The Coffee Beans Blog

Genes involved in coffee quality have been identified

2007-02-08T02:12:00.000-08:00

2007 The worlds caffeine addicts got some good news this week when it was announced that the genes involved in coffee quality have been identified. Since 2001, CIRAD and the Agricultural Institute of Paran in Brazil (IAPAR) have been working on joint research into understanding the biological processes - flowering, fruit ripening, etc - that determine coffees distinctive characteristics. Some compounds (sugars, fats, caffeine, etc) are known to play a role in coffee quality. Their accumulation in the plant, and particularly in the beans, is a determining factor. Sucrose is considered to play a crucial role in coffee organoleptic quality, since its breakdown during roasting releases several aroma and flavour precursors.how coffee beans ripen. Using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques, they have characterized the key enzymes in the sucrose metabolism during coffee bean development.

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FOOD | Room temperature is best for coffee beans

2007-02-06T02:14:00.000-08:00

A. No. A generation of yuppies ruined their coffee by keeping it in the refrigerator. The best coffee comes from beans stored at room temperature in an airtight container. At the store you'll find that the best beans are packaged in vacuum-sealed bags with freshness dates. Once a bean is ground, it's more exposed to air, "which makes it easier for coffee to lose its flavor," says Nicole Soley, a coffee-and-tea education specialist for Starbucks. A few tips for a better brew: -Buy just two weeks' worth of beans at a time. One pound makes about 35 8-ounce cups. Do the math to figure out how much to buy. -"You want to protect it from air, moisture, light and heat," Soley says. That doesn't mean keep it cool — a refrigerator or freezer can kill the flavor.

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Red Roaster coffee may just wake you up

2007-02-04T02:11:00.000-08:00

Noe will open the Red Roaster Hand Crafted Coffee shop in the College Green Commons, Monday, the culmination of a dream that started six years ago, was nearly destroyed a year or so ago, and something she says she is very passionate about. The Red Roaster isn't your run-of-the-mill coffee shop like those that have been popping up all over the place in recent years. This one has a living room, a fireplace that separates the living room from what could best be described as a den, a counter, a kitchen, a couple of display cases and its very own red coffee roaster. In all, almost 2,000 square feet of space, big enough for small meetings for those who might desire one. It will have 12 employees. And it's also next door to An Open Book LLC, which Ann Lacefield opened late last year.

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Tests spill beans on tastiest coffee

2007-02-02T02:13:00.000-08:00

The Golden Arches beat out java giants Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, along with Burger King, in a coffee taste test run by Consumer Reports magazine. The magazine proclaimed McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee had "no flaws" - and was easiest on the wallet as well. "Try McDonald's, which was cheapest and best," Consumer Reports said in its March issue. "Or make your own coffee." Out of the four restaurants tested, McDonald's cost the least, just $1.35. It "was decent and moderately strong," the magazine said. "although it lacked the top notes needed to make it rise and shine." Starbucks might have the most vocal fan club among the caffeine crowd, but its brew was deemed decidedly ordinary. "Strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open," the report said.

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911 caller alerts police to coffee shop break-in

2007-01-31T02:11:00.000-08:00

A 911 caller helped London police nab two people after a break-in at a coffee shop on Wortley Road yesterday. The caller reported seeing two people smash the front door of the Little Red Roaster at 138 Wortley Rd. about 1:30 a.m., police said. The pair was then seen going into the coffee shop and running out with items. Several officers responded to the break-in. Just before 2 a.m., an officer saw a person on Elmwood Avenue who matched the description of one of the suspects. He was arrested. Officers then went to another address on Elmwood Avenue where they arrested a second suspect. Some of the stolen property was also found, but couldn't be salvaged for re-use, police said. Chad Munroe, 18, is charged with three offences related to breaking and entering.

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Coffee beans kill six workers

2007-01-29T02:12:00.000-08:00

Six Honduran coffee workers died on Wednesday when an overhead storeroom collapsed, dumping around 1,000 sacks of coffee beans on them. The six men, mostly young seasonal workers, were packing harvested beans at a coffee farm near the town of Villanueva in northern Honduras, when a wall gave way and the storeroom above them collapsed, emergency services officials said. "They were all young men; one of them was only 16," rescue worker Francisco Alvarenga told Reuters by telephone. "We've recovered five of the bodies, and there's one left," he said. Honduras, Central America's 2nd biggest coffee exporter after Guatemala, is in the busiest period of the annual harvest. Coffee bean sacks when full usually weigh from 60 to 70 kilograms each.

