Coffee connoisseurs, unite!

Sure, you’ve got your go-to morning brew, but when it comes to that mid-afternoon slump, what do you like to fill your cup with? If you’ve been looking for something flavorful to add to your coffee cupboard, consider gathering ideas from your friends or coworkers through a tasting party.

Choose Your K-Cup Coffee Flavors

Purchase a range of K-Cups in medium, light and dark roast. Incorporate flavored K-Cups too. If you know your guests’ coffee-drinking styles, picking flavors they’ll enjoy will be easier. But if you’re not sure whether Joe from accounting prefers fruity or nutty blends, this list of favorites can get you started in selecting crowd-pleasing coffees for the tasting. Use a Keurig carousel to organize the flavors and make the process smoother for guests.

What you Need for a K-Cup Party

Coffee and carousel aside, you’ll need coffee mugs for everyone attending the tasting. If you don’t have enough mugs at home or in the office, you can always tell guests to B.Y.O.M. Consider handing out a list of the blends featured at the tasting so guests can take notes.

Keep plenty of water and snacks on hand to clear your guests’ palates in between blends, so they can distinguish subtle flavor differences. Crackers, plain pretzels and mixed nuts work well for cleansing the palate between brews.

While guests will taste more coffee when it’s black, they may prefer to drink coffee with cream, milk or sugar. Have plenty of these on hand so everyone can doctor their coffee to their own tastes.

K-Cup Coffee Tasting Tips

Like wine tasting, begin with the lightest brews and progress toward darker brews. Save flavored coffees for last—a cup of chocolate-flavored coffee could alter your impression of the next few blends due to their comparatively bitter flavor.

Since you’ll be trying several coffees, pour only a few ounces into each cup. Let everyone taste the brew, then discuss the pros and cons, and the best time or mood to drink it. Move on to the next coffee and repeat the process, giving everyone time to write notes about newfound favorites. Afterward, cleaning up is as easy as putting the mugs in the dishwasher and throwing out the used K-Cups.

A simple, fun party like this gives everyone a chance to try new coffees and to connect over a fresh cup. You just may find that you discover some new brews you love or become inspired to throw this type of party on a regular basis.

Image courtesy of Keurig.com.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master’s degree.

A new study shows that there is a 63 percent lower crash risk linked with long-distance truckers who drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Truckers who used caffeine drove longer distances and slept less than non-caffeine drinkers yet still had fewer crashes according to the study. Its safe to say you should stock up on your coffee fix when you head out on your next road trip.

Coffee Lowers Crash Risks for Long-Distance Truckers

Image public domain.

Green coffee bean extract is now being used for weight loss. The coffee bean extract has been shown to work for losing weight as well as body fat. Cholorgenic acid in green coffee beans is what creates the weight loss in people and is extracted from the green coffee beans prior to roasting. Chlorogenic acid apparently slows down glucose entering the bloodstream and reduces the absorption of fat which results in weight loss. It is believed that chlorogenic acid also causes the liver to metabolize fat faster. Once coffee beans are roasted they lose the cholorgenic acid that generates weight loss. Green coffee bean extract may just be the next weight loss solution.

Green Coffee Beans and Weight Loss

Image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net.

A company has created the world’s strongest coffee promising it holds 200 per cent more caffeine than your standard cup of java. For those who dare to cross the caffeine threshold, Death Wish coffee is emblazoned with skull and crossbones. This highly caffeinated premium dark roast organic coffee is not for caffeine sissies, be prepared to be jolted awake upon intake.

Death Wish Coffee

Image courtesy of metro.co.uk.

Who can resist the frosty goodness of a Frappuccino? While the taste may be to your liking, the cost might just have you sticking with a plain old cup–o-coffee. How about making your own concoction for just pennies on the dollar?

All it takes is coffee, sugar, milk, and a pinch of xanthan gum. Stick it in your blender with some ice and you’re good to go. And don’t forget to tip the barista.

Coffee Article: Make a Starbucks Frappuccino for $0.32

The American Heart Association conducted a 13 year study of 82,369 men and women in Japan and found that both coffee and green tea help prevent strokes. People who drank a minimum of one cup of coffee daily had a 20 percent lower risk of stroke compared to people who rarely drank coffee. Green tea drinkers showed that the more green tea a person drank, the lesser the chance for stroke. A previous study showed that women who drank two or more cups of coffee a day may stimulate the central nervous system which is linked to boosting creativity and impulsiveness. Drinking coffee and green tea seems to be a health booster after all.

Coffee and Green Tea Prevent Strokes

Image courtesy of stockphotosforfree.com.

