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By Charlie Sorrel | August 31, 2009  | 10:00 am

When I go camping, I take a saucepan and the biggest pack of coffee grounds I can stuff into my (or preferably sneak into someone else’s) pack. As long as it’s strong and plentiful, it doesn’t need to be pretty, and running a spoon around the edge of the pan drops the grounds to the bottom (it’s a great trick. Try it out).

For the soft-handed dilettante, though, something altogether fancier is in order. Enter Brunton’s new Flip-n-Drip. The three-part maker takes care of everything. Boil water in the base and then attach the “brew-chamber”, a section which holds the grounds. Flip and wait as the water percolates through, picking up aromatic, life giving flavors and oils as it goes.

The coffee ends up in an integrated cup, ready to drink. The whole thing is made from aluminum for lightness and comes with a carrying bag. I’ll stick with my ghetto method: uni-taskers are even worse in the field than they are in the kitchen. For you wusses who think otherwise, the Flip-n-Drip should be live on the site soon for $45.

Source:  http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/camping-coffee-maker-is-one-more-thing-to-carry/

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Monday, August 31, 2009, 7:02am HAST
Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Starbucks Corp. said it’s rolling out its Via instant coffee product across the U.S. and Canada on Sept. 29.

The product’s been available in Seattle and Illinois since February.

The Seattle coffee giant (Nasdaq: SBUX) said its Via Ready Brew product is made by adding water to a single-serve packet, which will be sold in books of three for $2.95 or boxes of 12 for $9.95.

Worldwide, there is a $17 billion market for instant coffee, according to Starbucks, which announced the new product earlier this year.

“We were overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response from our customers and partners after tasting Starbucks Via,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO, in a statement.

Source:  http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/08/31/daily1.html

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Your own Green small business!

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Thursday, August 27, 2009
Fox News

New eco-friendly RITI printer runs on coffee or tea dregs instead of ink.

Coffee-drinking computer users may soon have a new use for their old coffee grinds if a new eco-friendly printer hits the market.

Featured in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the RITI printer apparently uses coffee or tea dregs to create computer printouts.

To use the printer just insert a piece of paper, place used coffee or tea grinds into the ink case on the top of the printer, then move the ink case left and right to print the image — no electricity needed, Greener Gadgets reported.

Because it works manually the RITI printer is not ideal for large projects and can only print in black and white, but it will save on the cost of buying ink and electricity.

The RITI printer is an eco-friendly printer based on the concept of a new ink system. We focused on the ink cartridge since it is one of the problems when using a printer: it’s often difficult to replace, costly to refill, and can stain your hands if mishandled.

The RITI printer uses coffee or tea dregs. The user places the coffee or tea dregs into the ink case located on the top of the printer, then insert a piece of paper in the middle. Moving the ink case left and right will print your image, and as you draw on the paper, dregs inscript on the paper just like ink.

Using coffee or tea dregs as ink saves the cost buying ink, the burden of wasted things, and users’ work. Furthermore, since the user moves the ink case in order to make a print, the device doesn’t need electricity. Of course, you can smell a whisper of coffee or tea incense from the paper printed by RITI.

Use:

1. Insert a paper in the middle of the printer
2. Put the coffee or tea dregs into the ink case on the top of the printer
3. Move the ink case left and right as you draw on a paper
4. When the print finishes, pull out the paper from the printer and wash the ink case

Source:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,543660,00.html, http://www.core77.com/greenergadgets/entry.php?projectid=38

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No secrets, just coffee and tea.

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posted 08/27/09 12:01 AM  | updated 08/27/09 12:01 AM
By jseattle

Joe Bar; Originally uploaded by Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley

CHS broke the news a few weeks back that Starbucks was set to open yet another ‘neighborhood coffee house’ in the 700 Broadway building.

Now we know what they plan to call the joint. Starbucks passed along this internal memo detailing some of the strategy around the next of their concept shops to hit Capitol Hill.

Hey Joe Bar, meet your new neighbor Roy Street Coffee & Tea.

Here’s some explanation of the strategy behind the name and more from the Starbucks memo:

We shared details of the e-mail with the owner of the independent coffee house that also makes its home on Roy Street. Joe Bar’s Wylie Bush said the details only make him sad to see what Starbucks has become. “I have to give Starbucks some credit,” Bush said. “They spurred coffee in Seattle to begin with. Now it’s sad. It’s so depressing.”

So far, Bush says, there have been no signs of the infamous note-taking Starbucks employees casing Joe Bar for inspiration for the new shop’s design. “As soon as I start seeing green walls I might get a little more bummed out,” Bush said.

Bush said he hasn’t talked to anybody from Starbucks about the new shop yet and he doesn’t yet have any plans for changing his business. He’s also torn by the situation — it’s bad for his business but good for that area of Broadway not to have an empty retail space. “The last thing I want to see is another coffee shop on Broadway,” Bush said. “At the same time just having that space filled is better.”

