As a result of a freak October snow storm, I was without power for three days. For those in the Northeast part of the United States who were in the same boat, you can all feel the pain of what it was like to be without modern amenities for three days. However, even more distressing to a coffee lover like myself, I could not use any of my coffee brewers so I needed to improvise or it was not going to be a pretty sight.

My solution was to take an unopened Keurig k-cup and combine it with my french press coffee maker to get one cup of coffee that did the trick on two fronts, got me warm and caffeinated at the same time.

In the video I walk you through how I did it, but it is pretty simple. Open up the k-cup and pour the coffee into the bottom of the press and than pour hot water over it (I have a gas stove so I could still use that). Lastly, press it very slowly to let the coffee go through the water. Voila, a hot cup of coffee to get you through a day of waiting (and waiting) for the power to kick on.

Anyone who was a regular viewer of Seinfeld knows there were a number of great episodes, but my vote for best Seinfeld scene goes to the one with the library investigator Mr. bookman.  Seinfeld fans may remember the episode centered on an overdue book that Jerry Seinfeld had at the New York Public Library dating back to when he was in high school. It turns out he had lent the book to George Costanza who had it stolen in the locker room by his gym teacher.

This particular episode had a lot of great lines and scenes, such as Kramer expressing disbelief that a library cop would be named Mr. Bookman. Or when Mr. Bookman spoke about the kids opening books to find “pee pees” and “wee wees” while he was on a roll about people disrespecting library books.

However, my favorite part is when Mr. Bookman tells Jerry about the benefits of having instant coffee on hand when he is only offered tea by Jerry.

Enjoy the clip.

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As more and more people use their mobile phones for more than just calling and texting, many companies are hopping on the bandwagon and are developing mobile applications. Coffee companies are no different and Starbucks has come out with a line of Starbucks Card Mobile Apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices.

The Starbucks for Android app is the latest addition to the line of mobile apps and I recently downloaded it and starting using it on my Android device. The biggest attraction of the app for me is the mobile payment feature which is tied into your Starbucks account and allows you to use your Starbucks card on your Android phone. This is a key for me as I often do not have my Starbucks card with me as I leave it somewhere or my wife has it, the result is I end up paying cash and do not get the credit for the purchase in the Starbucks rewards program. The Starbucks for Android app means that I will always have my Starbucks card with me and will be up to Gold Level in no time.

Besides the mobile payment feature, the Starbucks for Android app also lets you manage your Starbucks rewards accout from your phone giving you the ability to check your balance, add a card, and check your reward level.

The surprise feature in the app that I have fallen in love with is the locator feature that allows you to find the nearest Starbucks to you based on your current location. This works great for busy parents like me who are going to children’s games and activities in other towns and are looking for a hot cup of coffee on a cool day or a nice iced coffee on a warm day. No longer do we have to drive around looking for Starbucks signs, the app ties into Google Maps and gives you directions. The app also contains icons that let you know if that Starbucks can accept mobile pay, has wi-fi, has Clover coffee, and whether they have oven-warm food.

The Starbucks for Android app has worked great for me so far, what are your experiences with it? If you have an Android phone, you can get the Starbucks for Android app in the Android Market.

For those of us who have made the switch to a kcup single serve coffee maker, or at least have one for use when we need a quick jolt, there has been a lot of curiousity around one thing….exactly what is inside a k-cup? We know there is obviously coffee and some sort of filter device, but is there anything else inside that plastic cup that delivers a great cup of coffee from the likes of Caribou Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee, and Coffee People to name a few of the many companies that sell k-cups.

Come on, you can admit it. Whether you are using a Keuring brewer or one made for K-Cups like a Breville, you have always wanted to tear one open and see how they work. I know you want to look. In this edition of In The Kitchen, we tear one open and solve the mystery for you once and for all.

Peter Olejnik is a Creative Director of New Media and Marketing for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His responsibilities range from directing media productions to planning new media objectives. His media initiatives have won numerous International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) awards, while debuting on major television networks and government agency websites.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?
I’ll usually drink about 2 cups a day. One in the AM, and the next in the evening — around 5 pm.

Where do you drink most of your coffee, at home or at an establishment?
At this point I drink most of my coffee at either work, or Starbucks. I find it really enjoying to sip on a cup while editing media — it keeps me creative and on my toes.

If at an establishment, where do you go most frequently?
I mostly walk over to the steaming kettle — Starbucks at the Government Center T stop. However, when given the chance, I’d much rather prefer Peets coffee. They’re coffee seems richer in taste; tasting like the coffee’s had a bit more prep-time.

What kind of coffee maker is in your kitchen?
Good question! At the moment none; but I’ve been eying a Mr Coffee maker with a timer.

