The Reading Room

Reusable coffee pods let you fill your pod machine with the coffee you actually want. Here is an honest look at how they work, what they cost, the tradeoffs, and whether the cup quality is worth the effort.

Question to mull over as you enjoy your morning coffee: If Krispy Kreme serves specialty coffee, how will it differ from Dunkin’ Donuts? A piece of financial news this week on MSN reported that Krispy Kreme may change its products...

/files/u2500/blog_fireworks.jpg" width="180" height="240" /> The Chinese have used fireworks for at least two thousand years - at first to scare away evil spirits, then shooting them off at weddings and other celebrations. It’s not hard to imagine that they started...

Yet another study shows that coffee with caffeine helps protect against Alzheimer ’s disease. Can’t have too many of these studies that show our favorite beverage not only tastes good but is also good for us. The latest study, conducted...

ROASTe now offers the Aerobie AeroPress espresso and coffee maker and take it from a convert, this is a fantastic method for brewing our favorite beverage. The first time I saw this device in the wild was in a box...

French press coffee uses full immersion , grounds steep directly in water for 4 minutes before the plunger separates them. The result is a bolder, fuller-bodied cup than drip or pour over because no paper filter removes the oils and fine particles. This guide covers the correct grind, ratio, water temperature, steep time, and 4 mistakes that produce a weak or muddy cup.

You may or may not know of a website called BrewMethods.com, which is a compendium of links to guides for filter coffee (non-espresso). It's great. It's arguably the only source (or intermediary) of coffee knowledge that you'll ever need. Of...

With growing demand for coffee and a coffee farming sector which can’t keep up with the demand, good news comes from Nepal. The World Bank is giving Nepal’s coffee farmers $35,000 to raise production and enhance organic coffee quality. Kriti...

Recently researchers in Spain reported that women with heart disease can safely drink coffee. A research team reviewed studies on coffee consumption and heart disease and disproved a myth some coffee lovers had believed, causing them to avoid coffee. Now...

What people drink tells a lot about their culture. Russians are well known for their love of vodka, and most brands in the US come from there, making Russia synonymous with this alcoholic beverage. This is changing now, as Russian...

/files/u2500/newsltter_iced_coffee.jpg" width="160" height="240" /> Summer begins officially this week. Though some parts of the country have unofficially begun the hot weather, and though Memorial Day begins summer vacation season, summer doesn’t start on the astronomic calendar until Tuesday at precisely...

Water is most of your cup and shapes the flavor. Learn what makes good coffee water and how to fix tap, filtered, and bottled water at home.

Yesterday coffee was a commodity in a foil bag on the grocery store shelf. It came from somewhere far away, but no one really cared about where. You took it home and put the grounds in your percolator, and in...

/files/World-Barista-Championship.KB-teaser2.jpg" alt="2011 US Barista Top 6 - Kevin Bohlin" title="2011 US Barista Top 6 - Kevin Bohlin" align="left" height="213" hspace="5" width="320" />This week has been really busy with sports championships and surprises. The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA playoff...

A Scottish government squabble shows that though informal chats over coffee can be more productive than formal meetings, it’s the meeting tweeting that can cause a beating. Scotland’s Minister Biagi is in hot water for his tweet which mentioned coffee....

Take a five minute coffee break and see for yourself what buying coffee can accomplish. We’re all partners in making part of the world a better place, just by enjoying great organic coffee. A recent video portrays the upgrading of...

Such is the love of coffee fans for their favorite hot beverage. The statement in the title represents the feelings of many coffee lovers when rising coffee prices bump up against stretched budgets. Jeremiah McWilliams interviewed several people recently and...

With so much seasonal coffee content related to cold brewing methods, I thought my questions about cold pulled espresso would be covered soon.  Alas, my wait continues and now I must take matters in to my own hands and discover...

Coffee popcorn is a sweet, salty movie snack coated in a quick coffee caramel. Learn the easy recipe, a decaf option, and fun ways to customize it.

Research has explored links between coffee consumption and liver health in people with hepatitis C. Here is what the evidence actually shows.

There’s gold in those coffee grounds! We’ll never look at them the same again. We’ve discussed the ways to recycle coffee grounds before, primarily in compost and building up the soil. Now, because scientists are finding little critters that eat...