Here is a great recipe idea to make your own coffee creamers. While they do still use whole milk and heavy cream they won’t contain artificial colors, preservatives, refined sugars, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils that you would find in store bought creamers.

The basic recipe includes:

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

Plus additional add ins, such as:

Maple Syrup
Vanilla Extract
Pumpkin Spice
Almond Extract
Cocoa Powder
Ground Cinnamon

Get creative and happy mixing!

• Take the flavoring that you have on hand at home (think chopped cinnamon sticks, toasted coconut flakes, almonds or hazelnuts) and mix with your coffee beans using a 1:2 “flavor to coffee” ratio. For stronger flavors, store the two together for a few days. When ready, grind the coffee beans and flavors and brew a pot of coffee like normal.
• Pour a cup of fresh brewed coffee and add a licorice or cinnamon herbal tea bag to the cup; let steep for several minutes.
• Add ground cinnamon or cocoa to coffee grounds before making a pot of coffee.
• Keep flavored syrups on hand (such as vanilla, hazelnut or caramel) and add a teaspoon to your cup of coffee rather than using sugar.

Happy flavoring!

Our Kona Decaf Coffee is made from a brilliant blend of world famous Kona coffee beans plus top quality gourmet Central and South American beans.

Affordable Kona Coffee Beans

Many of our customers love the flavors and aromas of Kona coffee beans but have troubles swallowing the price tag attached to this leading brand of coffee. Because Kona coffee farms are limited in how many beans they can produce in a year (their coffee beans are hand picked!) there is always a price premium paid for the small supply available to the world market.

By taking these Kona beans and blending them with complimentary coffee beans that are more affordable That’s Coffee makes Kona available to everyone, even if you choose decaf and are trying to stay within your budget.

Decaf Kona Blend Coffee Beans

Some people may be skeptical of blending coffees, believing that gourmet coffees are only “origin” or 100% pure coffee beans from one particular region. While this is true, it is also true that blending some of these origin coffees together brings out the best attributes of each one, often minimizing the less desirable attributes of each coffee variety.

That is the case with our blended Kona coffee beans – by merging 100% Arabica beans from Central and South America we create a cup of coffee that is unbelievably smooth and features a robust flavor, nutty aftertaste, subtle bit and an intense aroma.

If you love gourmet Kona coffee and are looking for a decaf coffee that is just as satisfying as its non-decaf counterpart then we invite you to try our Decaf Kona Blend!

Yesterday I had a customer ask me to recommend a good breakfast coffee to go along with typical breakfast foods. Today I came across an article published on Newport Independent discussing several considerations for pairing coffee and food.

Hopefully these pairing tips will be helpful for you the next time you have guests in your home or would like to treat yourself to an extra special coffee break.

Latin American Coffees

Try pairing our Panama or Mexico coffees, which are well balanced, with:

• Breakfast breads and muffins
• Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits
• Blueberries and Apples
• Nuts

African and Arabian Coffees

Because African coffees are typically fruity and carry floral tastes, try pairing our Kenya AA and Mocca Java coffees with:

• Berries and Citrus fruits
• Raisins and Currents
• Chocolate, Cinnamon and Cardamom

Asian and Pacific Coffees

Indonesian, Asian and Kona coffee beans are often very earthy in flavor with flowery or herbal notes. It is best to pair these coffees with:

• Cinnamon
• Cheese and Butter
• Caramel, Maple and Toffee
• Herbs

Happy Coffee Pairing!

But what exactly does this mean?

Bird Friendly, Shade Grown Coffee

Bird friendly coffee refers to coffee beans that are grown in shaded areas where the forest above and surrounding the coffee farm remains untouched, providing a canopy over the coffee plants.

Many parts of Mexico and Central America as well as Columbia, Peru and Venezuela use this farming technique. Shade farming is also practiced in some parts of Indonesia, Africa and India.

Shade grown coffee is bird friendly because it leaves the bird’s natural habitat untouched, allowing for the birds and coffee to live and grow in harmony.

Learn More About Being Bird Friendly

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center works hard to promote bird friendly coffee grown under mixed native trees and protect the natural habitat of migratory birds. Read more about their efforts to support Bird Friendly coffee and create sanctuary forest-like environments where local farmers can still produce gourmet coffee beans; visit their Bird Friendly Coffee page.

Choose Bird Friendly Coffee

That’s Coffee offers several bird friendly, shade grown coffee beans including Panama Boquete, Guatemala Antigua and Beneficio Organic Fair Trade coffee beans.