Do you buy whole beans or ground coffee?
Hm…does a Starbucks bold, or coffee of the day count? OK, so…on a serious note: I actually just picked up a kava coffee with premium beans. I guess it’s suppose to be acid neutralized — whatever that means. BTW, I suppose it’s fair to also note that it’s instant coffee.

What time of day do you drink the most coffee?
Between 10 – 2, then 5 -7pm.

Do you drink coffee for the caffeine kick or the taste?
Great question! Well, I’d be remiss if I said strictly for the taste. Sometimes coffee leaves me dehydrated and I don’t like that. This is when I switch over to tea for a couple of weeks. (Any tea suggestions? ) However, there’s just no substitute like having a warm cup-of-joe in the morning to spark a flare.

What is your favorite coffee blend?
I tend to enjoy bold coffee in the morning, and a more mild kind in the evening. Not entirely sure of the names Starbucks gives then.

Describe the perfect cup of coffee.
An espresso, or vanilla non-fat cappuccino from Cafe Victoria in Boston’s North End.

Do you ever find yourself craving a cup of coffee?
Yes! Most of the times during the week, but on occasion I do find myself wanting to sneak a coffee when I know I have lots to do.

What is the most complicated sounding beverage you have ever ordered at a coffeehouse?
Hm….grande vanilla non-fat cappuccino.

Do you ever just hang out a coffeehouse with a book and/or laptop?
I used to when I was in school. Sometimes I try to motivate myself to take up doing this, and other work, but it becomes distracting. I find myself having to be in-the-zone to drink coffee. For example, I work in the media studio at my work. So, whenever I get some momentum going, I reward myself with a sip.

Describe the perfect coffeehouse:
There’s a lot of variety in Boston actually. For instance, Sip Boston provides ample meeting space, while Cafe Arpeggios a more cozy atmosphere. Then you have Cafe Royal for the trendy crowds who enjoy art, skating, and books. Lastly, there’s Peets, and Starbucks. Nevertheless, both of these are a bit too commercialized and don’t offer the same amount of character their counter-parts do.

Do you know someone who would be great for a future Connecting Over Coffee? I would love to know who they are and please send me the details.

In this first edition of Kitchen Invasion, we visit the Lachs Family to find out their coffee habits and what they use to get their caffeine kick on. During my visit, Steve revealed that he only drinks Starbucks Sumatra but acknowledged that he should try more blends and experiment with some micro roasters as well.

Here is the coffee equipment currently in their kitchen:

Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder

Krups Aroma Control Coffee Maker

Glengarry Glen Ross is one of those movies that is mostly remembered for the memorable quotes that were in it rather than for the actual plot. In fact, I can’t remember much of the storyline of the film but like many others, it is impossible for me to forget Alec Baldwin’s appearance. He played a hotshot from the firm of Mitch and Murray that was sent into the office of some of its real estate salesmen who can’t close deals, or at least are having a hard time doing so.

It during his brief appearance that he has the two most memorable lines of the film, “coffee is for closers” and “always be closing”. Here we see him tell Jack Lemmon to put down the coffee because it was only for closers.

Most of us have been there at some point whether you travel for home or pleasure. You are sitting in your hotel room and want a cup of coffee so you try the in room coffee maker, happy that you did not have to leave your room or wait for room service to deliver a pot of coffee to your guest room. Your glee quickly turns to disappointment once you sip the coffee and discover that it is lacking in the taste department.

If you are in infrequent traveler, this is probably a minor inconvenience and something you just learn to live with. However, for those of us who travel on at least a somewhat regular basis, this can be more than an inconvenience. Especially when you at your hotel and need to get work done and all you want is a good cup of coffee in to get you going again, particularly late at night. So why is it so hard to get a quality cup of coffee in your hotel room coffee maker?

I decided to go right to the source and ask a hotel industry veteran why the guest room coffee makers produce such an unimpressive cup of coffee. In the video you will learn the answer (think convenience) as well as gain insight into how many people actually use them (which may explain why it won’t get better anytime soon).

Steve Graceffa is the President and Founder of ExNihilo, a Providence, RI based web consultancy that crafts e-business strategies and custom, web-based solutions that help organizations more successfully connect with their internal and external audiences.  Please visit www.exnihilo.com for more information.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?
I typically drink at least one cup in the morning — but since I own a web design studio, that can easily turn into 3 or more. (My team LIVES on coffee!)

Where do you drink most of your coffee, at home or at an establishment?
I’d say it’s about 50/50 between work and home

If at home, what is your preferred brewing method?
If I have time, I go with a french press, but typically, my go-to machine is a drip coffee maker.

If at an establishment, where do you go most frequently?
I favor any establishment that isn’t.. If I can’t find a good local shop like the Coffee Connection here in Providence, I’ll default to Starbucks. And will only go to DD if my life depends upon it!

