid digestion.

Watch out for: A 16-ounce hot chocolate made with whole milk and whipped cream is 450 calories. Substitute Reddi-whip or low-cal Cool Whip, just 20 calories per dollop. Skip the chocolate sauce drizzled over the top or use low-sugar chocolate syrup.

Enjoy with: A crossword puzzle and fresh-cut flowers on the table beside you -- to distract you from the cocoa-soaked peppermint stick you're trying to resist).

Vegetable broth

Health benefits: Antioxidant-rich vegetables deposit their nutrients in the broth, leaving health-builders such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, B-6 and C. There's no cholesterol, and broth is easy to digest.

Nutrition booster: Make your own. Plop chopped celery, onion, carrots, zucchini, leeks, broccoli or any other vegetables from your crisper into a pot of water, and simmer. If the vegetable pieces are too large to swallow safely, strain the broth before serving.

Watch out for: Prepared broths can be high in sodium. Look for the kind labeled low-salt. If you use a meat-broth base for a change of pace, cool it in the refrigerator and skim off the fat before adding finely chopped vegetables.

Enjoy with: The current issue of Mother Earth News magazine. Yes, it still exists.

Get Your Soothing Warm Beverages At Java Queen International

Fresh Coffee Secrets; Get Those Beans Out of the Freezer!

2005-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Following this article, read more in our Coffee Bean Storage & Freshness article. You'll learn how to buy fresh beans and keep them that way… plus discover the no-fail fresh coffee test!

Contrary to popular belief, the freezer is not the best place to store coffee beans. While it's true that heat and light can cause coffee to become stale more quickly, freshly roasted coffee has two more powerful enemies – oxygen and moisture.

Although your fridge or freezer may protect coffee beans from heat and light, each time you remove the beans from the cold, or open the freezer door, a small amount of condensation forms on the beans. This excess moisture will cause the beans to become stale in a very short time. In addition, you are likely to notice the beans will absorb the smell of nearby foods.

So, if you can't use your trusty freezer, how should you store your coffee? Here are a few storage tips to keep your beans fresh for longer:

1. Nitrogen-Flushed Bags (with one-way valves)

By far the best coffee storage method available is a nitrogen-flushed bag. Thanks to today's advanced technology, these bags keep the beans dry and oxygen-free (at least until the bag is opened). Nitrogen is an inert gas, so it will not react with your coffee beans in any way. It is used to displace all the oxygen from the bag before it is sealed. The best nitrogen-flushed bags are fitted with a one-way valve. The valve allows the coffee gasses from the roasted beans to escape from the bag without letting oxygen in.

2. Air-tight Container

If your supplier does not provide nitrogen/valve bags, the next best alternative is to store your coffee in an air-tight container. Whether you use a container or bag does not matter. Always squeeze excess air from the container before storage.

3. Dry, cool & dark place

No matter which storage method you use, always keep your coffee in a cool, dark place… no not the freezer! The place you choose should be dry. A dark cupboard is ideal. Light-proof containers are also recommended, as long as they have an air-tight seal.

Remember, the enemies of coffee freshness are oxygen, moisture, heat and light. Choose a storage method that avoids these enemies and your coffee will stay fresh a little longer. If you would like to learn more about coffee storage and freshness, visit www.coffee-makers-cafe.com. You'll find a guide to buying fresh coffee, plus brewing and buying tips to help you make great coffee at home.

By Shona Lynch
www.coffee-makers-cafe.com

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Kahlua(R) Launches Branded Entertainment Initiative

2005-10-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kahlua(R) Launches Branded Entertainment Initiative, Partnering with Conde Nast Traveler and Oxygen Network for New Television Series, Bring Home the Exotic
Original Coffee Liqueur Brand Brings "Everyday Exotic" Campaign to Life With Five-Part Television Series Scheduled to Premiere on October 29th

Kahlua®, the original, authentic coffee liqueur, today announced the launch of its first-ever branded entertainment television campaign: Kahlua and Conde Nast Traveler present Bring Home the Exotic. In an effort to reach their consumer through numerous communication mediums, Kahlua and Conde Nast Traveler partnered to produce the television show, which delves into the realm of exotic travel and home entertaining experiences. The five-part series is scheduled to premiere on the Oxygen Network on Saturday, October 29th at 2:00 PM PST/EST, with original episodes set to air on subsequent Saturdays.

Bring Home the Exotic will afford viewers the opportunity to experience travel and home entertaining in an entirely new way. The audience will travel with a Conde Nast Traveler editor and a couple to exotic locations around the world, where they will explore the terrain, be treated to local foods and beverages, stay in unique accommodations, meet compelling real-life characters and experience new cultures. Upon returning home, our travelers will host a themed party during which they will recreate their exotic travel experiences for their families and friends.

"This television show, featuring Kahlua, creates a platform to promote and communicate our ongoing brand strategy, and engage our target adult audience in a meaningful way that is relevant to their lifestyles," said Chris Monaco, Director of Entertainment Marketing for Kahlua. "Through this unique entertainment partnership, we've brought the Kahlua brand to life using a vehicle that will engage consumers in a real-life setting, and show them how a simple Kahlua cocktail can be the catalyst for making every day exotic."

The nexus of Bring Home the Exotic and the complimentary partnership between Kahlua and Conde Nast Traveler developed as a result of Kahlua's "in home entertaining" marketing strategy. The program is fully integrated with on and off-premise efforts including a stand-alone insert in Conde Nast Traveler, thus reaching Kahlua's coveted demographic, 30+ year-old women across the country.

"At Conde Nast Traveler we are always interested in partnering with our advertisers to develop integrated marketing programs," said Lisa Hughes, Vice President and Publisher of Conde Nast Traveler. "Kahlua's brand communication strategy of Bring Home the Exotic has a natural connection to travel. Conde Nast Traveler is the most trusted authority in travel, and we are proud to bring our expertise and brand credibility to this television and print initiative."

About Kahlua and Conde Nast Traveler Present Bring Home the Exotic Television Series:

A marketing partnership between Kahlua, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Oxygen Network, Kahlua and Conde Nast Traveler present Bring Home the Exotic is the ultimate travel and home entertaining series that takes viewers to exotic locations around the world. From the tropical shores of Hawaii to the jungles of Costa Rica, each half hour introduces viewers to all the unique sights, sounds, textures and flavors of a featured locale. In each episode Conde Nast Traveler Senior Editor and host, Dana Dickey, along with Mark Connolly, Conde Nast Traveler Style Director, and a lucky couple go on the trip of a lifetime to a unique tropical destination. Along the way, viewers are treated to exotic local foods and beverages, unique accommodations (decor), compelling real life characters, and enriching cultural experiences (e.g. music, art and dance). Upon returning home, Dana and the couple host a party for family and friends. The hometown gathering is designed to bring the exotic into the everyday. The party incorporates all of the great travel experiences into its theme.

About Kahlua®

Kahlua coffee liqueur is a brand currently manufactured by Allied Domecq Spirits, North America. In July 2005, Pernod Ricard USA effectively completed the acquisition of Allied Domecq Spirits, North America securing the ownership of the brand along with a number of others across several categories.

Kahlua, the original, authentic coffee liqueur, is enjoyed all over the world, often as the first and last drink of the evening. Kahlua's instantly recognizable taste comes from 100 percent Arabica coffee beans, grown high in the mountains in Vera Cruz, Mexico. Kahlua is formulated to be mixed and is used in many high-demand cocktails, such as Kahlua and Milk or Cream, Kahlua Black Russian (Kahlua and Stoli® vodka) and Kahlua White Russian (Kahlua, Stoli vodka and milk). Kahlua 26.5% alc./vol. Imported and marketed by Allied Domecq Spirits, North America, Westport, CT. Allied Domecq Spirits, North America, reminds you to enjoy your exotic moments responsibly. For more information, visit http://www.kahlua.com

About Conde Nast Traveler

Conde Nast Traveler's philosophy of "Truth in Travel", where writers pay their own way, travel unannounced, and are independent from the travel industry, is unique in the publishing industry. The result is that Conde Nast Traveler reports on travel the way consumers experience it: freely, fairly, honestly. The editorial leader in the field, Conde Nast Traveler has won 6 National Magazine Awards, the highest honor in magazine publishing. Conde Nast Traveler, the 2005 Zagat Survey Best Travel Magazine and a 2004 Advertising Age "A-List" magazine, has a rate base of 750,000 and is published by Conde Nast Publications, Inc.

About Oxygen Media

Oxygen, the only cable network owned and operated by women, is currently available in 55 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with the most original programming of all the women's networks including Mo'Nique's Fat Chance, Talk Sex with Sue Johanson and Oprah After the Show. Geraldine Laybourne, the network's founder, Chairman and CEO, has led the company to be a strong advocate for women. Through programs like The Mentor's Walk, Oxygen's national program for bringing along the next generation, and "Who Cares About Girls," Oxygen's new documentary series -- Oxygen is creating The New Girls Network.

About Pernod Ricard USA

In July 2005, Pernod Ricard USA effectively completed the acquisition of Allied Domecq Spirits, North America securing the ownership of the Kahlua coffee liqueur brand along with a number of others across several categories.

Pernod Ricard USA is an American producer and distributor of fine spirits and wine. The company produces Wild Turkey® Bourbon, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin® and imports other premium brands such as Chivas Regal® Scotch whisky, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch whisky, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Martell(TM) Cognac, Jacob's Creek® and Wyndham Estate® wines. The company's broad portfolio of brands also includes Kahlua®, Malibu®, Beefeater®, Mumm®, Perrier-Jouet(TM), and U.S. distribution rights for Stolichnaya® vodka.

For Thousands Of Free Cocktail Recipes And The Supplies To Make Them, Go To MartiniSocialClub.com Now.

Stronger, blacker, richer coffee – the new drug of choice

2005-10-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Daily Reflector

Saturday, October 22, 2005

The strong-coffee trend has created a lot of caffeine addicts and turned coffee shops into something resembling methadone clinics. Especially at 6 a.m.

Ordinarily, I still have at least 90 minutes of sleeping left to do at 6 a.m., but on a recent rare morning I was up at 5:30 to attend a meeting in Chapel Hill. I stopped at Starbucks on the way out of town for coffee and a Danish.

I observed a man – obviously a regular customer – step sleepily to the counter.

"How are we doing this morning?" asked the almost annoyingly chipper clerk.

In a deep, just-rolled-out-of-bed voice – and with perfect fog-horn pitch – the man answered, "Still strugglin'."

"We're here to help," the clerk reassured him after drawing his drug of choice from the tap.

It's a scene repeated all over the nation. Our craving for coffee is stronger than ever. Why?

I believe it has something to do with the success of the anti-smoking movement. Anyone who has been a smoker knows that nothing goes better with cigarettes than coffee. The mixture of caffeine and nicotine does something wonderful for the mind.

Also, strong black coffee can effectively mask the nasty aftertaste from cigarette smoke. The bad breath stays, but the aftertaste leaves.

We need caffeine in greater abundance now to make up for the loss of nicotine. That has to be why we're drinking darker, stronger coffee than we were before the anti-smoking movement took hold.

One might argue that my theory is flawed since many coffee addicts were never smokers. Wrong.

Before the anti-smoking movement, everyone breathed second-hand smoke in nearly all public places. Nonsmoking coffee drinkers were getting the same double-whammy dose of caffeine and nicotine without even trying.

Even children are starting to drink coffee. That fact prompted a study reported this week by The New York Times.

Those short people waiting in line at Starbucks, according to the study, would be short even without the coffee addiction. Decades of research on the physiological effects of coffee consumption, according to the article, offers no evidence that coffee will stunt human growth.

