CoffeesBar.com Latest Blog Posts

How much is too much to pay for coffee with Tim Cook?

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:51:47 GMT

Last week, I scolded colleague Mihaita Bamburic for writing old news -- charity auction for coffee with Apple's CEO. When I saw the item, someone offered $50,000 for 30 minutes with Tim Cook. About 24 hours later, when Mihaita posted: $180,000. Now, after 84 bids and 13 days to go, the number is $600,000. That bid, placed five days ago, looks like as much as anyone will pay.

I know that Apple products are notoriously pricey, but there is something simply unfathomable about paying so much for a cup of brew with Cook. No disrespect to him, but I could see this kind of cash to sit with Steve Jobs, who isn't available for obvious reasons. The winning bid (so far) is worth $20,000 a minute. The cash does go to charity. But really, pay $333.33 per second?

Cook in demand is good public relations for Apple, which needs an image makeover. The Teflon flakes off after all, not a situation imagined a year ago, with the stock reaching for a new high (achieved September, $705.07). But since, every badmouthing sticks to the once resistant surface. The charity thing is good timing. But there's more underway. Cook will appear on stage at this month's D11 conference. Yesterday, Apple announced a $17 billion bond offer, the largest in corporate history.

Apple's recent problems are about perception, not performance, and reflect waning confidence in Cook's leadership. Finally, the company makes real effort to generate some sense that Cook can lead in the wake Jobs left behind. Not that any of this helps the stock, which from Friday's close is up 8 percent in late-day trading today. Hey, every little bit helps.

Regarding the value of Cook's time, if my rough calculations are correct, during calendar first quarter, Apple generated 2,249,053.03 profit every 30 minutes. From that perspective, maybe $600,000 is a bargain. What would you pay for coffee with Cook?

Source: betanews

How (and Why!) To Cold Brew Coffee

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:41:32 GMT

Coffee is sacrosanct to billions of people around the world and for many different reasons. Of course, most love the caffeine energy boost, but others drink it because they love the flavors and aroma, the ritual, the soothing warmth. With recent research proving that coffee and caffeine actually have some health benefits, there are more reasons than ever to enjoy a cup. And here's another: cold brewing.

Coffee that's been cold-brewed is less acidic, which is better for your body, especially if you have a sensitive stomach or are dealing with any illnesses (you want a more alkaline pH in most cases to help fight infections). It's also smoother in flavor, highlighting the delicate notes and complexities of the coffee bean (fruity, spicy, chocolate, vanilla, etc), while also decreasing the bitterness that can be a turn-off to many. Cold brewing coffee is incredibly easy and worth giving a try. Here's how.

What You Need
1/3 cup freshly ground coffee (organic and Fair Trade recommended) to 1 cup water (8 ounces). If you like it stronger, add more coffee! *Note that most coffee shop coffee cups are 16 ounces, or twice this recipe. So you may want to triple or quadruple your batch. (Optional: I like to scrape a vanilla bean in mine for an even smoother flavor.)

What You Do
In a French press or glass jar with lid, mix coffee and water, stirring well. The grinds should eventually float up to the top. Cover and let sit overnight—or for at least 8 hours. You can let it sit for as long as 24 hours though (and I've heard of people soaking even longer). It will make it stronger the longer you soak it.

After the coffee has soaked, using a fine mesh strainer (you can even put a coffee filter in there to remove any grinds), slowly pour the coffee through the strainer into another container. You now have a cold-brew coffee concentrate. Dilute this in a 1:3 ratio of coffee to water. You can heat this up gently on the stovetop if you like, or serve iced. The concentrate will stay fresh for at least a week. Sweeten and add milk to taste.

Source: organicauthority

Is Coffee Good For You?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:47:21 GMT

Nutritional information tends to run in trends. Fat, protein and carbohydrates have all seen their heyday as the star and bad boy of nutritional health, and now, coffee's moment in the spotlight has arrived. The star of most of our mornings has been in the limelight due to Mormon Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who does not drink coffee as part of his religious beliefs. But what about those of us who don't have a moral problem with coffee? Should we still be cutting back?

The Good
It's tough to prove a lot of the benefits of coffee, but certain studies have linked it to staving off diseases like Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis, cancer and diabetes. The problem with these claims is that many of them have yet to be proven. It's difficult to prove the link between coffee and these diseases, especially because there are so many variables, and not in the least because very few studies actually ask participants to change their coffee habits. They simply ask about habits that are already in place and draw conclusions from this information. As a result, diminished likelihood of these diseases could be linked to coffee consumption, but it could also be linked to a myriad of other factors. Coffee's link to curing headaches is a double-edged sword; while it may provide pain relief and cure headaches, it's also been linked to causing them!

