Sports Drinks & Energy Drinks Threaten Coffee Market

Coffee is an incredibly popular drink with people of almost all ages (almost because it's not popular with kids). However, the potency of the coffee market is getting impacted by the strength of the sports drink and energy drink market that is a favorite of the young adult demographic. The latest survey according to the National Coffee Association published their annual consumer survey that states this troubling news for coffee, including K-Cup coffee.

The majority of the coffee consumption in the country, even world, tends to lean more towards the older age demographics and less for those below the age of 24. For those between the ages of 18 & 39, approximately 20 percent of them mentioned that they have at least one sports drink or energy drink per sitting a couple times a week.

For those in coffee game, this means understanding the popularity of energy and sports drinks, which offer some of the same solutions as coffee. Coffee companies need to find out this information so the energy and sports drinks don't steal the coffee times.

While this news was sad, there was plenty of good news for coffee lovers. Gourmet coffee has become a favorite for the younger markets despite the decline in popularity of traditional coffee. About 34 percent of coffee drinkers stated that they prefer the gourmet coffee these days. This is up 10 percent from four years ago.

Coffee also still remains most popular beverage than soda and even tap water in the U.S. which is the world's largest market for coffee. With the popularity of single cup coffee, it has become even easier to make.

What's the Smartest Thing to Do After Coffee?

Everyone loves to have a morning cup of coffee, especially when it only takes a few seconds to brew like single cup coffee. However, what is the best thing to do after you finish that morning cup of joe? Well, some people like to write, exercise, and some are forced to head to the good ol' job.

According to a study in Health (magazine), it was reported that coffee can help your body with pre-workout. It was shown to improve your circulation, reduce pain, and improve muscle memory (and your brain memory). It has also been said to help with burning calories/fat.

Not much of an exercise fan? Maybe you'd rather nap. Coffee clears your body of adenosine, a chemical. This chemical collects while you are awake and eventually tells your brain to sleep. During your sleep, this chemical breaks down. Coffee decreases this chemical in the brain but it takes about 20 minutes to complete. So, if you finish your coffee, have a 15 minute nap and feel the peak of alertness.

Maybe you want to do some art! Great idea, Picasso. Coffee helps with your focus and attention, which helps you create more fresh ideas.

Now, feel free to go workout, sleep, or finish some art. If you are looking for a quick and easy place to buy coffee K-Cups, then shop Coffeevines! We also have a vast assortment of K-Cup tea.

Cold-Brew Coffee- The Next Big Caffeine Craze

Since the brewing of coffee has been mainstream, hot brewing has been the way of choice… mostly because it was pretty much the only way. However, cold brew coffee has come along and it is creating a divide in the coffee world. It is proving to be very popular and give a really great tasting coffee.

For those who believe cold brew coffee is the way to go, they may soon be able to get it at a lot of coffee shops and in K-Cup coffee forms, including establishments like Starbucks. Starbucks is currently in testing mode of the cold brew method in Boston and other coffee house chains are testing it as well.

Cold-brewed iced coffee is brewed by steeping coffee ground in room temp water for quite a few hours. After the grounds have soaked, you strain them. Those who prefer this brew state that it gives a smoother, superior flavor of coffee because it is less acidic than traditional brewing methods.

The cold-brew method takes between 12 and 24 hours, so it is not ideal for shops that need to serve coffee quickly but the new round of testing is challenging the brewing speed. Typically, many coffee places prepare their iced coffee by brewing it hot and then putting ice in it.

A Brief History About Tea

The history about tea is one that is actually exciting and interesting for both those who enjoy tea and those who do not. It gives us great information about the world we live in.

Tea was first discovered in China and has made its way across the globe with great popularity, as it holds the position of second most consumed beverage in the world, behind water and before coffee. As we know, just about every country drinks it so some extent and it has tremendous health benefits.

The history
Legend has it that tea was discovered in China during the year of 2737 BC by the Chinese Emperor at the time. For a few hundred years, people consumed the beverage due to its medicinal abilities. When the Zhou Dynasty reigned, tea was considered to be almost sacred since it was used as a religious offering.

When the Han Dynasty came into power between the years of 202 BC to 220 AD, tea plants had become rather limited and could only be afforded by royalty and the rich, both for health and flavor.

Thanks to the Tang Dynasty, tea went from a drink for the rich to a common drink that everyone could afford and enjoy; the government at the time encouraged planting of tea plants and sharing the crop with everyone. Also, during this time, tea was shared with Japan via Japanese priests in China. The priests drank the tea to remain awake and meditated, thus, it was associated with Zen Buddhism. From this, Buddhists created the Japanese Tea Ceremony. The Japanese enjoyed tea so much that they also started planting tea plants.

During the 1600s, tea arrived in England and was due to imports of the East India Company when Charles II marrying Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess. Tea became a drink of the royals. The aristocrats formed "afternoon tea" so they could enjoy time together for tea. Tea became rather expensive so smuggling began so the poorer residents could afford tea as well.

Years later, East India Company began importing tea to the Americas.

We are certainly glad tea came to North America because otherwise we wouldn't have K-Cup tea and other delicious forms of tea. Enjoy tea? Purchase green tea, black tea, especially some English breakfast tea? Then shop Coffeevines! 