Bush said he also worries about his younger clientele having to make decisions based on price and being lured away if Starbucks is able to undercut Joe Bar on the price of a cup of coffee. “People make their choices,” Bush said. “Hopefully the small indies can survive when the big corporations are mimicking us to the point that you can’t tell the difference.”

Source:  http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2009/08/26/internal-memo-details-starbucks-broadway-plans-joe-bar-responds

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Over 100 coffees, teas, syrups, sauces, barista supplies, and more!

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By Barbara Damrosch
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, August 27, 2009

It's tough to successfully produce the ripe cherries of a coffee plant outside the tropics. (Bigstockphoto.com Images)

This fall, history will be made in Maine. On Sept. 25, 26 and 27, the Common Ground Country Fair, the largest organic farming and gardening event in the country, will open its gates to a projected 60,000 visitors, and coffee will be for sale. For years the fair prohibited the sale of coffee, tea and chocolate, not, as I once thought, for health reasons, but because of a belief in promoting local food.

The rule was that all foodstuffs sold had to contain a certain percentage of Maine-grown ingredients. Naturally, an enterprising character who called himself the Coffee Man set up shop just outside the gate, so attendees could stream in with their cups of joe. Now coffee is legit inside, as long as it’s fairly traded and grown under shade.

I’m a true believer in sourcing your food as locally as possible. Shopping at area farms gives you fresher food, creates a sense of community and reduces your dependence on fossil fuels.

But in a non-tropical climate, coffee is a stretch. I once looked into it enough to know that I would have to fill most of my living room with potted coffee plants to support my two-cups-a-day habit. Nevertheless, it does sound like an attractive plant to grow: Its fragrant blossoms morph into red berries, known as cherries, from which the brew is made. Someday I might even buy a Coffea arabica plant just to see how it would do. Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co. (http://www.gurneys.com) sells a manageable four-foot dwarf variety. But I would need to heat one of our greenhouses to do the crop justice, and I draw the line at that. Better to rack up some food miles on this one essential thing and try to grow as much of everything else that I can.

One concern I have is the security of our coffee supply. Me without my morning coffee is not a happy sight. Think of flight attendants’ advice to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. I don’t even risk making my husband’s tea until I’ve had at least one sip. How would I fare if a national crisis disrupted the caffeine pipeline? And think of the poet Alexander Pope’s famous assertion that coffee “makes the politician wise.” As near as I can tell, history has not borne out this assertion, but what if Pope was right? Are we willing to take a chance on a Washington without coffee? Maybe the Department of Agriculture should order a glassed-in plantation on the Mall.

To grow coffee successfully in the North, the Coffee Research Institute recommends regular watering, porous soil with a low pH and artificial lighting to simulate bright equatorial skies. Apparently the concept of shade-grown does not include gloomy East Coast days in February.

More tips can be found at the institute’s Web site, http://www.coffeeresearch.org

Source:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082601234.html

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You may take being able to fill a mug up easily for granted, but for the blind it’s not so easy. Without being able to see how close the level of liquid is to the top of the mug, spills can happen easily.

This Braun Bell concept mug solves that problem by playing a chime when the liquid hits one of three levels within the mug. That way, a blind person can know when their cup is filled to the level that they want. Sure, not something that most people would want or need, but for those that do I’m sure it would be great.

Source:  http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/mug-for-the-bli.php

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Where violence has no place . . . unless you want it to!

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Are you aggressive in the morning? Do you wake up ready to literally attack the day? Like, with your fists? Well, this Fisticup was designed with you and your penchant for violence in mind.

Essentially, it’s a coffee mug with brass knuckles built in. It’ll make you feel like you’re really powerful while you sip your coffee, and can easily be used to punch someone in the face and do a lot of damage. If that’s what you’re into. Maybe your money would be better spent on anger management therapy? Just a thought.

Source:  http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/fisticups-final.php

Photo from Getty

Recently, we at GreenBean have had a rash of complaints and orders dealing with stolen credit card numbers. With one order in particular, we were given multiple credit card numbers for one transaction totalling into the thousands.

Due to these recent problems, we have had to increase security, and any order over $500 will be put on hold until we verify the account information with the issuing bank.

This recent increase in fraudulent activity could be due to the failing economy, and the desperate times that people are getting into. In this case, however, all of the credit card numbers were from one bank: Chase. When I spoke to their fraud department after the fourth suspicious credit card number, I was told to “try and get more credit card numbers so we can let our members know.”

Why is this my job?

If one person is feeding one small business a steady stream of fraudulent credit card numbers from their bank, shouldn’t they put their cardholders on alert and do a security check?