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Pugster Enamel Paint Coffee Cup Aqua Stainless Steel Italian Charm Link

2007-01-23T02:25:00.000-08:00

Show off your personality, hobbies, or significant affiliations with this Pugster Coffee Cup Aqua Italian charm. This enamel charm features a small blue coffee mug filled with dark coffee. Crafted of the finest stainless steel with soldered faces (as opposed to less durable glue), these charms are sure to be a hit as you build your Italian charm bracelet or anklet. You can build your bracelet all at once, or gradually over the years. Either way, these bracelets are a great way to express your enduring values and style. Also a great gift for friends and family that rise at the crack of dawn. Crafted and authenticated by Pugster (TM) Inc., these Coffee Cup Aqua Italian charms are available for both retail and wholesale purchase in our store and are compatible with charms from all major brands. var ww = document.body.clientWidth;var wh = document.body.clientHeight;document.write('');

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Coffee could help cure baldness

2007-01-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

London, Jan 23 Drinking coffee could help cure baldness as caffeine blocks the effects of a chemical known to damage hair, say researchers. Tobias Fischer of the University of Jena in Germany took scalp biopsies from 14 men in the early stages of hair loss. He extracted hair follicles and placed them in test tubes with solutions containing different levels of caffeine. .

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Falling coffee beans kill six Honduran workers

2007-01-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

TEGUCIGALPA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Six Honduran coffee workers died on Wednesday when an overhead storeroom collapsed, dumping around 1,000 sacks of coffee beans on them. The six men, mostly young seasonal workers, were packing harvested beans at a coffee farm near the town of Villanueva in northern Honduras, when a wall gave way and the storeroom above them collapsed, emergency services officials said. "They were all young men; one of them was only 16," rescue worker Francisco Alvarenga told Reuters by telephone. "We've recovered five of the bodies, and there's one left," he said. Honduras, Central America's No. 2 coffee exporter after Guatemala, is in the busiest period of the annual harvest. The bags weighed 46 kg (101.5 lb) each, officials said.

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European style coffee house/restaurant opening Downtown

2007-01-19T02:15:00.000-08:00

Blackbird Buvette, a European style coffee house/restaurant/bar will open at 509 Central Ave. NW in mid-February, says owner Joey Gonzales. Gonzales is selling his interest in Gold Avenue's Atomic Cantina nightclub to open Blackbird Buvette. It is opening in the former Pearl's Dive restaurant/nightclub that had a seven year run in downtown Albuquerque. .

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Even Stockton might spill the beans over coffee

2007-01-17T02:16:00.000-08:00

Q: Name five athletes who graduated from Washington high schools that you would like to have coffee with. A: Here you go: Derrick Cope, Bethel, Class of 1976 — Cope was a baseball player who suffered a major knee injury playing for brainy Whitman College before turning to auto racing. (His father was an engine-builder). In 1990, Cope pulled one of the biggest upsets in American sports when a tire punctured on Dale Earnhardt's car and Cope passed him to win the Daytona 500. John Stockton, Gonzaga Prep '80 — Stockton isn't chummy around reporters, but of all the possible things to talk about, including his NBA records for assists and steals, I want to hear about a night in Monte Carlo in 1992 when the Olympic "Dream Team" had an intense scrimmage.

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New Orleans: Sweets and coffee à la Cajun

2007-01-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

When you think about New Orleans, you think of jazz, saints, voodoo, bourbon, A Streetcar named Desire and a hurricane named Katrina. After a visit to the Crescent City, you just might come home with thoughts of other icons of Cajun Country beignets and coffee. And, chances are you will have enjoyed them at yet another New Orleans landmark, Caf du Monde. These days, there are seven Caf du Monde coffee stands in and around the city, but the original, which opened in 1862 at the Jackson Square end of the French Market, is the epicenter of the epicurean experience. Beignets are truly Cajun, having been introduced to Bayou Country by Acadians (a name squeezed by locals into Cajuns) in the 18th century. With them came coffee with chicory (the roasted root of a type of endive plant).

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Beer: Strong, dark brews add new meaning to 'coffee bar'

2007-01-11T02:14:00.000-08:00

"All of our flavor-infused beers have been picking up, particularly chocolate and coffee," says Eric Heinauer, specialty brand manager at A.M. Lutheran Distributors. Pours are percolating with two new coffee brews: Atwater Block Brewery's Vanilla Java Porter and Lagunitas Brewing Co.'s Cappuccino Stout. Those two are "on fire" at 3 Sons Dogs & Suds beer store in Pine, says owner Bill Sukitch. He's also selling a lot of another dark seasonal, Bell's Java Stout. All three beers are made with actual coffee, which might sound weird until you think about how coffee is one of the flavors of the dark-roasted malts with which these porters and stouts are made. A related malt flavor is chocolate. Another brew 3 Sons is selling a lot of these days, Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout, doesn't even contain chocolate; those flavors come only from the blend of malts.

