Jesuit High teacher embarks on expedition

Fair trade and organic coffee farming is the topic as a Jesuit High School mathematics and science teacher is on a large-scale research and environmental expedition in Costa Rica this week.

Jennifer Cournia, a 1997 Jesuit graduate, is in Coope Tarrazú, a farming cooperative located in the small town of San Marcos de Tarrazú.

Cournia is conducting research on coffee farms, meeting local farmers, visiting a local coffee processing plant owned by the cooperative, participating in an official coffee tasting and learning about issues affecting fair trade and organic coffees.

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Coffee stocks are piping hot these days

By Matt Krantz, USA TODAY
Looks like coffee is starting to perk up on Wall Street.

While the broad market is struggling to hold its recent gains, shares of five of the largest publicly traded coffee companies are on a high boil.

Shares of Diedrich Coffee (DDRX) are up 4,525% this year, Green Mountain (GMCR) has doubled and even Starbucks (SBUX) is up 50%.

That shows that investors think consumers, despite the recession, still crave their coffee fix, though they're looking for ways to spend less, says Michael Podhorzer of research firm Sidoti. "Coffee is recession-resistant," he says. "Whether they go out for it or go to a grocery story, people will still buy their coffee."

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Israeli Researcher: Coffee Extract Prevents Bad Breath

by Baruch Gordon

(IsraelNN.com) We all know why Starbucks puts boxes of breath mints close to the cash register. Your morning latte can create a startling aroma in your mouth, strong enough to startle your co-workers too.

But intriguing new research from Tel Aviv University by breath specialist Prof. Mel Rosenberg finds that a coffee extract can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. New laboratory tests have shown that the extract prevents malodorous bacteria from making their presence felt ? or smelt.

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New Issue - Roast Magazine July/ Aug 09

Get a FREE issue of Roast Magazine today with any order including beans or equipment. One magazine per order, while supplies last.

This is the July /August '09 issue.

Here's another great issue. If you're interested in how green coffee is chosen by buyers and makes it to your cup, part one of Signed, Sealed, Delivered discussed the process.

Designer Coffee poses the question of how an importer can actually design the profile they want in their next big purchase.

Papua New Guinea! So much you didn't know.

Kenya coffee! What is it, Where is it, Who grows it?

In this issue...

Signed, Sealed, Delivered
A guide to green buying

Designer Coffee
How to enhance the character of single origin coffees

The Coffee Review
Papua New Guinea

The Firestarters
Carol McLaughlin of Gorilla Coffee

Starting Fresh
Packaging greenand roasted coffee

Q&A
Roasting experts answer your burning questions

First Crack
Hot Products & Fresh Press

Trade Show Calendar

Classifieds

AND MUCH MORE... >>


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Seattle Coffee Gear auctions Giro d'Italia Giotto espresso machines for charity

Posted by Melissa Allison

The first of five weekly auctions on eBay starts Friday, and the URL will be linked at www.seattlecoffeegear.com/auction. As of this writing, they were not sure exactly what time it would start.

The Seattle importer is auctioning Rocket Espresso's limited edition Giro d'Italia Giotto semi-automatic espresso machines to benefit Coffee Kids, a nonprofit that helps families in coffee-growing communities.

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McDonald's gains ground from rivals with marketing blitz of McCafé brand

It’s cornered the market on Big Macs, fries, and shakes. And now McDonald’s is riding a massive marketing campaign to make gastronomic gains in premium coffee.

Not only has the Golden Arches stolen share from java leader Starbucks as the place most preferred by coffee drinkers, but McDonald’s has also dislodged Dunkin’ Donuts from its second-place spot, according to the May 2009 survey by BIGResearch of more than 8,000 consumers.

McDonald’s is "like a 9,000-pound gorilla," said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food service strategies for WD Partners, a restaurant and retail design and development consultancy. “They have made a very strong push to build share with its McCafé brand and to show it is an alternative to coffeehouses."

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Survey: How are coffee franchises faring in the recession?

Franchise Direct, a franchise portal, has recently conducted a study on how coffee franchises are faring in the recession. You can find the full 4,000 word survey at the link below.

Here are some of the key points from the survey, which shows that coffee franchises are recession-resistant:

Talking Point one: Coffee consumption has increased or remained level in the last year among key demographics. According to our study, coffee consumption was up last year among 25 – 39-year-old’s and remained steady among 40-59-year-olds. These are the most essential target demographics for coffee franchises and the findings show that people will continue to drink coffee despite the hard economic times.

Talking point two: The coffee industry is now diversifying. Market leader Starbucks experienced a very difficult year in 2008 and consumers are now beginning to look for cheaper options for coffee. Coffee franchises are reaping the rewards. Equally, coffee franchises are going green. The popularity of fair trade and organic coffee runs right in line with a general shift towards more eco-conscious consumerism in the US.

