Friday, January 31, 2014

2 Cups of Coffee a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

We have heard things going back and forth about whether or not coffee is actually good for you or not; however, as the studies about coffee have progressed, the results of the studies are actually finding more benefits to moderate coffee drinking than health hazards. Recent studies have shown that consuming two cups of coffee a day have a good impact on your overall health; this is particularly helpful when you consider K cup coffee and brewing just a single cup takes seconds.

In that study from 2012 (New England Journal of Medicine), it used 400,000 people for the study and found that those who drank 2 cups a day had their risk of dying reduced by 10 percent; moderate coffee drinking can help you live longer. This was the largest study ever done on the issue; the people in the study were men and women ages 50-71 and taken from around the country. . It is safe to say that the results turn coffee from a guilty pleasure to a part of your healthy diet. The key factor is to do it in moderation, however, as the say, everything in moderation; even water should be consumed in moderation, believe it or not.

In the study, 42,000 of the people did not drink any coffee while the rest were varying coffee drinkers; most of them drank the moderate amount of 2 cups a day while only 15,000 of the study's participants drank 6 or more cups a day. It was found that the 10 percent reduction to the risk of death was for men and women, it was as much as 13 percent. Even the participants who did see some results, they saw a 6 percent reduction for the gentlemen and a 5 percent reduction for the ladies. It was found that caffeine did not play a large role in the results.

So how does coffee help you reduce your chance of death? It was found to help with respiratory disease, diabetes, stroke, liver, and the brain. Both single cup coffee and traditional drip methods give the same results.

Now, you should remember that coffee won't make you live forever or is guaranteed to help you live longer, but this study, as well as many others, are showing that coffee has the ability to be helpful instead of harmful, like we'd all previously thought.

If you want the chances of coffee being helpful to increase, try to cut back on the cream & sugar.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Coffee Trends - The Third Wave

There is a trend emerging and gaining popularity; it is called the "third wave of coffee". This trend is rather common and popular in the United States and now it has made its way to Japan.

So what is this trend? It is the practice of choosing coffee based on where the coffee was grown (not just the country but also the particular farm it was grown on). Depending on the country (and farm) the coffee was grown, the coffee drinkers focus on different ways of brewing or even roasting the coffee; there is the traditional method, the single cup coffee method, hand drip method, etc.

So why is it called the "third wave"? Well, the first wave of coffee exploration came in the 60s and 70s when tons and tons of coffee was being consumed seemingly 24/7. The second wave came in the era known as "Seattle coffee" which occurred in the 80s & 90s when Starbucks and other chains, mostly from Seattle like the name implies, were coming to the market and experienced massive success.

This past Fall, coffee drinkers in Japan saw an event happen that allowed them to enjoy Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for the first time; with this kind of coff
ee, brewers make the coffee via traditional drip method. What is this method (for those who don't know)? It is allowing hot water to make its way through the ground beans and through a filter.

What sparked this trend? Well, coffee connoisseurs realized that depending on where the coffee is from, it will taste differently, much like wine, due to the climate and the soil it grew in that year. So what did the event crowd think of the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee? They thought the coffee had a good combination of flavor with hints of acidic taste; a generic description that describes quite a bit of coffee kinds.

This trend has sparked a new trend for coffee houses as now they are starting to label where the coffee was grown.

As online coffee retailers and an national online coffee distributor, we love that there are new trends in coffee, they keep it exciting. This particular trend is interesting and brings a certain level on intricacy to coffee consumption that wasn't there before.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Coffeevines.com Has Launched!

It’s coffee time!
We are pleased to announce the launch of Coffeevines.com. Your #1 source for single-cup coffees. Check out our site, order your favorite coffees and keep coming back for more. Stay informed of the latest coffee news by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and Pinterest, and reading our blog. We are all about coffee!

What are some features of the site?
  • Easy navigation
  • Clean user interface
  • Secure and easy to understand check-out process

We are very excited about the launch of the website and believe it will bring you much joy.
Coffeevines is a young online national coffee distributor but has the experience of a true veteran in the industry. Coffeevines is an authorized retailer of many brand name coffees. The sales for K-cup coffee have tripled in the last three years so we are excited to be part of the popularity that has come of coffee pod style brewing. We also have tea and hot chocolate single cups as well! 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Dinner…From a Coffee Maker?