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For Sale: Coffee From Partially Digested Beans

2007-01-09T02:18:00.000-08:00

(CBS) MINNEAPOLIS Here's a real eye opener for your Monday morning commute: How about a cup of coffee that goes for $10 per cup. Fans enjoy it for its smooth and unique taste. But many try not to think about how it's made: from coffee beans partially digested by Indonesian cats. A Minnesota roaster is serving offering the most expensive coffee in the world, but price isn't the only reason people might shy away from it.An 8-ounce cup of Kopi Luwak coffee sells for $10 at Jim Cone's "Coffee and Tea Limited" store in Minneapolis. One-pound bags go for $420.Roastmaster Jim Cone told CBS News: "We roast it to, ah, about 420 degrees. It's a very rich, ah, cup of coffee, very chocolaty, ah, actually a carmelly taste around the bottom of your tongue."Cone says fans enjoy it for its smooth and unique taste.

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Two attacked at coffee shop

2007-01-07T02:18:00.000-08:00

COOKEVILLE -- An Alabama woman was arrested here on Wednesday after allegedly throwing hot coffee on a man and then grabbing a knife and lunging at a woman at a popular downtown coffee house, police said. The 25-year-old woman from Hamilton, Alabama, whose name is being withheld by police, was said to be suffering mental problems and was later hospitalized for her condition, according to reports by the Cookeville Police Department. It happened just after 3 p.m. on Jan. 3 at the Poets coffee restaurant on E. Broad St. Someone at the restaurant called police and reported that an assault had occurred, and Officer Michael Herrick responded. He said when he arrived, he saw "a female subject wearing a black shirt come running out of Poets toward my patrol car and she was being chased by another female subject." The first woman yelled to the officer that the other woman "had a knife," the report says.

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All Hail the Mighty Coffee Bean!

2007-01-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

I have a terrible addiction to coffee. Not so much the substance itself, although I have my issues with it, but with all the paraphernalia that comes along with the experience. I seem to have gotten it into my frontal lobes that the more expensive and complicated my coffee experience, the better the coffee must be. I scoff at people who pay a hundred dollars for a speaker wire, or who are convinced that they need a $4,000 dollar PC to send e-mail to grandma and read Funky Winkerbean online, but show me a $50 pound of coffee beans and I'm sore tempted. In the past 10 years I've gone from drinking whatever my employers provided in the break room -- with cream-mimicking, nondairy dust product, no less -- to carefully grinding my beans with a burr grinder and brewing them in a French press for exactly four minutes.

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Espresso inventors position coffee as gourmet item

2006-12-30T02:15:00.000-08:00

It was Andrea Illy's grandfather Francesco Illy who back in the 1930s invented the espresso, a steam-driven coffee maker to replace the little pots Italians used until then. So it is not surprising that Illy, who now runs the coffee company Illycaffe, sought in recent years to have the name espresso protected by law, so that it could be used only by Italian espresso makers. It was a gambit to take back the espresso heritage. But Illy, 42, was told by authorities that espresso had become a generic term and could not be owned by any one nation or group of coffee makers. As we say, the cows were already out of the barn, Illy said, seated at his desk under an enormous painting of the Illy logo. .

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EL SALVADOR: Organic Collective Coffee Beans for Development

2006-12-28T02:16:00.000-08:00

COMASAGUA, El Salvador, Dec 4 (IPS) - "We need to produce more coffee, because our customers want more of it, the demand is greater than what we produce," Jos Antonio Sandoval, a Salvadoran small farmer and an expert on growing and selling organic, traditional, gourmet aromatic coffee, said with pride. Sandoval is a leader of the Santa Adelaida cooperative, aimed at protecting the environment by producing coffee without agrochemicals, while increasing income and consolidating social programmes for its members, who have historically been marginalised, have little education and are stunted by poverty. It's a perfect undertaking, an ideal match with their cooperative vision. The cooperative, high on the Blsamo mountain range, 30 kilometres south of San Salvador, collectively owns about 860 hectares of land, and grows coffee on 650 of them.

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Coffee still picked by hand in nation's only coffee belt

2006-12-26T02:17:00.000-08:00

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP ) _ Not everyone on Hawaii's Big Island picks coffee. But if you live on the same lava rock with America's only coffee belt, it's something to try _ at least once. For more than a century, coffee farming on the smaller farms that lie along the island's Kona Coast -- specifically the picking -- has been a family affair. After the world coffee market bottomed out in 1899, Hawaii's huge plantations offered to lease small parcels of land to laborers. Four generations later, some of those immigrant families still till the land. At the current average of 65 cents a pound, picking Kona coffee cherries is not an attractive career for most islanders. But some have talent for it. At last month's Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, Maria Valdovinos of Waimea plucked more than three pounds of coffee cherries in the three-minute time limit to win the women's division.