This is good news for my sister Sue Ellen. She frequents the Starbucks drive-through in her town so often they sometimes offer her freebies – beverages prepared wrongly or by mistake.

Recently, her 4-year-old daughter Emma Caroline was the recipient of one of these. It was a vanilla creme Frappuccino, which, to a kid, is a vanilla milkshake. If caffeine could stunt a child's growth, Sue Ellen said, Emma Caroline might never grow another inch after that drink.

"She drank that thing while I shopped in Target," my sister said. "She was literally doing jumping-jacks when we got to the checkout."

If you think you might be a coffee addict but are not sure, the people at Coffee Wholesale USA have kindly taken time out of their busy schedule of laughing all the way to the bank to list a few symptoms:

You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison.

Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

You have to watch videos in fast-forward.

You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit.

Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.

You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.

The good news from all of this: Your kids are less likely than ever before to start smoking.

The bad news: Your kids are more likely than ever before to grow very tall and keep you up nights dribbling a basketball.

For Your Coffee Fix... Get The Best Directly From The Roaster! Shop Here Now.

Young Entrepreneur Looks For Dream In Her Coffee

2005-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

By RHONDA ABRAMS
Gannett News Service

Like millions of Americans, Heather Mantione dreamed of owning her own business. The 9-to-5 grind wasn't for her, and she was itching to be her own boss.

But like other would-be entrepreneurs, Heather faced many obstacles. She had little money, had to work full time to support herself, and her dream business was a tough one, a coffeehouse, in a tough city -- New York.

But on Oct. 8, Heather's dream came true. She opened the doors of her coffeehouse, the Blue Spoon Coffee Co., in the Tribeca area of Manhattan. Oh yes, did I mention another challenge facing Heather? She's only 26 years old.

Heather represents a new but growing breed of American entrepreneur -- the young business owner. When I started my business in 1986, the best students yearned to work for large corporations. Now they want to be entrepreneurs.

But how did Heather get the money to open a coffeehouse in New York?

"My parents took out a home equity loan," Heather explained. "They have a lot of faith in me. They're amazing people."

Marge and Charles Mantione have owned their own business, so they understand Heather's entrepreneurial drive. But they're of modest means, and the Blue Spoon Coffee Co. is a huge risk for them. Heather's staff for the time being is her brothers, who have temporarily moved from Florida. The whole family is behind her.

Heather has been involved with coffee for years. "I love coffee; I love going to a coffee shop; I love the local art on the wall and the music. It's kind of like your second home."

But loving your product isn't enough.

Heather did her homework. She developed her business over many years and wrote a thorough business plan. She took a class on how to open a coffee shop and conferred with the Small Business Administration.

"Writing a business plan was really important," Heather said. "It makes you focus . . . know what you have to do."

Heather also received help from a source many entrepreneurs overlook -- suppliers. "I've been working really closely with the company that I'm buying coffee from -- Intelligentsia. They've been supportive, guided me."

One of Heather's biggest challenges was finding the right location, especially for a business dependent on walk-in traffic.

"New York is a hard market," Heather said. "Rents are so high, and landlords don't want to look at you if you don't already have a business . . . Being young, in the beginning, people didn't take me seriously. But once they got to know me, they realized I did my research."

After months of searching, Heather found a spot across from a university. She's advertising in the school's newspaper and other newspapers serving the area.

Even with all that planning, Heather was surprised by how complicated opening a business could be. "There are so many details. Everything from your garbage cans to paint color to ordering supplies to getting permits -- everything you need to stay on top of."

Finally, after years of planning, dreaming and working, the doors to Heather's business are now open.

"It's more difficult than I thought it would be," an exhausted Heather told me after day four. "I thought just by opening my door, people would come in, but it's really hard to change people's habits. It was tough to sit in the shop and see people walk by with Dunkin' Donuts."

"Making only $130 the first day was really difficult. What if I fail? How am I going to repay all this money? . . . But every day is better than the one before. I made more money today than yesterday, and we gave away free coffee during the morning rush. We already have repeat customers, which is awesome."

If she's successful, what's next for this young entrepreneur? "Well, maybe down the road I'd like to open a few other shops. But right now, I'd like to get to know the neighborhood, the people who come in. I want to serve really good coffee in a great atmosphere . . . I'm at a crossroads in my life; anything can happen."

Over the next year, I'll keep tabs on Heather Mantione and the Blue Spoon Coffee Co.'s progress and let you know how one of America's newest entrepreneurs fares. Let's all wish her luck!

Rhonda Abrams writes Tuesdays about msall business. Her newest book, "Business Plan In A Day,' has just been published. She is president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Register for Rhonda's free business newsletter at www.PlanningShop.com.

Save Money On Your Coffee. Buy Direct From The Roaster Here!

Espresso 101: Coffee Drinks and Treats

2005-10-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

No special equipment

Fancy coffees prepared in coffeehouses with hissing machines are doable in your kitchen without the hissing machines—or any other special equipment. All you need is a drip coffeemaker and a little savvy.

While you're at it, how about a coffee party? We've included typical coffeehouse delectable go-withs, and all can be made in advance.

The specialty cups

Espresso (left): Using a drip coffeemaker, add 1 cup cold water and 1/3 cup French roast or espresso roast, ground as directed for your coffeemaker. Brew according to manufacturer's directions. (If using an espresso maker, use manufacturer's suggested amounts of ground coffee and water.) Pour into 4 demitasse cups or small cups. Serve with sugar cubes or coarse sugar. Makes four 2-ounce servings.

Cappuccino (right): Brew 1 recipe of Espresso. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm 1 cup low-fat milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Transfer milk to a food processor bowl or blender container. Process or blend until milk is very frothy. (If you have an espresso machine with a steaming nozzle, heat and froth milk according to manufacturer's directions.) Divide espresso among four 5- to 8-ounce cups. Top each with the frothy milk. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated chocolate and serve with sugar. Makes 4 servings.

Caffe latte(middle): Prepare 1 recipe Cappuccino as directed, except increase the low-fat milk to 2 cups. A typical caffe latte is mostly hot milk and has just a small amount of froth on top. Serve with sugar, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Double Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

To decorate cookies, roll cookie logs in coarse sugar before baking. Or drizzle cooled biscotti with melted white baking bar, thinned with a little melted shortening if needed.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 oz. white baking bar, coarsely chopped

3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder; beat until combined. Beat in eggs. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. By hand, stir in any remaining flour, chopped white baking bar, and semisweet chocolate.

Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 9-inch-long log. Place logs about 4 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten logs slightly until about 2 inches wide.

Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on the cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. With a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slices, cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake slices in a 325 degree F. oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over; bake for 7 to 9 minutes more or until biscotti are dry and crisp (do not overbake). Cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Store the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze, in a freezer container, for up to 6 months. Makes about 32 slices.

Nutrition facts per slice: 95 cal., 4 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 13 mg chol., 52 mg sodium, 13 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 2 g pro. Daily Value: 2% vit. A, 0% vit. C, 3% calcium, 3% iron.

For The Freshest Coffee Buy Directly From The Roaster! Click Here For Java Queen International Coffee, Flavoring Syrups, Teas and More!

Fair Trade Coffee Jolt for Growers

2005-10-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

The New York Times Many coffees that are called "fair trade" are grown without pesticides and minimum impact on the environment. Visit Java Queen International for Fair Trade and Organic Coffee

Published Thursday, October 13, 2005

By Shelley Preston
The Ledger

Morning would not be the same for millions of Americans without that first sip of java. But as much as people relish the jolt of caffeine and smoky taste, few know where those coffee beans came from and who picked them and under what working conditions.

On a recent afternoon as cars lined up at the drive-through at Starbucks on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, supervisor Tim Hoyt explained that as a part of "Fair Trade Awareness Month" anyone ordering a regular cup of coffee this week would get a taste of brewed beans picked by "fairly" paid laborers.

Thanks to grassroots movements and celebrity bands, such as Coldplay, bringing consciousness to consumers, coffee chains such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts as well as local coffee houses now offer fair trade beans and beverages.

Fair trade means Third World farmers who grew the coffee or other products were paid an internationally set minimum price for their goods. The program enables poor people in Third World countries to be in a better position to compete in international trade without wealthier middlemen eating into profits.

Products can only be deemed "fair trade" if it meets criteria set by Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International, the global non-profit group that helps set the standards for fair trade and gives credibility to a product's claim as fair trade.

Besides helping the poor get a leg up, many fair trade products are grown without pesticides and farmed with little impact to the environment.

Even with the demand from some consumers to offer fair trade coffee, not all coffee served at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts fits into that category, so you have to ask for it. Starbucks Cafe Estima, made from a blend of beans from Latin America and East Africa, gives customers a buzz of goodwill without any sacrifice to taste.

"It's very well rounded," says Hoyt of Cafe Estima, "kind of like a Merlot; it tastes good with everything."

Dunkin' Donuts' espresso, lattes and cappuccinos, and most of the regional coffees at Mitchell's Coffee House in downtown Lakeland are also fair trade.

Serious coffee drinkers can take their favorite beverage to another level through coffee buying clubs such as www.thesustainablecoffeeclub.com, where the companies not only get fair trade coffee, but coffee is grown under shade trees that provide a habitat for rain forest birds and in soil free of pesticides and fertilizers.

Shelley Preston can be reached at 863-802-7517 or shelley.preston @theledger.com.

Visit Java Queen InternationalShade Grown, Organic, Fair Trade Coffee Now!

Bourbon Coffee Chiffon Pie

2005-10-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

This Chocolate Rum Chiffon Pie is sure to please your sweet tooth!
You will love the mixture of flavors, the combination of the graham cracker crust and the creamy texture with the essence of coffee.

Your guests will want the recipe!

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 eggs
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold strong Java Queen International coffee
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 tbl. bourbon
4 tbl. coffee liqueur
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. To make crust, mix the crumbs, sugar, melted butter and nutmeg, and spoon into a 9-inch pie plate. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and against the side. Bake 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly.

To make the filling, separate the eggs and set aside.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the coffee in a saucepan.
Add 1/3 cup of the sugar, salt and the egg yolks. Stir thoroughly.
Cook over low heat only until the gelatin is dissolved. Do not boil.
Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the bourbon and the liqueur.
Chill until it starts to thicken but do not let it jell.

Beat egg whites until stiff, adding the remaining sugar gradually.
Fold them into the gelatin mixture.
Whip the cream and fold it into the mixture.
Spoon this into the crust and chill for 5 hours.
Garnish with more whipped cream if desired.

Coffee Prices Spiral As Output Chopped

2005-10-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

published: Friday | October 7, 2005

Andrew Green, Acting Financial Editor

Coffee production at the Mavis Bank coffee plant. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

JAMAICA'S RARE Blue Mountain coffee is becoming rarer and more expensive in foreign markets and Jamaican consumers may soon start feeling the effects.

The repeated devastation of Jamaica's coffee crop over two years has cut supplies in half. The result has been a scramble for the scarce beans in foreign markets.

"After Hurricane Ivan hit, there was a 50 per cent falloff in production," said chief executive officer of Mavis Bank Coffee Factory and Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) president, senator Norman Grant.

The country produced five million pounds of Blue Mountain coffee before the hurricane, he said. Afterwards, the output fell to 2.6 million pounds resulting in industry revenues dropping from US$40 million to about US$22 million.

SHORTAGE

There is a tremendous shortage of the (Jamaican Blue Mountain) coffee now which has compounded the shortage that existed before, senator Grant said. Before Ivan, Jamaica could easily have sold 10 times the volume that was being produced.