How Is Decaf Coffee Created?

Decaf coffee is one of the most popular ways to consume coffee. It's great for times when you want to some coffee but you do not want to be kept awake by the caffeine, or, perhaps you can't handle the caffeine for other reasons. Regardless, one of the most frequently asked questions is how they remove the caffeine from the coffee beans?

Before we get into the processes to remove caffeine, let's take a look at what exactly it means to be "decaf". This is when you separate caffeine from the coffee bean, seeds, or the leaves from their natural ways. Caffeine is not bad in coffee, it is there naturally. To be decaf in the US, 97 percent of the caffeine must be removed. Due to it being a natural part of the coffee bean, it is hard to remove it 100 percent.

There are three methods for decaf coffee:

1. The natural process: When it comes to the natural process, the coffee beans are put through a steam process, or it is soaked in water; either way, the caffeine is easier to extract. Once either of these processes are done, the caffeine is removed via ethyl acetate and water. Once that combo is used, the beans are again steamed, this process will remove any residue that is left on the beans. If you are wondering what ethyl acetate is, it is a perfectly natural compound that is extracted from veggies and fruits. 
2. The direct process: To start this process, the beans are soaked in water and also steamed. A liquid is then mixed with the beans that will remove the caffeine. Once that is done, the beans are again steamed and then allowed to dry, this will remove the caffeine from the beans. What is the decaffeinating agent? This is a substance that is utilized to remove the caffeine from the beans; there are different agents used depending on the specific process. 
3. The water process: This process starts off by soaking the beans in intensely hot water for a specific period of time and the caffeine is leached out. Once that happens, the solution is then moved though a filter that is made out of carbon; this will grab the larger caffeine molecules and will allow for the smaller oil and flavor molecules to stay. The beans are finally dried. 

Buy your next box of decaf coffee from Coffeevines. 

What does "Organic" Coffee Honestly Mean?

We see organic slapped on everything these days; one popular place to see it, besides food, is on coffee. The question is, though, what does organic coffee truly mean?

Let's talk about what it means to earn the "organic" label. According to USDA, in order to become organic certified coffee, a coffee farm must meet these requirements:

• The farm cannot use any synthetic pesticides or any substances that have been prohibited within the past three years. 
• The farm must exhibit great & sustainable crop rotation to avoid soil erosion and nutrient loss. (This is a result of the Dust Bowl in the United States during the Great Depression). 
• Any plan to do pest prevention must be accomplished naturally and not synthetically. 
• The coffee has to pass an analysis and inspection prior to being labeled as organic and being sold in the United States as such. 

In addition to seeing the organic label on coffee packaging, you might also see "Bird-friendly labels". When a coffee farmer has been allowed to label coffee as organic & is certified as an organic grower, they can apply for the label if they use shade (natural) for growing coffee. This means that the beans are shaded from the sun by trees and other plants instead of screen or buildings. 

Purchase organic K-Cups from Coffeevines and feel great about your coffee! 

Debunked Coffee Myths: 5 of Them

Coffee is one of the world's most consumed beverages, along with tea and water. Due to its popularity, there are going to by myths about it because people form their own theories about it. We have a list of 5 debunked coffee myths so you can live your life knowing the correct coffee information.

Whether it is K-Cup coffee, espresso, drip coffee, or other kinds, we myths for them.

1. Espresso has more caffeine than K-Cups. Espresso is a potent form of coffee when you consider the caffeine; however, that is because espresso is packing lots of caffeine into a little bit of liquid. So by volume, espresso wins. However, when you look at the numbers, both espresso and single cup coffee are actually comparable in terms of caffeine. The USDA states that 2 ounces of espresso has 120 mg's of caffeine while a 10 ounce cup of coffee has about the same amount. 
2. Arabica coffee is king of the [coffee] crop. Arabica beans are very popular, often more popular than robusta. Robusta beans are less popular due to their rubbery and acrid flavor that has caused many to consider the beans to be inferior. Approximately three-quarters of the coffee drinking world consumes arabica over rubusta. However, when you look at the market shares, robusta is miles in front of specialty grade and other certified coffees. 
3. The only coffee Italians drink is Espresso coffee. While they do love the stuff, about two-thirds of Italian coffee drinkers consume their coffee at home. Do they own countertop espresso machines? Most of them do not; many of them use a "moka pot" which is like an espresso machine but it does not make anything as strong as true espresso. They are very popular machines. 
4. Decaf is for the weak! This is not a fair assumption; many people avoid the caffeinated version for a multitude of reasons. Such as those who are pregnant: those with heart conditions, allergies, those who are easily affected by caffeine, people who drink it late in the day, etc. The bottom line is that just because you drink decaf coffee, doesn't mean you are not strong enough for real coffee. 
5. The gourmet coffee is too pricey. The old saying goes, "You pay for quality". And it is very, very true. You also pay for coffee that is worth more work, such as fair trade certified coffee and organic coffee. When coffee requires more work to harvest, roast, and brew, then yeah, it will be more costly. It is like buying a high-end car, it wouldn't be fair to the manufacturer to charge the same price as a less quality car.