Please excuse the lengthy title, and I don’t expect many of you to be particularly familiar with the Harris + Hoole coffee chain, but don’t worry, you will be. Coffee culture is as big a part of society in the UK as it is here in the States, and similarly, there’s no shortage of coffee drama in the UK either. Harris + Hoole is a chain of 10 cafes in the UK that opened up in 2012, identifiable by their trendy interiors and little guy feel, aka, they aren’t like Starbucks.

For the average coffee drinking citizen, Harris + Hoole must have seemed like a great alternative. Founded and operated by the three Tolley siblings, coffee entrepreneurs and down to earth people, how could one say no? That is, until their secret got out. Enter Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world and rumored 49% shareholder of Harris + Hoole. The company’s CEO, Nick Tolley, claimed that Tesco would have little to do with day to day operations and the Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke made a claim that the Harris + Hoole brand had its own value and that it was the Tolley’s business and that they (Tesco) were merely helping them to realize their potential.

Needless to say however, people felt duped. Their lovely indie coffee shop was actually funded by a huge retailer, and to great effect mind you, as there are plans to open an 11th H+H store in Whitstable in the UK. Many people have now claimed that they wouldn’t have had anything to do with Harris + Hoole if they had known Tesco was involved from the beginning. That, and the majority of the backlash the company has faced was due to people have felt that they were mislead, that a corporate behemoth was masquerading as a family owned coffee chain.

Bear with me now as I segue to our next topic of discussion to events taking place here in the US. I’ll admit that reading about the whole Harris + Hoole situation was interesting to me on its own, but a recent development has got me thinking about it even more. When I found out that the Denver based coffee distributor Boyer Coffee Co. had just named former Walmart executive Mark Goodman as their president and CEO it got me thinking. According to Pamela Boyer, the daughter of the company’s founder, Goodman was hired as a result of her father’s wishes to find a “...professional executive that could lead Boyer coffee to the next level of growth...” At the moment, Boyer is a roaster and distributor that operates out of an old schoolhouse that was converted into a cafe and roasting facility. Also, Boyer’s cafe is incredibly charming.

So for a recap, Boyer is a local roaster in Denver, family owned, operates out of a delightful converted schoolhouse, and just hired a former Walmart  executive to help “lead Boyer coffee to the next level of growth.” When the Tolley family needed money, they turned to Tesco. With a former Walmart executive in charge Boyer Coffee Co. it’ll be interesting to see where they might turn. Might the Boyer family turn to Walmart under Goodman’s guidance to acquire the resources to grow and expand their company?

While all of this is me speculating, I couldn’t help but notice some of the parallels in the circumstances. Will Boyer Coffee Co. become the next Harris + Hoole? And more importantly, would people accept a chain of cafes owned by Walmart? Can specialty coffee blend with big business? The Tolleys did it, it’ll be interesting to see who else throws their hat into the ring.

Coffee and Soda, I’ve written about them before, and probably will again because I’ve found that tea pertaining to coffee has a tendency to now and again coincide with what’s going on in the world of soda. It would be hard for anyone to deny that coffee has become increasingly more popular in the US within the last few decades. With cafes like Starbucks popping up on every corner, and home baristas taking the plunge into the world of specialty coffee, it’s no surprise that as we drink more coffee, we’d be drinking less of something else. In this case, that something is soda.

Now, while all of this makes sense, something about these former soda drinkers might surprise you, most of them are young people. People between the ages of 18 and 24 are among those who have begun substituting coffee for soda. Looking at this demographic, the first thing that comes to mind is college students. I know that in college I guzzled coffee like I had a wooden leg, and I haven’t stopped since. Cafes suit the “on the go” lifestyle of college students and as we become more and more conscious of our health, alternatives to sugary drinks become even more attractive. In my last article regarding coffee and soda, I took a look at a press release from the American Academy of Neurology, linking increased soda drinking with an increased risk of depression, and increased coffee drinking with a lowered risk.

The last, and possibly the largest facet to trend is the rise of coffee culture, which is a global phenomenon. Among our own citizens as well as those in India and China, more and more people with disposable incomes (middle class young people primarily) are flocking to cafes for a place to sit back, socialize, and sip on a latte. Why else would Starbucks be pushing so hard in the Asian market? And, according to a graph published in The Atlantic Magazine, soda revenues have decreased rather steeply from 2005 to present, whereas coffee revenues have been steadily increasing.