Of the amount exported, 70 -75 per cent goes to Japan, while 15-20 per cent goes to the U.S. market, he said. With the overall fallout in supplies, the U.S. market would have been especially hard hit.

A PRNewswire report out of the United States said Jamaican wholesale coffee prices have increased 30 percent. It said gourmet retailers who carry Blue Mountain coffee are prepared to increase prices to as much as $50 per pound to the U.S. consumer.

Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped out the New Orleans Port facilities where much coffee is imported into the U.S. and warehoused before being roasted and distributed. The move to other available facilities, is likely to increase coffee prices further, the U.S. report said.

Prices vary in the U.S. market from US $32 op to US $50 per pound for roasted beans in different U.S. markets, senator Grant said. "But because of shortage, you will see a narrowing of that band with a slight movement up further."

But Jamaican producers are not necessarily getting an advantage from the movement in price as contracts are already locked to premium prices, senator Grant said. The higher prices are flowing through to the middlemen in the business who are, on the other hand, seeing a fall in the volume of their Blue Mountain coffee business.

And there is no immediate relief in sight as it will take three to four years to resuscitate the industry. The recovery of Blue Mountain coffee is being delayed not only by the direct impact of the hurricanes but by the resultant devastation of the road infrastructure in coffee areas as well as the delay in insurance recovery payment due to the insolvency of the industry's insurer, Dyoll.

Information from the Coffee Industry Board (CIB) shows that the entire Jamaican coffee industry was devastated by Hurricane Ivan which hit the island in September 2004 followed by Hurricane Dennis in July of 2005. Blue Mountain coffee production grabs the limelight but a substantial amount of lowland coffee is grown with output varying significantly but amounting to about 20 per cent of the total crop.

Output of lowland coffee has suffered an even bigger decline than Blue mountain coffee, according to CIB data.

"Domestic prices will be affected by the shortage of good quality coffee beans," CIB corporate communications manager Arlene Daley stated. "Market forces will determine the final vesting point of prices."

You Can Still Get Affordable Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee From Java Queen International

MONIN UNVEILS PUMPKIN SPICE

2005-10-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

New Comfort Flavor Creates Instant-Classic Seasonal Beverages

CLEARWATER, FL, September 15, 2005 – Turning leaves, crackling fires, warm beverages – cooling outdoor weather is the perfect time to enjoy something soothing.

Now Monin, the leading producer of gourmet flavoring syrups, captures the classic taste of fall in its newest creation, Pumpkin Spice.

An ideal complement to specialty coffee, tea or steamers, Pumpkin Spice Syrupwas created with today’s demanding coffeehouse patron in mind. The demand for seasonally-attuned beverages has increased and Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup is set to attract much attention with its delightful seasonal flavor.

“Pumpkin Spice adds an authentic, sweet pumpkin flavor to hot and chilled beverages and smoothies, balanced with notes of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg,” said Ilaria Chiaruzzi, Marketing Manager for Monin. “It’s the quintessential pumpkin pie experience, rich, comforting and utterly satisfying.”

Pumpkin Spice is the newest addition to Monin’s Winter Warmers flavor family and joins Peppermint syrup and Gingerbread syrup in the line. All three flavors are sure to spice up seasonally featured beverages that operators and their customers will find irresistible as they create a warm, inviting sensory experience that truly warms up winter!

Purchase Monin Syrups At Discount Prices Here! Make Your Specialty Coffee Drinks At Home!

College Students Drug Of Choice Best Found In Coffee

2005-10-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

College students drug of choice best found in coffee
By Melinda Davis
Published: Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Do you know what miracle drug is readily available for college students, has been around for centuries, is inexpensive, and can be purchased without a prescription?
I'm sure most college students know about this, but if not, I'm going to let you in on our little secret: caffeine. Yes, you read right.

That nice little 'drug' found in many soft drinks and in coffees. And coffee is the drink I am going to fully endorse today.

So, you might wonder how your friend is able to have energy after going to bed at two in the morning and then getting up six hours of R.E.M. later ... well, the answer is simple: it's the loads of caffeine in her coffee.

Perhaps some of you know about caffeine, but haven't given in to trying the stuff yet. There can be many sufficient reasons for not choosing to drink coffee.
Some people might be concerned about becoming addicted to coffee and therefore choose not to drink it.

However, there are many things humans are addicted to that they need. In fact, most drugs, taken often, can become addictive. Like that Tylenol you reach for whenever you get that small headache - you could be addicted to it.

One can even argue that food is addictive. But who cares if it is?
Caffeine is something that people - college students in particular - need, so why not risk the addiction?

Is addiction always necessarily a negative thing, or is it the stigma society has given the word?

And besides, the positive side effects of coffee generally outweigh the negative effects. Caffeine gives people energy - and we all know this is a necessity when studying in the early hours of the morning for an exam.

Coffeehouses can be found all over Johnson City. Java City is one right on campus in the Culp Center. Some other coffeehouses in town are: Cow and Coffee, Kings Coffeehouse and Eatery, Starbucks and Java Rush.

And if you're looking for extra-extra energy, the espresso kind of coffee is probably what you need. But, do be cautious - more than five or six shots can cause rapid heart movement. SHOCK COFFEE is the latest High Caffeine Energy Drink enjoyed by college students.

Otherwise, drink away! And next time you're drinking that warm (or cold) cup of heavenly goodness, keep in mind this quote written anonymously - "If given enough coffee, I could rule the world."

For Gourmet Coffee Delivered To Your Door, Try Java Queen International. Save Money Buying Direct From The Roaster. Make Your Specialty Coffee Drinks At Home And Save Money For Other Things!

Coffee lovers savor freebies from Starbucks Coffee Company

2005-10-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Customers like store's location, atmosphere

BY RACHEL KIPP
rlkipp@marion.gannett.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AARON PENNOCK /apennock@marion.gannett.com

TIGHT - Judy Berry, Marion, tries to move through the crowd waiting for coffee. "Right now, there's a lot of confusion in there," she said. "It was so crowded you couldn't get to the dessert." Related news from the web

When Marsha Anderson told a friend from Virginia that she planned to attend the grand opening of a Starbucks store Thursday night, the response was laughter.

"She thought it was so funny," said Anderson, Marion, "because it's so common there."

Before today Grant County residents had to travel at least 20 miles to satisfy a jones for coffee drinks or baked goods from the Seattle-based company. To mark the opening of its Marion store, Starbucks had a Friends and Family night Thursday, offering a free products before today's grand opening.

"It's a great atmosphere, a convenient location. It should do well, I hope," Anderson said, while sharing a table with neighbor Sara Brown, 78.

Lines of customers snaked around the store and unclaimed beverages crowded the counter, echoing Wednesday's practice sessions offering free drinks throughout the day. Employees with trays piled with sample-size bites of brownies, breads and cookies weaved through the crowd.

Standing just inside the front door was Debra Ballard, director of development at the Grant County Rescue Mission. Ballard drank a pumpkin-spice latte and manned a display board with information about her organization.

Ballard said Starbucks doesn't keep food or ground coffee for more than 36 hours and will donate extra baked goods and coffee to her organization, which serves about 150 meals each day.

A cup of house blend coffee at Friends and Family night likely marks one of the few times Fairmount resident Eric Aschendorf, 49, will visit Starbucks instead of a locally owned store.

"I don't think (a Starbucks) is necessary," he said. "We already have Tree of Life, we have Hidden Treasures, we have Beatniks. But it will probably do a good business."

While sipping a caramel frappuccino, Brett Blum, 25, Marion, said he thinks all of the businesses can coexist.

"You come here looking for coffee," Blum said. "Tree of Life, that's a small part of what they do. You go there for Christian music or books, for leadership activities or for food."

At Anderson and Brown's table, the women laughed when asked what they were drinking.

"We're not sure," Anderson said, but then admitted she was having a caramel latte.

"Is that what you're drinking?" she asked Brown.

"I don't know," Brown said. "I just said, 'I'll have that.'"

Originally published September 30, 2005

You can buy Starbucks Coffee Online Too! Click Here To Go To StarBucks Coffee Company Store Now.

Pumpkin Pie Cappuccino

2005-09-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

MMMMMMMMM, I love this season for just this reason!
And a Few More as well!

Pumpkin Pie Cappuccino

Ingredients
1/2 oz Da Vinci Gourmet Pumpkin Pie Classic Syrup
1 shot espresso
foamed milk

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a 6 oz cup. Mix well.

Yield one 6-ounce serving

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New Orleans Coffee Industry Grinding Back After Storms

2005-09-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

By Jeff Coelho

NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The coffee market in New Orleans is grinding its way back to life, but it could take weeks before inspectors and insurers determine the extent of the damage to the beans stored in this hurricane-ravaged city, market sources say.

Katrina and Rita -- two powerful hurricanes -- slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast less than a month apart, leaving death and destruction in their wakes. Katrina struck on Aug. 29 and the smaller Rita plowed into the region on Sept. 24.

Procter & Gamble Co.'s Folgers coffee facility, believed to be the largest in the world, was twice evacuated. Production had been halted ahead of both storms.

Employees are now back at the plant and production has restarted, said a P&G spokeswoman. "The plant restarted operations Saturday evening," Susanne Dusing told Reuters.

Fortunately, the bulk of P&G's unroasted coffee for its Folgers and Millstone brands is stored in giant silos which were unharmed by the storms.

Dusing could not say exactly when the plant would return to full production capacity. The Folgers plant generally churns out more than half of P&G's coffee and garners almost a third of the U.S. coffee market.

But the normal flow of coffee shipments to roasters -- large or small -- can take time as the once bustling port in the Crescent City struggles to get back to normal.

Before the storms hit, warehouses in the port of New Orleans held about 1.6 million 60-kg bags of unroasted beans, or about 26 percent of supply for the United States, which is the world's biggest coffee consumer.

Coffee traders reckon damage from the storms amounted to anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 bags of coffee -- based on preliminary reports from warehouse operators.

"Maybe the damage could be 200,000 bags or 300,000 bags," said one Florida-based coffee buyer. "But nobody knows exactly," he said, adding "it's going to take a while" to find out.

Coffee inspectors must first get into the warehouses before they can inspect and sample the quality of the beans. The longer the coffee sits, the more vulnerable the beans are to moisture, humidity and odor, Judy Ganes of J Ganes Consulting told Reuters.

"Humidity and moisture is probably the worst thing that could happen for coffee," she said, pointing out that the beans have a tendency to swell as they absorb moisture.

The New York Board of Trade has about 734,000 bags of certified coffee in warehouses in New Orleans which are deliverable against the exchange's futures contracts.

Right after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, NYBOT declared force majeure for its coffee there. It also prohibited the certification of new stocks at the port until further notice. Officials have yet to release any statement about the state of the coffee.

"People are looking for answers that aren't easy to come by," said Ganes. "The exchange does not want to do anything rash."

At least one coffee company in devastated New Orleans is determined to show its thanks, despite the prospect of a short-term supply squeeze.

Community Coffee Co. of southern Louisiana, has been pouring free cups of coffee for police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and utility workers involved in the hurricane relief effort.

"There are thousands of men and women working tirelessly to bring relief to hurricane victims," Matthew Saurage, president of Community Coffee, said in a statement.

"Providing a hot cup of coffee is one of the many ways we are saying thank you to those who are helping rebuild our communities affected by the storm," he said.

The fourth-generation family-owned business has vowed to provide more than 5 million cups of coffee to the relief workers.

AlertNet news is provided by Reuters

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Coffee Found Rich in Antioxidants

2005-09-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Coffee probably contributes many more healthy antioxidants to your diet than fruit and vegetables, according to US scientists.