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Brazil brews plan to sell 30-year-old coffee beans

2006-12-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

SAO PAULO - A cup of coffee can turn too bitter to drink in hours, but unroasted, well stored coffee beans can last up to 30 years, and Brazil's government is capitalising on this fact. With world coffee supplies tight and prices high, Brazil plans to zero out all that is left of its federal coffee stocks, much of which are beans nearly 30 years old, an agriculture ministry official said. "The only thing lost is the color. The bean yellows. But experts say that coffee that is well kept in the warehouse will last for 30 years," said Lucas Tadeu Ferreira, planning coordinator for the ministry's coffee department. The government sold 100 per cent of the 40,000 bags auctioned yesterday in a public auction. Nearly all of the 60-kg bags were from the 1977/78 harvest and they sold at a final price of 245 reais ($167) a bag -- a premium of 44 per cent over the opening price of 170 reais.

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Cafe Play offers gaming, coffee

2006-12-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

Jesus steps up to the line. He stares across the court toward Hitler, bounces the ball once, and serves. It's smoking, and Hitler whiffs the ball despite a dramatic, somersaulting dive at the last minute. Jesus and Buddha walk off the court, whistling contentedly about their doubles win. Hitler and his teammate, Darkness, look dejected. "Anyone up for some bowling?" asks Brendan Beninghof, a senior geography major, as he takes a sip of his organic coffee. Before anybody can answer, Jesus is standing in front of a lane, adjusting his position. He bowls and the ball rolls straight ahead before veering into the gutter at the last minute. "I just can't get the spin right. I'm trying to find the sweet spot," Beninghof says as he stares down at the small Nintendo Wii controller in his hand.

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Brazil plans to sell 30-year-old coffee beans

2006-12-13T02:17:00.000-08:00

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - A cup of coffee can turn too bitter to drink in hours, but unroasted, well stored coffee beans can last up to 30 years, and Brazil's government is capitalizing on this fact. With world coffee supplies tight and prices high, Brazil plans to zero out all that is left of its federal coffee stocks, much of which are beans nearly 30 years old, an agriculture ministry official said. "The only thing lost is the colour. The bean yellows. But experts say that coffee that is well kept in the warehouse will last for 30 years," said Lucas Tadeu Ferreira, planning coordinator for the ministry's coffee department . The government sold 100 percent of the 40,000 bags auctioned on Wednesday in a public auction. Nearly all of the 60-kg bags were from the 1977/78 harvest and they sold at a final price of 245 reais (58 pounds) a bag -- a premium of 44 percent over the opening price of 170 reais.

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Therapy Over Coffee

2006-12-09T02:16:00.000-08:00

The Blawg Review Editor sent me a tip about Light Cafés in Stockholm, which now offer Swedes the chance to take in a little sun with their morning coffee. Since Stockholm only receives five hours of light a day in winter, patrons at the Iglo Ljuscafé sip their morning brew while soaking in artificial sun from special lights - after taking off their shoes and slipping into white robes provided at the door, or course The sun-deprived can spend an hour “ljusing" (literally “brightening" in English) at the café. Breakfast and an hour of light treatment will run you 160 Swedish Krona or about $24 U.S. I can't make it to Sweden this year (although I wish I could pick up a new XC70) so I got the funky, blue light emitting diode (LED) golite to counteract the effects of spending all my time in a north-facing office.

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Famous Brands buys Coffee Contact

2006-12-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

Durban - Famous Brands, the owner of the Wimpy, Steers and Debonairs brands, has bought a controlling stake in Coffee Contact from co-owner Charalambos Halamandaris, who is related to four Famous Brands' board members including the chief executive. Chief executive Theofanis Halamandaris, executive chairman Panagiotis Halamandaris and non-executive director Periklis Halamandaris are brothers. John Halamandres, the non-executive deputy chairman, is their cousin. All family members recused themselves from discussions regarding the deal, which was concluded by chief operating officer Kevin Hedderwick and financial director Paris Papageorgiou, who are non-related parties. Famous Brands will buy 70 percent of the business with a combination of cash and the issue of Famous Brands shares at R12.50 each.

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Coffee drinkers roast own beans

2006-12-03T02:16:00.000-08:00

ARLINGTON, Va. — America's most finicky coffee drinkers tout their caffeine connoisseurship in many, often contradictory, ways. They spend abundle at Starbucks or refuse to patronize big chains. They only drink espresso or decline any cup of joe they didn't brew themselves. Then there are people like Chris Becker of Arlington, whose coffee worship involves a ritual that places him at the outer edge of the country's java culture. Becker roasts coffee beans at home. "Even my less-than-good batches are fresher than any (beans) I'd buy in a store," said Becker, a 30-year-old government employee who uses a gas grill to transform flavorless green coffee beans into savory dark-brown kernels that he then grinds and brews within a few days, if not hours. It doesn't require a lot of time, money or equipment to roast coffee beans at home — less than 10 minutes in an air popcorn popper does the trick — but enthusiasts devote plenty of each to the craft.