Not only does the Keurig coffee machine give you nearly-instantaneous gourmet coffee, it offers a dazzling and drool-worthy array of flavors and blends. Whether you’re a light-roast sipper or a dark roast caffeine junkie, there are so many blends out there that are worth a try. And most of these coffees are pretty fabulous! I’ve spent my share of time sampling different K-cup blends, and here are my faves so far.

Everyday Drinking: I’m partial to the Nantucket Blend from Green Mountain for everyday drinking. Green Mountain’s K-cup patents got this coffee giant in on the ground floor of Keurigs, so they’ve had some time to develop pretty amazing blends. This one has up-front fruit and berry notes reminiscent of African coffees, but the flavor is mellow and a bit citrus-y. Perfect for any time of day!

Extra Bold: If you want a rich, bold K-cup coffee, you may be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t have a bitter element to it. For those who like their coffee strong without being bitter, or who consider themselves Starbucks loyalists, Coffee People’s Extra Bold Donut Shop and Emeril’s Big Easy Bold Coffee should go on your “must try” list. Both of these coffees have that full-bodied flavor without being too astringent. Emeril’s Big Easy Bold blend is thick, black and sludgy with a following all its own. Plus, the blend uses 50 percent Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, so you can feel good about drinking it.

Change of Pace: If you’re bored with your usual blend and looking to try something new, pick up the Timothy’s World Coffee, Kona Blend. With a mellow and relaxing blend of Kona and Arabica beans picked in Hawaii and roasted in Canada, this coffee serves up a relaxing, medium-bodied flavor burst.

Fair Trade: When it comes to Fair Trade, it might appear that your choices are limited. Here’s one that rises above the rest: Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve Extra Bold K-Cup from Green Mountain. This blend has rich flavor, a thick, dark body and high notes of brown sugar, cherry and spice. A decadent treat for any time of day.

Flavored: Timothy’s World Coffee, German Chocolate Cake: Hands down, this is one of the best flavored coffees for K-cups. With a medium strength, full body and base of Arabica beans, this cake has all chocolate notes up front and a smooth, mellow drinking taste. Save this one for when you need a real treat; it is most definitely worth it. The only downside is this: actual cake not included.

Best for Icing: Summertime is all about cold coffee. For K-cups, you want a blend that can stand up to being poured over ice without diluting the flavor. For this, I recommend two Gloria Jean’s Coffees, hazelnut and Swiss chocolate almond. These are not the strongest coffees on the block, which is why they’re great iced. Too-strong coffee can just taste bitter when poured on ice. Both blends have a pleasing nutty flavor that makes iced coffee a real treat to savor.

These are my go-to blends when I’m looking for something new in the K-cup department. Do you have a favorite cup I’ve missed? As much as I love these guys, I’m always looking to try something new for my Keurig.

Image courtesy of Sears.com.

About the author: Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master’s degree.

Hula Daddy’s Kona Cascara Coffee Tea
Medium-Dark Roast: Whole Bean
Price: $19.95 for an 8-ounce bag

Making Tea from Coffee

When is coffee not coffee? When it’s tea. Or at least that’s what we learned when we tried Hula Daddy‘s Kona Cascara Coffee Tea. These growers of Kona coffee sent us a bag of their Kona Cascara to try, so we put away the French press and fired up the old tea pot to gave it a taste.

This “coffee tea” is actually made from the fruit of the Kona coffee tree after they’ve taken the coffee bean out of it, leaving the fruity bits that formerly enveloped that yet-to-ripen bean. Since this product is not roasted like a regular coffee, there are none of the usual coffee notes in its aroma; rather, it has a much more vegetative smell, not unlike some herbal teas, suggesting fruit.

To brew the tea, you heat water and pour it over the little bits, in much the same way you would brew a pot of regular loose tea, letting it steep for around five minutes. As with the aroma, there is really no coffee taste to the tea. Indeed, the predominant notes are citrus and honey, making the coffee tea taste not unlike an amped-up version of a chamomile or other herbal tea. Although we generally like our tea like our coffee–no additives, thank you–we’re guessing that a touch of sweetener, maybe a bit of sugar or a drizzle of honey, might help bring out more of the tea’s flavor.

Overall Hula Daddy Kona Cascara Coffee Tea makes for an interesting drink. We’re big fans of coffee and less so of tea, so we were hoping for at least a bit of coffee flavor, and that just wasn’t there. It is a clever way to use what must normally be just a waste product of the coffee growing and roasting process, and if tea is your thing, you just might enjoy a pot yourself.