They measured the antioxidant content of more than 100 different foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and beverages.

The findings were then combined with data from the US Department of Agriculture on each item's contribution to the average American's diet.

Coffee was the biggest source of antioxidants per serving and level of consumption.
It was followed by black tea, bananas, dry beans and corn.

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source - nothing else comes close," said the head researcher Professor Joe Vinson, of Scranton University in Pennsylvania.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee appeared to provide similar antioxidant levels.

Antioxidants help rid the body of harmful free radicals, destructive molecules that damage cells and DNA.

They have been linked to a number of health benefits including protection against heart disease and cancer.

Studies have associated coffee drinking with a reduced risk of liver and colon cancer, type two diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

But Vinson urged moderation and said people should drink only one or two cups of coffee per day.

It was important not to ignore the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables.
"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fibre," said Vinson when presenting the findings at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Washington.
Research showed that compared with other foods, dates were the richest source of antioxidants.

But as Americans eat few dates, they only contributed a small amount of antioxidants to the average person's diet.

Cranberries and red grapes also had high levels of antioxidants.
A spokesman for the British Coffee Association said: "This study reconfirms the fact that moderate coffee consumption of four to five cups a day not only is perfectly safe but may confer health benefits."

Source: Reuters

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Mocha-Fudge Cheesecake

2005-09-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you can't decide whether you like chocolate or coffee more, this pie-shaped cheesecake is for you!

Prep: 15 min - Cook: 5 min - Bake: 35 min - Chill: 3 hr

1 tablespoon instant coffee (dry)
3 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Original Bisquick®
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled
Chocolate Topping (below)

1. Heat oven to 350?F. Grease pie plate, 9x1 1/2 inches. Mix coffee and liqueur until coffee is dissolved.

2. Beat coffee mixture and remaining ingredients except Chocolate Topping in large bowl on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Pour into pie plate.

3. Bake about 35 minutes or until center is firm and puffed. Cool 5 minutes (cheesecake top will be cracked). Carefully spread Chocolate Topping over cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Topping

1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, if desired
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix chocolate, powdered sugar and liqueur in small bowl. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

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Coffee Becoming More Than A Quick Fix For College Students

2005-09-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Coffee becoming more than a quick fix for university students
By Amy Wray // Wray.9@wright.edu
Published: Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1

It is estimated that 90 percent of Americans get a daily fix of caffeinated coffee. However, according to some students, it's more than just a quick fix.

Julie Hollon, a chemistry major, admitted to drinking white mochas several times a week "because I either get a craving for it, or in the mornings, it gives me a little pep-up," she said.

Researchers at John Hopkins University discovered that drinking just two and a half cups of coffee a day could lead to an addiction. The caffeine is a mood lifter, increases alertness and increases endurance levels, both physically and mentally. However, this feeling only lasts for a short period of time.

"It keeps me up to study when I need to stay awake," said Hollon. "I guess it kind of gives me that comfort feeling when I'm stressed; it's a relaxing drink and it gives me some energy."

If deprived of coffee, one may experience4 withdrawal symptoms such as headache and fatigue.

According to aboutcaffeine.com, "caffeine intake or consumption is associated with elevated mood levels, and decreased intake or the absence of caffeine leads to alteration of moods, so that they keep shifting from positive to negative in a short period of time."

WSU students needing their coffee fix can be found frequenting The Wright Cup in the Student Union or in the brand new Cafe Wright in the group study room in the library.

Ginny Campbell, an employee at The Wright Cup, said that the most popular beverage is the latte. Campbell admitted that she's not a big coffee drinker herself because "it's too strong for me."

Likewise, those who consume too much caffeine develop a tolerance, usually within days. Caffeine no longer keeps them awake and alert according to aboutcaffeine.com.

Those who are not accustomed to high dosages of caffeine may experience anxiety, lightheadedness, jitteriness, irritability, unsteady hands or diarrhea.

Students who drink a lot of coffee can join The Wright Cup Mug Club for $9.99.

This includes a mug and a 10 percent discount on small beverage refills.

So whether you like it black, iced or with sugar and cream, keep in mind coffee's addictive qualities.

And for students looking for a higher caffeine content to help them cram for exams, the newest coffee SHOCK COFFEE has a much greater caffeine content than your regular coffees.
For Gourmet Coffees, Teas and Chocolates; Gifts Delivered. Have Whole Coffee Beans Or Ground Delivered To Your Door

Taupo Becomes Coffee Paradise

2005-09-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

22 September 2005

Taupo will become the unofficial coffee capital of New Zealand for three days when more than 6000 coffee lovers turn up for a festival celebrating the bean, beginning tomorrow.

Coffee roasters, baristas and enthusiasts will all follow the aroma of freshly ground beans to Taupo's Great Lake Centre to immerse themselves in a coffee-scented paradise.

A judging panel, headed by leading international coffee judge and former executive director of the World Barista Championships from Australia Instaurator will taste more than 100 coffees entered by the coffee roasting companies.

This year Instaurator is joined by two other overseas judges who will complement a number of New Zealand roasters who will also be judges.

A highlight of this year's festival will be the national finals of the New Zealand Barista Awards. The winner will be sent to the 2006 world championships to be held in Bern, Switzerland.

The festival will also include seminars on everything from how to prepare the perfect espresso at home, to latte art for baristas presented by master roaster Justin Metcalf, recently placed third in the world latte art championships.

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Oregon Based Coffee Sellers Perking Along

2005-09-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard
Published: Thursday, September 22, 2005

Here's a little-known fact about an increasingly well-known local coffee outlet: they call it Dutch Bros. (pronounced Broze, not Brothers).

And here's a fact that may yet be unknown north of Seattle and south of San Francisco: a wave of Dutch Love (as the Dutch Bros. call their business culture) is rolling your way.

The Grants Pass-based and Eugene-inspired coffee-to-go juggernaut is wrapping up phase two of its five-phase expansion plan this year, working to fill in gaps in its franchise network between Seattle and San Francisco. Phase three is set to begin in 2006, with a goal of stretching the Dutch empire from border to border - Canadian to Mexican - and into the Rockies to the east.

Dutch Bros. currently has just over 70 outlets, a combination of company-owned and franchise operations. Locally, two franchisees operate a total of nine drive-through, walk-up locations - five in Eugene and four in Springfield.

"We want to keep going," says Dave Morris, the company's marketing director. "I lived in New York City for awhile, and my idea is to surround New York City and spread some Dutch Love around there."

But that would be jumping ahead to phase five of the Dutch Bros. grand scheme - a nationwide and even international network of franchise outlets.

Phase two is buzzing along, with almost weekly openings of coffee kiosks in Oregon, Washington and northern California. This weekend, for instance, outlets in Eureka and Redding will get the Dutch Bros. grand-opening treatment: two days each of free coffee drinks for all customers.

"Our grand openings are stacked all day long with cars," Morris says. "It definitely creates a big buzz."

Meanwhile, phase three of the expansion plan has quietly begun with the recruitment of potential franchisees in adjacent Western states and negotiations with a San Francisco shopping center developer to include build-to-suit kiosks in his future projects along California's Interstate 80 corridor.

The San Francisco deal, which could allow franchisees to get into the business for less than $100,000, may bring another 50 locations into the fold over the next 18 months, Morris says.

"But we're still growing at a pace that feels comfortable to us, and maintains the core values and concepts," Morris says.

That would include a decidedly upbeat and purposefully noncorporate approach to business. The Dutch Bros. Web site (www.dutchbros.com) lays down the law by stating "we're all about being positive and lovin' life," and spells out a company creed that stresses optimism, cheerfulness and prosperity.

"My favorite saying is that the cup is just the medium for spreading Dutch Love," Morris says.

He has known the company's founders, Travis and Dane Boersma, since childhood in Grants Pass. The Boersma family owned a dairy farm at the time, and Morris says the coffee enterprise has simply adopted an approach to life that was second-nature to the brothers and their family.

"It's the Boersma family put into a company," Morris says. "I couldn't ever get out of (the Boersma family home) without having hot apple pie and a big meal, or something."

But in the early 1990s, state environmental regulations were going to require the Boersmas to reduce their dairy herd by half and take expensive measures to protect a creek running through its pastures.

Instead, the Boersmas' father transformed the family farm into Dutcher Creek Golf Course.

Travis and Dane Boersma were intrigued by the growing Northwest espresso craze and after some research came to Eugene to discuss the business with Paul Leighton, owner of the Cape Horn Coffees Ltd., coffee brokerage. He set them up with 100 pounds of coffee beans, a two-handled espresso machine and a full-day lesson in barista arts.

Then the brothers assembled their first pushcart, arranged a lease from a downtown Grants Pass property owner and went into the coffee business. The pushcarts multiplied, then became drive-through stands.

Phase one of their growth included development of a franchise agreement that kept the company's personality intact, and expansion into Medford, Roseburg, Coos Bay, Eugene and other locations in Oregon and northern California.

Leighton still supplies the Dutch Bros. coffee beans, which are roasted at the company's facility in Grants Pass. While the Boersma brothers are far from his biggest customers, Leighton says they've set themselves apart in other ways.

"If I were to rank my customers in terms of success, I think they're the most phenomenal success story in the country right now," Leighton says. "And that success breeds more success."

He has already worked out a buying plan with the company through 2007 that makes a steady supply of coffee beans "the simplest part of their operation."

Morris says that as Dutch Bros. prepares for phase three of its expansion and looks ahead to phase four (the Midwest), it has become vital to plot the future with suppliers and distributors to ensure that the flow of everything from dry goods to dairy will keep pace with the company's growth.

"We have goals to keep going, as long as things work well," Morris says.

"The sky's the limit, and spreading Dutch Love is what we're doing."

Joe Mosley can be reached at 338-2384 or jmosley@ guardnet.com.

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Proper Brewing of Coffee

2005-09-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Wonder how to make the best pot of coffee? According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America following these general rules will afford you the Perfect Cup of Coffee.

Proper brewing enhances the taste of coffee by allowing you to extract the proper amount of flavor from the bean.

There are six essential elements of good brewing:

1. Correct Coffee-to-Water Ratio:
Because coffee is a strong flavoring agent, it takes relatively little to produce a robust brew. The generally accepted ratio is 1.0 - 1.5% coffee to 98.5 - 99% water.

2. A Coffee Grind That Matches the Brewing Time:
To prevent under- or over-extracting the flavor from the beans, you must match the right particle size (grind) with the right brewing time. In general, longer brewing times should be paired with larger particles and shorter brewing times with smaller particles.

3. Properly Operating Brewing Equipment:
Because your brewing equipment controls the coffee's contact with the water, it is important that it be precisely calibrated and well maintained. In particular, you should pay attention to the length of the brewing process, the temperature of the water and the amount of mixing (turbulence).

4. Optimum Brewing Method:
To achieve the flavor you desire, you must first choose the right brewing method. There are six basic methods of brewing: Steeping, Decoction, Percolation, Drip Filtration, Vacuum Filtration and Pressurized Infusion.

5. High-Quality Water:
In general, water that contains 50 - 100 parts per million of dissolved minerals will produce the best-tasting coffee.

6. An Appropriate Filtering Medium:
A well-made filter is essential to clarify the beverage and separate the extract from the coffee grounds.

Boutique Espressos

2005-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

by Kenneth Davids

In the 60s we used to talk about instant karma, meaning one minute you're criticizing someone's taste in bellbottoms and the next you're walking into the adjoining room and finding someone else knocking your flower-print shirt. My current episode of foot-in-the-mouth karma took a month, not quite instant, but definitely a quick turnaround from a karmic perspective.

