Coffee 101: Fun Facts About Java

Coffee. Java. Cup of Joe. We have a lot of nicknames for the caffeine-packed brown liquid that is the life source to many. The truth about coffee is that there are a lot of things to know about it. Some of us drink coffee and do not know much more about it than it is delicious, wakes us up, and it comes from that machine over there. However, we plan to change that! We plan to educate you on the finer details about the stuff and make you a smartypants about coffee.

• The first thing you should know about coffee is that the bean we roast, grind, and brew actually grows inside little red berries; the beans are the pits of the berry. Some people affectionately refer to the berry as coffee cherries; yes, the berries are edible. So yes, you are consuming “fruit” when you have a cup of Joe; the coffee bean shares many similarities with the Brazilian acai berry, true story. As a national online coffee distributor, we think it is cool that we are technically distributing fruit. You are welcome for your health.
• Hawaii is the only state in the United States that grows coffee commercially. Coffee is commonly grown in areas of the world that are near the equator, like Brazil, Vietnam, etc. and Hawaii is the only US state that has the right climate to brew the stuff. Kona coffee is the popular coffee from the state.
• In Turkey, if your spouse did not provide you with coffee, it was grounds for divorce (beh-duh-tince!). This custom is not practiced anymore but at a time, it was. Still, watch out for the times when you brew some single cup coffee without making some for your spouse.
• The country to produce the most amount of coffee crop is Brazil, followed by Vietnam, and then Colombia. Brazil produces nearly twice as much crop as Vietnam and Colombia, on average; Brazil’s crop is a third of the crop in the entire world.
• It would take about 100 mugs of coffee to create a lethal dose of caffeine. Obviously, the amount differs for your caffeine tolerance and your body size, but on average, it would take approximately 100 cups.
• Most of the coffee enjoyed in the world is Arabica; nearly 70 percent of coffee on the market is Arabica. Robusta is at 30 percent. Robusta has nearly twice the caffeine that Arabica has.
• The Americano was created during World War 2 when American soldiers would order their espresso with water to dilute it; they thought the European way was too strong.

Now you can feel smart when drinking coffee because of all the cool facts you now know about the beverage.

New Coffee Craze to Hit the Market: Nitro Coffee. Heard of It?

A new coffee craze will soon take over the world of coffee: nitro coffee. AC Beverage created a brewing system, the JoeTap system, which creates a new kind of coffee that creates a coffee that generates a quite a buzz.

Nitro coffee is simply that is infused with nitrogen. The JoeTap system makes the coffee with a cold brew method and uses the nitrogen to create a foamy, cascading head (much like Guinness). With the creaminess of the coffee and slightly sweet flavor, the coffee goes down easily. Due to the brewing system, the concentration of caffeine remains very high.

The system adds no cream or sugar into the coffee but it certainly tastes like it has both! A coffee with some sweetness and creaminess, you must try it.

The best coffee craze is arriving since the creation of the coffee K-Cup. 

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.

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.

Another Reason to Drink Coffee: It Can Reduce Your Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

That's right, a new medical study has shown that coffee might help reduce the risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. It will be presented at the 67th Annual Meeting for the American Academy of Neurology in D.C. What is Multiple Sclerosis? 

An estimated 2.3 million people around the world have Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects the Central Nervous System (which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves). It is said that MS is auto-immune, which means that the immune system induced inflammation in the protective coating of the nerve fibers, which are called myelin. 

In the past, we've heard about coffee helping reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, skin cancer, and other forms of cancer as well.  

A doctor from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Ellen Mowry, and her colleagues studied data from two different population-based studies and analyzed the connection between coffee consumption and MS. 

Their first study was from Sweden and included over 1600 people with MS and then 2800 healthy people; the second study was from the United States and has 1100+ people with MS and another 1100+ that were healthy. 

The results of the study from Sweden found that the people who did not drink coffee during the year before the onset of MS symptoms were 1.5x more likely to eventually develop MS, versus the people who consumed 6+ cups of coffee per day. 

