The Reading Room

Gary Barg, editor of Today’s Caregiver Magazine, wrote this week about a conflict between a daughter and her 95-year-old mom, as reported by the mom’s granddaughter. The article, entitled “The Coffee Conflicts”, recounted how the mother was still fit, mentally...

I have given coffee as gifts several times. To me it is a universal gift that works for any occasion (birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah – any time you wish to give something). For a friend’s birthday a couple of years ago...

How can the “Micro-Roasters”, and local coffee shops, compete with the “Mega-Chain” roasters and coffee franchises?  In this age of mass production, mass consumption and constant inundation, by mass advertising, how can the “Little Fish” swim among the “Sharks” (or...

Starbucks Coffee - through its Seattle’s Best Coffee brand – has just announced a marketing innovation that will hit the supermarket shelves this coming month. SBC’s innovation is in its packaging, which also reveals its expanded choices in roasts. The...

Last week many news sources carried a story reporting an experiment conducted at the University of Barcelona in Spain. The web sources, such as the Daily Mail from the UK, all derived the conclusion that since glucose was necessary for...

According to Erin Miller writing in West Hawaii Today, Hawaii’s battle with the coffee berry borer is far from over. After being found in 21 West Hawaii farms, a quarantine has been issued in an attempt to contain the insect...

Beth Tuttle of KIMT in Mason City, Iowa, reported that a local coffee shop, Cabin Coffee, opened at 3 a.m. on Black Friday for the second year in a row. It looks as if they‘ve established a new tradition, because...

Pour-over isn't new. My grand-dad made Chemex back in the day and one-cup Melitta has been a staple in my supermarket for as long as I can remember. What's kind of new is a new style of pourover that I...

Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa and Hualalai on the Big Island of Hawaii , one of the only commercially produced coffees grown in the United States. Its price reflects a small growing region, high labor costs, strict state grading standards, and a flavor profile that is smooth, low-acid, and distinctly different from Central American or African coffees. This guide covers what makes Kona coffee unique, the 100% Kona vs Kona blend distinction, how the grading system works, and what to look for when buying.

Recently there has been lots of press, pro and con, about a high energy drink called Four Loko. Because it has caused hospitalizations of some university students and has received much criticism, the company decided to remove the caffeine from...

Presto MyPod 09402 - Senseo Coffee Machine Pod holderIt might be a stretch to consider the Presto MyPod 09402 to be a vintage piece but the fast paced and rapidly changing single serve coffee world this Senseo Adapter from Presto...

Does coffee have to be expensive to be great?  Why does the price, of one roaster’s coffee vary, from that of another roaster’s, for the exact same coffee?  My coffee loving friends, and I, have debated these questions over many...

Save your coasters for research. Those messy coffee rings are annoying, but you’ll never look at them the same after you read this article. There is a message in the messiness, as the rings tell scientists much more than we...

Just when you thought they’d found the most innovative use for coffee, someone comes along to go one better. Rebecca Boyle reported on the Popular Science website that researchers funded by the Defense department came up with KONA. That’s not...

In a recent CBS online story, reporter Nancy Giles shared her answers to some “burning questions” about coffee. From the merchandising of brewers to a cupping expert, Ms Giles took the viewer/reader through a short but quick search for what’s...

Seasonal coffee drink flavors were brought out last week at the specialty coffee shops as a sure sign the holiday season is upon us. Flavors such as Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread and Eggnog Lattes are now up on the chalkboard menu....

If you happen to be a coffee nerd, geek or just someone who’s fascinated with where your brew comes from, other than the coffee shop or grocery, there is an exhibit running now at LA’s Craft and Folk Art Museum....

/files/u3017/Water_drop_001.jpg" title="Water Drop" alt="Water Drop" align="right" width="212" height="141" />Recently we were approached by a few people who were curious to know if water is an important feature to their morning brew. “I just get it from the tap!” one of...

So, not sure if this should be a blog or a rant, but something lately has been bothering me. Since I live in Los Angeles, which seems to be a horrible city for coffee (believe it or not) I am...

In a Montreal Gazette post of November 20, writer Irene Seiberling asks why consumers will wait in lengthy lines or pay hefty sums for a specialty coffee such as a Starbucks latte. In her answer, Seiberling ascribes such behavior to...

A recent piece in the Sun.co.uk, a British news site, among other websites, covered the story of the problems coffee shops in the Netherlands are having with pot sales to tourists. The report stated that although marijuana is technically illegal...