Living in the 21st century, we as humans never stop striving to figure out the next crazy thing. Throughout history, coffee makers have been known to make, well, COFFEE. You put the coffee grounds in the filter or the coffee pod in the tray and what is the result is what you expect to be the result: a wonderful aroma and a liquid that is a life source.

However, in recent months, a new trend has emerged and it is making something in a coffee maker that is not coffee, it's food. People have figured out the ability to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a coffee pot.

So what are some of the foods that you can whip up in a coffee pot?


  • Oatmeal
    • Empty some packs of instant oatmeal into the pot. Put in some fruit or honey for flavor. Place a fruity flavored herbal tea into the filter basket. Pour around 9 ounces of water into the maker and turn it on. 
  • Poached chicken
    • Take a chicken breast, butter, and salt and place into the coffee pot. Let it brew (only hot water, of course) for 15 minutes, flip chicken, brew again. The hot water cooks the chicken. 
  • Grilled cheese
    • This one seems a bit more logical. You simply use the coffee pot burner like a griddle. 
  • Hard-boiled eggs
    • Put the eggs in the pot and let the hot water brew and sit in the hot water for 7-8 minutes. 
  • Rice
    • Pour 1/2 cup of instant rice (per person) into the pot. Brew the appropriate amount of water and leave it for 5-10 minutes so the rice can cook. 
  • Chocolate fondue
    • This one is a bit messy but doable. Heat up some cream in the pot for about 15 minutes and mix in some chocolate (break it up). Let it heat for 10 minutes and stir. 
  • Corn on the cob
    • Put corn in the pot and brew water for about 8 minutes. 
  • Ramen 
    • This is another logical one. Put the ramen in the pot and brew some water and let it sit until the noodles are tender. 
  • Steamed veggies
    • Place the veggies in the pot and brew some water. 
  • Chicken pesto pasta
    • Sear the chicken on the burner. Then use a coffee grinder for the pesto. Cook the pasta in the pot. Mix & eat. 
  • Quesadillas
    • Put the quesadilla together and cook on the burner. 
  • Poached fish steaks
    • Make sure the steaks are about 3/4 inches thick. Put in the filter. Brew water so it runs over the fish. Do 10-11 cups of water through the maker. Flip the fish & repeat. 
Hungry yet? Possibly. Thirsty for some coffee? Not in that coffeemaker but yes. As national online coffee distributors we love seeing all the fun ways that coffee and coffeemakers are used in the world. 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Effects of Coffee on Your Health

Coffee is a drink that is consumed by most of the world and by many generations of people; it is coffee drinkers are drinking the stuff at a pace of a few cups a day. Due to the mass consumption of coffee, one wonders how it affects the body. However, after a study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health, we have some news that can make a coffee drinker smile.


  • The study found that drinking around six cups of coffee a day is not linked to a higher risk of death from any cause; the study dispelled rumors that consuming six cups of coffee a day can increase your chances of death from cancer or heart disease. 


  • The study did find that those who have trouble regulating their blood pressure or blood sugar should maintain a small consumption of coffee or at least switch to decaf. This finding also applied to pregnant women; pregnant women are encouraged to try and avoid coffee during the pregnancy. 


  • Coffee that is brewed with a paper filter (yes, this does include single cup coffee since the filter is built into the coffee pod). This is important because the filter helps remove a substance in the coffee that has been linked to an increase in LDL cholesterol. 
The study found that the link between coffee and an increased risk of death from any cause, like cancer or heart disease was not true after conducting a study utilizing 130,000 volunteers. What the study did was follow 40-50 year olds for 18-24 years and monitored them. They found that those who consumed coffee, even as much as six cups a day (a cup was 8 ounces and with no cream or sugar), were at no more of a risk of dying than those who consumed no coffee. This was an important finding because it showed people that drinking coffee is not a risk on your health (unless there are extenuating circumstances like a health condition or disease that reacts to coffee). If you are a coffee drinker and wish to improve your health, this study shows that your overall diet and lifestyle choices are great places to start. 

Is there such a thing as too much coffee? Yes, but that depends on each person. You will know if you have had too much coffee if you have tremors, trouble sleeping, feeling stressed when you normally wouldn't, agitated, etc. then you know you have had too much coffee. 

As with everything, moderation is key; however, now you know there is no real risk if you are a coffee lover.