Last issue I noted a trend for medium-sized, regionally dominant roasters to produce higher rated coffees than either very small roasting companies or very large ones. Along the way I cited a whole paragraphful of likely reasons for the presumed better performance of these medium-sized companies, including better access to green coffees and better roasting technologies than small companies, and more manageable roast volumes than the giant companies. This Time Smaller is Better

I had better come up with some different reasons, because this month's collection of espresso blends from very small boutique roasters - some very, very small - suggest something else entirely. It suggests that smaller really is better, and that these little companies with their (I presume) hands-on approach to roasting and 20-bag lots of green coffee produce espresso blends as good or better than competing blends produced by any roasting company in the country, small, medium or gigantic. These blends were thoughtfully designed, tactfully roasted, and as subtly individualistic as their often quirky bag copy and websites. It revives one's faith in the original democratic vision of specialty coffee: a roasting machine in the back of the store, an individualistic roaster/owner in front, and all of it built around a love for coffee rather than a marketing plan.

An Average of 88

I tasted fifteen espresso blends from thirteen small to tiny boutique roasting companies. As informal controls, I threw in one blend from a well-known mega-national company and one from a medium-sized, regionally dominant company of the kind I touted last issue, in this case Neighbors Coffee of Oklahoma City.

The Neighbors espresso emerged quite well at 89, the espresso from the well-known mega-national company did about as well as it usually does, in the mid-80s, but the boutique espressos as a group did extremely well. The fifteen I tasted averaged a rather extraordinary 88. There was not a gagger or loser in the bunch, and five out of fifteen ended with ratings of 90 or higher.

The Espresso Blending Paradox

As coffee insiders know, sophisticated espresso blends may be the ultimate test of coffee blending and roasting expertise. The espresso brewing method extracts flavor components from coffee so efficiently that any imbalance or sharpness in the blend is enormously amplified, particularly when the coffee is taken as a straight shot. On the other hand, any weak-kneed lack of body and power will leave the blend overwhelmed and under flavored in milk drinks. Thus the American espresso roaster-blender must walk a narrow creative line, simultaneously muting sharpness and acidity while maximizing sweetness and milk-mastering body and complexity.

Espresso blends also make daunting demands on coffee reviewers because their strengths and defects are so dramatic yet so subtle. I found myself using the same limited complement of words - chocolate, crisp, balanced, lean - to attempt to get at sensory events that may all fit the same basic category of experience, yet differ greatly in their capacity to deliver complex, pleasurable versions of that experience.

Blend Strategies

All of the blends reviewed here appear to rely on skillful selection of green coffees to achieve the sweetness and restraint coupled with quiet power that a successful American-style espresso blend demands. Some appear to intensify body and mute sharpness by making discreet use of coffees that are unorthodox by American specialty standards: high-quality wet-processed robustas, for example, which are naturally big in body and neutral in acidity, or Indian monsooned coffees, which rely on exposure to monsoon winds after processing to increase body and reduce acidity. Other blends seem to rely on more conventional choices: round, low-acid dry-processed Brazilian coffees; rich, gently musty traditionally processed Sumatras; the sweeter, fuller style of Latin American wet-processed coffees; deeply fruity dry-processed Ethiopia Harrars.

Ironically, only the Neighbors espresso, the sole entry from a larger roasting company, was roasted extremely dark. The other blends ranged from medium-roasted to dark. But no matter how dark some were roasted, none exhibited the overbearingly bitter, sharp character that once was typical of American espresso blends, a regrettable effect gotten by roasting high-grown, acidy coffees too dark too fast.

Barista-Driven Revival?

And so, allow me to take my foot out of my mouth and return, for one issue at least, to praising the efforts of these small roasters who seem to have revived the original tradition of American specialty coffee.

This latest revival of fine small-batch roasting may be fueled by a related new development in American specialty coffee history, the emergence of the barista culture. A barista, of course, is a fancy name for someone who operates an espresso machine and assembles espresso drinks. While larger companies like Starbucks may be on the way to replacing the skills of the barista with automatic machines, other independent, smaller cafes and chains have fueled a worldwide movement to dignify and professionalize the job of barista by instituting barista competitions, informal barista "jams," and by the recent establishment of the Barista Guild, now under the auspices of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. These barista competitions not only encourage skill in producing espresso and espresso drinks and an elegance and economy of gesture, but also - and more to the point here - an appreciation of fine and distinctive espresso blends. Those interested in the contemporary barista movement will find information on the Barista Guild at www.scaa.org/related_organizations.asp

Most of the baristas driving this movement are relatively young in years and counterculture in attitude and affiliation. The combination of irreverence and passion that animates the bags and websites of many of the roasting companies highlighted in this month's review certainly derives from this new, espresso-and-youth centered coffee culture. And I suspect that the elegance and sophistication of the blends reviewed here may rise from their creators' direct, hands-on engagement with espresso, starting with the experience of pulling a perfect espresso shot and working from there back into the subtleties of roasting, blending and green coffee sourcing.

A Grassroots Movement

The grassroots nature of the new sophisticated wing of the American espresso movement is best demonstrated by the fact that virtually all of the coffees that I review so favorably here were nominated by readers. Furthermore, they were roasted by small companies scattered in smallish towns all over the country.

I wrote those last few paragraphs fired up by two lovely shots pressed from the Doma Coffee Ruby's Organic Espresso. And also fired up by the evidence that the roots of specialty coffee may not be as strangled by formula-driven commerce as they recently appeared to be.

For A Perfect Cup Of Coffee At Home Try Java Queen International

Double Dutch Cappuccino Martini

2005-09-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

1 oz Van Gogh Espresso Vodka
1 oz Java Queen International Espresso Coffee
1 oz Coffee Liqueur
1 oz Half And Half

Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker and add crushed ice.
Let stand for five seconds.
Shake vigorously for five seconds.
Strain into martini glass.
Garnish with a small whipped cream drop.

Choosing The Right Bean; What's In A Name?

2005-09-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

The names of the beans normally do not refer to the kind of coffee plant they come from; instead, the name can refer to any of the following:

Origin: Quite simply, a name may designate where the bean was grown (Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Yemen).

Sometimes the name of the plantation is included in the coffee's name as well. Coffees can be designated as "single-origin" coffees -- that is, originating from one country only -- or "blends," a combination of beans from a variety of geographical areas. Generally, blended coffees produce more complex brews than single-origin coffees.

Roasting Style:
Once at their destination, the green coffee beans are roasted (that is, heated in a large roasting drum to develop a desired flavor and color). Generally, the longer the beans roast, the darker their color -- and the stronger their flavor. Knowing how strong you prefer your brew will help you decide which roasting style you prefer.

Roaster's Preferences:

Often, coffee roasters will put their own mark on a batch of beans, blending and roasting the beans according to the roaster's preferences. Often, names such as "House Blend" will tell you little; but the names sometimes give clues as to how the roaster envisioned the coffee to be enjoyed, such as "Eye-Opener Roast" or "Dessert Blend."

Coffee-Roasting Styles

French and Italian Roasts: Dark, heavy-roasted beans that are almost black in color and produce a strongly flavored coffee.
American Roast: A medium-roasted coffee, which produces a coffee that's neither characteristically light nor heavy.
European Roast: Two-thirds heavy-roasted beans combined with one-third medium-roasted beans.
Viennese Roast: One-third heavy-roasted beans combined with two-thirds medium-roasted beans.

Decaffeinated Coffee

Decaffeinated coffee beans do not grow on trees! They're simply regular coffee beans that have had the caffeine extracted from them, either through a chemical process that uses a solvent to extract the caffeine, or by a Swiss water method, wherein the beans are steamed and the caffeine-rich outer layers removed. Most coffee lovers agree that a good-quality decaffeination process will not take away from the pleasure, aroma, or flavor of coffee.

Choosing the Right Bean

So, how does all this translate into what's best for your cup? Because coffees grown in the same parts of the world can have similar characteristics, knowing your coffee's origins can help you decide if it will be one you like. Coffees from Africa are often imbued with the aromas and flavors of berries, citrus fruits, cocoa, and spices, while coffees from Latin America are known for their lighter body and cleaner flavors. Coffees from Southeast Asia are often full-bodied and smooth. Once you've got this overall picture of origins and roasting styles in your mind, honing your personal likes and dislikes involves the enjoyable task of trying a little of this and a little of that when you have a chance.

coffee
coffee plants coffee bean
roasted coffee beans

For Your Perfect Cup Of Coffee

Knowing Beans About Beans

2005-09-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

For the coffee aficionado, understanding all the subtleties that make a great cup can be as captivating as knowledge of good wines is to the wine lover. Fortunately for all of us, however, achieving the perfect cup is easy once you're familiar with a few basic coffee-making concepts.

Know Your Beans

When you walk into a specialty coffee shop, a coffeehouse that sells coffee beans—or even a grocery store with a wide variety of whole-bean coffees—you'll probably spot an enticing display of coffee beans. Usually, they'll range in color from light to dark brown, with names like French roast, Ethiopian, espresso roast, and even designations such as "house blend" and "Christmas blend." Knowing a little bit about the origins of coffee beans and how they're harvested, roasted and named can help you choose the bean that's right for your cup.

What's a Bean?

A coffee bean is actually the seed found in the red fruit (called a "coffee cherry") of a tropical evergreen shrub. This shrub can grow up to 30 feet in height. Coffee plantations thrive near the equator (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn), primarily in Africa, the Americas and Southeast Asia. As with most plants used for food and drink, the growing environment—amount of sunshine, type of soil, climate and water—contributes much to the flavor. Once coffee is harvested (a painstaking process that involves picking the coffee cherries by hand as they ripen) and processed, the beans—which are at this point green in color—are shipped off to their destinations to be roasted.

Types of Beans

With all the different monikers on the beans you buy at the store, you may think they are from different species of coffee plants. However, most of the beans you can purchase today come from only two species of coffee plants: coffea robusta and coffea arabica. The coffee most Americans grew up with (the kind most often found in cans in supermarket aisles) is generally made from coffea robusta, as are most instant coffees. While the robusta plant's hardiness and high yield make this a less expensive coffee to produce, coffee experts have described its flavor as "harsh" and "one-dimensional." On the other hand, coffea arabica, which grows at higher altitudes than robusta, produces coffee that connoisseurs often describe as "rich" and "complex." Specialty coffees—those served at coffeehouses and sold at specialty coffee shops—are generally made from coffea arabica.

To Be Continued....

coffee
coffee shop coffee bean
perfect cup of coffee

Battle Is Brewing Over Ethics of the Coffee Trade

2005-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Battle is brewing over ethics of the coffee trade
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor

A battle for coffee drinkers' consciences is about to begin with the launch of a rival to the Fairtrade label.

Now that nearly half of shoppers consider the ethical dimension of goods, competition for the moral high ground is big business.

Fairtrade coffee's big selling point is that it offers small coffee farmers in the developing world a guaranteed price for their beans if commodity prices fall below $1.26 (68p) a pound.

Its competitor, Rainforest Alliance Certified, guarantees that coffee is produced in a way that preserves the forest and its wildlife and ensures that workers, who are often temporary, enjoy good working conditions, housing and pay. It pays a premium of a few pence a pound.

Kenco, which sells 76 per cent of the coffee bought in Britain, has chosen to work with the Rainforest scheme, whose label will appear on Kenco jars. The Rainforest Alliance has achieved a major conservation victory by "greening" Chiquita, the world's largest banana supplier, once notorious for low pay and deforestation.