Hula Daddy Kona Cascara Coffee Tea is available from Hula Daddy for $19.95 for a half-pound (8 ounce) bag.

Aromo Bounce Espresso Coffee Review
Medium-Dark Roast: Whole Bean
Price: £4.00 250g (approximately $6.00 USD and a generous 1/2 pound)

We reviewed Aromo’s ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods a while ago and were very impressed with the quality of their espresso pod coffee. Aromo Coffee was kind enough to send us a sample of their Bounce whole bean espresso coffee for an honest review. Considering their ESE pod coffees were excellent we were very excited to try the whole bean coffee version of their Bounce coffee.

Aromo’s motto is “No mess. No Waste. No fuss. Just great espresso coffee every time. Period.” Aptly said, Aromo lives up to its motto with excellent pod coffee and whole bean coffee. Aromo works hard to get coffee right by carefully tasting and reviewing blends, origins and roasts using standards of freshness and taste to provide you with the best coffee experience topped with their tongue in cheek humor. Aromo sells ESE pods in Boost, Bounce and Buzz, 5 blends of Nespresso Capsules, coffee pads compatible with Phillips Senseo® style coffee pad machines, and whole bean Bounce coffee. You can receive a free sample of Aromo ESE pods simply by ordering online and paying shipping for the sample. It is easy to order coffee from Aromo’s website and takes a week or a little more to receive your coffee from the UK.

The Aromo coffee was brewed in our espresso maker and also our French Press, and was tasted with and without half and half. Bounce espresso coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans and rates a full 5 on Aromo’s strength rating scale. When opening the bag of Bounce whole bean espresso coffee the beans are a medium-dark roast and smell like dark roast coffee. When drinking Bounce the coffee is rich tasting and extremely smooth with deep chocolate flavor, hints of fruit and a strong finish. Whether tasted from our espresso maker for a thicker cup of coffee, or brewed in our French Press producing a full-bodied cup, all in all Bounce is a great cup of java. Bounce is an impressive cup of coffee that is silky smooth with none of the bitterness you often find in dark roast or espresso coffees.

Bounce is delicious whether brewed in your espresso machine or in a French Press, it always produces an excellent cup of coffee full of flavor. We highly recommend Aromo’s Bounce whole bean espresso coffee for your daily cup or to savor on the weekends. When you brew a pot of this exceptional espresso coffee Bounce will most assuredly put a smile on your face.

With three cups of coffee already running through my veins, I begin referring to myself as “The Idea Factory” as I push down the On Switch to make another cup. And, because I’m pushing the On Switch of a Keurig, I know it won’t be long before I’m enjoying that delightful, energy-inspiring java.

I’ve tried about every way to brew coffee—French-press, drip, copper Turkish coffee pots—all in attempts to keep myself caffeinated and happy. After years of trial-and-error, I’m a Keurig fan. And I think you should be, too. Here are a few perks of using Keurigs and some ways you can get the most out of your K cups.

Fast and Delicious

The most common perk you’ll generally hear about using a Keurig coffee maker is that it brews coffee quickly. Which is true. But it also makes a great cup of coffee. You don’t lose quality with the portable and efficient K cups, whether at the office or at home. And you worry less about coffee going bad in the freezer after you’ve opened the bag, as K cups are individual and maintain freshness.

Save Coffee!

It’s tough to predict how much coffee you’ll want each morning. And that’s the problem with most drip-presses and French-presses—making too much or too little coffee. What’s fantastic about the Keurig is that you can make coffee quickly without going overboard, thereby wasting that precious caffeine. Have you ever wanted “one more cup” but didn’t want to take the time to make an entire pot? The Keurig can do that, no problem.

Variety On-The-Go

Are you the kind of person who gets tired of the kind of coffee you’re drinking before the bag of beans is finished? If so, the Keurig might be perfect for you because you can drink a different flavor of coffee every morning. Guests at your house really benefit from this, as they may prefer decaf or hot cider rather than the bold blend you enjoy.

Also, remember to shake each K cup before brewing to increase the flavor.

Other Tips and Tricks

Drink the best cup you can. In the case of the Keurig, you might want to use bottled or filtered water for your coffee. Or if your coffee is too strong, you can easily make a second, weaker cup by reusing a K cup.

You might be interested in more than coffee alone. The Keurig can give you quick boiled water for food like instant noodles.

Or maybe you just drink too much coffee. You have two options at this point: (1) get professional help, or (2) use the Keurig to limit your daily coffee intake. Regardless of whether you’re trying to tame your caffeine habit or kick it up a notch, the Keurig is designed to give you the coffee you want, when you want it.