The research also found that people who consumed coffee had a protective effect against MS during the five to ten years prior to the onset of MS symptoms. 

Don't slack on your coffee consumption, now that science is finding all these health benefits! To be sure you have enough coffee on hand, shop Coffeevines - a Chicago K-Cup coffee retailer. 

What New Coffees are at Coffeevines.com?

Getting a new gift is one of the best feelings in the world, almost as good as the feeling you get when you drink a great cup of coffee. So, when you combine the feeling of a new gift and drinking coffee, you get something truly special.

We have three new delicious coffee K-Cups to offer you, and they are good.

1. Martinson's Cayman Coconut- This blend is a aromatic, relieving blend of coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors that create a beautiful marriage. The best way to drink Cayman Coconut coffee is to sit back & relax as you feel the tropic breeze wave over you under a palm tree. The sensational flavors create a moment of bliss with each sip and convince you another cup is necessary. 
2. Martinson's Tiramisu Twist- A truly magical K-Cup coffee blend. Enjoy the flavor of delicious tiramisu and love the quick, convenient brewing style of K-Cups. No need to book a trip to Italy, simply purchase the coffee from Coffeevines.com and have a little taste of Italy right in your home or office. Sweet, rich, luscious, and lovely, this coffee is nothing short of enchanting. 
3. Martinson's Mint 'n' Mocha- Refreshing, perky, and sweet, this coffee is a triple threat. The intense and loving aroma is as terrific as the coffee in your cup. Enjoy your mornings a little bit more and have Martinson's Mint 'n' Mocha coffee to greet you. 

Do you live far from a store? Maybe your day is too busy to remember to stop at a store to buy coffee? Or perhaps you don't like the coffee the other person likes to brew? Then buy K-Cup coffee from Coffeevines and have the coffee you want, delivered right to your door. 

GE Fridges Get In-Door K-Cup Brewing System

Wow, talk about an advancement in the K-Cup coffee brewing world!

Soon, very soon, you will have yet another great reason to be staring at your fridge because it will be brewing your coffee. GE Café French doors have been known to have hot water dispensers, this is nothing new; however, GE has just come to an agreement with Keurig to create a fridge that can also brew your coffee K-Cups.

The feature is removable and should you choose to use it, it operates like how we would expect. You take out the brewer, put in the K-Cup, put the brewer back, choose your size, and let if cascade into your cup.

The cool part is that you can still operate it with your smartphone if you want to; if you are someone who likes to wake up to the smell of coffee in the morning, then set a timer and wake up to happiness! It is also easy to clean since it is dishwasher safe and as stated, removable. If you like reusable cups, you can still use them with this fridge.

The only foreseeable problem is that taller glasses, including some tumblers, will not likely fit into the machine.

Does this scan the lid like the Keurig 2.0? No. Can you still use 3rd-party packs? Possibly.

The fridge will hit sales floors in the fall and with a $3,300 price tag.

If you love your K-Cup coffee and want to really impress your friends, consider this fridge.

8 Fun & Festive Twists on Coffee

Coffee is already an amazing thing but who is to say that you can't make a great thing better? I say you can! In the spirit of it being cold out now and holidays coming up, here are 8 ways to make your coffee a bit more delightful.

1. Caramel. Using some of the caramel ice cream topping in your fridge will work wonderfully for this. If you are more of a purist, you can melt down some caramel and mix it in. 
2. Vanilla. Mixing in some vanilla extract or some vanilla coffee creamer makes coffee taste like heaven. 
3. Cinnamon. If you use ground cinnamon, then add in a teaspoon of it; if you want to be a bit more adventurous, then use a cinnamon stick to stir your coffee. This is a common thing to do in Spain and some South American countries. Very good.
4. Ice cream. Mix in whatever kind of ice cream you want but I tend to stay with vanilla or chocolate. Make sure your coffee is hot enough to take the coldness of the ice cream and stay warm. 
5. Peppermint. Use a peppermint candy cane to stir your coffee, it tastes great and works wonderfully! It is cool, too, because you hear the candy cane crackle and melt due to the heat of the coffee. 
6. Chocolate. Make it mocha! I like to mix in some hot cocoa mix, chocolate chips, or break of pieces of a candy bar. 
7. Honey. A spoonful of honey gives it great flavor and texture. Who doesn't love honey? 
8. Marshmallow fluff. I was skeptical about this one but it gives great flavor and makes it a bit thick and creamy. Wow, so good. 