Chris Wille, of the Rainforest Alliance, based in Costa Rica, said its standards on wildlife conservation and workers' conditions were higher than Fairtrade's.

Fairtrade, which brought sustainable coffee to the mass market, can claim that it started to address the same social problems even earlier.

Ian Bretman, of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "We don't see it as a competition. They are not doing what we do. We are a certification scheme that addresses small-scale farmers.

"If your primary concern is the environment, check out the Rainforest Alliance. If you accept that the environment is just one of a package of issues to do with sustainability, check out Fairtrade.

"If the world's vast number of small-scale farmers can't put food on the table and send their kids to school it is hard to see how they can invest in the environment."

coffee
rainforest fairtrade coffee
perfect cup of coffee

Drink To Your Health: Coffee Is Main Source of Antioxidants

2005-09-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Drink To Your Health
Study: Coffee is main source of antioxidants
HealthDay News

Gannett News Service
A recent study shows Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than from other sources.

Americans' love affair with coffee means they get more antioxidants from this drink than from any other source in their diet, a new study reports.

By measuring the amount of antioxidants contained in the most common foods and beverages, and comparing them to U.S. government data on food consumption, researchers found coffee far outpaced any other beverage or food as the main source of antioxidants in the American diet.

"When you look at the quantity of antioxidants in coffee and how much is consumed, it really shines either way," said Joe Vinson, a chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. He presented the study recently at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Washington.

More than half of Americans drink coffee every day, making it the most popular beverage in the country, Vinson said.

Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that help prevent oxidation, a process that can cause damage to cells and may contribute to aging. The compounds may help boost immune function and possibly cut your risk of infection, heart disease and cancer, according to the American Dietetic Association.

For his study, which was partially funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute, Vinson and his colleagues analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. The analysis included tracking antioxidants that are hidden in sugar molecules, which increased the number of antioxidants measured, Vinson said.

In coffee, most of the antioxidants are hidden in sugar molecules, he said.

The antioxidant data was then compared to a U.S. Department of Agriculture database to measure the estimated U.S. per capita consumption of each food.

The results showed the average American received more than four times the amount of antioxidants from coffee daily than from black tea, which was second on the list. Bananas, dry beans and corn were the top three foods on the list.

Vinson said other foods, particularly dates, cranberries and red grapes, contain more antioxidants than coffee, but those foods aren't consumed in anywhere near the quantities as coffee.

He added that high antioxidant levels don't necessarily translate into levels found in the body — the health benefits ultimately depend on how the compounds are absorbed and utilized in the body, a process that is poorly understood.

Vinson said his study isn't a recommendation to begin drinking a lot of coffee — "I'm not a coffee advocate, but a tea advocate" — but it does provide more positive information about coffee than has been reported.

"Researchers have ignored coffee because of negative news linking it to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, but this might stimulate more positive research into coffee," he added.

A number of recent studies have linked coffee to health benefits, including protection against liver and colon disease, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease, according to Vinson.

Catherine Jen, a nutrition professor and chairwoman of Wayne State University's Department of Nutrition and Food Science in Detroit, said previous research has shown that about one-third of people's antioxidants come from coffee, because it's such a popular drink.

"It's true about coffee, but it's better to get antioxidants from fruit and vegetables because you are not only getting antioxidants but other nutrients like dietary fiber and B vitamins like folate," she said.

On the Web

To learn more about antioxidants from the National Library of Medicine: www.nlm.nih.gov

For Your Perfect Cup of Coffee, Visit Java Queen International

New Orleans Coffee Not Damaged By Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- The 700,000 bags of coffee stored in New Orleans warehouses operated by Port Cargo Service Inc. weren't damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the company said Thursday.

The privately held New Orleans company operates 28 warehouses in that city, including coffee facilities licensed by the New York Board of Trade.

"We had some roof damage in three warehouses, but moved the nearby coffee to dry areas in those buildings," said Kevin Kelly, president of Port Cargo. "We have no odors, no unusual humidity or toxicology problems, and suffered no losses in our seven coffee warehouses."

Streets surroundings those buildings are dry, he added.

"We had no rising water in our warehouse areas, and don't expect food inspectors to look at our buildings," Kelly said. "There's no need for it."

On Thursday, Arabica coffee futures edged off nine-month lows touched earlier in the session on the Nybot after industry members and bargain hunters bought, brokers said.

Most-active December coffee rose 1.2 cent to 95.95 cents a pound. Spot September coffee also gained 1.2 cent to 92.70 cents a pound.

Traders heard mixed reports about the size of coffee losses in New Orleans warehouses after Katrina, with one local storage firm seeing some damage and another company finding few problems in its silos.

On Thursday, traders said the giant New Orleans coffee industry could be a big loser well after the hurricane, and observed that the port in recent years slipped from the largest U.S. coffee terminal to second after New York. Ports in Houston, Florida, New York and New Jersey are picking up business being diverted from New Orleans. New Orleans-based roasting plants are shifting activities elsewhere.

The port of New Orleans will start reopening this weekend, and officials are working with labor unions to get workers back at the terminal.

A Procter & Gamble Co. team is still inspecting New Orleans facilities and inventories and it's unclear what effect the hurricane and flooding had, Treasurer John Goodwin told analysts at a conference in Boston.

Cincinnati based P&G has four coffee storage and production facilities and over 500 employees in the New Orleans area.

Luzianne Coffee, one of the top two brands of java sold in Louisiana, has temporarily concentrated its roasting activities in Knoxville, Tenn., after its New Orleans headquarters and main roasting plant were shut by Katrina.

Previously, most of Luzianne's beans arrived at the port of New Orleans but the company is having imports rerouted.

Luzianne has yet to hear about the condition of its coffee stored in its New Orleans warehouses. The company has no current plans to pass on higher fuel and trucking costs associated with Katrina to its customers.

For Your Perfect Cup Of Coffee Click Here Now

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CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES

2005-09-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

There is simply nothing much better than a Perfect Cup Of Coffee and a chewie brownie. This brownie is sure to please chocolate and coffee lovers.

Preparation 20 min.
Baking 33 min.

Brownie Ingredients:

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons hot water
1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips (We recommend NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Morsels)
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter*
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting Ingredients:

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened*
Drizzle Ingredients:

1/3 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips (We recommend NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Morsels)
1/2 teaspoon shortening

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 1 tablespoon espresso powder and hot water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (4 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in espresso mixture, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until well mixed.

Spread mixture into greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely.

Combine 1 teaspoon espresso powder and 2 tablespoons milk in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Add powdered sugar and 1/4 cup butter. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled brownies.

Melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (2 to 4 minutes).

Drizzle chocolate over frosting; swirl with toothpick or knife for marbled effect.

*Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil.
Ingredient Substitution Index

Yield: 25 brownies

Nutrition Facts (1 brownie)

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Calories: 180
Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 34 mg
Sodium: 95 mg
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 2 g

Serve This Treat With A Pefect Cup Of Coffee And Listen To The Delight And Praise!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10011B Copyright © 1998 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

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Cappuccino Brownie Recipe

IRISH COFFEE PIE

2005-09-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Bring the luck of the Irish into your home with this Irish coffee flavored pie.

Preparation 30 min.
Baking 7 min.

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened*
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
Filling Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey, if desired
1 1/2 cups LAND O LAKES® Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped
Garnish Ingredients:

LAND O LAKES® Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped, sweetened, if desired

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Combine marshmallows, milk, sugar and coffee granules in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted (10 to 12 minutes). Pour into large bowl; cool completely.

Stir bourbon into cooled marshmallow mixture; gently stir in whipped cream. Pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate until set (4 hours or overnight). Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Serve with a Perfect Cup of Coffee From Java Queen International

*Substitute LAND O LAKES® Soft Baking Butter with Canola Oil right from the refrigerator.
Ingredient Substitution Index

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition Facts (1 serving)

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Calories: 360
Fat: 26 g
Cholesterol: 90 mg
Sodium: 130 mg
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 3 g

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0865 Copyright © 1995 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

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For Your Perfect Cup Of Coffee Go Here!

What Is Coffee?

2005-09-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

From Coffee Basics"
© 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pages 1-14
Kevin Knox & Julie Sheldon Huffaker

To develop a knowledgeable relationship with coffee - and particularly to learn to distinguish and appreciate its flavors-one must first understand what coffee is. The coffee bean is actually the seed, or pit, of the round, red cherry fruit of a tropical evergreen shrub. The coffee shrub grows up to 15 feet in height, and its branches grow thick with broad, waxy green leaves. In addition to the claret red clusters of coffee cherries, each coffee branch offers an abundance of luxuriant, jasmine-scented flowers.

A normal cherry contains two seeds, or beans, that grow nestled against each other. When one of these beans doesn't develop properly, the remaining bean takes over the extra space at the heart of the cherry and becomes unusually rounded. These anomalies are known as "peaberries." Because of their unique appearance, they are occasionally sorted out from the other beans and sold separately.

Today, most of us consume our coffee by the cup: processed to free the seeds from the cherry, roasted to enhance the flavors locked inside, ground finely, and brewed with fresh, hot water. Earlier devotees, however, fermented the tangy coffee fruit for liquor; there is also evidence to show they boiled the leaves for tea. Ethiopian nomads even rolled beans with animal fat to fashion a sort of traveler's quick-energy bar.

Since its discovery in Arabia around the ninth century, coffee has become one of the world's most popular agricultural products. In volume of trade, coffee is second only to oil on the world market. It is also one of the most labor-intensive food products, undergoing more than 17 processing steps on the way to the mugs of its followers.

The annual yield of a coffee tree is approximately one pound of roasted coffee or-brewed properly-about 40 cupfuls. It's a good thing this harvest is worth the wait, because coffee farmers have to do just that; on average, five years must pass before a young tree bears its first full harvest.

Arabica and Robusta

There are two major species of coffee that are grown for commercial use, Coffea robusta and Coffea arabica. Robusta grows at lower elevations, has a higher yield per plant, and is more disease resistant than its arabica relative. Robusta beans are noteworthy for their harsh, dirty flavor and abundant caffeine-twice as much caffeine, in fact, as is found in arabica beans. Relatively low costs of production make robustas favorite with North American canned, or "institutional," coffee roasters.

The arabica species, which grows best at higher elevations, is the source of all of the world's great coffees. While there is more poor-tasting arabica than robusta in the world, this is simply a result of the fact that monumentally more arabica is grown. About 75 percent of the world's total production is arabica; at most, 10 percent of that is actually of "specialty" quality.

"Specialty" Quality Coffee

Specialty coffee distinguishes itself first and foremost by the quality of the raw material. The term "specialty coffee" also connotes a greater level of attention paid to the processing and roasting than is characteristically associated with coffee that comes in a can. Henceforth, when we talk about growing conditions and coffee in general, the specialty-grade arabicas are the beans we're talking about.

To narrow the pot still further, of the 10 percent of arabicas that can legitimately be called specialty coffee, only 1 or 2 percent qualifies as superlative representatives of their growing regions, or grand crus ("great growths"). Such beans provide the pinnacle flavors and aromas we coffee lovers are looking for, and when we talk about taste in the cup, these are the coffees to which we refer. The stunning reward of a balance of factors including plant pedigree, altitude, microclimate, and cultivation, these magnificent coffees are the ones we encourage you to seek out and sample.

Here's a quick semantic distinction you may find useful: People often refer to single-origin coffees, the pure, unblended coffees that come from a single country or region, as "varietals." Used this way, the term is more colloquial and convenient than botanically correct. Remember the hierarchy from high school biology- kingdom, phylum, class, and so on? "Species" falls at the end of the line, and "variety" is a subunit of species.