Image courtesy of Sears.

Lindsey is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area and she writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master’s degree.

Have you ever tried to read the menu at your local coffee emporium? If you are in the habit of always ordering the same thing each and every time you go in, you can just recite its name from memory and go merrily on your way. But what if you want to try something different? How do you know what you’re going to get? And why is a Tall the shortest selection?

Debenhams, a department store in the UK has introduced a super simple menu, using such descriptive terms as “Simple coffee,” “Really really milky coffee, ” and “Frothy coffee.” No longer will you have to read the fine print to figure out what you’re getting, or have to parrot back a string of nonsense to the barista to get your morning cup.

Coffee Article: British Vendor Uses Plain English Coffee Menu

In order to function fully in a modern office, there are two essential items: a computer and coffee. Of the two, maybe the computer is the less important, as much of what you do at the machine can be duplicated with a pen and a yellow legal pad if necessary or when faced with an unplanned power outage. When it comes to the coffee, however, there really is no adequate substitute.

To gain the greatest benefit from that all-important cup, it needs to be strong (we do, after all, love our dark roast), it needs to be plentiful (small coffee cups need not apply), and it must be of sufficient temperature to keep the aromatics flying around. Unless you are in the habit of getting up and replenishing your supply on a too-frequent basis, you run the risk of having your cup begin to cool off. That’s where the desktop cup warmer comes in handy. Fire up the cup warmer, drop your cup on it, and your coffee should be hot to the last drop.

The folks at Advanced Materials Enterprises Company Limited (AME) sent us their NanoHeat Cup Warmer Mark II to put through its paces. It’s a well-designed piece consisting of a plastic housing about 4 inches across with a glass surface covering the heating element. The cup warmer has two different heat settings, accessed via a three-position switch on the side of the unit’s housing. Slide the switch to the first notch for a lower heat–approximately 80-degrees Celsius (176-degrees Fahrenheit) and a green light appears; slide it all the way to the second notch for a higher heat setting–120-degrees Celsius (248-degrees Fahrenheit) and you will get a red light. In addition to the heat setting switch indicator light, any time that the heating surface is above 40-degrees Celsius (104-degrees Fahrenheit), there is a red warning light that shines through the heating surface (steady while the device is turned on, blinking after being turned off), meaning that even after you turn it off, if it remains plugged in, this safety feature will continue to function. The lower heat setting is recommended for flat-bottomed metal cups, and the higher setting is designed to accommodate glass and ceramic cups. The whole rig is powered by a plug-in adapter.

We filled a large 20-ounce mug (our standard serving size) with plenty of hot French Roast and set it on the Cup Warmer, already pre-heated on the high setting. While the heating surface was indeed hot, we steadily lost heat in our cup. Since the unit uses only a modest 14 Watts maximum, we decided to regroup and try with a smaller size cup, figuring that while the unit may indeed be able to keep the coffee at temperature, asking it to keep all that ceramic material piping hot may be a bit of a stretch. With a more normal-sized cup with an 8-ounce capacity, our coffee stayed warm much longer.

The NanoHeat Cup Warmer is available direct from their exclusive distributor for $28.99.

Coffee Equipment Review: NanoHeat Cup Warmer Mark II (Model No. HPC-120) by Advanced Materials Enterprises Company Limited

We’re always looking for a way to make our coffee lives better. One obvious choice for that, in terms of convenience, is to go for a single-serve K-Cup coffee maker. Just grab the little plastic capsule, slam it into your machine, press the button, and you’re on your way to coffee bliss—at least until you do the math. When you look at it on a price-per-pound basis, that fancy little pre-measured Keurig or Green Mountain Coffee packet is costing you something in the neighborhood of $50 dollars a pound. Yikes! And that’s on top of the $100 to $300 price tag for the hardware itself. Apparently there may be some hope, however: Keurig makes a reusable filter that you can fill with your own coffee and plunk it in the machine.

On the other hand, if you stop to calculate the cost per pound of your favorite cup of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts best, you know it’s going to be more. Plus, you can use your K-Cup machine while you’re still in your jammies, which probably isn’t appropriate attire for your local coffee emporium.

Coffee Article: Single-serve Coffee: Easy! Convenient! Expensive!

CoffeeForLess School Grounds Coffee Review
Medium-Dark Roast: Whole Bean
Price: $12.00, Special Online Price $10.80 for 12 oz.