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Neighbors worry health hazards are brewing in abandoned coffee ...

2006-11-27T02:17:00.000-08:00

TODAY'S FOCUS: An abandoned coffee shop, at 6001 S. Braeswood just west of Hillcroft, has become an eyesore and a health threat. Caller Ann Lee said the building, which has been vacant for six to eight years, "is a health hazard and it is in deplorable condition. It attracts all kinds of animals, both living and dead." The abandoned building also has drawn the attention of the Maplewood South/North Neighborhood Association. The community's recent newsletter states that leaders of the association are going to ask for help from the city of Houston, to address sanitation and safety concerns at the building. STATUS: Jodi Silva, a spokeswoman for the Office of Neighborhood Protection, said she will send inspectors out to look at the vacant building and determine what actions can be taken by the city of Houston.

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Coffee industry experts spill the beans on baristas

2006-11-25T02:16:00.000-08:00

SO you can't do without your morning caffeine hit, but were certain you didn't order a side of rudeness when you fronted up for your soy latte? Industry experts have blamed a surge in the number of unqualified people calling themselves baristas combined with a severe skills shortage for unpalatable customer service. Rob Forsyth, barista and chairman of the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association is pushing for a nationwide accreditation scheme to ensure quality baristas in terms of product and service. He said there had been a 20 per cent increase in the number of inquiries for his barista courses in the past year. "Yes, there are a lot of courses and people walking around with certificates, but how do you police it? It is very hard," Mr Forsyth, of Naremburn, said.

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'Smart' Coffee Maker Delivers Weather Forecast

2006-11-23T02:13:00.000-08:00

A new coffee maker hitting stores for the holidays can display real-time weather data, using a "smart objects" technology that Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) has been touting for years. The $200 Melitta Smart Mill & Brew, made by Salton Inc., (SFP) takes advantage of a wireless-data system built by Microsoft to automatically display current weather conditions and forecasts. This concept — imbuing everyday objects with the ability to deliver at-a-glance information — has been in the works at Microsoft since at least 2000. - Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Home Computing Center. Chairman Bill Gates highlighted the "Smart Personal Objects Technology" (SPOT) in his keynote at the Comdex trade show in 2002, calling it part of a seminal shift in computing that would soon make a mark.

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Starbucks, the coffee beans and the copyright row that cost ...

2006-11-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

Starbucks, the giant US coffee chain, has used its muscle to block an attempt by Ethiopia's farmers to copyright their most famous coffee bean types, denying them potential earnings of up to £47m a year, said Oxfam. The development agency said the Ethiopian government last year filed copyright applications to trademark its most famous coffee names - Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe. Securing the rights to these names would enable the impoverished African country to control their use in the market and allow farmers to receive a greater share of the retail price. The move would have increased its annual export earnings from coffee by 25%. But Oxfam said Starbucks, which enjoyed a 22% rise in annual global turnover to $7.8bn in the year to October, has acted to block Ethiopia's application to the US patent and trademark office.

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Coca-Cola ventures into premium specialty coffee

2006-11-19T02:14:00.000-08:00

The 120-year-old beverage company best known for its range of soft-drinks has launched its premium brewed beverage business here under the Far Coast brand. The move is part of plans to diversify its business. Coca-Cola says it wants to tap into its traditional distribution network to grow its new coffee and tea operations. Unlike other brewed coffee and tea outlets, no specially trained barista is needed to brew each cup of Far Coast coffee and tea. In its place is a patented dispensing machine that can brew a cup of hot beverage in 40 seconds. According to Coca-Cola, the trick lies in its proprietary technology in packing grounded coffee into containers called pods. These can keep the coffee seeds fresh for up to 6 months, compared to 3 days when stored by conventional means. Louis Heinsz, Director of Premium Brewed Beverages Research & Development, The Coca-Cola Company, says: "What we've managed to design is a technology that speeds the service for our quick service restaurant customers - that's one of the key ambitions in this overall programme.

