American Coffee Trends in 2014

Coffee used to be something that people would just order because they knew it tasted good but more importantly, it woke us up. Nowadays, that is not quite the case. The amount of coffee we drink has changed as well as how we drink it.

The amount of Americans who drink a cup of coffee everyday has dropped down to 61 percent this year, a two percent drop from last year. However, those who drink java have become more prone to ordering drinks that are more espresso-based, like lattes or cappuccinos; these coffee drinkers have increased by 18 percent, a 5 percent increase from last year.

Gourmet coffee has taken a big increase in popularity, increased 31 percent since last year to a total of 34 percent of coffee drinkers opting for gourmet coffee everyday. Gourmet coffee is anything that is espresso-based as well as coffee made by beans that have been deemed gourmet.

Single cup coffee has also taken a sharp leap in popularity. With sales increasing 3x over the past few years. According to studies, 29 percent of American coffee drinkers claimed they brew their coffee from k cups, up 20 percent from last year. More and more Americans are buying single serve coffee brewing systems and finding their coffee online from online coffee retailers. 

Nearly 15 percent of American coffee drinkers reported that they have at least one single cup coffee brewer in their home or office. Those who use drip brewers have fallen to 53 percent since last year, that's more than cut in half than last year's numbers.

Coffee Has Been Tied to Lower Risk of Diabetes

Enjoy that java? Good, it turns out that coffee has been linked to lowering the chances of developing Type-2 Diabetes; also, as it turns out, cutting down on your coffee consumption can even increase your chances of developing Diabetes, as new studies report.

Over the course of 20 years, researches collected extensive information about diets, lifestyles, and medical conditions for more than 120k individuals; the discovered 7,269 individuals with Type-2 Diabetes.

Upon controlling factors such as smoking, age, weight, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and any family histories of diabetes, researchers realized that people who had increased their consumption of coffee by more than one eight-ounce cup of coffee a day (during a four year frame) had lowered their risk of diabetes by 11 percent. Individuals who decreased their coffee intake by the same amount had increased their chances of diabetes by 17 percent.

The thing is that the researchers found it was not the caffeine that was the trick; see, coffee actually has a lot of antioxidants as well as bioactive compounds in it; both antioxidants and bioactive compounds are good for glucose metabolism, which is what is affected with diabetes.

With all this being said, coffee is not a magical elixir that will cure everything; you still need to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

What Food Pairs with Coffee?

Coffee is a big deal, it is consumed by millions of people around the world every day. It is rather common to enjoy our coffee with some delicious food. However, what foods were basically created with coffee in mind and are the perfect partner to our java friend?

1. Beignets. This is pronounced like "ben-yay", like you just got really excited for some dude named Ben. These little guys are like heaven in your mouth! They are deep fried dough that you enjoy with a lot of powdered sugar. They are a famous treat at the renowned Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Due to the powered sugar, they can get a bit messy but it is worth it and they blend so well with a cup of your favorite single cup coffee. 
2. Coffee cake. Yeah, I mean "coffee" is in the name! Whether you like coffee cake that has fruit, cheese, nuts, plain, whatever, it is going to go well with some coffee. 
3. Donuts. How many times do you see someone enjoying a donut with their coffee? Think about this pairing and how perfect it is, a whole company is dedicated to this concept (Dunkin')! The best donuts for k cup coffee is a nice cake donut because they are denser but let's be real, any donut is going to work well. 
4.  Toast. Perhaps the simplest food pairing for some coffee, especially since the average household has at least one loaf of bread so you can make it whenever. Put some butter, margarine, or jam/jelly/preserves on it and you are in a good situation. 
5. Bacon, egg, and cheese bagel. Sometimes you want something savory to enjoy with your coffee, that's where this sandwich of awesomeness comes into play. Now, you don't have to do it on a bagel, an english muffin or toast works well too. 

If you are itching for some delicious coffee to enjoy with some breakfast, then visit Coffeevines and find your favorite brands of k cups of coffee and tea! 

Coffee and Tea Companies Will Start Selling K Cups You Can Recycle

Single cup coffee is one of the most popular forms of coffee in the world today; however, there is a hold up for some people who are more environment conscious, they struggle with the idea that all the empty k cups add a lot of waste. However, that is being resolved with a new trend for coffee and tea companies who make k cups.

One company, Mothers Parkers Tea and Coffee, based in Canada, is trying to address the problem by adopting a clear, recyclable k cup that they hope will gain popularity.

Another thing that has been going on to help improve the eco-friendliness of k cups is the reusable coffee k cup, like the one available from Keurig; Keurig also has a program where you can send your used cups to a facility and they will break them down. Keurig has made a promise that all single cup coffee will be recyclable by the year 2020.

The concept of making single serve coffee and tea something impressive to everyone is a goal for all companies involved in the industry; single cup coffee has had immense success since its introduction to the world a number of years ago; in the US, the growth rate of the industry has been 33.6% annually. Since 2008, the sales growth rate has been 78.6%.