Here comes instant gratification for coffee lovers or for those who want portable flavoured coffee.   This invention by Heo Jeong Im layers coffee on a stirrer.

You unwrap the stirrer, dip in hot water, start swirling and you have instant hot coffee!  As you stir, the coffee dissolves.  The end result? Hot flavoured coffee instantly ready to drink.

The coffee on a stick comes in assorted flavours including cafe latte, cappuccino, caramel macchiato, mocha latte and Americano.

Instant coffee gratification might be good, but I'll wait for the brewed coffee.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

A tip of the mug to Yanko Designs for the heads up

I searched online and found the cup is by a company called Smart Cup.  Each cup has fresh ground coffee with hot water added. They put any additions, like milk or sugar, then seal the lid. You push down the plunger and several minutes, later…fresh brewed coffee.

So there's no more stale, burnt coffee.  And you don't have to settle for the coffee flavor of the day. You can taste and drink your way through many brews.

Great convenience for those of us who pick up a cup of coffee on the way to work in the morning. Now it really can be fresh brewed.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks to Ann who's at a seminar in NYC for the heads up

All is not totally lost though as the smartphone tied with intimate relationships as things the business professional can't live without. Gives me some hope, but then again if they had to choose between the phone and their spouse or girlfriend…

As for me, I'm keeping my coffee. But what about you?  Would you give up for your coffee for your smartphone?  Let me know what you think.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

A tip of the mug to the San Francisco Chronicle for the heads up.

My parents who are avid coffee drinkers (are you really surprised?) would never have coffee at Great Aunt Sara's.  My father, before my mother shushed him, would always mutter in the car about foul black water masquerading as coffee.

But amazingly enough the instant coffee market worldwide is over $21 billion dollars in value.  Guess that's the reason Starbucks wants in.  The new decaffeinated instant coffee has been sold in little tubes you pour in your cup since November 2009, so it looks like it isn't going away.

You can buy a single serve packet in a box of 3 for $2.95 or 12 packs for $10.95.  I'm just sorry Great Aunt Sara isn't here to try it out.  Guess I'll have to ask my Dad.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

When offered the opportunity for cupping at your local coffee roaster, take it. It will be a learning, coffee drinking experience like no other. In cupping you get to experience the coffee as a green bean, once roasted as a roasted bean and finally the end result—a brewed cup of coffee.

Some describe cupping as being similar to wine tasting. When listening to people describe their cupping experience the words are quite similar. I look at cupping as a way to sample the roaster's expertise as an artisan. At no other moment will a person be able to see, smell and taste a particular type of coffee in such detail.

Enjoy the opportunity as you get to experience the coffee roaster's expertise.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Kopi-Luwak-Producer

In addition to being one of the perfect places to grow coffee, Sumatra is home to a little creature called a Paradoxurus or luwak (Asian palm civet). The little creatures are especially fond of coffee cherries which cover the coffee beans. According to Wikipedia the luwaks are skilled in picking the sweetest and most ripe coffee berries.

After making their coffee berry selection, the luwaks eat the coffee berries. The coffee beans ferment in their stomachs and then exit in whole coffee bean form. Supposedly the pass through the luwak's insides eliminates the bitterness commonly found in coffee.

Locals collect the beans, clean them and then lightly roast the beans. Needless to say, the amount of coffee is limited so the coffee is expensive from $100-600 per pound. Wikipedia estimates only 1000 pounds are found and roasted each year. Not every local coffee shop is apt to carry this exotic coffee. The taste is supposed to be earthy, musty with caramel or chocolate.

As the supply is limited chemically treated coffee has been developed to reproduce the Kopi Luwak coffee taste. I'm not sure if I want to try either the original or simulated Kopi Luwak coffee experience.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Seems David did some research on coffee and the supposed health risks of drinking coffee.

David's facts:
1. Drinking coffee on a regular basis can reduce your risk of developing heart attacks and hypertension. He cited the Honolulu Heart Program which found no scientific link between coffee and heart attacks.
2. Coffee reduces risk of Parkinson's disease. Kananowitz said scientists have found that those who drink between three and six cups of coffee daily are five times less likely to develop Parkinson's disease
3. Coffee drinkers have less chance of getting Type 2 diabetes. David mentioned the study conducted by Harvard researchers in 2003, they found that people who drank an average of four to five cups of coffee daily reduced their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 30%.

It's reassuring to know up and coming writers are also talking about the benefits of drinking coffee.

Thanks David Kananowitz for spreading the information about the benefits of coffee.

Not the usual grind,

Tip of the mug to Richard Dudley a talented Australian artist for his sketch of the coffee cup.

Australians drink over 1.2 billion cups of coffee each year-now that's a place to be.

Featuring lots of booths of coffee vendors, the press release says over 100 different vendors! This event is just the thing for coffee lovers. This year The Rocks Aroma Fest staff had some fun and built a Mona Lisa out of latte's, long blacks and flat whites using 3,604 cups of great coffee.

To see how the crew did it take a look at this video:

Not the usual grind,

The device worn like eyeglasses measures drowsiness by length of eye blinking and how fast the eyes close when blinking.

The researchers tested 18-29 year-olds for drowsiness. The age group was picked because of their high rate of auto accidents while drowsy.

The study wanted to prove or disprove the theory coffee could keep people from falling asleep while driving an auto.  The group was divided in half with one group given a capsule of caffeine equal to two cups of coffee while the second group was given a placebo.

Both groups were tested using the Optalert. Those receiving the caffeine maintained alertness for about three hours with increased reaction time.  Reaction time is what decreases so dramatically when we get tired. So drinking coffee, espresso or other caffeinated drink to avoid getting drowsy while driving works.

I understand the need for scientific validation as previous studies were not consistent in their results.  But anyone who has ventured near University at exams would have drawn the same conclusion.

Not the usual grind,

Tip of the mug  to the Times of India for the heads up on this one and for the use of the photo to Jean Scheijen

Top Green Coffee & Tea Tips