Tags · News
I’ve Been Stabbed. I’ll Take a Coffee, Please.
Thursday, December 24th, 2009Read the full Miami Herald article, “Man with knife in chest calls 911, orders coffee.” Posted 12/23/09.
Seven New Coffee Plants Now Documented
Monday, December 21st, 2009Read the full BBC News article, “‘Bumper year’ for botanical finds.” Posted 00:06 GMT 12/22/09.
The article goes on to talk about the “Seven wild coffee species also feature on the list of new species, most of which were discovered in the mountains of northern Madagascar.” I wonder if they taste any good. The BBC has a picture showing Coffea ambongensis and Coffea boinensis, “whose ‘beans’ are more than twice the size of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica).”
Drink Coffee to Help Prevent Diabetes
Thursday, December 17th, 2009Read the full Reuters article, Coffee, tea, even decaf lowers diabetes risk: study. Posted 12/14/09.
I really like studies that include decaf drinks along with regular coffee. It’s nice being able to differentiate if some of the effects are from coffee, or just the caffeine in it.
Bean by Bean Works with Small-Scale Farmers
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Grand Valley State University graduate Derrell Jackson and his wife Missy operate the Bean by Bean coffee company.
Read the full Charleston Daily Mail article, “Michigan couple help coffee growers ‘Bean by Bean’.” Posted 12/5/09.
More Bikini Shop Ruckus
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
Following a Bellevue City Council meeting about the stand, the City Attorney ordered the Knotty Bodies Espresso stand to close its drive-through window because it violates city code.
But the barista working Tuesday morning told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Dubois the owner’s attorney said the drive-through can remain open.
Read the full article, “‘Naughty’ Espresso Stand Defying Bellevue City Order“. Posted 11/24/09 on KIROTV.com.
These bikini coffee shops/stands have been in the news quite a bit lately, and it seems they are becoming more common. I wonder if some may have started because they knew they could get quick, free publicity. On more than one occasion, I’ve read how some of these stands are basically a front for brothels. There are a lot of people saying these should be regulated as adult stores, limiting where they can open shop. Besides that, for me, I wouldn’t even want someone serving me coffee or pastries in what amounts to their underwear. Hooters is one thing, but bikinis? I’m perfectly content getting my coffee from a fully-clothed barista.
Tanzania Tries to Boost Local Coffee Consumption
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
“Coffee in this country has stagnated,” Adolph Kumburu, chief executive of the Tanzania Coffee Board, told Reuters in a telephone interview late on Monday from the northern town of Arusha, which is hosting a two-day coffee conference.
Read the full article, “Tanzania wants to wake up stagnant coffee sector,” posted by Reuters Africa on December 1, 2009.
Laced Coffee. Who Knew?
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
Read the full Reuters article, “‘Coffee police’ fight fraud on shop shelves“. Posted 11/25/09.
Let the Bidding Begin: Peet’s vs. Green Mountain
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc. on Monday raised its earlier $26-a-share offer for Diedrich to $32 a share in cash and stock, or $265 million, after Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. said it proposed buying the company for $30 a share in cash. Diedrich’s board is now reviewing both proposals.”
Read the full The Wall Street Journal article, “Bidding War Spills From Popularity of Coffee Pods.”
Robusta Coffee Maintains its Market Share
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
About 40 percent of the world’s coffee supply is robusta, a less expensive and often easier species of coffee tree to grow. The remaining 60 percent is arabica which is increasingly cultivated as a specialty or gourmet coffee.”
Read the full Forbes.com article, “Robusta thrives amid quality coffee trend,” posted 11/23/09.
Blame Coffee for Being Overweight?
Thursday, November 19th, 2009According to article on MyFoxOrlando.com, Dr. Ann de Wees Allen claims, “Coffee will make you fatter than a pig. Coffee will make you fatter than eating five hot fudge sundaes. That’s the mechanism that the human body works with.”
I spent five years in the Navy, and as numerous people could tell you, sometimes we almost lived on coffee. I could be more toned, but I sure wouldn’t consider myself fat. I haven’t read anything else outside of this article on the topic, but I find it hard to believe coffee alone will make you fat. The article quotes Alisha Kearns, owner of Seven Sisters Coffee House, as saying, “I do believe if you’re mixing coffee with milks, and half-and-halves, and creams, and you’re having one every day, I’m sure that would contribute to it.” I would be inclined to go along with her and think this “fat-ness” is coming from the stuff people are putting in their coffee. Creamer, milk, – I even know of people that add ice cream in place of creamer (I can be guilty of this at times) – and all these fancy drinks people get at coffee shops can’t be that good for you. Ever had a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks? I’m not a big fan of their regular coffee, but that white chocolate drink is really good. Nutrition information directly from Starbucks on a small (tall in Starbucks terms) White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino, with no whipped cream; basically as healthy as this drink gets:
| Serving Size: 12 fl. oz. | |
| Amount per serving |
|
| Calories | 240 |
| Fat Calories | 35 |
| Total Fat (g) | 35 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | 3.5 |
| Trans Fat (g) | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 10 |
| Sodium (mg) | 200 |
| Total Carbohydrates (g) | 47 |
| Fiber (g) | 0 |
| Sugars (g) | 41 |
| Protein (g) | 5 |
| Vitamin A | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 15% |
| Iron | 0% |
| Caffeine (mg) | 85 |
Source: Starbucks flavor profiles and nutrition information.
This isn’t a shot at Starbucks, simply an illustration; many specialty coffee drinks are just as bad. While you may take pleasure in drinking coffee because of its calorie or fat content, you should probably add up all the stuff you’re putting in it before you start talking about how healthy your morning drink is. I used to work with a guy who would get two of these large-size frappuccino-type drinks from Seattle’s Best every day. He would always say, “it’s just coffee, it’s not that bad.”