Top Coffee Brands: Coffee Brands

Many coffee brands are on the market today. Some are well-known while others are not . The history of some of these top coffee brands might surprise some people.

Starbucks

Everyone all over the world knows the coffee brand Starbucks. Starbucks started off as a coffee shop in Seattle. Starbucks was named after the coffee-loving sailor in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. From its humble beginnings, Starbucks has turned into a billion dollar corporation with coffee outlets all over the word.

Rather than just remaining a coffee shop, Starbucks went into the roasting business and sells its own blend of coffee. Though Starbucks sells different kinds of coffee, the “Starbucks” coffee (House blend) is the most famous. The Starbucks house blend is a medium-roast insert link for coffee roast page on the word roast coffee. It has a well-rounded and balanced taste. At any Starbucks, they will display the color of the bean, which is always a nice brown color. This color is what a bean should look like in a medium roast coffee.

Peet’s

Peet’s is another Seattle coffee shop that has spread its way into the rest of the country. Peet’s was actually the precursor to Starbucks.

Peet’s coffee tends to be a little darker than Starbucks’ coffee because it is roasted a little longer. Peet’s coffee is for those who prefer a more bold taste than the Starbucks house blend.

The Connection Between Starbucks and Peet’s

People are familiar with these top coffee brands, but many don’t know that Starbucks and Peet’s have a shared history.

Peet’s was founded by Alfred Peet. He introduced specialty coffee to Seattle. The founders of Starbucks worked at Peet’s so they could learn all there was to know about coffee. They learned how to roast, sell, and buy specialty coffee from Peet’s. The founders of Starbucks went on to found their own coffee shop, eventually expanding to five shops.

In 1984, Peet decided to retire, so he sold his five Peet’s shops to Starbucks (which also had five stores at the time). At that time the Marketing Director of Starbucks Howard Shultz had a concept of opening Italian-style coffee bars after a trip to Italy. He went on to found a coffee bar in this style called Il Giornale.

Then, in 1987, Schultz and a group of investors got together to buy Starbucks. He then changes the name of Il Giornale to Starbucks, while the original founders kept Peet’s. Schultz went on to make Starbucks the name brand that it is today.

Oddly enough, Jerry Baldwin, an original founder of Starbucks, is still the director of Peet’s. So, these two organizations have a long history together.

Other Top Coffee Brands

Many of the other top brands of coffee are available at local grocery stores. They tend not to be “specialty” coffees. Most of them you know:

Folgers
Maxwell House
Seattle’s Best
Nescafe

The quality varies on these other coffee brands. Some are expensive, whereas others are ground from inexpensive beans. The flavors vary, but it depends on what things people look for in coffee that decides whether to choose them over the well-known “specialty” blends from Starbucks and Peet’s.

Carbs, Calories, and Coffee Drinks - Latte Cappuccino Mocha Espresso Calories and Carbs

By Laura Dolson, About.com

When did it happen that a plain ole cuppa Joe (zero carbs, zero calories) morphed into a white chocolate mocha with whipped cream -- with 58 carbs, 510 calories for a “medium” 16 oz? Yikes! Coffee shops have become places filled with land mines waiting to explode in the bodies of diet-conscious customers. Splurges that used to be reserved for very special desserts have become everyday morning experiences for anyone within sight of one of these coffee stores, from the multi-national chains to the small local cafes.
What Are All These Coffee Drinks?
Yes, you can still get a plain cup of coffee at any coffee store. Or you can get fancy roasts, flavored coffees, and custom blends from all over the world. From a nutritional point of view, whether you’re talking about mocha java or Maxwell House, this is still just coffee, with negligible calories and carbohydrate. The fancy drinks that are making so much money for the coffee chains such as Starbucks are not just made from coffee, they are made from espresso.
What is Espresso?
Espresso is an Italian way of forcing hot water through slow-roasted, finely ground coffee beans. The result is a thick, intense drink which is popular in Italy. In the U.S. it is more often the base for other coffee drinks (often NOT made in traditional Italian ways) such as:

* Cappuccino: Espresso with some milk and a lot of milk foam, sometimes with cinnamon or cocoa powder sprinkled on top
* Latte: Espresso with a lot of milk in it
* Mocha: Latte with chocolate and (often) whipped cream on top
* Americano: Espresso shot with enough hot water to fill the cup
* Macchiato: Espresso shot with a small amount of frothed milk

How Many Carbs and Calories Are in Coffee Drinks?
A shot of espresso (at least in the U.S.) is an ounce (2 tablespoons) of liquid. Imagine 2 tablespoons in the bottom of your cup -- it isn’t much! So the rest of the cup is filled up with something else. The rub, as far as carbs and calories go, is what that something else is. If it’s milk, that\'s 11.4 grams of carbohydrate per cup (and 146 calories) for whole milk, 11.9 grams of carb (and 86 calories) for fat-free. Half and half is 10.4 grams per cup – again, not a lot of difference in carbs, but double the calories and three times the saturated fat of whole milk. And cream? A cup of heavy cream has 6.6 grams of carbohydrate, and (get ready for it) 821 calories and 55 grams of saturated fat.

As you have probably figured out, the nutritional information for coffee drinks that are mainly espresso and milk don’t vary that much from shop to shop, but once you start adding things like sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate, there is more variation.