The use of the word varietal, therefore, is a bit misleading. When people say "varietal," they're not talking about a distinct "variety" within species arabica; what they really mean is a single-origin coffee. To avoid confusion, whenever we refer to unblended beans we will call them single-origin coffees.

Hybrids vs. Heirlooms

As is the case with many domesticated agricultural products today, the issue of growing heirloom varieties versus modern hybrids is a great concern in the specialty coffee industry. Older versions of the arabica plant are preferred by many specialty coffee buyers for their superior and distinctive taste qualities. Older heirloom types, such as bourbon and typica, are still widely planted in East Africa, Yemen, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Significant pockets can be found in other countries as well.

At the same time, modern hybrids such as caturra, catimor, and the hardy variedad Colombiana have become increasingly popular with growers. In general, hybrids produce more beans per plant and are less susceptible to disease than the heirloom types. Unfortunately, hybrids are also generally considered by tasters in the industry to be more bland in the cup.

Specialty coffee buyers concerned about flavor and the future existence of fine coffee encourage growers to continue cultivating heirloom plants. They are also willing to pay the higher prices that support growers in doing so.

The coffee tree requires a frost-free climate, moderate rainfall, and plenty of sunshine. The regions where coffee grows, known as "origin regions," are grouped loosely under three geographical nameplates: the Americas, Africa and Arabia, and Indonesia. Within these regions, coffee grows in almost 80 different countries. It can grow at altitudes ranging from sea level to 6,000 feet, in all sorts of different soils and microclimates.

The environment required for growing fine specialty coffee, however, is found only in select mountainous regions in the tropics-between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, to be exact. These aristocrats demand high altitudes, usually between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, to produce their stunning and concentrated flavors. They need an annual rainfall of about 80 inches, with distinct rainy and dry seasons. The soil in which fine coffees grow must be extremely fertile, and is often volcanic. Regular mist and cloud cover are also necessary for protection from overexposure to sunlight at these latitudes.

For such high-quality coffee to thrive, year-round daytime temperatures must average 60-700F, which by tropical standards is quite cool. The result is a longer, slower growth cycle, yielding beans that are denser and far more intense in flavor than their lower-grown neighbors. In some growing regions, most notably Guatemala and Costa Rica, beans are graded by elevation. The highest-grown of these are called "strictly hard bean" (SHB). In origin countries, you might also hear high-grown coffees described as being stronger" (in taste, mind you-not caffeine content).

Because they are harder and more dense, high-grown beans can be roasted darker and still retain their integrity. Here's an example: At a darker roast, a premium Guatemalan Antigua offers plush, Belgian-chocolate body and considerable flavor complexity. At the same roast, beans grown at lower elevations are left with little other than the roasty, smokey flavors of the roasting process itself.

The beans grown downslope are still good coffee, but compared in the cup to those of higher elevations they are simple, mild, and uncomplicated. To borrow a wine taster's term, they are vin ordinaire, "ordinary wine," and nothing to write home about. Again, for true complexity and dimensionality of flavor, green-coffee buyers look to the lofty mountains, bright sunshine, fertile soil, and warm but not hot climes-the land, as the people of Guatemala call their highlands, of "eternal spring."

In addition to meeting these narrowly defined growing criteria, fine coffee requires special handling during its harvest. Coffee cherries ripen at differing rates-even on the same tree and branch, and in the same cluster. To ensure optimal flavor, cherries must be picked at their respective peaks. Each cherry is picked individually, by hand. Coffee pickers return many times to the same tree over the course of a harvest, and pick through each day's efforts with care in order to spot and discard any underripe fruit.

Wet and Dry Processing

After the ripe cherries have been plucked from their trees, the next task is to get at the seeds, or coffee beans, inside. To separate the beans from their cherries, a total of four layers must be removed: the tough, shiny outer skin; the sticky, mucilaginous pulp of the fruit; a stiff parchment casing; and the thin, delicate "silverskin" that clings to each bean.

There are two methods used to isolate the beans: the washed process and the dry process. The method used depends largely on the availability of fresh water and is one of the most important determinants of coffee flavor.

The washed, or wet, method involves mechanically removing the pulp from the beans. After depulping, top-quality wet-processed coffees are transferred to large fermentation tanks, usually through a sluice of some kind.

In the fermentation tanks, a carefully monitored and controlled enzymatic reaction allows the sticky fruit to swell and loosen from the beans inside. Many first-time plantation visitors are surprised to discover that these tanks of coffee smell remarkably like new-made wine. Fermentation may last from 12 to 36 hours, depending on atmospheric conditions and the nature of the coffee itself. Carefully executed, fermentation yields the crisp, fruity acidity and aromatic high notes that define the world's great washed coffees.

The path from ripe to rotten is short. If this stage is not arrested at the exact moment fermentation is complete, an entire batch of coffee can be ruined. The dreaded taste defect known as "ferment" will occur and lend its unmistakably offensive taste to the beans. When ferment is present, even a neophyte taster knows something has gone horribly wrong; its taste could be described, quite frankly, as latrine-like. The control of fermentation is invariably the job of the most experienced workers on a coffee plantation.

When fermentation is complete, the beans are washed free from the loosened fruit. The coffee beans, with parchment layer intact, are left to dry on large patios. To ensure even drying, the beans must be raked and thereby turned several times each day.

Washed coffees are brighter and offer cleaner, more consistent flavors than those processed by the dry method. Not surprisingly, the wet method predominates in Latin America, the very region whose coffees we associate with these characteristics. In more industrialized coffee-growing countries like Costa Rica, traditional wet processing is being replaced with a variation called aqua-pulping. With this method, the coffee is just depulped, rinsed, and dried. Sadly, such coffee can't express the high notes and varietal charm characteristic of traditionally washed beans.

In comparison to the wet method, the dry or natural method seems quite simple. Coffee cherries are spread to dry in open sunlight, usually on patios or tarps, for several weeks. The shriveled husks of dried fruit are then winnowed away, leaving only the interior parchment and beans.

Dry-processed coffees are generally heavier bodied and more variable in flavor than wet-processed beans. You will find-and learn to taste-that most Indonesian coffees are dry-processed, as are some of the more traditional coffees of Africa and Arabia.

Milling and Sorting

After being processed via the wet or dry method, coffee beans are milled to remove their stiff parchment and light, translucent silverskin. They are then sorted by size and density At every step of the way, in fact, the milling and sorting processes work to bring like beans together, and this is critically important to good roasting. Defects, which may include broken or underripe beans and small stones, twigs, or other foreign material, are also removed during milling and sorting.

Separated from defects and shed of their trappings, coffee beans are known to the trade as "green coffee." In truth, unadulterated "green" beans range in color from opalescent blue to a matte gray-green. Compared to roasted coffee, which has a shelf life that is measured in days, green coffee is fairly stable, with a shelf life of up to one year.

From There to Here

How long does it take coffee to get from "picking point," or harvest, to the roaster? For properly selected coffee, it takes a while. The stretch of time between the moment coffee is harvested and the day it is received by the roaster is typically a minimum of two to three months. The prime picking point in Central America, for example, is January through March; the better Central American coffees harvested in March will begin reaching U.S. roasters in June and July.

Savvy green-coffee buyers avoid first shipments from any origin. These tend to comprise early pickings-less flavorful coffee that's been rushed to market. While top-quality Costa Rican coffees may be shipped as early as February, the best usually go out in April or May. These start arriving in U.S. ports by mid-summer.

Why does it take so long for green coffee to reach us? As you know, once harvested, the coffee will be wet-processed or dry-processed. It will be milled and sorted, then carefully dried to within 10 to 12 percent moisture, rendering it chemically stable. The sum of these processes can take up to 14 days. At the finest farms, the coffee will then sit in what is called reposo, or "rest," for 30 to 60 days. Much like the cask conditioning of beer and wine, the function of reposo is to allow coffee to settle down, to reach equilibrium with regard to its temperature and humidity. This step greatly extends its useful shelf life in green form, which again, is of substantial benefit to the roaster.

Following these days of rest, the coffee is transported by sea to its destination country. Travel from Central America to the United States may occupy the better part of a month. For coffees that start out further away, such as in Kenya or Papua New Guinea, the trip may take up to twice as long, or two full months.

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A New Take On Coffee Cake

2005-09-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

A wonderful low-fat coffee cake recipe? Not gummy, tough or flavorless? Yes, Virginia, it does exist.

By Linda Greer - Eating Light, Woman's Day Specials

Remember those mornings when your mom had the mom next door over for coffee, cake and gossip? When life moved at a more leisurely pace and having a piece of cake didn't mean you had to spend hours atoning in the gym? Well, making time to get to know the neighbors is up to you, but this recipe for Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake will serve as an effective ice-breaker with even the most dedicated dieters.

The original coffee cake was an admittedly delicious combination of tender, buttery cake, tart bursts of whole cranberries and crunchy cinnamon streusel. However, your waistline certainly paid the price for all that enjoyment. A single serving weighted in at a hefty 501 calories with a whopping 24 grams of fat per serving. Practically all the flavor came from fat - two and a half sticks of butter, 3 eggs and a full cup of sour cream!

Some commonsense substitutions and a bit of kitchen wizardry were all it took to reform this bad boy. Calories were slashed by nearly half and - perhaps even more important - there are now only 4 grams of fat per serving with absolutely no sacrifice in flavor with this delicious coffee cake.

An array of healthful ingredients are at work replacing the fat. Apple-juice concentrate and just a bit of canola oil moisten the streusel and bind it together, completely forgoing the need for butter.

Puréed canned pears are used to take advantage of their natural fat-mimicking abilities. As a result, texture, always a dicey proposition in low-fat baking, is not compromised.

One whole egg and an egg white provide the amount of protein the cake needs to form a nice crumb and add just enough richness.

The tanginess and moisture traditionally provided by the sour cream, not to mention the richness, come through just as strongly with nonfat sour cream. The same amount of nonfat yogurt also works well.

Thanks to the natural sweetness and moisture provided by the apple-juice concentrate and the pear purée, this cake batter can get away with a half cup less of refined sugar. But a dessert with this many cranberries does need the counterbalance of the sugary streusel. And don't forget: You are getting loads of vitamin C and antioxidants from those cranberries, helping to maintain a healthy urinary tract and possibly helping to prevent gum disease.

But perhaps the most clever trick is browning the tiny amount of butter remaining in the recipe before incorporating it into the cake batter, maximizing that unmistakable flavor and even adding a slightly nutty undertone. The butter, in combination with the mere tablespoon of canola oil, a healthful monounsaturated fat, means that only 12 percent of the cake's calories come from fat.

Equally delicious at breakfast, brunch or as an afternoon pick-me-up, this recipe can be enjoyed as giant muffins or as two 8-inch by 4-inch loaves. Enjoy one now and freeze one for later. For a fancier occasion, bake in a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with confectioners' sugar. Adjust your baking times to the size of your pans accordingly and check for doneness frequently. Finally, use this recipe all year round. Try it with blueberries or raspberries in the summer and chopped apple or pear in the fall.

Here you go... enjoy this cake with your favorite gourmet coffee from Java Queen International

THE LIGHTER WAY: CRANBERRY STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

1 can (16 ounces) pears, drained and puréed
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat sour cream
3 cups frozen cranberries

STREUSEL TOPPING
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons frozen apple-juice concentrate, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In saucepan, over medium heat, cook pear purée, stirring, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Cool.

