Interesting Facts About Coffee

Coffee is a rather interesting drink with a rich history, almost as rich as some of the many, many blends available in single cup coffee packs. But seriously, this beloved beverage has a lot of history behind it that shows this drink has had quite an impact on the world and not just to perk it up.

• It all started when a sheep herder in Ethiopia was with his sheep in a field. While watching over his sheep, the herder noticed his livestock eating some berries; he didn't think much of it at the time because animals tend to eat whatever edible objects they find. However, he did notice later that his sheep were unusually active and even dancing; people realized later that what they goats had eaten were coffee berries. Of course, it was not yet called coffee. 
• Once coffee started to catch on, it became more widely available. However, in coffee's early days, it was not consumed via the cup but rather eaten. 
• Coffee managed to find its way to religion, no, not like that; rather, due to the rise of Islam, coffee gained much more popularity and at a fast pace. The rules of Islam prohibited the consumption of alcohol but they did not prohibit the consumption of coffee. 
• The coffee in the world is grown in the region labeled, "The Bean Belt." This region is between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. The only state in the United States that grows coffee is Hawaii. 
• In 1675, the King of England decided that coffee houses were risky to his throne so he had them banned from the kingdom. He believed that the coffee houses were where people would go to conspire against the King. 
• The vast majority of coffee drinkers in the world consume Arabica coffee (approximately 70 percent) while the rest of the world drinks the bolder Robusta coffee (30 percent). 
• Money may not grow on trees but coffee does. The coffee grows inside of berries on the trees (red berries). 
• The two most traded commodities on the planet are black liquids: Oil and then coffee. 
• Americano coffee started with the US GIs in WWII. The strong blends overseas were sometimes a bit too much for the American soldiers and so they would order their coffee blended with water to dilute the drink.
• Coffee wakes you up but how does it do it? Well, in your brain you have receptors that catch signals from the body saying it is tired. Coffee contains caffeine which when consumed, the caffeine blocks those receptors in the brain so your brain never actually receives those signals; thus, your body does not feel tired. However, your brain is a smart device and realizes the situation; consequently, it creates more receptors, this is when you start to feel tired again and need more coffee to not feel tired. 

Feel smarter about the coffee you're drinking? Good! FYI, these facts will make for great conversation while talking over a cup of the stuff! So go and enjoy your coffee, smartypants. 

Coffee Market Is One to Watch in 2014

The coffee market has been a great market to watch in the past because it has consistent growth due to the popularity of coffee on just about every continent, every continent except Antarctica, obviously. Due to stable growth of the drink and thus the companies involved in it, the coffee market is expected to grow again in the coming new year; however, the question to ask is, how much will it grow?

There is growing demand for emerging markets such as in China, Brazil, and India; this means the growth for the market will be promising for the long haul despite the clear saturation of Starbucks in developed countries; as we know, there is a Starbucks on every block in most United States cities.

There is the rising demand for coffee in South American countries, especially in Brazil, because of the coffee farmers have decided to focus more on the crops that bring in more profit; this will alter and shape the industry dynamics in 2014. Brazil is the leading producer of Arabica coffee.

Overall, coffee bean prices have been declining but the supply and demand is still there to support a healthy market; the lower prices per pound may even help fuel a bigger spike in demand for the next year.

A help for the coffee industry is the immense popularity of the single cup coffee that utilizes K cup coffee pods. People are responding to this new trend with open arms because of convenience and customization. Many coffee brands are releasing their coffee pod versions as well.

Single Cup Coffee VS Drip

The everlasting battle between single cup coffee versus the traditional coffee brewing method, drip, continues to happen as the world is still welcoming the idea of brewing one cup at a time into its warm embrace.

Coffee enthusiasts are on both sides of the issue in this highly controversial debate as some argue the consistent freshness of the coffee pods while some say that the drip method is cheaper and more generous.

When you consider the cost of the coffee, it definitely factors into the debate here. For K cup coffee we find that the approximate price for it is $50 a pound; this is a bit more than it would cost for a bag of beans at the store. If you break down the cost even further, however, with the cost of filters, pots, and other components, a cup of drip coffee comes to be higher than the cost of the 26 cent cup of single serve.

While the coffee from a single-serve format is a bit more for coffee, one must consider the waste that is involved in the drip method. With a coffee pod, you only brew one cup at a time and you get whatever flavor you want, there is no waste involved; with a drip format, a large pot is made and unless there are enough coffee drinkers to take some from the coffee pot, there will be coffee poured down the drain. So while you might be purchasing the bags of coffee for less than a box of K cups, you have to consider how much of that is going be wasted.

Some coffee drinkers believe that it is still much more worthwhile to drink the single serve because it is convenient and less messy than bags of coffee. As mentioned before, others point out the freshness of K cups since they are sealed all the way until you place them in the brewer and the cup is punctured.

