AboutCoffee(s).com

According to research at the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough University, in a study titled “Suppression of Sleepiness In Drivers:  Combination of Caffeine With A Short Nap” it was found that found that the mid-afternoon ’sleepiness peak’ was significantly reduced by caffeine and eliminated by the combined treatment of caffeine and a power nap.

Here is how you take a caffeine nap:

1. Drink a cup of coffee (’the caffeine has to travel through your gastro-intestinal tract, giving you time to nap before it kicks in.’)
2. Doze (’you’ll get what’s known as effective microsleep, or momentary lapses of wakefulness.’)
3. Wake up after 15 minutes (any longer and your brain’s prefrontal cortex – used for judgement, etc. – will ’spin down’ and can take 30 mins to reboot)

The caffeine nap works by you utilizing the time that it takes the caffeine to be absorbed into your bloodstream to have a nap, helping to clear your system of adenosine, a chemical that is supposed to make you sleepy.

You can find a bit more about caffeine naps in Wikipedia’s more general section on  Power naps.

Here is a way you can enjoy the great taste of a Starbucks Frappuccino at home!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh espresso
• 2 1/2 cups low fat milk (2%)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry pectin

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher or covered container. Stir or shake until sugar is dissolved. Chill and serve ice cold. Makes 24 ounces.

Here in the offices of AboutCoffee(s).com,we use a one cup coffee maker from Keurig. As a  result, someone as to be responsible for ordering the K-Cups. We order our K-Cups online and being coffee fanatics, we are always looking for a better selection or better pricing. We’ve isolated the best of the best and rated the top contenders for variety, cost of shipping, etc.

So, what are the Canadian options for buying k-cups?

Timothy’s

You can purchase Timothy’s coffee K-cups online as well as in their retail stores, and you can check their website for store locations nearest you. Our closest local retail location had a nice selection of k-cups right there on the shelves. If you prefer to order online, there is free shipping on orders over $64. Shipping is very quick, however they only sell Timothy’s coffees, with the exception of the Kahlua K-Cups. $15.75 for a box of 24.

VanHoutte (K-cups and Coffee Pods)

Free shipping with the order of 4 boxes of coffee k-cups. Ships out of Quebec. Also only sells their own brand of K-Cups, but the sheer variety of flavours makes up for the lack of brand selection. Van Houtte also sells online for $15.75 for a box of 24.

RMC Beverage

RMC carries Green Mountain and Newmans Own coffee K-Cups in a wide variety of types and flavours, including K-cup teas and hot chocolate. Shipping rates within Canada are based on order total, with orders over $61.96 free. $16.95 per box of 24.

Cafe Breville

Cafe Breville refers to themselves as Canada’s official Keurig store. Featuring blends from Caribou, Coffee People, Diedrich, Gloria Jeans, Green Mountain, Timothy’s, Tully’s and Van Houtte. Curiosly, Cafe Breville sells boxes of 18 for $11.99. Unfortunately at present time, their website seems to be giving them some trouble. Looks nice though.

Tweed and Hickory

Tweed and Hickory is currently offering flat rate shipping of  $9.99 per order, or free shipping on orders over $150.00. They also have many retail locations in Canada, if you don’t want to pay for shipping. They sell a box of k-cups for $13.95 for 24 nd offer many varieties such as Timothy’s, Van Houtte, Emeril’s, and Bigelow.

Where is the Best Place To Buy K-Cups?

Clearly the winner here is Tweed and Hickory. They are the cheapest per box of 24 and offer a greater selection of k-cup brands. Their website is well designed and functional. You can purchase Timothy’s as well as Van Houtte from the same retailer, and save almost $2.00 per box.

Runner up would have to be Cafe Breville because they score points for variety, and the price of a box of 18 coffee k cups was a bit more agreeable, especially if you like to mix up your coffee flavors. Of course they lost some points with this reviewer due to some website issues, hopefully that is temporary.

Please note that we are in no way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in the article.

It seems that earlier this year, the Starbucks Coffee Company was the subject of a boycott campaign targeting U.S. companies that do business in the Middle East. Amongst the rumors was the accusation that these companies that were supposedly donating profits to Israel in support of the war in Gaza.