The Bad
Coffee is often presumed to be a diuretic, and while this is true, it's only when you're drinking upwards of three cups a day that this becomes a true problem. What is a problem is the subsequent effect of coffee on the digestive track. Depending on the volume of consumption, coffee could be a veritable poison to the digestive track, according to studies detailed by the Idaho Observer.

The Ugly
While both the good and bad medical effects of coffee have yet to be categorically proven, the effects of too much caffeine on stress levels are clear, according to a Duke University study, people who consume caffeine may not experience long-term elevated blood pressure, but they do experience higher stress levels and anxiety.

In addition, those who experience caffeine addiction due to coffee consumption can be prone to "crashes" or withdrawal symptoms when their caffeine intake is not consistent.

The Verdict
The verdict when it comes to coffee? Like most things, it's probably fine in moderation, according to reports by CBS News. While there are some adverse effects to consuming large amounts of coffee, there are also some benefits to including coffee in your daily life.

One thing is for sure: if you're drinking coffee, it's best to make it organic. Carcinogenic insecticides and pesticides are used on non-organic coffee brands, and ecologically speaking, coffee can be one of the most destructive crops when not grown and harvested responsibly. Free-trade, ethical, organic coffee is the best choice, so choose your favorite organic brew and drink up!

Source: organicauthority

Iced Coffee Recipe: Cold Brew Is Even Easier Than You Thought

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:29:48 GMT

I made a declaration in my house this morning: "This is the last week for hot coffee, man. From here on out, it's all iced coffee." My husband raised an eyebrow in suspicion. The weather in New York may not be ready to cooperate, but iced coffee is getting made. I'm ready. In case you are too, let's talk about how much easier and low-maintenance iced coffee is than hot coffee (especially if you are the type who loves to drink iced coffee, but is for some reason afraid to make it yourself).

I'm not going to sugar-coat this: this is the last iced coffee recipe you will ever need. If you're thinking to yourself "who needs an iced coffee recipe?" -- congratulations, skip the rest of this article and go make yourself iced coffee. Everyone else, we're here for you!

There seems to be some mystery surrounding cold brewing iced coffee. I'll admit, before I realized how easy it was, I was totally apprehensive about doing it. It sounds like something coffee nerds have a secret formula for, that involves a vacuum and a temperature-controlled room. I can say, without reservation, that it is one of the easiest things I've ever done in my kitchen.

Here are things you do not need to worry about regarding iced coffee:
Owning a coffee maker: Don't make iced coffee in a coffee maker.
Chilling your hot coffee down fast enough: Like cooking anything, heat changes the chemistry of coffee, it brings out oils that can taste bitter. It also shrinks the grounds down, making it harder to filter, which can make your iced coffee feel a little gritty. Do not cook your iced coffee.
Buying pre-made, concentrated iced coffee syrups: Guys, this is easy. Save your money and do it at home.
Here is what you need:

A French press (you can really use anything that will finely strain liquid, but a French press is easiest and does double-duty for hot coffee in the cooler months)
Whole coffee beans, the more recently roasted, the better
A coffee grinder
Water
Time
Here's what you do:

Grind your coffee beans to a medium grind (you'll want to use a little less than double the amount of beans you'd use for hot coffee) and put them in your French press.
Fill the press with water (we use filtered in our house because I like the way it tastes), and give everything a stir to incorporate. It doesn't matter whether this water is cold or room temperature, it just shouldn't be hot.
Cover your French press with either foil or the top of the press (just don't plunge it yet), and leave it on the counter overnight.
In the morning, plunge your press to strain your coffee.
Pour over ice.
Enjoy. Feel awesome. Sit in the sun.
The more you make it, the better you'll figure out exactly how much coffee you like to use. That's it! Go out into the world and cold brew!

Source: huffingtonpost

Feeding hungry coffee farmers

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:02:20 GMT

Mention the local food movement and many people will think of farmers’ markets, trendy restaurants, or the dilemma of buying a local apple versus an organic apple. Few people will think of coffee. And yet one of the main arguments for buying locally produced food — support for family farmers and local economies — applies even to a global commodity like coffee.

Over 70 percent of the world’s coffee is produced by small-scale farmers who cultivate the bean on farms less than 5 acres in size. Millions of these farmers also live a highly vulnerable existence. Many go hungry between the harvests in a phenomenon referred to in Central America as “los meses flacos,” or the thin months.

Nature only produces coffee in tropical climes, but those who drink it, and those of us who bring it to market, should unite around a fresh view of the world marketplace, taking responsibility to address livelihood challenges no matter where they exist in our global village.