Those devoted to the drip method point out the plastic waste that is involved in the coffee pods. To that,  K cup coffee makers will point to the reusable cup. So now we're getting closely related to the drip method; however, one must remember that you are still only brewing and drinking one cup at a time and so the "no waste" component shines.

So which way is better? It's up to you, the coffee drinker. Ultimately, both sides find themselves in agreement when you reposition the debate to whether it is cheaper to brew at home or stop at a coffee shop.

As an online national coffee distributor we love coffee no matter what, but the K cup does win our hearts.

2013 Coffee Trends

Every year, every month, every week, every day, down to every hour, coffee is being consumed by someone somewhere. Coffee is a universal drink that transcends culture, age, gender, and social class. Almost every person on the planet enjoys a cup of coffee (some daily and others now and then). But how much do people love coffee? How do all the statistics break down?

The American blue collar and white collar worker enjoys the java. 

• 43 percent of Americans in the work force declared that they are not nearly as productive in their jobs if they do not have at least one cup of coffee during the day. Most of that 43 percent reported drinking their cup of coffee in the morning hours. 
• During the work week, 63 percent of American workers stated that they drink two or more cups of coffee during work hours. 
• Between men and women, who drinks more coffee? Of all the men and women in the United States, 47 percent of women claimed that they need their coffee during work hours to stay productive; men only came in at 40 percent. 
• Despite coffee drinking being something that is loved across all generations, of the adults in the country, ages 18-34, 62 percent of adults from ages 18-24 stated they needed coffee while at work to remain productive; adults ages 25-34 only came in at 58 percent. 

Of all the jobs in the country, which workers need the cup o' joe the most? 

There are a lot of jobs in the country, some jobs are more strenuous than others and take a bigger physical toll on the body. 

In the study, ten different professions were questioned and the results for who needs coffee the most were:

1. Food service and preparation workers. So, waiters, chefs, cooks, busboys, caterers, etc. all consume the most coffee out of all employees in the country. 
2. Scientists. This one makes quite a bit of sense, after all, they do some very intelligent work and need the focus. 
3. Sales representatives. Maybe this is why so many salespeople talk so fast?
4. Marketing and Public relations professionals. Being creative means having a sharp and, well, creative mind; these things are hard to do with a tired head. 
5. Nurses. Pulling those long, intense shifts and saving lives sure would tucker most people out. Let them have coffee, they keep us living. 
6. Editors, writers, and media personnel. Well, for some, reading is a relaxing activity and needing the caffeine could really do them some good. 
7. Business executives. Leading a business requires being on top of your game. 
8. Teachers (K-12). Teaching students can be mentally tiring since it requires patience, creativity, and endurance. 
9. Engineering techs. Dealing with all that complicated machinery and math can be a drain on the brain. 
10. IT professionals. Tinkering with computers requires a lot of focus. 

Not only the hometown of Starbucks loves coffee but the whole country does too. 

According to a 2013 study, the region of the country that drank the most coffee was not the northwest but rather the northeast; 64 percent of north easterners drink the stuff! Second place was awarded to southerners at 54 percent, and third place to both midwesterners and westerners at 51 percent. 

Of course, coffee consumption varies depending on your likes and dislikes but it seems that anywhere you go in America, coffee is a favorite. In the past, traditional brew was the favorite but now k cup coffee has become a strong competitor as single cup coffee sales have tripled since 2011. 

5 Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Coffee is definitely one of the most popular drinks in the entire world; the entire world drinks either coffee or tea, sometimes both. Over the last few decades, there have been numerous studies saying that coffee is bad for you, then numerous studies saying that coffee is good for you. So what is it? Good or bad? Well, the truth is, it can be both; it all depends on how much you drink. Like the age-old saying goes, "Everything in moderation." So, assuming you drink coffee in moderation, what are the health benefits of drinking coffee? Here are 5:

1. Keeps your reproductive systems feeling good. For the gentlemen, it has been seen in studies done in 2011 that coffee helps lower the risk of prostate cancer. For the ladies, it can help lower the risk of endometrial cancer. 
2. Helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. A 2012 health study found that there is a compound in coffee that assists in blocking a substance in the body that is responsible for the development of diabetes; the substance is called islet amyloid polypeptide. 
3. Keeps the noodle strong. Noodle? You know, the nickname for the brain? Well in a recent medical study, it was found that coffee helps ward of dementia and Alzheimer's. Coffee has also shown in studies that it can help keep you happy by smelling it, assuming you like the smell. 
4. Helps keep the colon moving. After some surgeries, especially on the colon, the bowel movements can be a bit slow. Well, coffee has proven to stimulate this area and keep things running. 
5. Skin's friend. A cancer research journal published a study that mentioned how coffee has the antioxidants that help ward off perhaps the most common form of skin cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma. 

If you are a coffee lover, then enjoy that cup and know it has some health benefits; remember that moderation is also key. If you enjoy K-cup coffee and want to be able to purchase your favorite brands in K-cup form from anywhere in the country, then contact Coffeevines - an online coffee retailer and online coffee distributor of single cup coffee.