Talking point three: Location is the most important factor in defining the success of a coffee franchise. The rise of van-based or kiosk coffee franchises in recent years has allowed coffee franchisees to go mobile, opening themselves to greater footfall.

Talking point four: The renaissance of coffee drinking in the US is underpinned by a number of studies by elite American universities claiming that coffee has a number of health benefits. Harvard and UCLA are just two of the colleges who have stated that drinking coffee is good for you.

Full Survey

Starbucks double-charges a million customers

11:40 AM MDT on Tuesday, June 9, 2009

By Kgw.com and KING5.com Staff

SEATTLE - If you bought coffee at Starbucks on Memorial Day Weekend, you may have been one of a million customers double-charged for your beverage.

And you can't be blamed for not noticing, because the charge came at the backend of the transaction, away from the store.

Starbucks confirmed to NBC News that on Friday, May 22 and half of Saturday, May 23, up to a million customers were double-charged for their order when they used their debit or credit cards - Starbucks calling it a "settlement processing error."

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Cook eggs with your steam wand

I know there are many uses for the steam wand, but here is one I had not thought of.

Here is a step-by-step instruction to cooking eggs with the steam wand on your espresso machine.

Eggs-Quick and easy

100% Kona Coffee Goes to Washington State

Burke Museum’s “Coffee - The World in Your Cup”

KAILUA KONA, HAWAII, June 1, 2009

The Kona Coffee Farmers Association has been invited to give a tasting presentation at the Burke Museum in Seattle, WA, on Saturday, June 27th, from 11-2 pm., as part of the Burke Museum’s exhibit, “Coffee - The World in Your Cup”. The Kona Coffee Farmers will showcase one of the world’s premier coffees from the Big Island of Hawaii.

The Kona Coffee Farmers event, hosted by three Kona growers—Dexter Washburn, Motter Snell, and MaryLou Moss--will include tastings of brewed coffee from Kona farms, as well as information on the history and cultivation of this unique coffee. Grower Moss sees this as “a fabulous opportunity for Kona to show Northwesterners one of the most sought after single-origin coffees in the world--grown right here in the US.”

Bruce Corker, President of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association acknowledges Kona’s good fortune by observing that” Seattle is the coffee lovers capital of the world, and Kona Coffee growers are delighted to have our crop featured in the “Coffee--The World in your Cup” exhibit.

Dexter Washburn, a prize-winning Kona Coffee farmer, attended the opening of the exhibit in May and realized Kona Coffee was not represented. Following Washburn’s discussions with the curator of the exhibit, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association was welcomed as a contributor to the ongoing exhibit and invited to make the June 27 presentation.

Visitors and Seattle area residents are encouraged to attend the Kona Coffee event from 11-2 pm and celebrate Hawaii’s heritage agricultural crop. Come sample one of the world’s most prized coffees. Details about “Coffee- The World in Your Cup” are available on the Burke Museum’s website http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/coffee/tasting.php. For more information, call 808-896-4175.

For more information on Kona coffee visit www.konacoffeefarmers.org

Stop for coffee at Tim Horton's Wednesday to help send a child to camp

By SYLVIA RECTOR • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • June 1, 2009

Buying a cup of coffee Wednesday at any Tim Horton’s will help send hundreds of metro area children to camp, through the company’s annual Camp Day fund drive.

It’s the one day every year when every penny of coffee sales throughout the U.S. and Canada is donated to Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation, which organizes camp programs for almost 14,000 children. Youngsters ages 9 to 14 are chosen to participate by Tim Horton’s store managers, who work closely with their local schools and youth organizations to find kids who would benefit most.

“By purchasing a cup of coffee on Camp Day you give kids who live in your community an experience to remember and inspire them for years to come,” says foundation president Bill Moir. The 10-day summer camps and 7-day winter camps are intended to build self-confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills.

Bay County (MI) woman sues Starbucks over hot coffee

by Tom Gilchrist | The Bay City Times
Monday June 01, 2009, 10:00 AM

Bay City, Michigan - In 1994, a jury awarded a New Mexico woman $2.9 million after she was burned by spilled McDonald's coffee. Now a Bay County woman claims she's steamed at Starbucks for the same reason.

Irene Bruno alleges she endured severe burns and permanent scars three years ago when a worker at a Midland County Starbucks Coffee outlet improperly secured a lid on a large cup of coffee, causing the hot liquid to spill onto Bruno's lap, inner thighs and legs.

Bruno, in a lawsuit filed in May in U.S. District Court, claims the lid on the coffee cup came off as she tried to sip the coffee just after buying the beverage at a Starbucks drive-thru window at 7201 Eastman, on Dec. 9, 2006.

Bruno seeks a minimum of $75,000 in damages in her lawsuit, alleging she has suffered "extreme humiliation and embarrassment" due to the scars visible on her body because of the coffee spill.

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