This week in Boston, as some 9,000 coffee industry leaders, from farmers to traders to baristas, gather at the 25th annual exposition of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, we call on our peers in the coffee value chain to join forces to combat seasonal hunger in coffee farmer communities.

We have been attuned to the issue of food insecurity in the coffee lands for years. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. found in 2007 that a shocking 67 percent of its producers in Mexico and Central America suffered from food insecurity for three to eight months each year.

For more than a decade, Cambridge-based Root Capital has provided farm credit and financial management training to coffee cooperatives, and other small and growing agricultural businesses, that buy from family farmers in Latin America and Africa. Root Capital’s finance enables them to access the international markets that pay higher prices than local markets. It shores up the businesses so that they can act as anchor institutions in the developing world, offering small-scale farmers more sustainable livelihoods.

But as we’ve both learned, even access to global markets is not enough to ensure food security in some farm communities. And today, because of climate change, coffee farmers are even more vulnerable. Rains come at the wrong time in the harvest cycle, or come as violent downpours that can ruin coffee cherries. Climate change is spurring diseases like coffee rust, now devastating the Central American harvest, and pests like the berry borer.

So how can we, as coffee industry leaders and coffee drinkers, alike, help farmers at the base of the value chain?

First, we can strengthen food security through staple crops and household gardens. As value chain partners we should hold ourselves accountable for what we’re doing to reduce vulnerable farmers’ reliance on a single exportable cash crop.

In our experience, helping coffee farmers diversify into crops, like corn, beans, fresh fruits and vegetables, for their own food needs and for selling in domestic markets is especially fruitful. It creates more resilient farmers, which in turn helps ensure a reliable supply of high-quality beans for companies and consumers alike.

Second, we can help coffee enterprises get microloans into the hands of farmers. When coffee farmers run out of cash in between harvests they often resort to taking credit from loan sharks simply to feed their families. This predatory lending locks them into a vicious cycle of indebtedness. When coffee enterprises offer microloans to meet the needs of farm households, however, the impact can be transformative.

Customized farm credit helps individual producers launch side businesses like animal husbandry and selling milk or eggs. It also enables them to purchase inputs like organic fertilizer and seed stock to increase agricultural productivity or adapt to climate change. Furthermore, it can improve the quality of their lives, such as when cooperatives like El Gorrión, in Nicaragua, offer affordable credit to members to buy solar panels that bring electricity to their homes — replacing dirty kerosene lamps and allowing their children to study at night.

Third, we should share our global business expertise. Coffee cooperatives need agronomic assistance, business training and financing to diversify their economic opportunities and set up micro-credit systems, and that’s where industry leaders can step in. The newly-launched Coffeelands Food Security Coalition, an association of five industry leaders and several nonprofits, is one such vehicle for lending support.

Lastly, coffee drinkers, take a fresh, expanded view of your local economy. The next time you buy coffee look for brands that are not only sustainably sourced, but that are engaged in strengthening distant local economies, where the vast majority of the world’s poorest farmers live. Though coffee farms don’t grace your local community, the small-scale farmer down South who labored hard to produce your brew deserves a sustainable livelihood just as much as the farmer down the road who grew your arugula and beets.

Source: bostonglobe

How can coffee capsules add value to your daily routine?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:07:58 GMT

How important is coffee for us?
The quest of bread and butter forced all of us to bundle ourselves with work, work that can snatch the best out of us. In the morning when we get up till night most of us have to work like machines. And it's normal human capacity that we get tired after sometime. But we do not afford to get tired, do we? We need our stamina and energy throughout the day, So that whatever we are doing, we could do justice with it. Thank god we have coffee. Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages of the world. And is considered to be a stimulant which can bring back your lost energy.

And as the man always seeks convenience in every matter of life. To add up more convenience into the coffee consumption coffee capsules were introduced not so long ago. Most of the traditional coffee drinkers are even unaware about the existence of the coffee capsules. And people who do know about them mostly fail to trust coffee capsules as they are so obsessed with their traditional style of drinking coffee, which includes grinding, brewing etc. But let me tell you some of the fundamental benefits or I would say values that coffee capsules can add up in your daily life.

What are coffee capsules?
Let's start with the introduction of coffee capsules. Coffee capsules are small containers of coffee. This mostly contains coffee for single serve. The process of extracting coffee out of coffee capsule is amazingly easy and swift. The drinker just has to put its favorite coffee capsule in the machine and press a button. And he could fancy his self with a great cup of coffee. Coffee capsules come in different flavors of coffee and operates with different coffee machines. However, the most famous type is coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso. And this is not it there are empty coffee capsules for Nespresso as well in which the consumer can add his own favorite flavor and extract coffee out of it.

