Coffee is the second most traded product in the world. It is also a food crop that tends to be one of the most treated by chemicals.

Coffee that is grown organically is farmed without chemicals being used. Although many people do not notice a difference in taste, they do appreciate drinking coffee that was not produced at a harm to the environment.

If you want to drink an organic blend of coffee, you do have to be prepared to pay a little more for the product. Most who support the growing of organic coffee do not seem to mind the price increase.

Although the taste of organic coffee may not be all of that different, some people do report noticing that they seem to get less jittery from this brew than with regular coffee.

The popularity of organic coffee is on the rise. As little as five years ago, some companies were roasting approximately five thousand pounds of organic coffee each year. Now however, these same companies are roasting at least thirty thousand pounds of organic coffee yearly.

Be wary however, because not all organic products are the same. Some coffees that claim to be organic are in fact not. To be able to be officially labeled as organically grown, all of the coffee production process must meet a very strict criteria.

To be certified as organic means that a certifying organization that is independent will determine that the coffee was grown and treated without using any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides or other dangerous chemicals.

You can be certain that the coffee you are purchasing is organic by asking your grocer if the organic coffee they supply has been purchased from an organization that is recognized and certified.

You can also watch the labels on the coffee. You will be looking for a label that is round and has a sun, bird and a tiny root tree. The label will say OCIA Certified Organic.

The Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) International, is based in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and is recognized around the world as a farmer-owned and operated professional group of organic farmers and processors. 

Every year, they perform inspections in each state of coffee production. Coffee farms are carefully inspected by OCIA staff, who at the same time investigate processing plants, inspectors and distributors to ensure that organic coffee beans are not sprayed with chemicals or blended with coffee that is not organic. 

A large number of harmful pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are commonly sprayed on coffee crops in many areas of the world. The long-term effects of these synthetic chemicals harm the environment, ground soil, water and create health risks for people.

One way to help thwart all of these problems is by giving farmers encouragement to start growing their crops organically. Unfortunately, organic farming is harder and yields less return than does non-organic coffee farming. 

Once you have organic coffee beans in your possession, you may wonder what the best way to use them may be.

Like with all coffee beans, organic beans should ideally be purchased and ground at home, as they are needed. Your beans stay fresh longer if they are ground on an as needed basis. Remember that the finer you grind your beans, the richer your coffee will taste.

Although you can of course use a typical drip coffee pot, you may want to consider trying a French Press to brew your organic coffee. All you need to do is stir in your coffee grounds with hot water. When you are ready to serve your brew, press down on a screen that will push your coffee grounds to the bottom. As there is no paper filter with this system, the natural oils of the coffee are released making for a wonderful cup of coffee.
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Coffee Review on Zabar’s Emporium in New York
Zabar's resides in New York. Here is a quote from their site and please take time to read their story. It is most interesting. The Zabar's Story Zabar's is open 365 days a year and…

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Copy Cat Recipe for: Cinnabon’s Mochalatta Chill
Here is a copy cat recipe (tried and tested by me) that I feel is about as close to Cinnabon's Mochalatte Chill as one may get without having the 'real deal…

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Green Mountain offers Jane Goodall endorsed coffee
Green Mountain Coffee recently announced that their Tanzanian Gombe Reserve blend will be the first product to carry Jane Goodall's endorsement and logo "Jane Goodall: Good for All." A few years ago Goodall made a plea to the coffee industry to help her protect the world's chimpanzee population by working to lift struggling African farmers from poverty. "We were thrilled to partner with them

A Couple of Coffee Tips and Tricks
Thought I would enter Daily Blog Tips contest. I read them every few days and missed the last one. Stop by and give em a visit. It is a good blog with valuable information and help. Getting out a…

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BEANER'S COFFEE to Rebrand as BIGGBY COFFEE
Leading retail coffee chain looks to distance itself from disparaging term LANSING, Mich., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ — BEANER'S COFFEE, the third- largest retail coffee chain in the Midwest, today announces its plan to re- brand the company to BIGGBY COFFEE. The change will be inclusive of all 79 of BEANER'S current stores, in addition to those currently under construction. The storewide

Andrew Hetzel joins BEST Coffee School
Eugene, Oregon (PRWEB) August 28, 2007 – BEST Coffee School announces that retail consultant Andrew Hetzel has joined the teaching staff of its specialty coffee training center in Eugene, Oregon. "Andrew brings a wealth of retail business management and marketing experience to benefit our students," says education program director Sherri Johns. "BEST Coffee School is already known for

Signature Espresso
Ever wondered how you can turn your insatiable need for caffeine into an all day affair ? Sure you’ve got your morning latte covered, and the midday piccolo and afternoon ristretto is a done deal. But there’s still that lingering need to fill the void between after dinner and bedtime with as much coffee as possible (doctors advice may differ). Enter the Epic Espresso Signature Drink Workshop !