The rumors circulated via email, on social networking sites like Facebook and conspiracy websites. Most of the U.S. based companies (McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and cigarette maker Phillip Morris) have explicitly denied the rumors on their websites and in interviews. Starbucks has even gone so far as to create rumor dispelling literature in English and Arabic.

“As a true Muslim do that. [boycott] Tell your family, friends, and neighbors and stop for one month.” read one email being circulated in Arabic. The Facebook group has more than 7,000 members hailing from the U.S., Arab world, Europe and Indonesia and Malaysia.

A Starbucks sign in Beirut bears a Star of David taped on in a protest over its alleged links to Israel's military.

A search for the keywords “boycott Gaza” returned 45 groups in English, French and Arabic calling for a boycott of companies that allegedly support Israel’s war on Gaza. Starbucks and McDonalds were among the most targeted.

Starbucks posted a statement on its website to combat the persistent rumors about the company and its CEO’s support for Israel.

“Rumors that Starbucks Coffee Company and its management support Israel are unequivocally false. Starbucks is a non-political organization and we do not support any political causes anywhere in the world,” it said.

Starbucks has sought to debunk rumors alleging a link between its CEO Howard Schultz and the Israeli Armed Forces as far back as 2006, though the rumor has resurfaced during the most recent conflict.

“Whenever there is tension in the region most U.S. headquartered organizations, they are targets,” said Rana Shaheen, communications manager for Starbucks Middle East. “Along with Starbucks you have McDonalds, Coke, the list is never ending. These rumors may have originated because the CEO happens to be a Jew,” she told AlArabiya.net, but underscored that Starbucks itself does not have a political agenda. “The political views of any employee at any level – and the chain of command is very long – has no bearing whatsoever on the company brand.”

Starbucks launched a Middle East website, and has produced literature to help correct such disinformation campaigns.  On the site the company states that the boycotts ” which are based on blatant untruths, have had direct impacts on local economies and residents, and have also led to violent situations involving our stores, partners (employees) and customers.”

A boycott of Danish products last year and in 2006 in retaliation for the publication of offensive cartoons dealt a significant blow to the profits companies with a significant presence in the Middle East. Whether the proposed boycotts would have the intended economic effect on the U.S., however, was unclear, since as several companies pointed out they hire local workers and support the local economy.

In their “Facts About Starbucks Coffee Company” on http://me.starbucks.com release the company dispels the following rumors while highlighting some of the socially responsible programs they have in the middle east.

• “Starbucks Coffee Company is a non-political organization and does not support or engage in political or religious causes or activities. Allegations that Starbucks provides financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army in any way are completely false.”
• “It is absolutely untrue that Starbucks has ever sent any of its profits to the Israeli government and/or Israeli
  Army, or that, as more recently rumored, we have teamed with other American corporations to send several weeks of profits to Israel.”
• “The political preferences or personal beliefs of any Starbucks partner (employee) have absolutely no bearing on Starbucks company policies.”
• “The Starbucks logo does not represent Esther, the Old Testament Jewish Queen of Persia. This confusion
  arose from a perceived resemblance between the cover illustration of a children’s book “Esther saves her People”
  published in 1998, and the Starbucks logo which had been created nearly 30 years earlier in 1971.”
• “On 2006, a fabricated letter supposedly written by Howard Schultz, was posted on the internet by a German
  journalist. In the spoof letter, the fictional Schultz said that Starbucks contributed to Israel’s security systems
  and weaponry. By the journalist’s own admission the letter was intended to amuse its readers. The letter was
  in no way factual.”

Through a licensing agreement with trading partner and licensee MH Alshaya WLL, a private Kuwait family business, Starbucks has operated in the Middle East since 1999. Today Alshaya Group, recognized as one of the leading and most influential retailing franchisees in the region, operates more than 283 Starbucks stores in Egypt, Kuwait, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon.