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Owner: Coffee beans still warm when delivered

2006-11-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

"The same people come in everyday and sit by the fire. The next thing you know you're sitting with them telling them your life story," said Kerbs. She started going to Espresso di Cincotta, a small coffee shop in Fort Collins, more than 13 years ago. "It's always been my favorite place to go, it's very friendly, the prices are always good and the coffee is awesome," Kerbs said. Now, she runs her own Espresso di Cincotta in Greeley, a corner unit in the Cottonwood Plaza off of 23rd Avenue and 17th Street. The coffee shop emits a sense of home, with a picture of an all-American cowgirl hanging above a brightly lit gas fire place, surrounded by baskets of pine cones and candles and four brown leather chairs. There, she recalls her love of coffee, which began years ago when she visited a Starbucks in Seattle -- when there were only two of them in the entire downtown area.

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Starbucks in Ethiopian coffee beans imbroglio

2006-11-13T02:31:00.000-08:00

LONDON - British charity Oxfam has alleged that coffee king Starbucks is preventing Ethiopia from trademarking two of its three coffee beans thereby denying farmers some much-needed income. Oxfam says that Ethiopian farmers are being deprived of nearly 50 million pounds ($94 million). The U.S. coffee shop giant has hampered Ethiopia from getting a trademark on two of its most popular beans, namely Sidamo and Harar. The charity said that if this had been allowed, then the poor African nation would have been able to control the use of the beans in the market globally, thus giving its farmers a decent means of livelihood. .

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John Coffee Quote of the Day

2006-11-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

"In a concentrated market, the competitors can decide the bases on which they will compete. Actual collusion is not necessary, as implicit signals can be exchanged. Over the last twenty odd years, auditing firms have not actively competed in terms of relative integrity or commitment to accurate financial reporting. At least, none challenges its rivals on this score. Not only would such a competition invite destructive retaliation from their rivals, but the competitors knew that this was an ineffective strategy by which to win clients. Cooperation and flexibility won clients. Senior managers and clients wanted auditors who would assist them in maximizing the firm's stock price by using any accounting principle or convention not clearly prohibited. Although reputational injury and litigation risk always placed some limitations on what the auditor could accept, both of these constraints became less important, as auditors found it more profitable to develop their existing client base, treat auditing asa virtual 'loss leader," and exploit the opportunities for more lucrative consulting income.

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Arsene! Coffee!

2006-11-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

Luck is an alien concept. At a recent fancy dress party to celebrate my father in laws exit from the closet, the wife turned all Paul Gascoigne on me. One minute, I was politely chatting to Britney Spears, the next thing I knew, the wife was repeatedly pommeling me with an oversized clowns shoe. Theres nothing amusing about domestic violence. Physical altercations have no place in the home and equally no place on the touchline. Only an Arsenal victory over Liverpool can save Rafa Benitez from an Arsene attack; the Gunners are a superb bet at 11/10 to knock out the Reds. Peter Crouch is an optimist, he believes that Liverpool can still win the title. He probably also believes in the tooth fairy, or to use her Latin name, Jermainus Defoe. Its over five years since the Scousers last won away at Arsenal, sink your teeth into a 2-0 win for the Gunners at 9/1.

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Upset Over Tax, Man Throws Coffee In Clerk's Face

2006-11-05T02:13:00.000-08:00

(CBS) BOSTON A 57-year-old Plymouth, Mass., man was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he threw hot coffee in the face of a 17-year-old Dunkin Donuts clerk. According to police, the man, Kevin Thomas was expressing his displeasure over a tax on his coffee. Police said Thomas was going to pay for the coffee but was voicing his complaints.After one of the clerks told Thomas to calm down, Thomas reportedly threw the hot coffee in the clerks face and then threw the cup at another clerk.Thomas left the store and turned himself into police an hour later. He is being charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.The female clerk who was hit in the face with the coffee was taken to the hospital with first-degree burns to the left side of her face and shoulder, according to police.A manager at a nearby Dunkin Donuts told CBS4 that the coffee is approximately 150 to 160 degrees.

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Owner: Coffee beans still warm when delivered

2006-11-03T02:25:00.000-08:00

Starbucks, the coffee beans and the copyright row that cost ...

2006-10-30T02:18:00.000-08:00

Starbucks, the giant US coffee chain, has used its muscle to block an attempt by Ethiopia's farmers to copyright their most famous coffee bean types, denying them potential earnings of up to £47m ($88m) a year, said Oxfam. The development agency said the Ethiopian government last year filed copyright applications to trademark its most famous coffee names - Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe. Securing the rights to these names would enable the impoverished African country to control their use in the market and allow farmers to receive a greater share of the retail price. The move would have increased its annual export earnings from coffee by 25%. But Oxfam said Starbucks, which enjoyed a 22% rise in annual global turnover to £7.8bn in the year to October, has acted to block Ethiopia's application to the US patent and trademark office.

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Chesapeake Bagel Bakery Announces Results of Weekly Coffee Beans ...