A little more at Tully's for a cup that composts
By Melissa Allison Seattle Times business reporter Tully's Coffee will raise drink prices by an average of 11 cents to cover the cost of some big changes. Starting Wednesday, all espresso drinks sold by the chain will use only organic, Fair Trade-certified coffee beans. Those beans will cost the Seattle company 17 to 20 cents more a pound than it has been paying. Tully's also will spend 1 to

Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. to Present
Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. to Present at Bank of America Securities Annual Investor Conference and Piper Jaffray Annual Consumer Conference EMERYVILLE, Calif., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEET), the leading superpremium coffee company, today announced that it will present at the Bank of America Securities Annual Investor Conference and the Piper Jaffray

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Coffee Drink Basics by: Gary GreshamWhen you enter a coffee house, you have a multitude of drink choices like latt, cappuccino, straight shot and caff mocha just to name a few. Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming unless you know what you are getting. After all, who wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that you may not even like? So PerfectCoffees.Com has come to the rescue, and after you read this, you'll have a basic understanding of how the most p…
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Starbucks is a coffee favorite of many throughout the world. Starbucks has a rich history and how this coffee franchise came about is a very interesting story.

Starbucks was originally founded back in 1971 by three partners; an English teacher, a history teacher and a writer. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker opened the first store up in Seattle Washington. Originally, they sold top of the line coffee beans and related equipment. 

Starbucks quickly became popular, as they were known for having exceptionally fresh beans at affordable prices. They offered a wide variety of beans including delicious gourmet beans.

By the time they had an additional six stores in the Washington area, Zev Siegel decided it was time to move on and sold out his share in the company. 

In 1982, they hired on a man named Howard Schultz to help them with marketing. While in Italy enjoying their wonderful caffeine beverages, inspiration struck Schultz. He thought it would be a wonderful idea to create coffee houses in America. 

Howard Schultz loved the cozy cafe atmosphere in Italy and believed that Americans would also appreciate having a wonderful gathering place where they could sip on various caffeine beverages.

One of the current owners of Starbucks at that time was not excited about the idea, as he did not want to be in a cafe type business. He really only wanted to focus on selling the coffee beans and related equipment.

This owner eventually decided to let Schultz give his idea a try, on a small-scale level. In a section of one of the Starbucks stores, Schultz was allowed to create an espresso bar. This espresso bar immediately became a hit. 

Schultz left Starbucks and went on to open his own coffee bar. However, when Starbucks went on the market for sale in 1987, Schultz purchased the outfit for an outstanding 3.8 million dollars.

Schultz was able to convince investors to come on board when he told them of his goals for Starbucks. Howard Schultz had the dream of seeing 125 Starbucks being in operation within five years. As we all well know, Howard Schultz more than exceeded his plans.

Starbucks carries an extensive array of beverages and a number of delicious treats. Starbucks is by far the most popular coffee shop in the entire world. Millions of people visit Starbucks all throughout the nation on a daily basis for their caffeine fix.

By 1992, there were 165 Starbucks cafes operating throughout the world. As of today, there are more than eight thousand stores in 30 countries. It is an understatement to say that Schultz made a wise investment as Starbucks generates annual revenues of over 7.5 billion dollars.

Every year more Starbucks pop up all over the world and the revenues show absolutely no signs what so ever of slowing down.

Although Starbucks is a huge, popular, well-known chain throughout the world, each store has an intimate, feel. Howard Schultz was able to make his Italian vision come true and by the popularity of Starbucks, it is obvious that the world appreciates it.

Another reason that Starbucks is so popular is that they are constantly evolving in an attempt to please their customers. These days, many Starbucks are now serving hot breakfast to go along with your coffee beverage. 

With the implementation of hot ovens in a number of the Starbucks stores, you may soon be able to have lunch on the premises as well. No matter how much Starbucks may change and evolve, one thing is for sure; Starbucks will always be the premiere choice for caffeine beverages.
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Buy a piece of History!
Old fashioned coffee grinders custom made by hand. These coffee grinders are handmade in the U.S.A. one at a time. The boxes are made from select 3/4 inch thick, 100 % hardwood and weigh about 8-10 lbs!. The wood is sanded smooth, a protective natural wood stain is applied to enhance and protect the wood grain and then hand rubbed to a beautiful luster with non-toxic, Claphams Beeswax Salad

After Long Dispute, a Russian Starbucks
The first Starbucks in Russia opened Thursday in a mall near Moscow. The company was slow to enter this market, initially because of the economy and later because of a trademark squatter. By ANDREW E. KRAMER KHIMKI, Russia, Sept. 6 — With the hiss of an espresso machine and a note in Russian explaining the meanings of “tall,” “grande” and “venti,” Starbucks opened its first coffee shop in

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Coffee Roasting De-mystified by: Andy WhiteHow many different names have you run across for different types of coffee roasts? Light, Medium, Dark? Espresso? Continental? Vienna, French, Italian, Spanish? City? Full-City? C'mon, who's thinking up these things? Well, the dark secret (pardon the pun) of the coffee industry is that, well, there really isn't full agreement on which roast is which. So basically, we all pretty much get to hunt around, try different coffees from different sources a…
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If you have ever been subjected to a cup of bad coffee, you will no doubt realize the importance of knowing how to perfect the perfect cup of coffee.