In small saucepan, over medium heat, cook butter, swirling, about 1 minute, until lightly browned. In large bowl, whisk pear purée, butter, sugar, egg, egg white, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the oil until smooth.

Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to pear mixture. Spread half of batter in pan; top with cranberries and rest of batter.

In medium bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Blend in apple-juice concentrate and remaining oil until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from middle.

Per serving: About 284 calories, 5 g proteins, 59 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 13% calories from fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 225 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Have A Cup Of Freshly Roasted Gourmet Coffee To Start Your Day Perfectly!

Hurricane Katrina Helps Coffee Farmers

2005-09-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Katrina will affect our economy far beyond what the damage of the hurricane has inflicted. The obvious and most reported effect will be on the oil supplies in our nation. Being a coffee lover as well as coffee marketer impact on the price of coffee as indicated by the article broadcast by the Associated Press caught my eye immediately.

"BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Hurricane Katrina may have destroyed about 1.5 million sacks of coffee stored at warehouses in New Orleans, raising the global price of coffee and benefiting coffee growers across the world, officials said Friday.

'There were about 750,000 sacks of coffee in New Orleans certified by the New York Board of Trade and private importers had a similar amount,' said Gabriel Silva, head of Colombia's National Coffee Federation."

Apparently the markets have effectively claimed the coffee destroyed and the price of coffee on the global markets has risen by 12 cents in the five days after Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. For those not as familiar with the coffee market, New Orleans is the top coffee port and major warehousing and roasting center.

The coffee lost in New Orleans represents about 8 percent of annual coffee consumption in the United States, according to a study by the Colombian Coffee Federation.
Silva said the lower global coffee production combined with the flooding after Hurricane Katrina means that Colombia's coffee exports this year will likely bring in between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion compared with $1.056 billion in 2004.

Colombia is one of the world's main coffee exporters so the law of supply and demand will work in their favor in the near future.

Go Here For More Information On The Coffee Crisis

Java Queen International; Coffee Freshly Roasted Expressly For You!

How To Store Coffee

2005-09-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

There are popular misconceptions on the way roasted coffee should be stored and maintained. The enemies of roasted coffee are moisture, air, light, and heat. Storing your coffee away from them will keep it fresher longer. Therefore, an airtight container stored in a cool, dry, dark place is the best environment for your coffee.

Freezing Coffee - Not as Good as an Iced Mocha

Some people store their coffee in the freezer thinking it is going to keep the coffee fresh. Here are a couple of reasons why storing coffee in your freezer is a bad idea:

Coffee is porous. This is a good thing for fans of flavored coffee as the beans absorb the coffee flavoring syrups and oils that are used to make flavored coffee. However, if given the chance, coffee can also absorb other things like the flavor of seafood or the moisture that your freezer produces. This moisture will in turn deteriorate the coffee and even make it taste like, well... like a freezer.

When coffee is roasted, the beans release their oils and essences to give the coffee its distinct flavor. You'll notice these oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso. When you break down these oils by freezing, you are removing the flavor.

Think about it.... if coffee tasted better and fresher from the freezer, then you would buy it in the frozen food section, your local coffee shop might look more like an ice cream parlor, and our power bills would be through roof trying to maintain a meat-locker the size of a warehouse.

When to Freeze Coffee

How long does coffee stay fresh? A good rule to use is two weeks. Now, if you happen to have found a great price on bulk coffee, and you don't plan on using it within two weeks, the freezer can be an acceptable one-time shot. What this means is that once you take it out of the freezer, it should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process.

The goal in freezing coffee is to keep it away from moisture. If you have a five pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. I've even read you should go so far as to suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw!

Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. Do not put it back into the freezer!

When to Refrigerate Coffee

Never, unless you are conducting a science experiment on how long it takes to ruin perfectly good coffee. The fridge is one of the absolute worst places to put coffee.

Buy Whole Beans And Keep Them Whole As Long As You Can.

Would you cut a cake into pieces the day before you plan to serve it? Would you buy it pre-sliced? Of course not! The pieces would quickly become stale and the frosting would start to dry out. The same goes for coffee. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This holds especially true for flavored coffees!

For the best tasting coffee, buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving.

Vacuum-sealed Coffee

Vacuum-sealed coffee does not equal fresh coffee. When coffee is roasted, it releases carbon dioxide and continues to release it for days afterward. Fresh-roasted coffee can be packaged in valve-sealed bags to allow the gasses to escape and will taste best about 48 hours after roasting. To be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag. The vacuum bag will indeed help preserve coffee longer while it ships and maybe sits on a store shelf, but before it shipped it had to sit around for a while before it was "sealed for freshness." Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee.

A Quick Review For Serving The Best Coffee:

Buy whole beans directly from a coffee roaster if possible.
Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed.
Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place.
Grind your beans just before brewing.
Enjoy!

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Alarm Not Such A Bad Thing...

2005-09-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

So, starts another day... the whirring of the coffee grinder makes an almost welcomed alarm clock. I lay in bed this morning basking in the aroma of my fabulous French Roast Coffee while my automatic coffee maker prepared my morning engergizer.
If only I could sit out in the garden and drink several cups rather than go to work.
Alas, that won't happen today, so as I finish my first cup, I bid "good day" to you all.

Coffee and Armagnac Parfait

2005-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

This icy dessert combines the pleasure of strong coffee with a shot of good brandy. A base of heavy cream provides a smooth texture, lasting body and stability. For an authentic presentation, serve it in traditional fluted parfait glasses. Cognac or another brandy may be substituted for the Armagnac, if you wish

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
4 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 tablespoons chilled espresso (depending upon how you like your drink)
1/3 cup Armagnac
Unsweetened cocoa or roasted coffee beans, optional

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved; bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. As soon as the sugar-water syrup boils, remove from the heat and slowly pour the mixture into the egg yolks while whisking vigorously.

Place the bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water in a pan. Continue to whisk vigorously until the mixture is frothy and stiff, 3-4 minutes.

Remove the bowl from over the water and, using an electric mixer set on high speed or the whisk, continue to beat until the mixture cools down completely, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Place the cream in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with clean beaters, beat until soft peaks form. Add the coffee extract, Armagnac and cooled yolk mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold together gently.

Espresso Coffee Extract
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. finely ground espresso coffee

For the coffee extract:
Bring the milk to a boil, add the espresso, and stir. Remove from heat. Cover, and let it steep for 2-3 minutes. Strain through paper towels.

Divide the mixture evenly among 4-6 individual parfait glasses. Cover and freeze for at least 5 hours or, preferably, overnight.

Serve each parfait garnished with a dusting of cocoa or a few coffee beans, if desired.

The best organic coffees from Java Queen International's "Your Morning Coffee" FREE COFFEE WITH PURCHASE

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Why Buy Specialty Coffee?

2005-09-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

The most immediately noticeable difference between commercial and specialty coffees is packaging: Commercial coffee comes in little bottles of instant, or already ground and packed in a tin. Specialty coffee comes as whole beans, in either one-pound bags or in bulk, and needs to be ground before it's brewed. You can purchase freshly roasted coffee ground specifically to meet the needs of your particular brewing machine.

Commercial coffee is usually roasted and packed in large plants, under nationally advertised brand names; specialty coffee is usually roasted in small stores or factories, using traditional methods and technology, and is often sold where it's roasted.

Specialty coffees offer considerably more choice than commercial coffees; you can buy coffee by the place the bean originated ("Kenya," "Colombian"); by roast ("French roast," "Italian roast "); or by blend designed for the time of day, price or flavor. Commercial coffees offer only a very limited selection of blend and roast, and little possibility whatsoever of buying straight, unblended coffees. Specialty coffees offer more opportunity for the consumer to participate in the creation of his pleasure; commercial coffees are a fait accompli in a tin or bag.

The final, most important difference between commercial and specialty coffees is the way they taste and smell. The best commercial blended coffees are good. The worst are atrocious. But bought fresh and brewed correctly, specialty coffees are more than good; they are superb, and superb in a variety of ways. If you want to know how specialty coffees get to be better than commercial coffees, read on.

Species of Coffee

Coffee buyers divide the world's coffee production into three main categories: "high-grown mild," "Brazilian," and "Robusta."

High-grown mild coffees demand the highest prices on the world market. The coffee tree will not tolerate frost, but will not flourish when temperatures are extremely high either. This means coffee grows best in certain well-watered, mountainous regions of the tropics. High-grown mild coffees, no matter where they come from, are grown at altitudes over 2,000 feet above sea level, usually between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. They are also produced from berries that are picked only when ripe, and prepared with care. The responsible specialty coffee roaster uses only the finest high-grown mild coffees.

The use of the term "Brazilian" to describe the next most preferred group of coffees is misleading, since Brazil also produces excellent mild coffees. The trade term "Brazilian," however, refers to lower-grade coffees which are grown at low altitudes on vast plantations and mass harvested. These coffees at best have a middle-of-the-road, neutral flavor, with a flat aroma. Most decent commercial blends contain large proportions of "Brazilian," with smaller additions of high-grown milds.

Both "high-grown mild" and "Brazilian" coffees are produced from plants which belong to the botanical species Coffea Arabica. The Arabica is the original coffee plant; it still grows wild in Ethiopia, and was first cultivated in Yemen at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Coffea Arabica was then carried around the world by coffee-hooked devotees, much as European wine grapes spread to form the basis of the world's wine industry. All specialty coffees come from Coffea arabica stock, which still makes up the majority of the world's production.

Many other species of coffee tree grow wild in Africa, however, and one, the Coffea Robusta, has grown to major importance in world markets. The main advantages of the robusta are its resistance to disease, and the fact that it will grow successfully at lower altitudes than Coffea Arabica. The bean, however, does not have the fragrance or flavor of the best arabica or even a decent Brazilian, and demands the lowest prices in the world market. Robusta is used as a component in the cheapest American commercial coffees, especially instant coffees.

Processing Coffee

The coffee bean, like all beans, is a seed; it grows at the heart of a small berry, about the size of the end of your little finger. Before the coffee can be shipped and roasted the bean must be separated from the berry. Nature has been particularly lavish in its protection of the coffee bean, and removing the three sets of skin and one layer of pulp from around the bean is a complex process. If done properly, the coffee looks better, tastes better and demands a higher price.

The worst preparation would be as follows: The coffee berries are stripped - leaves, unripe berries, and all - onto the ground. This mixture is then scooped up, sifted, dried in big piles, and some time later the hardened berry is stripped off the bean. Some beans will be small and deformed, shriveled, or discolored. In poorly prepared coffee all the beans, good and bad, plus a few twigs, a little dirt, and some stones, are shipped together. The various flavor taints associated with cheap coffee - earthiness, mustiness, harshness, and so on - derive from careless picking and drying.

The best preparation would run like this: The beans are selectively picked as they ripen. The outer skin is immediately scraped loose, exposing the pulp. The beans are then soaked, and the sweet pulp fermented off the bean. More soaking, or more properly washing, follows, before the bean is dried and the last layers of skin, now dry and crumbly, are stripped off the bean. In some cases, the beans are further tumbled and "polished" to improve heir appearance.

Grading Coffees

Coffee is graded according to these three criteria: the quality of the bean (altitude and species), quality of preparation, and size of the bean. A fourth criterion is simply how good the coffee tastes and smells, what coffee people call "cup quality."

Again: The specialty coffee seller buys only the best grades of coffee, which means high-grown mild beans, excellent preparation, with high cup quality. When you buy from a responsible specialty coffee seller you should be buying top quality, no matter what country of origin or roast you choose.

FREE COFFEE WITH PURCHASE FROM JAVA QUEEN INTERNATIONAL'S "YOUR MORNING COFFEE"

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