Why is a French press a great way to brew?

There are four key ingredients to a good cup of coffee. The first is freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee. The second is the water's temperature — it should be just off of a boil — around 192° to 204° F. Third, the surface area contact of the water to the coffee. And finally, the fourth is contact time.

Very few brewing processes can achieve all four of these. But a French press does. First explain to your customers that in order to brew the best cup of coffee, they should buy their favorite coffee. Then deliver the right temperature water to the French press for brewing. Remember, the water's temperature is important because the hotter the water, the better the flavor extraction. French presses provide the most surface area contact of any method, allowing the water to completely surround the bean extracting all the essential oils that give the coffee bean its body and structure. Timing is important to complete the extraction for a French press — it should be four minutes.

More...

Coke Plans New Coffee Drinks

Coca-Cola Co. will launch a coffee-infused soft drink in various world markets in 2006, and is working with chocolate maker Godiva on a rich, ready-to-drink coffee, due out in the spring, according to reports from Reuters and Beverage Digest .

Coca-Cola Blak, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will launch in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006. A Coke spokesperson said Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes.

More...

Java running neck-and-neck with soft drinks in US--report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More Americans are drinking a cup of coffee every day, putting Java virtually neck-and-neck with such soft drinks as cola, according to an industry report released on Saturday.

Preliminary data from the National Coffee Association of USA's "2006 National Coffee Drinking Trends" showed the percent of U.S. consumers who drink coffee each day rose to 56 percent in 2006 from 53 percent in 2005 and 49 percent in 2004.

"With increases in coffee consumption from 53 percent to 56 percent, accompanied by a decline in soft-drink consumption over the last year to 57 percent, daily coffee drinkers are now statistically equal to daily soft-drink consumers," NCA said in a statement.

More...

Serious situation brewing with coffee beans

World coffee carryover stocks at 'worrisome' level; Brazil stocks predicted to reach near-50-year low.

March 10, 2006: 12:23 PM EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's 2006/07 coffee supply and demand are near a balance, although low carryover stocks in producing countries is "very worrisome," the head of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) said on Friday.

"Never before have we seen a situation in which producing countries' stocks are at such low levels," Nestor Osorio, executive director of the ICO, told a coffee industry conference on Friday.

By the end of March, carryover stocks in Brazil, the biggest coffee producer and exporter, are likely to be about 9 million 60-kg bags, down about 50 percent from the same period last year and the lowest since 1957, Osorio said.

More...

Fun Coffee Facts

Did you know that prior to the 1600's, the favorite breakfast drink was beer? Since then, coffee has become second only to oil as the world's most valuable commodity.

1. The first coffee shop opened in 15th-century Constantinople, where the Turks thought the drink was an aphrodisiac.

2. James Mason patented the first American coffee percolator in 1865.

3. The term "Cuppa Joe" came from "G.I. Joe," who always had his coffee.

4. Coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year

5. It is estimated that 100 million Americans drink a total of 350 million cups of coffee a day

6. 52% of the American adult population (age 18+) drink some type of coffee beverage on a daily basis, averaging about 3.2 cups per day

7. 79% of coffee drinkers consume their coffee at home.

8. 91% of coffee drinkers consume their coffee at breakfast

9. The workplace is the second most prominent location where people drink coffee

10. The number of cups of gourmet coffee beverages consumed per drinker per day is 2.5 cups.

Thanks to Filterfresh, a pioneer in single-cup coffee makers, equipment and beverages for these facts.

At last, a travel mug for coffee that works!

This Brugo coffee mug goes under the "now why didn't I thank of that" category.

I posted a press release recently about Brugo mugs. At the same time, I ordered two to see how they worked.

I drink a lot of coffee while driving and I have always had two problems. The biggest problem is that the coffee is too hot to drink and it takes a long time to reach the right sipping temperature. Then, when it is ready to sip, it gets cool too quickly to really enjoy. You have to drink it quickly while it stays at the right temperature. You either burn your mouth or drink tepid coffee.

The second issue is spilling the coffee when it tips over or falls to the floor. We all have those coffee stains on our seats, floor, clothing, and anything in the car.

Well, this Brugo mug answers both issues and does it ingeniously. It has a separate sipping chamber that cools the next sip, while keeping the rest of the coffee hot. This makes the whole mug more enjoyable.