What kind of coffee maker is in your kitchen?
I currently own a Cuisanart Brew Central. Sadly, I’m not at all pleased with it. Out of the box, the fit and finish was awful, and has only gotten worse over time. I’ve come to the point where I need to rest a large can of tomato sauce on top of the lid! If I don’t, the lid won’t seat properly and the result is a rather large mess of spent coffee grinds. I’m looking into purchase something better. And would love to hear what you and your readers recommend. I’m currently looking at a Capresso Coffee TeamTherm and the Technivorm MoccaMaster. (Great names!)

Do you buy whole beans or ground coffee?
Whole bean. It’s all about being as close to the source as I can be.

If whole bean, what type of grinder do you use (blade, burr, etc)?
I use a Cuisanart burr grinder. This is the one where you can set how many cups you want it to grind and then hit the switch and away it goes. I fell in love with this little guy and it’s the main reason why I decided at the time to go with Brew Central….

What time of day do you drink the most coffee?
Definitely in the morning!

Do you drink coffee for the caffeine kick or the taste?
Both, but also for the overall experience. There’s something special about selecting, grinding and brewing a very good cup of coffee! It’s almost like cooking a meal…

What is your favorite coffee blend?
Without a doubt, its the blend that was created just for me by my brother David who owns Natalies Roastery. I asked him to create something that could stand up to the darkest of dark roasts served by Starbucks, without the in-your-face bitterness and over-the-top robustness common to the brand. He succeeded beyond my expectations, producing a blend that captures all of the best attributes of a SB dark roast, without any of the negatives. Unfortunately, now that the blend has taken off, he’s changed the name to something more marketable!

Do your coffee tastes veer toward lighter roasts or darker/bold roasts?
The darker and bolder the better. That said, as I mentioned above, I need to have something that’s also not so powerful that any of the typical nuances are lost. That’s what I like about the Natalies blend. It manages to somehow be dark and bold while still be subtle and complex.

Describe the perfect cup of coffee.
I think I just did.

Do you ever find yourself craving a cup of coffee?
I rarely crave a cup of coffee, just like I don’t crave a good Italian Red — but I find myself wanting both with increasing regularity.

What is the most complicated sounding beverage you have ever ordered at a coffeehouse?
I don’t; all those nouns and verbs together really scare me! Ordering coffee should be like ordering a scotch and sirloin; “single malt with a twist and a flank steak, medium rare please” is all that I should ever need to say at a good steakhouse. Why should it be any different at a good coffee house? My thinking is why complicate things which are already complex enough on their own? When it comes to things like coffee, if it’s truly good, it can stand up on it’s own. And the act of adding to it actually dilutes its essence instead of enhancing it.

Do you ever just hang out a coffeehouse with a book and/or laptop?
Not as much as I’d like to!

Describe the perfect coffeehouse:
I have to admit that Starbucks gets pretty close to achieving that with many of their stores. If I were to design one myself it would need to have the following: a broad range of custom roasts from a variety of regional roasters, super friendly staff and baristas, strategically placed TVs with channels you can tune to via your smart phone, free wifi (of course!), free reading material, (maybe a few iPads that you can hand out for $5 a session?), a fireplace, large comfy chairs and plenty of seating, the right mix of decor (very modern but not sterile) and free refills!

Do you know someone who would be great for a future Connecting Over Coffee? I would love to know who they are and please send me the details.

It is an age old question that those of us who are coffee drinkers and runners face every time we lace up the running shoes after enjoying a cup of great coffee, what effect will it have on my running performance?

I will admit, when I first started running five years ago and started hearing about the negative physiological impact that caffeine can have on a runner, I was freaked out. I wanted to get healthy and had set endurance goals but, come on, I was not about to give up coffee.

I read stories about the effects of the acid present in coffee on your stomach and how it could lead to cramps during running. Also, coffee is known to be a diuretic and therefore could lead to dehydration in runners, especially over long distances. One of the worst things that can happen to runners is to get dehydrated and this got me really concerned.

On the flip side, I also discovered that as coffee is a stimulant it can give runners a helpful adrenaline rush. In fact, there is an ergogenic effect of caffeine that has shown to have a positive impact on athletes, specifically in endurance performance. This was good news to me as I had a goal of running in a marathon (I accomplished that last year).

After doing the reading and research, I decided to start running with no change to my coffee habits and then adjust accordingly if I needed to. I was glad to see that I didn’t suffer any of the negative side effects of coffee consumption on my running and I didn’t have to make any changes.

At the end of the day, every person is different and you should do some testing first to see the impact of coffee on your running. I know some people who drink coffee during their training and then either stop completely or have decaffeinated coffee the week before a race. On race day morning they will go back to regular coffee as they get an enhanced energy boost from the caffeine after a week without it.

You need to do what your body tells you to do and, believe me, your body will give you plenty of signs when it does or doesn’t like what it is giving you.