1. The Starbucks name came from Starbuck, Captain Ahab’s first mate on the ship in Herman Melville’s classic 1851 novel Moby Dick, who was depicted as an avid coffee drinker.
2. The first Starbucks store opened in Seattle’s (U.S.)historic Pike Place Market in 1971. It was set up by two local Seattle teachers and a writer and was originally called Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices. The name waslater changed to Starbucks Coffee Company.
3. The original Starbucks logo is based on a 16th century Norse woodcut; a two-tailed mermaid encircled by the store’s original name, Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices. The mermaid or siren reflects the seafaring origins of the early coffee traders.
4. The company was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 1992 and opened its first store internationally in Japan in 1996. There are now over 7,000,000 shareholders who collectively own Starbucks stock.
5. Starbucks CoffeeCompany is a global company with more than 17 000 stores worldwide in 49 international markets, employing160,000 partners (employees) worldwide.
6. The first store opened by Starbucks in the Middle East was in Kuwait in 1999 through a licensing agreement with M.H. Alshaya Co. WLL, a private Kuwait
   family business.  Today M.H. Alshaya Co. has over 280 Starbucks stores across the Middle East region, Including Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
7. 4% of Starbucks total coffee purchases in 2007 were Certified Organic Coffee
8. Pounds of green (unroasted) coffee purchased from Fair Trade Certified™ cooperatives: 6%
9. Starbucks Coffee Company purchased 352 million pounds/160 million kg of green coffee between Oct. 2006 and Sept. 2007.
10. Starbucks bought coffee from 25 different countries during 2007 fiscal year.
11. In fiscal 2007, Starbucks coffee company paid an average price of $1.43 per pound of coffee, or $3.16 per kilogram.
12. Net revenues of $2.4 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

1970’s
The first Starbucks opens. The name comes from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, a classic American novel about the 19th century whaling industry. The seafaring name seems appropriate for a store that imports the world’s finest coffees to the cold, thirsty people from there store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market.

1980’s
Howard Schultz joins Starbucks in 1982. While on a business trip in Italy, he visits Milan’s famous espresso bars. Impressed with their popularity and culture, he sees their potential in Seattle. He’s right – after trying lattes and mochas, Seattle quickly becomes coffee-crazy.

1990’s
The demand for great coffee allows Starbucks to expand beyond Seattle, first to the rest of the United States, then further a field. After becoming one of the first companies to offer stock options to its part-time employees, Starbucks becomes a publicly traded company.

2000’s
The Starbucks phenomenon continues. At the time of writing, Starbucks has more than 15,000 locations across the globe.

Turkish coffee is prepared using a little copper pot called a raqwa.

Use a heaping teaspoon of very finely-ground coffee and, optionally, one heaping teaspoon of sugar (to taste). Use about 3oz of coffee. [Add the sugar only just before boiling point.] Turkish coffee without sugar is called sade, with a little sugar is “orta s,ekerli” and with lots of sugar is “c,ok s,ekerli”.

The trick of it is to heat it until it froths, pour the froth into the coffee cup and heat it a second time. When it froths again, pour the rest into the cup.

The grounds will settle to the bottom of the cup as you drink the coffee and towards the end, it’ll start to taste bitter and the texture will be more like wet coffee grounds than a drink. As soon as this happens stop or your next sip will taste really, really bitter. Instead, turn your cup upside down on the saucer, and let someone read your fortune!

Coffee lovers today are treated to an enormous selection of mugs to choose from. There are so many different materials, colors and styles used to make coffee mugs that it can be difficult to decide where to start.

Porcelain Coffee Mugs

Porcelain is an ideal container for a hot beverage. Not only is it an excellent insulator but it can also easily be used to make personalized coffee mugs. There are a slew of companies that will print photographs, customized logos and more onto a plain coffee mug for a reasonable price. The disadvantages of porcelain are that they are breakable and in general aren’t great when traveling.

Stainless Steel Coffee Mugs

have become very popular for their durability and their tendency to come with lids, which is very handy for commuting. Stainless steel is typically lined with plastic and the plastic lids help hold in the heat. Some people are sensitive to plastic and are bothered by the taste and smell when drinking hot beverages from a plastic-lined container, but this isn’t usually a problem.

Glass Coffee Mugs

are attractive and can be made in many different colors and even unique molded textures. Glass, however, does not function as well as insulated coffee mugs and is, of course, vulnerable to breakage.