Benefits of coffee capsules
The very first value coffee capsules add in your daily life is convenience. After all convenience is something we all seek for. Coffee capsule dwarf down the whole process of coffee making, No long grinding and brewing is involved. Coffee capsule would hardly require your couple of minutes to get a great cup of coffee.

Then coffee capsules add value in your daily routine in terms of reliability. Traditional way of coffee making is long and need extra bit of expertise so if at any point anything would go wrong you can end up having a bad cup of coffee. But with coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso you can have the best and reliable taste every time. And you can always trust the taste. No matter how mass volume of coffee you have to produce. Coffee capsules work perfect in office space for several reasons. First because they take less space than traditional style of coffee making. Second they are fast and less noisy if we compare it with traditional style of producing coffee (Grinding, Brewing).

Freshness is another value which a coffee capsule can add up. Coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso are air tight, and 0% exposed to the air and moisture. That is why whenever you produce out a coffee capsule it provides you with extra bit of freshness which is practically impossible with traditional style of coffee making. So next time when you want to drink a cup of fresh, tasty, and fast cup of coffee. Do not forget to consider coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso or empty coffee capsules for Nespresso .

Source: articlesbase

Coffee helps you stay alive

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:07:36 GMT

COFFEE has long been used for its ability to keep us awake and alert, but it can also help truck drivers stay alive a new study has found. For some drivers, like Lloyd George it's best served black, and it is only used for it's taste. Researchers from the University of Sydney surveyed 530 long distance drivers who had crashed and 517 drivers who had not had a crash in the past 12 months.

What they found was 43% of drivers consumed substances containing caffeine, tea, coffee, caffeine tablets or energy drinks for the purpose of staying awake. And drivers who did consume caffeine were 63% less likely to crash, compared to drivers who did not take caffeine.

Even though Mr George has started his day with a coffee or tea for the last 43 years he has been truck driving, he reckons it's not the black stuff that keeps him awake. "I don't think it helps me stay awake, I drink it cause I like the taste."Without milk or sugar it's definately the coffee he is tasting.

"I used to drink tea years ago, until the mid 70s when I was delivering meat to butchers shops around Sydney. If they weren't ready for me to unlaod, they would offer me a coffee."Now the former ATA and Natroad Driver of the Year (2007) drinks about three a day while doing work for Crane Trans hauling various goods up to the gas fields from Brisbane. The study led by Lisa Sharwood found the consumption of caffeinated substances can "significantly protect against crash risk for the long distance commercial driver". It concluded that it was an important implication for the improvement of fatigue management strategies.

"In our study only 70% of drivers reported having stopped for a nap when tired, and, although we did not probe in detail regarding impediments to nap taking, the numbers suggest that it is not a strategy considered as favourable as others for the management of fatigue," the report said. "The varying extent to which activities such as taking a nap, drinking a cup of coffee, or going for a short walk contribute to subsequent vigilance behind the wheel are not well understood.

"That is why they are therefore recommended for further study
"Our findings suggest that the consumption of caffeinated stimulant substances is associated with a significantly reduced risk of involvement in a crash for long distance drivers in Australia."Mr George's tips on a perfect coffee involve using only the best beans. If it has to be instant he opts for Moccona Indulgance or getting Italians to make it. But he reckons the best place to get a good coffee on the Warrego Hwy is at Blacksoil.

The lowdown on coffee
Caffine has been shown to increase alertness in shift workers and improve the capacity for task performance in shift workers. But when used in excess it can also affect the quantity and quality of sleep.

Source: bigrigs

Mary Berry’s cappuccino coffee cake recipe

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:20:41 GMT

If you are worried about cutting the cakes in half, you can just sandwich the two together with half the icing in the middle and half the icing on top.

Serves 8
225g (8oz) very soft butter, plus more for the tins
225g (8oz) light muscovado sugar or caster sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
4 level tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
For the coffee icing
175g (6oz) soft butter
350g (12oz) icing sugar
4 level tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/315F fan/Gas 4. Butter and line the base of two deep 20cm (8in) sandwich cake tins. Measure all the cake ingredients, except the coffee, into a large mixing bowl and beat together until smooth. Stir in the dissolved coffee until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared tins and level the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25–30 minutes until golden brown, shrinking away from the sides of the tin and the sponge springs back when lightly pressed.