Give these tips a try! You'd be surprised how delicious some can be, like the marshmallow fluff, who knew? Once you try them, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or in the comments! 

Need coffee delivered to you quickly at your home or office? Then shop with Coffeevines! We have major brands like Starbucks, Green Mountain, and Peets. 

Artisanal Coffee is the Next Coffee Revolution

We all know about artisanal cheese and beers but there is a new brew on the menu, artisanal coffee; this is a new gourmet coffee that requires the best beans, precise measurements of coffee and water, and poured in a pre-warmed cup. Of course, this is according to the brew geniuses over at Stumptown Coffee.

Stumptown is an industry leader in the ever-growing movement of brew masters looking to leave their footprint on the way that coffee is consumed. Some say this latest way is the third wave of coffee. The first wave was back in the 1960s when coffee was mass marketed by Folgers and other companies and the second wave was in the 1990s when Starbucks & other chains made specialty drinks to order.

This "third wave" is bringing a certain sophistication and intricacy to the coffee world, leaving artisanal brands to lead the way for the coffee consuming world. Of course, they still have their work cut out to get serious slices of the pie from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. 

It makes sense the new trend would be headed in US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. After all, us Americans consume around 400 million cups of the stuff everyday; that number boosted when single cup coffee hit store shelves.

Don't think it'll last? Well, coffee experts believe that artisanal coffee is the future of coffee consumption. People are ready and willing to pay a little extra for an experience.

Do you want a coffee experience that delivers to you? Then shop Coffeevines! We carry major brands like Starbucks and deliver right to your door.

Fall Coffee Recipe: Maple Mocha Latte

This recipe is wonderfully easy and worth it. All the ingredients are easy to get (if you don't have them already). The maple mocha latte is a fall coffee recipe favorite around the office and for good reason.

The ingredients you will need are: 

• 1 coffee K-Cup of your choice. It can be whatever blend or brand that you like. I personally like to use the Starbucks Caffe Verona K-Cup. 
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, unsweetened 
• 3/4 cup of warmed milk
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of whipped cream

Now that we have the wonderfully easy ingredients ready to go, we are able to get to making the coffee!

1. Brew your K-Cup in your machine into a 16 ounce mug. 
2. Warm the milk in the microwave but do not do so much that it boils. So a couple minutes. 
3. After that, add in the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into your mug. 
4. Mix in the 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Mix this all together a few times and make sure they blend well. 
5. Mix in the milk. Stir. 
6. Top it off with the whipped cream and sprinkle on some of the cocoa powder, if you have any left over. 

Make sure to shop Coffeevines for any of your coffee needs! We are carriers of many famous brands and deliver right to your door (home or office). Not a coffee fan? We also carry many selections of tea and hot cocoa as well. 

Halloween Recipe: Dark Devil's Food Cake

You may be wondering, "Why am I reading a recipe for Devil's Food Cake on a Coffee blog"? Well, it is close to Halloween and the recipe uses K-Cup coffee. It's a win-win, folks. However, don't be spooked by the thought of eating cake, this one has fewer calories than many recipes.

The prep time for this is about 10 minutes and the cook time is just over 30 minutes, max 35 minutes. The ingredients you will need for this recipe are simple but may require a quick trip the the grocery store. This will serve about 20 people, unless you have a few monsters running around who are particularly hungry.