CoffeeForLess.com was kind enough to send us one bag of their whole bean coffee for review. Established 25 years ago, CoffeeForLess.com is a family business and the Internet coffee shop for your home, office or restaurant. CoffeeForLess is a Starbucks Preferred Office Coffee Provider, as well as selling coffee blends including Millstone, Folgers, Green Mountain, Barrie House, their own house blend coffee and many other popular coffee brands. CoffeeForLess also sells a wide variety of top brand teas including Celestial Seasonings, Bigelow, Tazo and Tetley, hot chocolate and first-class coffee brewers and coffee makers.

CoffeeForLess is active in promoting health and education to the public and each year donates thousands of dollars and coffee to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. CoffeeForLess fosters education and development by offering the “Hit The Books” Educational Scholarship.

School Grounds whole bean Coffee is sourced from Nicaragua where farmers are paid a fair price for their beans; Mayorga Coffee Roasters roasts the coffee beans on behalf of Fabretto, to produce a quality roast coffee. When you purchase School Grounds coffee you are helping school children in Nicaragua. Buy CoffeeForLess School Grounds coffee and a portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to Fabretto, an organization helping school children in Nicaragua. CoffeeForLess provides free shipping with no sales tax for orders totaling $45 or more, and a 100% satisfaction guaranteed for their products.

When opening the package of ground coffee the School Grounds whole bean coffee had the strong roasted smell of a dark roasted coffee with chocolate overtones. The coffee beans were uniformly dark with an oily shine, a good sign of a strong tasting dark roast coffee. We ground the whole beans using our Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. The CoffeeForLess School Grounds coffee was brewed in our Capresso SG120 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker, and also our French Press, and it was tasted with and without half and half. CoffeeForLess provides whole bean coffee, as well as ground coffee, flavored coffees, a variety of Keurig K-Cups and coffee pods, teas as well as hot chocolate and hot chocolate K-Cups.

When tasting School Grounds coffee I was struck by the similarity to French roast coffee, yet School Grounds was smoother than most French roasts for a medium-dark bean without the heavy bitterness you would associate with a dark roast coffee. School Grounds has a depth of flavor that is impressive, sipping the coffee reveals a deep chocolate flavor with hints of fruit. If you like French roast or want a milder, smoother version of it, you’ll love the rich taste of School Grounds coffee.

School Grounds whole bean coffee was roasted by a master roaster. This is a delicious tasting cup of java, it is the perfect choice for your everyday cup or to savor over the weekends. This is a full-bodied coffee that has all the robust flavor of French roast with a smooth finish and minimal bitterness. I highly recommend purchasing CoffeeForLess School Grounds coffee for its charitable ways and its excellent flavor.

Whittard Coffee was kind enough to send us three of their ground coffees for review. Whittard takes pride in buying the best coffee beans for their coffees and are coffee blending and tasting experts. Whittard tailors its products to his customers and is known for their customer loyalty. Whittard’s is one of the few places that will grind freshly roasted coffee beans to customers individual tastes. Whittard is also know for their tea with 130 varieties of tea, and blends their own teas and infusions. If you are looking for chocolate Whittard’s carries 18 varieties of luxurious hot chocolate, tempting chocolate lovers with everything from White Chocolate and Strawberry to Chilli. Whittards sells specialist china, equipment and glassware alongside their drinks. Whittard also has coffee gifts available on their website so you can share your favorite coffees with friends and family.

When opening the package of ground coffee the Whittard Guatemalan Antigua coffee had the strong nutty aroma of roasted coffee. The Whittard Guatemalan Antigua coffee was brewed in our Capresso SG120 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker, and also our French Press, and it was tasted with and without half and half. Whittard provides whole bean coffee, as well as coffee grinds for Cafetiere, Espresso, Filter and Turkish coffee brews.

When tasting the brewed Whittard Guatemalan Antigua coffee it is mildly roasted for a medium roast coffee with a mellow spice flavor as you taste it. As with the other medium roast Whittard coffees we reviewed the Guatemalan Antigua is not a strong tasting coffee. The Whittard Guatemalan Antigua coffee has a smooth flavor for a ground coffee with no bitterness. This medium roast coffee has a fresh spice and chocolate flavor with a lingering sweetness. I prefer a little stronger coffee myself so I boosted the amount of coffee in the next pot we brewed and was pleased with the results.

Whittard’s Guatemalan Antigua coffee is my favorite of the Whittard coffees sent for review, it is a good choice for your everyday cup or to savor over the weekend. I enjoyed drinking the Whittard Guatemalan Antigua, it is a flavorful tasting coffee with a spicy sweet aftertaste. I would suggest trying the whole bean version of this coffee for optimum flavor of this good-tasting coffee.