2006-10-26T03:11:00.000-07:00

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In our latest Chesapeake Bagel Bakery Coffee Bean Poll of Florida's competitive race for governor, Republican Primary winner, Attorney General Charlie Crist remains the strongest candidate. The Democratic Primary winner, Congressman Jim Davis may close the gap in upcoming weeks. At this point, Crist leads Davis 56% to 39%, but Davis has improved since his Primary nomination when Crist led 44% to 33%. This week someone took a dozen coffee beans out of the bean jar to stuff the ballots and there's a trail of coffee beans through the restaurant to the voting area, says Sami Kohen. So far we have seen a family call up all of their relatives and stuff the ballot for Democratic nominee, U.S. Rep. Jim Davis. They said, "There's no way we are going to let Republicans win this Coffee Bean Poll." "We've caught customers attempting to bring their own ballots in and one patron was even caught eating the ballots," says Kohen.

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Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company, Calvert Holdings, Expands Into ...

2006-10-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

The company is expanding its Calvert Cafe chain, offering gourmet coffee, smoothies, pastries, wraps and wireless Internet on rolling kiosks. For the full story click here. Editor's Insight: This is an interesting account about how a company stumbled across the opportunity to start a coffee service business after its own employees had a difficult time getting coffee when they needed it. The company probably could have had its own needs met faster and easier by calling a coffee service company. 10-24-06 by Elliot Maras .

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Behind the Beans at a Local Coffee Company

2006-10-22T03:11:00.000-07:00

Several mornings each week, this champion to all coffee connoisseurs fires up the 111-year-old Burns Co. coffee bean roaster at Wheeling Coffee and Spice possibly the oldest roaster in the country still in use for a fresh flavored batch of bean brew, much to the delight of java junkies who work in the downtown district. You see, its pretty obvious when the roaster is, well, roasting: the smell of burning coffee beans is strong, to the point that Dan has to call the Wheeling Fire Department so firefighters dont respond to Wheeling Coffee and Spices 14th Street location. Every time I roast, I call the fire department to tell them when I start and stop, he said. One recent Friday morning provided the opportune time to watch Dan work. The 7 a.m. fog over the downtown was being pushed back by the heat generated from the coffee shops roaster.

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Bright future forecast as coffee payments begin

2006-10-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Twenty-five months after being devastated by Hurricane Ivan, more than 900 registered coffee farmers, excluding those in the Blue Mountains, are now receiving cash and other incentives worth $15 million. This was announced recently by the director-general of the Coffee Industry Board Graham Dunkley at a handing-over ceremony of cash grants to coffee co-operatives at the Kendal Conference Centre in Manchester. The director-general said that the coffee industry would have to ensure that the distribution of the hurricane relief benefits from the Ministry of Agriculture is done in a transparent and accountable manner. Farmers will have to sign, and have a document witnessed that they have received the benefits, he said. Dunkley said this would enable the coffee board to withstand scrutiny from auditors and any source, including the contractor-general.

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Starbucks aims to sell coffee to the Brazilians

2006-10-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

STARBUCKS, the coffee chain which has become a byword for globalisation, is set to grow even bigger by tripling the number of its stores worldwide. Under the plans announced yesterday, the Seattle-based corporation is aiming to have 40,000 shops, making it 30 per cent bigger than McDonald's. .

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Coffee battle brewing on Franklin Street

2006-10-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

Those coffee slingers from Seattle are poised to give Franklin Street its second Starbucks coffee shop. That would make three Starbucks stores in Chapel Hill, including one in the Harris Teeter behind University Mall.There are 52 Starbucks within a 50-mile radius of Chapel Hill with 18 in Raleigh, 10 in Greensboro and six in Durham.Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns the Eastgate Shopping Center, will go before the Town Council tonight to present a plan for turning the old Eastgate BP/Amoco gas station into a new Starbucks."It's better than an empty gas station," said Colony Woods resident Kathy Austin, who was having lunch next door at Bruegger's Bagels with members of her recreational tennis team.The Federal Realty trust has been working for more than three years to redevelop the site.

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Bada Beans LLC, The Coffee Confectioner: Move over Syrups… New ...

2006-09-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

Something new and refreshing is about to hit coffee condiment bars and baristas hands this fall as Bada Beans releases their sleek single serving gourmet flavoring dispensers. The ever demanding coffee consumer wants more control over what they put in their coffee. We offer the only product that allows consumers to truly customize flavoring their coffee, says founder Rich Simon, With Bada Beans, people have total control over flavor, sweetener and creamer levels. The unique gourmet flavoring offers numerous benefits untouchable by standard flavoring methods. Bada Beans, is a flavoring confection specifically designed to flavor coffee. Utilizing new technology, the no-mess flavor mechanism dissolves quickly releasing specially formulated flavor and aroma throughout a cup of coffee. Beyond the great gourmet taste, Bada Beans reduce coffee condiment bar flavoring costs and generate increased profit margins and additional sales behind the coffee counter.