As a small business owner, and a person with a credit card, I am apalled, and scared by the way this has come about. Does someone have my credit card number? Did I really go to McDonal’s that day? Did I actually buy three thousand computers in May? I don’t remember doing that, but maybe the bank is right. It’s Best Buy’s problem now.

Source:

www.GREENBEAN-STORE.com
Our tea will sing to you!

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Normally, when a kettle lets you know your water is boiling you’ll hear a high pitched whistle. It’s annoying, so you turn it off quickly. It’s worked pretty well for a while now.

But Naoki Kawamoto’s Musical Kettle turns that annoying whistle into song by putting a sort of flute at the spout. Instead of one high-pitched whistle, you get the song of your choice. But you should still turn the stove off right when it goes off. Just ignore the song, if you can.

Source:  http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/musical-kettle.php

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Not your Mama’s instant coffee, either!

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By SARA KIESLER
SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM

Anu Apte of Rob Roy in Belltown pours her creations during a bartender competition at Hotel 1000 where the drink makers used Starbucks VIA Ready Brew coffee. (August 22, 2009 Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com)

From the top of Hotel 1000 Thursday night, a crowd of about 30 guests and a dozen Starbucks employees anxiously watched as four of the city’s bartenders tried their hand at using the new VIA Instant Coffee in a cocktail mix-off.

Reviews online for the coffee giant’s hat tip at the $21 billion instant coffee market have been lukewarm, though many say the little packets promising premium roasts are better than “your mother’s instant.”

Starbucks introduced VIA in February and brought it to its Seattle stores in March.

But as Starbucks prepares a nationwide release this fall of its new patent-pending microground creation, which uses no harsh chemicals and is made from ethically sourced beans — grown and bought in a manner fair to farmers — it is gearing up for a new conversation on instant coffee.

CEO Howard Schultz blasted the “other” instant coffees before the cocktail mix-off Thursday, where Anu Apte of Rob Roy was recognized as the winner for her sweet rum, egg white, coffee and dry vanilla soda mix. Apte was given $5,000 to donate to a charity of her choice (she picked ASTAR, a local center for autism).

“Instant coffee is nothing more than caffeine fuel blended with artificial colors and chemicals,” Schultz said. He further likened Starbucks’ new instant to its store coffees, saying the taste, body and acidity are matched.

A drink is ready to be sampled during a bartender competition at Hotel 1000 where the drink makers used Starbucks VIA Ready Brew coffee. (August 22, 2009 Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com)

Starbucks worked for more than 20 years on an instant coffee it had enough confidence in to sell, and VIA is stamped with the company’s seal of approval, spokeswoman Sanja Gould said.

“We put it out there. We’re trusting our baby,” Gould said.

It isn’t easy to change the hearts and minds of all the coffee snobs who would never come close to touching instant off the grocery shelves, but, Gould said, the key is getting people to taste VIA.

For starters, the creation is patent-pending and different from the chemical process of most instant coffees, plus the beans used are ethically sourced and verified by a third party, she said.

“Even though you don’t think of instant when you think of coffee anymore, when you taste it you will change your mind,” Gould said. “It tastes just like brewed coffee; it’s very difficult to tell the difference.”

Instant coffee was one of Schultz’s goals upon returning as CEO in early 2008, Gould said, which resulted in a research and technology-based discovery of methods to create Starbucks’ instant version.

The little packets they created come in both a medium Colombian roast and a dark-bodied Italian roast. VIA was released in New York in February, and soon could be found in 200 stores in Seattle, 350 in Illinois and another 20 in London.

There are countries where instant coffee has a bigger share of the market, such as Japan, Russia and the UK, but Starbucks wanted to be sure to release it early in the U.S. because of the effect it could have on its brand, Gould said.

That’s one reason the company is on such a drive to get it into the hands of foodies, the media, bloggers, baristas, analysts and anyone else who wants to try it.

And Starbucks isn’t foolish enough to think this will replace coffee consumers’ love of lattes and the trusty old-fashioned drip, but Starbucks does think VIA will serve as a good alternative for the Starbucks-addicted while they are on the road, camping, staying in hotels or otherwise unable to visit a store with the mermaid insignia.

Though the Seattle-based company doesn’t break out success by product numbers, Gould said VIA is getting an overwhelmingly positive response from customers and coffee experts alike.

In one Sequim store where there was no access to the instant coffee, a Starbucks store manager from Gig Harbor transferred some VIA to the district manager in Port Orchard. From there, she and her father got on a fishing boat and sailed it to Sequim.

To check out VIA, you can buy it online or find it in Starbucks, Target and Costco stores in Seattle. A 3-pack is $2.95 and a 12-pack is $9.95, pricier than most instant coffees but still less than a buck a cup.

Source:  http://www.seattlepi.com/business/409472_starbucks22.html