The perfect cup of coffee is created by combining freshly ground coffee with freshly boiled water which has been cooled to 195 degrees F for no longer than four minutes or slightly longer if the coffee is coarsely ground.

It is at this point that the coffee grounds should be separated from the coffee. However, the grind setting and the amount of coffee grounds you use are all up to personal taste preferences. 

When trying to perfect a cup of coffee, it is actually the most simplistic brewing methods that are the most ideal as they all start with boiling fresh water right before brewing.

Although personal taste is a big matter in creating the perfect cup of coffee, there are some typical service standards you can follow. The food service standard often sees four ounces of coffee per sixty-four ounces of water. 

The grind of a coffee is vital in the outcome of your brew. When you use finer grinds, they extract faster than grinds that are coarse. However, fine grinds tend to increase the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee because they can clog the filter system of your coffeepot.

They typical drip coffee maker that the average person uses at home will make a full pot of coffee in approximately ten minutes. The reason it can take the maker this long to produce a pot of coffee is because they typically start with cold water in their reservoirs and it takes this long for them to heat.

Using a drip coffee maker, perfecting the perfect coffee of coffee usually means brewing only the amount you intend to drink within a short period of time. The reason for this is that when coffee is brewed it reacts to mineral salts, organic acids and sugars, which are absolved in the water. So, the sooner you drink freshly brewed coffee, the better it will taste.

Water plays a very important part in how your coffee will end up tasting. If you use bad water in the making of your coffee, it stands to reason that the end result will not have a pleasant taste. 

Ideally, the water you use to brew your coffee should have a sweet taste and be balanced with minerals but not distilled. It is thought by many to be ideal to brew coffee using a plunger pot. Plunger pots are also called French presses. 

A French press is tall, shaped like a cylinder and made of glass. These pots come equipped with stainless steel and nylon filters which are the same width as the inside of the pot. 

The filters are attached at the center to a long metal rod, which runs through the center of the pots lid. When the lid is placed on the pot, the rod is pressed and the filter is pushed to the bottom of the pot. 

When brewing, the filter is pulled out and the lid is removed, freshly ground coffee is added to the pot and boiling water poured in. About four minutes later, the lid is placed on and the plunger is pushed down.

The filter will be slowly forced to the bottom of the pot taking the grounds down along with it. This should be poured right away so that the grounds do not get too hot and result in bitter coffee. 

There are actually many different ways you can go about trying to perfect the perfect cup of coffee. Often it boils down to personal preference and the most important factors of all- good water and good quality coffee.
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Nespresso Lattissima Arrives for Review
We've finally received the much fabled Nespresso Lattissima - One Touch Cappuccinos and Lattes single serve coffee maker. We're very excited to say we've been making one touch hot lattes and caps all weekend long (what a tough Labor…

Good news for Costa Rican coffee producers
Coffee emerges in study as the major source of antioxidants Special to A.M. Costa Rica There's good news for Costa Rican coffee producers. That steaming cup of coffee is also the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. The study was described at the national meeting of the American Chemical

A little more at Tully's for a cup that composts
By Melissa Allison Seattle Times business reporter Tully's Coffee will raise drink prices by an average of 11 cents to cover the cost of some big changes. Starting Wednesday, all espresso drinks sold by the chain will use only organic, Fair Trade-certified coffee beans. Those beans will cost the Seattle company 17 to 20 cents more a pound than it has been paying. Tully's also will spend 1 to

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Up Front
BusinessWeek - For refreshment, he accepted a cup of "newsroom coffee." By David Kiley FUEL ECONOMY Detroit Gains In The Mileage Race Reacting to higher gas prices, buyers are increasingly eyeing small cars. But some new models have gotten less fuel efficient as

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Coffee and Health by: Iulia PascanuCoffee and health used to be a controversed theme in the seventies. Nowadays, moderate coffee consumption is rather exonerated from its supposed negative long term effects upon health.My mother used to be one of those persons who teaches her offspring, in its early ages, that coffee is not bad. It is bad bad bad! In consequence, I managed to keep away from coffee. At least untill the difficult age of 10, when, as I remember, I was permitted to join mother …
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