* Cappuccino –
o 12 oz – 10 grams carb, 80-120 calories depending on milk (more for half and half)
o 16 oz – 15 grams carb, 100-180 calories
o 20 oz – 17 grams carb, 130-210 calories
* Latte –
o 12 oz – 16 grams carb, 120-200 calories
o 16 oz – 21 grams carb, 160-260 calories
o 20 oz – 27 grams carb, 210-340 calories
* Mocha –
o 12 oz – 28-37 grams carb, 170-358 calories (Dunkin Donuts’ 10 oz mocha has 37 grams of carbs for a mere 10 oz drink)
o 16 oz - 33-42 grams carb, 210-433 calories
o 20 oz – 43-56 grams carb, 260-490 calories


Other flavorings can add varying amounts of carbohydrates and calories. Fancy drinks like caramel whip extravaganzas can add many more carbs and calories. Even flavored syrups take their toll. One “pump” of flavoring from syrups with sugar has about 5 grams of carb and 20 calories. Usually 3 of these “pumps” are put into a 12 oz coffee drink, 4 into a 16 oz drink, and 5 into a 20 oz drink. So adding flavored syrup can add 25 grams of carbohydrate and 100 calories to a large drink. On the other hand, sugar-free syrups don’t add any carbs or calories.
Suggestions
How can you enjoy your coffee and not overdo? Obviously, the best thing is to just drink regular coffee, putting a small amount of milk or sweetener in it. A plain espresso, caffee Americano or Macchiato (see above) are other options. If you want something fancier, cappuccinos have the least added carbs, and you can even add a sugar-free syrup for more flavor. If you are making lattes at home, or are willing to tote extra ingredients when you go out, try unsweetened soy milk. It has just 2-3 grams of carb per cup. (The soy milk in coffee shops is almost always sweetened.) You can order a plain espresso, which often comes in a 10 oz cup, and add your own soy milk and sweetener.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to get to know how they make the drinks at your favorite coffee haunt. Make friends with the barrista, and find out how they do things and how you can minimize your “sugar exposure” while enjoying coffee drinks.

Save money by brewing espresso at home!

Coffee has become America's most popular beverage. How much money a year do you spend on coffee? Let's say most people drop by their local Starbucks on their way to work, to pick up a grande Hazelnut Mocha w/Whip Cream.

That's $3.90, and assuming most people drop in those 10 cents of change in the tip jar, you've just purchased a $4.00 drink.

Let's take a look at the numbers here.

$4.00/drink x 5 days/week = $20
$20/week x average of 50 weeks/year = $1000

Yes, that's right. $1000 a year spent on coffee.

And you're probably saying, "but I need my coffee!" And that's probably true. I love my coffee too. But I'm not willing to spend $1000 a year on it.

So I found a solution that works for me, and will work for you: Buy an Espresso Machine. Did you know you can easily make your own drinks at home? It's simple, fun, and inexpensive.

A low grade machine such as a Mr. Coffee EspressoMachine costs approximately $60, yet still makes great coffee. Click here to read a review. It's perfect for those who want a quick latte before work or after dinner.

Spend $60 on a machine, buy a bottle of your favorite syrup (average 6 bucks), and a 1lb. bag of your favorite coffee roast (average $8/lb). Assuming you'll buy a few bags of coffee a year, let's just put a price of $100 to get started to brewing your own coffee.

You'll save $900+ a year on coffee. Your machine will last more then a year, so then after the first year, you'll be getting over 1000+ profit by brewing your own coffee at home.

Save money by making espresso at home!

Coffee Cantata

Bach wrote a Coffee Cantata. Take a look!

Coffeehouse Ponderings

I'm sitting in a downtown coffeeshop watching the cars drive by outside. Frank Sinatra is playing overhead, and I'm looking sadly at my empty mug. I love mochas. I was a good girl today, I only ordered a short! with plenty of whip cream, too. Nothing like the smell of coffee. Or the taste. Yay for coffee.

That's all I have to say. :)

3 Delicious Coffee Recipes

Spiced Orange Coffee

• 1 teaspoon fresh, grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 whole cloves
• Regular amount of your usual coffee or try Swiss Chocolate Orange flavored coffee

Add the above ingredients together and brew as normal. Place a slice of orange at the bottom or your cup. Pour in coffee and add suger and cream to taste. Top with whipping cream and sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon if so desired.

Coffee Milkshakes

• 1 pint of coffee ice cream
• 2 teaspoons finely ground coffee
• 4 to 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Instant coffee powder

Spoon coffee ice cream into blender. Add finely ground coffee. Blend on high until creamy smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of the vanilla ice cream to each glass. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee powder.

Frosty Mochas

• 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
• 1 pint of vanilla ice cream, softened
  
• 6 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
• 1 cup prepared cold coffee

Blend hot coffee and chocolate syrup in blender. Blend until smooth. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the softened ice cream and cold coffee. With a rotary beater, beat until smooth. Spoon into tall glasses and serve immediately.

Nacha Coffee

Nacha Coffee ® is 100% premium Arabica shaded-grown in Chiangmai, the northern part of Thailand with 3,500 feet above sea level. Careful hand-picking is critical to the quality of Nacha Coffee ®.

The rigorous process ensures that only ripe cherries are harvested. Once picked, the beans have to be separated from the cherries. The inner layers of the pulp and parchment are loosened by soaking and rinsed out. The beans are fermented, naturally sun-dried, then sorted for size and hand-graded to remove imprities. Roasting is done in small batches by a local expert to ensure superior quality and consistency.

Nacha Coffee ® is the best asian coffee in 2007 by SCAA USA, Long beach, CA!

http://www.NachaCoffeeUs.com/