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups of sugar - can be raw, organic, or sugar substitute if needed
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder- unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 2/3 cup of applesauce - no cinnamon
• 1 cup of low fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 coffee K-Cup

Now that we have the ingredients, let's get going! 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Take a baking pan, 13x9x2 and spray it with some PAM or vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle a bit of flour in there too. 
2. Take a mixing bowl, a large one if you can find one, and mix in the flour, sugar, cocoa, and the baking soda. Give it a nice stir. 
3. Mix in the applesauce, buttermilk, the vegetable oil, and the eggs. Again, give it a nice stir. 
4. Now, grab yourself a saucepan and put the coffee in there (after you've brewed that, of course). Bring the coffee to a light boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once it comes to a light boil, mix it into the batter from step 3. 
5. Pour it into the pan. Put in oven for 35 minutes. If it is not done, do 5 more minutes. Of course, use the toothpick test to see when it's good to go. 
6. Chow down, my friends. 

Enjoy your Halloween! Don't get scared when you run out of coffee or tea, though! Just order from Coffeevines! We will deliver right to your door; ordering from us is quick, easy, and painless. 

What Are Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms?

Whether you are a coffee or a tea drinker, you are most likely a caffeine lover. It wakes us up in the morning and keeps us going all day long. This builds up a need for the caffeine and when that supply is stopped, people can experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

What are the symptoms?
The symptoms depend on the person and their level of caffeine consumption.

• Chills
• Reduced alertness, concentration, thinking
• Depressed behavior
• Fatigue/tiredness
• Headaches -- these are some of the most common
• Irritability -- this is also a very common one
• Muscle aches
• Sinus congestion

When do the withdrawal symptoms occur?
These symptoms often start between 12 and 14 hours after the caffeine consumption has stopped. Once the consumption has been stopped for 24 to 48 hours, the symptoms are often at their worst. Generally, the more caffeine a person has consumed, the worse their symptoms will be.

No matter the reason for someone to give up caffeine or they go an extended period of time without it for whatever reason, these symptoms will happen. Nearly half of people who consume coffee who then give it up experience the withdrawal symptoms; 13 percent of these people will experience severe symptoms.

What to do about it?
Well, the best solution is to go and get yourself some coffee, tea, or even soda (if that is the only caffeine source you have on hand). If you can't find coffee quickly, then shopping from Coffeevines is a great way to reduce your caffeine withdrawals. If you have purposefully cut it out of the diet, then you can wean yourself off of it. If you are a big coffee fan but cannot handle the caffeine or want it out of your diet, then buy decaf coffee. You can also find caffeine-free tea.

Fall Coffee Recipes: Cinnamon Dolce Latte

One of the best things about Fall is that you can have so many things that would almost seem weird to have another time of the year. One of those things is the cinnamon dolce latte. One of the best coffee drinks around can be made in mere minutes, right in your kitchen.

The recipe is incredibly easy to make, it only has four ingredients; all of these ingredients will likely be in your kitchen already.

• Medium Roast coffee K-Cup - This can be dark or light roast if you prefer one of those. I like the medium roast best here because the amount of coffee flavor from the medium roast is a perfect fit.  
• Cinnamon (ground)- This will be used both as part of the coffee itself and as decoration. Whatever brand you like best will be great, my friends. 
• Honey- You can use another sweetening agent if you would like. Honey is a big favorite in my house so that's what I like to use. It does add a certain "Fall" flavor. 
• Whipped cream- This is only for decoration so it is entirely optional. If you use it, using the kind from the spray can works much easier. 

Now that we have the ingredients, let's start making the cup of deliciousness. 

1. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon into the bottom of your cup before you brew your K-Cup coffee into it. If you are using traditional drip coffee or a french press, then you can add it to the grounds before you brew. 
2. Once your coffee is brewing, heat up your milk. I use the microwave but you can also use the stove. 
3. Once the milk is warm, sprinkle some cinnamon to this too. Now, add in some honey. Both the cinnamon and the honey are to taste, so add in as much as you want. Give this a nice stir with a whisk (this will make it frothy).
4. Pour in the coffee. Mix in your milk mixture from before and stir it again (you don't have to use the whisk again if you don't want).
5. Top the coffee with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon on top. 
6. Enjoy. 

Now you have an amazing coffee in you mug. Be sure to shop Coffeevines for you coffee needs! We ship quickly and right to your door. No hassle shopping that can be done from anywhere.