Declining revenues don’t mean that soda is going away forever however. New alternatives to traditionally buying a 12 pack or a 2 liter at the store, such as the popular Soda Stream, provide people with a means to still enjoy soda in a more affordable and environmentally friendly way. The point is, people still drink soda, and still enjoy soda, despite the dangers associated with it and the efforts of some politicians to better control it. The beverage as a whole has come under a lot of scrutiny lately, scrutiny which has caused it to be shunned in favor for coffee (in some cases).

I can’t say I’m super surprised by things happening the way they are, I’m actually quite happy about it. Personally, I don’t drink that much soda, and with all I’ve been reading lately, I’m just fine with that. At the end of the day, there’s really only so much you can drink of anything, and in my case, I’d prefer it was coffee.

The results of this year’s Good Food Awards were a pleasant surprise for us Rochester, NY residents, with our very own Joe Bean Coffee Roasters’  Nicaragua Don Roger direct trade coffee being selected as one of 15 finalists in the coffee category.

For those of you who didn’t know, the Good Food Awards are the result of a collaboration of farmers, journalists, grocers, and producers involved in the food industry through the organizational efforts of Seedling Projects, an organization dedicated to sustainable food. The key criteria required of entrants is that their product reflects a commitment to environmentally and socially sustainable food.

The Nicaragua Don Roger coffee is grown and processed by a one Mr. Roger Mairena whose high standards and incredibly well maintained farm allowed him to produce some award winning coffee. As for the aforementioned Joe Bean Coffee Roasters, they’re a local coffee roaster and cafe located at 1344 University Avenue right here in Rochester. In any case, it’s always nice when somebody from the local community is recognized for what they do. Bravo, Joe Bean!

The names are in! 14 coffee houses have been selected to participate in the preliminary round of the America’s Best Coffeehouse Competition for the Eastern Region. The competition is one of many events under the umbrella of Coffee Fest, which is a series of specialty coffee events and tradeshows that originated back in 1992. This particular competition sets out to find the top three coffee houses in the Eastern Region of both the United States and Canada. This year, the following coffee houses were selected for competition:

• Barbaric Bean Coffee Roasters, 48 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove, NJ.
  
• Bold Bean Coffee Roasters,869 Stockton Street Suite 1-2, Jacksonville, FL.
• Coffee Tea and Me, 421 Main St, Melrose, MA.
• Lalajava Coffeehouse, 290 W. Main Street, Northborough, MA.
• Molten Java,213 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, CT.
• Mudhouse, Downtown Mall, 213 W. Main St., Charlottesville, VA.
• Muggswigz,137 Walnut Ave. NE, Canton, OH.
• Mugshots Coffeehouse,1925 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA.
• Nolita Mart & Espresso Bar, 156 Mott Street, New York, NY.
• Peregrine Espresso, 660 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast, Washington, DC.
• Phoenix Coffee Company, 1700 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH
• Red Velvet Cafe, 1188 Hill Road N, Pickerington, OH.
• Thinking Cup, 165 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.
• Town Hall Coffee, 358 Montgomery Ave, Merion Station, PA.

What happens next? There will be a 30 day period of fan voting and secret judges and shoppers visiting each of the coffeehouses, after which the 14 contestants will be narrowed down to 8 on February 14th. Head on over to the Coffee Fest website to cast your vote for your favorite coffee shop in the Eastern Region!

With the New Year comes new goals and like many, I’m aiming to get fit and drop a few pounds. For me, it‘s all about making exercise a priority and changing my diet to opt for healthier versions of the things I consume on a regular basis. This year, I’ve started off in full force at the gym and in the spirit of healthier alternatives, I’m drinking Skinny Lattes.

A regular 8oz. latte has 150 calories and 70 calories from fat while an 8oz. Skinny Latte has only 90 calories and 0 fat calories. This one small change in my diet is saving me 60 calories per day. That might not seem like much, but it adds up to 21,900 calories per year!

A Skinny Latte is made with espresso and non-fat milk instead of whole or 2% milk. If you want to add some flavoring and keep it skinny, you can add sugar-free syrup in place of regular syrup or flavoring. Monin Sugar-Free Syrups have 0 calories while regular syrups add about an additional 100 calories to your drink.

Check out my video to see how easy a Skinny Latte is to make!

Anybody with a latte habit can tell you how expensive it can get, but what if you didn’t have to pay for your coffee, just your time? Russian entrepreneur Ivan Meetin turned this concept into a reality with his chain of cafes where people are charged based on how long they spend in the cafe and not the amount of coffee they drink. From a business standpoint, it makes pretty good sense though. For many people, the coffee is secondary to the welcoming environment of a cafe, where you can generally find things like free wifi, plush furniture and a cozy atmosphere.

