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Growing Mushrooms From Coffee Grounds

Monday, November 16th, 2009

“Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez’s plans after graduating from the at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business didn’t include becoming farmers.


But they took a detour in the spring during a business ethics class, where the two learned that coffee grounds, one of the country’s largest waste streams, could be used as a medium for growing mushrooms.”


They even offer mushroom-growing kits for $20.


Read the full article, “Business idea mushrooms from coffee grounds” at SFGate.


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Wolf Farms won first place in this year’s annual Kona Coffee Classic Cupping Competition at Keauhou Beach Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.”


Read the full article, Wolf Farms wins Kona coffee competition at Pacific Business News


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Starbucks VIA Doing Better Than Expected

Friday, November 13th, 2009

“PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -(Dow Jones)- Starbucks Corp.’s (SBUX) Via instant coffee has outperformed expectations in the seven weeks since it was introduced in the U.S., the coffee shop chain’s chief executive, Howard Schultz, said Thursday.


Starbucks began making Via available in September in all its cafes in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in other locations, such as hotels and bookstores. The company created Via, which sells for $2.95 for a pack of three, in an attempt to reach consumers who aren’t inclined to splurge on a regular coffee purchase.”


Read the full article, “Starbucks CEO: Via Instant Coffee Besting Expectations“, at CNNMoney.com.


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“Materials to keep drinks cold or hot for longer have been around for quite a while. Now a pair of German scientists has come up with a high-tech mug they claim keeps coffee at the perfect temperature.”


“The researchers at IBP came up with the idea of using PCM in coffee mugs. If it works in large office spaces and in jackets, why couldn’t it also keep a cup of coffee warm? To test their theory, they created the first PCM mug. The high-tech mug is made using a porcelain shell whose hollow interior is filled with a honeycomb structure made of ribbons of highly conductive material, such as aluminum. This honeycomb structure is then filled with PCM. ‘So now, if you are drinking hot coffee in one of these cups,” Sinnesbichler explains, “the drink’s heat is directed straight into the still solid PCM. This heat, in term, melts the PCM — kind of like wax — and turns it into a liquid.’”


This sounds like it could be a cool cup. Not only will your cup keep coffee better, but it’ll be a great conversation topic, too.


Read the full article, “Scientists Develop Intelligent Coffee Mug“, at SPIEGEL ONLINE.


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Caribou Coffee, a manufacturer of gourmet coffees, is going to to reformulate all its mochas and chocolate beverages using real chocolate. These are available in white, milk and dark chocolate.


The company said that beginning from November 12, 2009 guests can have mochas, chocolate lattes, hot chocolates, specialty beverages and cold beverages made with either white, milk or dark Guittard chocolate at all Caribou Coffee locations throughout the US.”


Read the full article, Caribou Coffee Reformulates Mochas With Real Chocolate at Drinks Business Review.


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