Monday, March 30, 2015

15 Fun Things to Know About Coffee

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, however, much of it still remains a history to much of the world. Where did it come from? Is it healthy? Who discovered it? Etc.

It started with some goats? Word has it that some shepherds in Ethiopia first saw something interesting with the behavior of their goats after eating some berries. Their goats became frisky and were even "dancing" and hopping around.

It was eaten in the beginning. When coffee beans were still relatively new to people, they were originally eaten, not consumed as a beverage. African tribes would mix the coffee berries with some fat to create some energy balls. The caffeine in the berries mixed with the fat would be a sustaining energy source.

Islam was a big part of the rise of coffee. The surge in popularity of Islam was a big contributor to the rise in popularity of coffee. The large reason is because of one big rule within Islam and the time in history. While water is safe to drink in many countries now, in the past, it was not safe to drink for just about anyone (no purification systems). Due to this, alcohol was the preferred beverage of choice (beer, whiskeys, vodkas, etc) because the process to create the alcohol would eliminate contaminants in the water. However, since Islam forbid the consumption of alcohol, Muslims turned to coffee as their beverage of choice.

There's always money in the bean belt. The Bean Belt, the nice name for the section of earth between the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn, is where all the coffee of the earth is grown. Almost all of the coffee grown in the world is from outside the US, except for Hawaii, the only US soil to produce coffee beans.

Coffee shops, or houses, were once illegal. In the grand year of 1675, the King of England forbid coffee houses from the country. He believed that they were places where people would meet up to plan against him. Of course, this still allowed taverns to be a place to meet, so who knows his logic.

It's quite popular, you know! 70 percent of the world consumes coffee brewed from Arabica beans, which of the two are more aromatic and mild. The remaining 30 percent of the world prefers to drink coffee brewed from Robusta beans. Robusta beans are much more bitter-tasting yet have 50 percent more caffeine than Arabica.

It's not like it grows on trees. No, wait, it does. Coffee berries are from trees, these trees can grow up to 30 feet tall. However, for easier picking, the trees are cultivated around 10 feet tall.

It's from a berry. You may have noticed us saying "coffee berries", why? Well, the coffee bean is actually grown inside of a berry. These berries are bright red and sort of look like cherries. The berries are picked, dried, stripped down to the bean, and then the beans are roasted. The berry bit is used for other things.

It's a big trade item. Coffee beans are the 2nd most traded commodity on the planet. The first is oil. People appear to love dark liquids.

George Washington created instant coffee. No, not the first president of the US. This George Washington was a Begian man living in Guatemala; in 1906, he created the lovable instant coffee, which led the way to K-Cup coffee.

Espresso is a way coffee is prepared. Espresso coffee is the name for a certain way the drink is prepared, not the name of a bean or roast.

American GIs in WWII had a big effect on coffee. When American soldiers were in Italy, they found that the espresso was too strong, so they'd order their espressos with water to dilute it a bit, which created the Americano. In addition to that, the term, "Cup of Joe" was created when people realized that American GIs, or GI Joes, loved coffee.

Did this make you thirsty for a cup of coffee? Then quickly shop on Coffeevines and get your K-Cup coffee shipped to you quickly.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Mocha Mint Latte - A K-Cup Coffee Recipe

Since it is spring, and that usually is greeted by things that are green: grass, trees, milkshakes, a Chicago river, etc. So why not make a latte that also features some green! Don't worry, the latte is not green but it does have mint :)

Here's what you'll need for the recipe: 

  • An extra bold K-Cup coffee blend
  • 4 ounces of milk - skim, 2 percent, or whole
  • 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract
  • 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup - whatever brand that your heart desires will do. 
  • Whipped cream (used for topping, so no minimum amount required)
  • A milk frother
  • A large mug (at least 14 ounces)
Now that we have the ingredients ready to go, let's get started!
  1. Brew the K-Cup into your mug. 
  2. Prep the milk in the milk frother while you are brewing the coffee. This won't take long. 
  3. When the milk is done brewing, mix in the peppermint extract. 
  4. Mix in your 4 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
  5. Now, carefully stir in your milk (it will be hot) and the sugar (or sugar substitute) if you are adding in any of that. 
  6. Lavish it with some whipped cream (tub or can, doesn't matter). 
Enjoy your latte with some sunshine and warmth as we've made it out of winter! 

Does your business enjoy coffee K-Cups? Then shop from Coffeevines.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Wolfgang Puck Coffee is Coming to Coffeevines!

That's right, Wolfgang Puck K-Cup coffee will soon be available at Coffeevines.

A world-renown chef like Wolfgang Puck never settles for anything less than spectacular so you can be sure that his coffee K-Cups are equally incredible.

Here are the coffees coming to Coffeevines.com!



 





Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Is Coffee the New Superfood?

Recent health studies, and health studies over the past year or two, have been saying how coffee is a fix for all sorts of health issues such as heart disease, certain cancers, Parkinsons & Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, etc. But is it able to help all of these health issues? 

Coffee has hundreds of compounds in it, some of which are good for you, while others are not. This is why coffee has been flip-flopped on the "is it healthy for us?" scale. The good news is that coffee (when consumed in moderation) is not bad for you. However, do proceed with caution before consuming the whole pot of coffee with the belief that you just did your heart and brain a huge favor.

A recent health study from Korea shows that people who consume three to five cups of coffee per day will help reduce calcium build-ups from clogging arteries. While there is some link here, researchers are waiting on more research on these findings.

Coffee has been found to not increase the odds of dying from any specific disease(s) but that does not give us the go-ahead to consume a whole bunch of it. While it can help reduce chances of developing things like heart disease and cancers, this is not so much the case of coffee that is loaded with sugary additives, such as whipped cream. This has been found for both decaffeinated coffee and caffeinated coffee, including K-Cup coffee.

Bottom line: do your research and consume coffee in moderation. One way to keep coffee moderation in check is with coffee K-Cups since you can actually see how much coffee you had after the coffee is consumed. Purchase coffee from Coffeevines and be on your way to a responsible, moderate coffee habit and actually enjoy the health benefits of coffee.

Friday, March 6, 2015

3 Cups of Coffee a Day Keeps the Heart Attacks Away

Consuming three to five cups of coffee each day can help keep your risk of heart attack or clogged arteries in check. A recent health study analyzed the connection between levels of coffee consumption and coronary artery calcium, which is an indicator of heart disease (which is the clogging of arteries).

The study was done in South Korea, using 25k men and women with no signs of heart disease and an average age of 41. The researchers found that the people who consumed more coffee had lower levels of calcium.

One cup of coffee meant having an average calcium ratio of 0.77, up to three cups meant 0.66, up to five cups meant 0.59. After that, more than five cups, calcium ratios began to increase. So cap it at five cups, everyone.

The true component in coffee that is causing this health benefit is still being researched but the connection is being found to be true. A doctor from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the U.S. hopes this will change the view of coffee as something that is part of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Stock up on coffee with quick and easy purchasing from Coffeevines.com - a K-Cup coffee retailer.