Also, if tipped over or dropped, only a tiny amount (less than an ounce)will spill. If the lid is in the locked position, no coffee will spill. The lid has three positions, "Lock", "Sip", and "Tip & Cool." It's difficult to describe it but there is a video on their website that explains how it works. Brugo Video

The mug holds 16 ounces, has insulated walls, non-slip bottom, and comes in 12 colors.

Their website is definitely worth a visit. BRUGOMUG

Global coffee charter ripe for US-led changeAdd to Clippings

REUTERS[ TUESDAY, MARCH 07, 2006 01:20:22 AM]
NEW YORK: The US, the top coffee importing nation and a proponent of free trade, is on a mission to shake up a global coffee charter before it expires in ’07, the head of a US coffee association said. After a 12-year split from the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), Washington last spring acceded to the group’s 2001 International Coffee Agreement, which promotes consumption and aims to foster a ’sustainable coffee economy.’

Now that agreement is ripe for some big changes, Robert Nelson, the president and chief executive of National Coffee Association USA, said. “The bottom line is that it really looks as though renegotiating a new agreement will provide tremendous benefit as opposed to simply extending the current one with some minor modifications,” Mr Nelson said.

More...

The NAMC Newswire Speaks with Coffee Pacifica

Monday, 06 March 2006

NEW YORK, NY, (NAMC) - This afternoon the NAMC Newswire had the opportunity to speak with Lionel Gosselin of Coffee Pacifica (OTCBB:CFPC), the distributor and marketer in the United States, Canada and Europe of the green bean coffee grown in Papua New Guinea.

Topics touched on during this interview include the business of Coffee Pacifica, insight into the operations of the company, the growers and the competition.

Gosselin speaks about the growth in the gourmet coffee industry that retail coffee leader Starbucks has brought so much attention to. He also touches on the growing trend of major fast food companies offering gourmet coffee to their customers, such as McDonalds has done recently.

Also addressed was the possibility of the company seeking a listing on the American Stock Exchange.


Click to Listen to the Coffee Pacifica Interview

Louis Victor
NAMC Newswire

Starbucks Branching Into Breakfasts

Selling Sandwiches As Other Chains Improve Coffee

By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE, Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Once premium java percolated into the mainstream, it was only a matter of time before major fast-food and doughnut chains got more serious about their coffee.

Bracing for that threat, Starbucks Corp. started trying out toasty egg and cheese sandwiches in its hometown coffeehouses three years ago.

Now, as McDonald's Corp. and Burger King Corp. offer premium brew, and Dunkin' Donuts sells caramel swirl lattes, the Seattle-based coffee behemoth is more than doubling the number of stores that sell hot breakfast sandwiches this year.

More...

Coffee Benefits - Is Coffee Better Than Tea?

by Jocelyn Meadows

Would you like to have tea or coffee? Just what are the specific coffee benefits? You must have heard this offer of choice a thousand times. Be it guests at your house or while visiting someone or from the airhostess in the flight. The general idea in many countries continues to be that tea and coffee are two beverages which have equal importance. However, this is not 100% true. There is a huge divided lobby on this opinion. Many people opine that tea is definitely more popular than coffee as it has medicinal properties and is good for health. Coffee on the other hand is more popular in the workplace. The debate continues on which is more popular.

More...

How do you take your coffee?

Will it be Arabic, Vietnamese, Italian or Greek?

SUSAN SEMENAK, The Gazette

Coffee drinkers who get their jolt drinking on the run from a paper cup are missing out on a ritual steeped in history and buzzing with character.

Long before Starbucks took over the world, coffee drinkers from Africa to Europe to South America were getting together over coffee to gossip, plot revolutions and distill the meaning of life.

They still do. Montreal, as a meeting place for many cultures, is buzzing with cafes and restaurants that still serve coffee in traditional ways.

More...

The plight of Filipino coffee farmers

By LAI SUAREZ-REYES

We drink coffee three times a day and yet never actually look at what’s in the mug. Popularly known as the “happy cup,” coffee plays a major part in nearly every Filipino’s life.

While many of us depend on it for our caffeine fix, coffee growers all over the country rely on the "magic" bean for a living.

Sadly, many Filipino farmers suffered losses with the onset of globalization.

Their farming activities were affected because they’re not only competing with the local farmers, but also with others from top coffee producing countries around the globe.

Nestle Philippines, Inc. (NPI), a staunch supporter of the Filipino coffee farmer and the Philippine coffee industry in general, continues to implement and support programs and projects that help raise awareness in Philippine coffee.

The company started the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative to assist farmers by introducing more efficient farming methods.

More...