To make the icing, mix the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth. Beat in the dissolved coffee and divide into four. When they are cold, slice each cake horizontally in half, giving four layers of cake. Sit one base on a cake stand and spread with a quarter of the mixture. Continue layering up with cake and icing so you finish with icing on top and swirl to give an attractive finish.
The cake can be made and iced up to two days ahead, kept covered in the fridge. Iced or un-iced, it freezes well.

AGA COOKING
Two-oven Aga: bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven, with the cold sheet on the second set of runners, for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Three and four-oven Aga: bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the baking oven for about 25 minutes. If getting too brown, slide the cold sheet on to the second set of runners.

Source: telegraph

Green tea and coffee daily may help cut stroke risk

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:11:09 GMT

Adding daily green tea and coffee to your daily diet may help lower your risk of having a stroke, according to researchers. This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks, said Yoshihiro Kokubo, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.H.A., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., lead author of the study at Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.

"You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet," Kokubo stated.

Researchers asked 83,269 Japanese adults about their green tea and coffee drinking habits, following them for an average 13 years. They found that the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their stroke risks. People who drank at least one cup of coffee daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it.

People who drank two to three cups of green tea daily had a 14 percent lower risk of stroke and those who had at least four cups had a 20 percent lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it.

People who drank at least one cup of coffee or two cups of green tea daily had a 32 percent lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage. (Intracerebral hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds inside the brain. About 13 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic.)

Participants in the study were 45 to 74 years old, almost evenly divided in gender, and were free from cancer and cardiovascular disease.

During the 13-years of follow-up, researchers reviewed participants' hospital medical records and death certificates, collecting data about heart disease, strokes and causes of death. They adjusted their findings to account for age, sex and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol, weight, diet and exercise.

Green tea drinkers in the study were more likely to exercise compared to non-drinkers. Previous limited research has shown green tea's link to lower death risks from heart disease, but has only touched on its association with lower stroke risks. Other studies have shown inconsistent connections between coffee and stroke risks.

Initial study results showed that drinking more than two cups of coffee daily was linked to increasing coronary heart disease rates in age- and sex-adjusted analysis. But researchers didn't find the association after factoring in the effects of cigarette smoking - underscoring smoking's negative health impact on heart and stroke health.

A typical cup of coffee or tea in Japan was approximately six ounces. "However, our self-reported data may be reasonably accurate, because nationwide annual health screenings produced similar results, and our validation study showed relatively high validity." Kokubo said.

"The regular action of drinking tea, coffee, largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming," the researcher noted. It's unclear how green tea affects stroke risks. A compound group known as catechins may provide some protection. Catechins have an antioxidant anti-inflammatory effect, increasing plasma antioxidant capacity and anti-thrombogenic effects.

Some chemicals in coffee include chlorogenic acid, thus cutting stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Further research could clarify how the interaction between coffee and green tea might help further lower stroke risks, Kokubo said.

DELICIOUS COFFEE RECIPE: VOODOO STEAK & SAUCE

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:48:02 GMT

Need a little recipe inspiration? We’re excited to share with you an easy recipe using our Roasterie VooDoo Blend, one of the signature blends in our Dark Line Coffees. The Roasterie VooDoo Blend is an elegantly simple dark roasted coffee that manages to retain a bold, smoky flavor. A fine nutty, even malty flavor finishes each sip. This distinctive dark roast is perfect for anyone who likes the boldness of a dark roast and of course, you can enjoy cooking with it also!

VooDoo Steak
Ingredients:
2 boneless strip steaks
1 cup Chianti wine
1/4 cup finely ground Roasterie VooDoo coffee
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2-3 sprigs each fresh rosemary and marjoram
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large, heavy duty food storage bag, add wine, coffee, garlic, coarse ground black pepper, sea salt, rosemary and fresh marjoram.
Add steaks and marinate 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
To cool: Remove steaks from storage bag, place directly on hot grill. Discard bag and marinade.
Cook 4-6 minutes on each side until desired temperature is reached. Remove from fire and place on platter. Serve with VooDoo sauce (see below).
VooDoo Steak Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup. strong brewed Roasterie VooDoo coffee
1/2 cup raisins
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 TBS. dijon mustard
1 TBS. grated orange peel
1 1/2 cups catsup or chili sauce
Cracked black pepper to taste
Directions:

Place all ingredients in a sauté pan and bring to a boil for 2 -3 minutes, stirring consistently.
Remove from the heat and cool.
Pour the mixture into a blender until it is smooth and then pour it into a bottle and cap tightly.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Have you made the mouthwatering VooDoo Steak recipe before? If so, tweet your photo to us @TheRoasterie. We would love to see your delicious Roasterie-inspired meal and share it with the world!

Source: theroasterie