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ABC Finds The Human Side of Hugo: He's a Coffee Addict And a Softy ...

2006-09-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

On ABC's Good Morning America Thursday, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez's wild remarks at the U.N. about Bush being "the devil" were greeted as an opportunity to humanize Chavez. Reporter Kate Snow reported while he was "applauded for his tirade," he is a "cult hero" who "rarely sleeps, chugs 20 cups of coffee a day, and has a soft spot for Frank Sinatra." While co-host Diane Sawyer expressed concern for how "dangerous" Chavez was, her guest, Washington Post reporter Robin Wright, mostly described him non-ideologically as the "a new kind of leadership" and a "different face for Latin America." As they discussed Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sawyer wondered: "Should we be weaning ourselves from that oil?" In the 7 am half-hour, Diane Sawyer began: "Well, now those fireworks at the United Nations.

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Coffee drinkers give boost to hospice movement

2006-09-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of thousands of people downed a cup of coffee today as the vital annual fund raiser for hospice services got under way. Irelands biggest coffee morning saw over 1.25 million cups being poured in homes and workplaces in a bid to raise more than 2.5m for hospice care this year. Almost 30,000 people died in Ireland each year with over 6,000 ill people using hospice services. Eugene Murray, chief executive of the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), estimated up to 13,000 patients will require access to hospice and specialist palliative care in 2016. Mr Murray acknowledged significant progress had been made in recent years to expand hospice services. But he added: Regrettably, it is a fact that much work remains to be done to ensure that Ireland has a world class national hospice/palliative care service.

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Hot coffee and fighting crime

2006-09-21T10:49:00.001-07:00

FIREFIGHTERS will be turning their hands to serving coffee to people who drop into St Albans Fire Station next Friday, September 29.They will be taking part in the World's Biggest Coffee Morning to raise money fro Macmillan Nurses.Visitors to the event which runs between 10am and 1pm at the new fire station in London Road, will also be able to get fire prevention advice as well as an offer to fit smoke alarms free.In addition police officers are joining the off-duty firefighters who will be serving the coffee, to provide crime-prevention advice. .

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No Suspect in Coffee County Murder

2006-09-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

In Coffee County yesterday, one of the owners of a popular recreation spot was murdered at her business. It happened in the City of Douglas around 11am. Someone came into the workplace of 39-year-old Dorris Worrell and shot her in the head. She and her husband, Jon Worrell, ran Jon's Motor Sports Park. Mrs. Worrell was at the park before it opened when she was shot. The Coffee County sheriff tells us there are no suspects and no motive at this time. Contact the WTOC News team .

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Alzheimers 11th Annual Coffee Break Today

2006-09-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Norfolk County is taking part in a national fundraiser to recognize World Alzheimers Day. The program, called Coffee Break, is designed to offer support and education to people affected by the disease. By making a contribution at a participating business such as Scotiabank and Joey's Only in Simcoe, the money is then donated to the society. This is the 11th year for the Alzheimer Coffee Break in Norfolk. .

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Next hot commodity? Arabica coffee beans

2006-09-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

New York, home of the $4 cup of coffee, may be where the commodity gets its next price jolt. Prices for arabica coffee beans on the New York Board of Trade could climb more than 20 percent in the next 12 months and outperform some of this year's best commodities investments, including copper and silver. Demand for the beans is coming from Procter & Gamble Co., whose Folgers brand is the best-selling U.S. coffee, and Kraft Foods Inc., the maker of Maxwell House. Coffee sellers are turning to the arabica beans traded mostly in New York after a cheaper coffee variety called robusta rallied to a seven-year high in London last month. "Now that robusta is moving up, it's bringing other grades into play," said Raymond Keane, a coffee trader in Charleston, S.C., for Balzac Bros.

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Ideas brew for charity coffee day

2006-09-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

HERTFORD Regional College will be joining in the fun next Friday (September 29) by taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning.The college is just one of many venues across the country that will be switching on its kettles to support the event in aid of the cancer based charity.Both of the college's centres, in Ware and Broxbourne, will be hosting the event between 10am and 12noon and look forward to welcoming staff, students and the public. For just a donation of £1 guests will receive a cup of coffee and a homemade biscuit or cake.Last year, a staggering £6.5 million was raised from coffee events held across the UK, which helped Macmillan to improve the lives of those affected by cancer by providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support and pushing for better cancer care.If you would like to show your support head to either the Bistro at the College's Ware Centre or the Student Centre at the Broxbourne Centre and make your cup of coffee count.

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