Perhaps you have experienced heart burn after drinking a cup of coffee and know first hand that certain coffees can be acidic.

Coffee Cupping Characteristics

Just like wine tasting, coffees can be tested and described using a number of cup characteristics. If a coffee is acidic it means that it has a pleasant tartness. The acidity of coffee is one of the four primary categories used to describe or evaluate coffees during cupping. The other three categories are flavor, aroma and body.

Acidity and pH Levels

Rather than tasting the acidity in coffee it can also be measured using the scientific pH scale. Some coffees in particular have constituents that lower its pH level. If you have experienced nervousness, indigestion or heartburn after drinking coffee it is likely because of the low pH factor.

That’s Coffee offers a low acidity coffee blend called Mind Your Tummy created for coffee lovers with sensitive stomachs. Made from a blend of gourmet Indian coffee beans this option is pleasant on your taste buds and gentle on your stomach!

“Acidic Coffee?”
courtesy of your online coffee bean store:
Gourmet Coffee Beans

The article starts off with sharing an infographic of the time line of coffee in America which some interesting coffee statistics are presented:

• Coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity in the world
• US coffee drinkers consume 3.1 9-oz cups of coffee per day
• Coffee is the 2nd most recognizable odor in America (only to the smell of burning wood)

I encourage you to go to the article to see the entire infographic in full “coffee brown” color.

Following the infographic Howard questions how much we want to “look behind the bean” in light of the comfort and ritual a hot cup of coffee is for the average America. True, there is a lot of debate about how healthy coffee really is with studies that sometimes seem to contradict each other. Howard decides to briefly dive into the subject of coffee and addresses a couple topics that spark our interest here at That’s Coffee.

Coffee Done “Right” vs. Coffee Done “Wrong”

The difference between these two approaches, according Howard, means that coffee has a “complex relationship with culture and the environment.” Coffee production using fair-trade farming techniques such as shade-grown conditions help protects forested areas and the organisms sharing the habitat. Coffee production using frowned upon techniques such as clear cutting, pesticides and low waged employees can cause a lot of harm to the environment. At That’s Coffee, we prefer coffee done “right”.

Coffee’s Cultural History

Howard also touches briefly on how coffee  has affected globalization and corporate responsibility. The coffeehouse, over time, has become a gathering place for individuals to express their opinions on a wide range of subjects.Did you know that The New York Stock Exchange and The Bank of New York started in coffeehouses located on modern day Wall Street?

On a personal note, going to a coffee shop and enjoying a cup of coffee often means connecting with a friend or family member. When a pot of coffee is brewed in the office it brings coworkers together for a few brief moments before returning to work. When I purchase Fair Trade and Organic coffee beans I know I am playing a part in promoting healthy communities centered around environmentally friendly farming practices. Coffee definitely plays a role in shaping the culture that I live in.

What about you? How do you feel coffee has changed America?

1. Sumatra Black Satin Roast
2. African Tanzania Peaberry
3. Kenya AA
4. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
5. Verdi Espresso (our most popular Espresso coffee beans!)
6. Guatemala Antigua
7. Guatemala Organic
8. Sumatra Gayo Mountain Organic Coffee
9. Colombian Supremo
10. Costa Rica Reserve

Did you order any of these coffees last year? Which ones will you add to your list to try out this year?

As the moisture is absorbed by the coffee beans they begin to swell in size. The full process of Monsooning coffee can take up to 16 months during which time the beans are constantly raked and turned. Over the period of time the beans not only grow in size but change from green to a pale golden tan.

Our Indian Monsoon Voyage Coffee delivers on all the favorable attributes of the monsoon process featuring a mildly sweet fruity flavor. Order a pound today to taste for yourself!

More recently an objective measure of coffee roast called the Agtron gourmet scale has been implemented by the SCAA. The process involves measuring the near-infrared wavelengths of a roasted sample of whole coffee beans and ground coffee beans. Based on the thermal absorbency of the coffee it is classified along a scale starting at #95 (light) to #25 (dark). The equipment to perform these measurements is extremely expensive and most roasters rely instead on color tiles to classify their coffee beans.

There is a general consensus of a few basic coffee roast categories (ordered from light to dark):

• Light Cinnamon
• Cinnamon
• New England
• American
• Viennese or Full City
• Espresso
• French
• Italian or Dark Roast
• Spanish

For more information about how these categories fit into the major Light, Medium and Dark roasts, please visit our information pages:

Light Roasted Coffee

Medium Roasted Coffee

Dark Roast Coffee Beans