Part of the reason coffee chains like Starbucks have taken off now in India and China is the appeal of having a place to go to spend time with friends or simply to get out of the house and relax. For somebody who drinks a lot of coffee paying for just the time might be a pretty sweet deal actually.

Frothing milk is a tricky business. Much like brewing espresso, there are a number of factors and techniques to consider when trying to create the perfect microfoam. While we've made tutorials and videos outlining the steps to making a good cappuccino or latte, we've never really addressed the subject of frothing with different kinds of milk... until now.

Today was an exciting day as we assembled participants for an event that came to be dubbed the "Froth Off." Assembling five identical Gaggia Brera espresso machines and five different kinds of milk (Soy, Skim, 1%, 2%, and Whole) we made a cappuccino with each one to see what differences we could find. But, before moving on to our findings, here's a little chart we threw together outlining the calorie information for the milk we used.

Calories per 1/2 cup:
Soy: 45 (2x the calcium of dairy milk)
Skim: 45
1%: 55
2%: 65
Whole: 75

As you can see, the results of our little experiment were rather varied. The separation of layers in the Soy and Skim milk was surprisingly more pronounced than the other varieties. In terms of what I'll call “foam longevity” the Skim milk held its foam for quite a while, whereas the foam on the Soy milk fell rather quickly. The foam on the 1%, 2%, and Whole milks was pretty consistent, although it seemed a bit creamier on the whole milk. The coolest thing I found about all this was that no matter what kind of milk you enjoy, you can still steam and froth it for your favorite drinks.

General Frothing Tips

• Purge your wand first! Before frothing, always make sure to purge any that might have condensed in your steam wand before frothing.
• Keep things cold! Cold milk and a cold pitcher will give you a little more time to work with your milk. When frothing, always keep the temperature of the milk below 160 degrees. Using a frothing thermometer is a good way to keep an eye on how hot your milk is getting.
• To stop frothing, cover the air intake hole! When frothing with a pannarello wand, if you simply want to heat the milk as opposed to frothing it, submerge the air intake hole on the side of the wand in your milk.

Vinegar is an incredibly versatile product and has become a household staple as it is cheap, widely available, and can be used for just about anything. One misconception about vinegar is that it is a good way to clean and descale coffee machines. While it may sound self-serving, here’s why it is a bad idea to use vinegar:

1. The vinegar leaves a strong odor (as everyone knows) that can co-mingle with coffee oil, turning your fresh brew into a “fresh ew.”
2. It does not clean! While vinegar might be able to gently break down some hard water deposits, it does not effectively clean your coffee machine or remove oils.
3. It takes forever to rinse: our tests show that vinegar takes 3.5 times longer to rinse out of a drip brewer or capsule machine than does Dezcal,Full Circle Descaler, or other Urnex Brands, Inc. products.

There you have it: vinegar is great for almost anything. Rather than waste water trying to rinse out your semi-cleaned and now-smelly coffee machine, use a professionally formulated coffee machine cleaner or descaler.

And to prove that we at Urnex do not hate vinegar, here are a few of our favorite places to use vinegar (just some of the 1,001 ways to use vinegar):

1. Wacky cake—quick rise cake made without yeast, eggs, butter, or milk
2. Easter eggs—vinegar is an important component for coloring!
3. Window cleaner—simply combine vinegar, water, and some elbow grease!
4. Salad dressing—it’s as easy as olive oil and vinegar!
5. Pickling—come on, who doesn’t love pickles?

For people relying on caffeinated beverages to make it through the day, the choice between coffee and soda may have just become even more cut and dry. A press release from the American Academy of Neurology outlines the findings of a study authored by Dr. Honglei Chen, MD, PHD that suggests the drinking coffee may lower a person’s risk of developing depression, whereas drinking soda and other sugary drinks had the potential to increase it.

For approximately 10 years some 262,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71 were monitored and their drink choices examined; after the 10 year period, the participants were asked if they had been diagnosed with depression. The study found that 11,311 of the participants had in fact been diagnosed as clinically depressed and a correlation was found between increased risks of depression and the consumption of sugary drinks such as soda and fruit punch.

People who drank more than four cups of soda a day were found to be at a 30 percent greater risk of developing depression, and the risks were even higher for those people who drank diet sodas. Alternatively, the study also found that drinking four cups of coffee a day reduced the risk of developing depression by 10 percent. Dr. Chen suggests that replacing sweetened and sugary drinks with unsweetened coffee may be a natural means of reducing a person’s depression risk.

So, the next time you’re looking for a boost, ditch the diet and stay away from the sugar, a better alternative exists, and its name is coffee.