Styles Of Coffee Mugs

The coffee thermos has been around for a long time and is popular among commuters and campers. Thermoses are versatile, well insulated, spill-proof and come in an array of colors and styles. They function very well as travel coffee mugs since they typically feature a spout you can easily drink from.

Not only should you evaluate what a coffee mug is made out of, you should also consider the size and shape. Does the handle feel comfortable in your grip? Does the base of the mug fit into the cup holder in your vehicle? How much coffee do you typically drink at one time? If you tend to be a heavy coffee drinker, you may want to invest in a larger mug that can accommodate up to 20 ounces of coffee or more, as opposed to the typical 12-ounce regular size mug.

Check out places you wouldn’t normally look for that perfect travel coffee mug – camping stores are wonderful sources of interesting and hard-to-find mug styles, ideal for the coffee addict on the go.

If you are a mug collector, you will want to keep your eyes peeled when you go out of town or to an amusement destination. Virtually every gift shop and tourist spot has available novelty coffee mugs printed with designs intended to help you remember your trip. You can also order unique and fantastically decorated mugs online.

No matter your coffee mug preferences and needs, there is a dizzying number of available options, colors, styles and materials to meet even the most discriminating coffee lover’s desires. Look for mugs that will complement your existing kitchen design – every little feature can add up and make your dream kitchen a reality

The Keurig single-cup brewing system uses a special packaging for coffee, tea and hot cocoa called K-Cup® portion packs or “K-Cups®”. Each K-Cup is an airtight, mini-brewer that locks out oxygen, light, moisture and humidity while locking in freshness and flavor. There are hundreds of K-Cup varieties available that include blends such as Light, Medium, Dark, Extra Bold, Flavored, Decaffeinated, Half-Caffeinated, Fair Trade, Organic and Kona.

The Keurig single cup brewing system also offers tea and hot cocoa in K-Cups. Teas are available from Bigelow, Celestial Seasonings, Gloria Jean’s Teas, Timothy’s Teas and Twining’s. Keurig brewed hot cocoa is available in K- Cups from Green Mountain Coffee and Timothy’s and is also available in specially developed packets from Ghirardelli.

Keurig relies on the fact that people who enjoy gourmet coffee will come to the conclusion that a single cup coffee maker  is the way to make coffee. Keurig single-cup brewing takes all the guesswork out of making a great cup of coffee. Each individually sealed K-Cup® portion pack contains the perfect amount of coffee ensuring the perfect amount of ground coffee to satisfy every taste profile. This K-Cup technology offers to make the perfect cup of coffee without the mess of grinding beans and loading grounds into coffee filters. The Keurig brewing system offers a coffee house quality cup of coffee for a fraction of the cost of a coffee house and with the convenience of brewing instantly in your own kitchen.

The Keurig system offers hundreds of K-Cups varieties and multiple brew sizes on all kitchen brewers, giving coffee consumers the flexibility to find the perfect cup of coffee for them.

Start your own coffee shop!

Like any business you have to do some research and find out what consumers want, what gaps there may be in the current market, and where that places you.

Visiting local coffee shops and asking them questions about their business is not against the law, although you may not always get answers as  no one wants to help their future competition. Taking detailed notes and visiting as many coffee shops as you can will help you to see what you can bring to the market and what isn’t working for other coffee shop owners. Asking  about what brands of coffee they are using may be a good place to start. Maybe you can improve upon their selection. A subtle difference that may make all the difference if you’re planning to locate in an area that craves quality coffee drinks.

If you’ve determined that the market is not overly saturated and there is a place for a new coffee shop, the next item on your list of things to do is to find a location. Coffee houses always seem to thrive near book stores and universities. Where there are people who need coffee, shops can and will thrive. If the area already has a coffee shop  you may not want to start there so find another location,  expand and take over the first location!

Mapping out your coffee market is vital to finding where there are gaps in the locations of shops. When you think you may have found a gap, mailing out a simple survey or going door to door to ask about coffee habits may help you to make your decision.  If the local residents don’t seem to think that coffee’s all that important, then move on.

Determining the market value of your service is imperative before going on with your coffee shop venture. If you do not have a customer base, then you will not make money, plain and simple. Research is part of starting any business and there are many places that can help you out, the local chamber of commerce and other business organizations can point you in the right direction.