Connoisseurs of filter coffee in South India and those non-resident South Indians who have settled in their land of opportunities abroad would not at all be overly enthralled by the entry into India of the US-based Starbucks, the maker of variegated liquid beverage. The Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Company has formed a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages (TGB), the partner of Tata Coffee, to dish out its bewildering variety of brews by proposing to open as many as 50 stores across the country with an initial investment of $80 million. It is only just a year ago that Starbucks forged an alliance with Tata Coffee Ltd to source and roast Arabica beans in India. Even as the Government has notified 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in single-brand retail, Starbucks, a retail giant with a colossal brand identity, is averse to testing the waters of India single-handedly but instead opted to ally with TGB which has a medley of expertise and experience gained over decades.

The Coffee Board, engaged in the task of regulating coffee production and exports, had a monopoly procurement of the beans but this was dismantled in the mid-1990s, enabling the private industry to establish itself in the beans business with Tata Coffee emerging as a big player. In fact, the Coffee Board which boasts of having scores of distribution and sales outlets pan-India is now relying increasingly on supply from private industry with the Department of Commerce weaning the Board imperceptibly but resolutely from its apron-strings in tune with market dynamics.

While announcing the JV formation in India, President of the Starbucks China and Asia Pacific region, Mr. John Culver said that the company is keen “to sell our products in multiple channels such as hotels, restaurants, colleges and universities”. At a time when the country's demographic dividend is a morale-booster to any overseas beverage makers to batten on, Starbucks' focus on youth is understandable. The café market in the country is reckoned at $170 million in 2010-11 which is likely to set a scorching pace at a compound annual growth rate of about 30 per cent over the next five years. Already, big players like Café Coffee Day (CCD), Barista (Lavazza), Costa Coffee and Italian coffee chain Testa Rossa have gained solid foothold in recent years in North which seldom saw coffee consumption in any distinct manner as is seen today.

Plain vanilla coffee that is being made using a conventional filter in most of the houses sans any adornment or the retinue of cream, a pump of flavoured syrup and some sugar are not bad for drinkers. In fact, most of the people who drink daily such a refreshing home-made cuppa could go lyrical about its callisthenic effect on the mind and on stimulating the nerves with the concurrent benefit of recharging the energy level to a new high. But one need not be a nutritionist to contend the most calorific drinks on offer by these cafes are the ones blended with sugary flavourings and crowned with whipped cream. Interestingly, Starbucks heralded 2012 in its own home turfs with the tidings that it would provide calorie information with their drinks so that customers can ‘make an informed decision at the counter'!

Starbucks maintained that 15 drinks from its repertoire fall under 150 calories—the equivalent of one average hot dog, even as it pigeonholed to name some of its less streamlined servings, headed by Praline Mocha with whipped cream. While even a large latte made with skimmed milk would not exceed 200 calories—around the same as a bowl of plain porridge--, the problem starts once the gullible consumers exercise their preferences for Praline Mocha with whipped cream or other servings lavishly which would add 2220 calories on those drinking an average of four cups a day! It is small wonder that that New York passed a law in 2009 compelling all chain cafes with 15 or more outlets to print the calorie count of each of their individual offerings in a font equal or larger in size to the name of the item, with a costly $2000 penalty for any contravention of this proviso.

How salutary such a legal provision in preventing people from wallowing in their coffee with all its supernumerary servings is still being debated in the US. But in India the consumer law provisions being measly and patchy, the situation may turn out to be unwholesome for millions of youth getting mired in café culture before long! It is time that the Indian authorities gave full freedom to Coffee Board to promote its own 16 South Indian coffee varieties(three of which are speciality coffee) carried forward from ages by the small, medium and large plantations within the country. Since coffee from coffee chains is invariably unhealthy than the one being made at home or being sold by the Coffee Board outlets with just milk and sugar simple offerings that it adds to caffeine, a bitter chemical.

Coffee Board can set up vending machines in malls/metro stations/universities/cinema halls to promote India-brand Arabica roasted and grounded fresh to serve the palates of those who seek simple coffee flavour and not the dressed-up beverage that would be lethal just as junk food in the long haul if you get addicted. This way the price per cuppa could come down drastically with the drinkers' thirst getting slaked in tow!

Unfortunately, India's per capita consumption is barely 90 grams as compared to 4.8 kgs in Brazil and 6 kgs in the United States, even as domestic consumption has been galloping annually with more than half coming from the non-traditional coffee-quaffing regions. Already, retail coffee outlets such as Barista and CCD have caught the fancy of the youth in the North, making other overseas retail café chains to enter the fray. It is time the authorities in India saw the writing on the wall to help promote the weal of Indians by making them aware of the risks in huge servings on coffee in preference to the simple serving that Indian coffee is traditionally known in general and south of Vindhyas in particular.

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So there you are, standing still within the aisle of a local superstore faced with shelves and shelves of coffee brewers. Trying to decide about the very best kind of machine for your needs. To make things even worse, perplexing sounding names such as espresso, drip, pod and French press leap across the shelves at you. This further complicates things as what the heck are these items you wonder. Well thankfully, when you conclude reading this post you will have a much better concept of what these terms mean and the function they carry out within the life of a coffee drinker.

Coffee makers have come a long way. From yesterday’s cowboy pots brewing coffee on top of the fire to today’s sleek gourmet brewers, there’s a brewer to suit every taste, every chosen lifestyle, every budget and every counter space. So where do you start finding the coffee maker of your dreams?

Before you proceed in the direction of the appliance aisle at your favorite outlet, perform a little groundwork. Think about what sort of coffee you like, how frequently you drink it, just how much space you’ve got for a coffee maker, and how much you are able to afford to spend for a brewer. These are the problems involved when making a decision whether or not to purchase an espresso or a non-espresso coffee maker.

Selecting a Coffee Brewer Espresso vs Non Espresso
Espresso coffee brewers are elegant. They cost more than other coffee brewers (some cost 1000′s of dollars) plus churn out a range of coffee types including cappuccino and lattes. Espresso brewers often make only a single mug at a time and require cleaning after each cup. The coffee is stronger than that made by other methods.

Genuine coffee aficionados regularly like to make use of the espresso brewer, above all the super automated versions that do the whole lot from grinding the coffee to pouring it into the cup.

Mainstream coffee drinkers who wish to have a carafe on hand at all times and are not interested in lattes or other variations of coffee are likely to prefer non-espresso coffee machines. Non-espresso coffee makers work well for people who like to start the coffee brewing and go on with their typical activities while it brews. They buy coffee already ground and do not bother with beans or grinding.

For coffee drinkers requiring size-able amounts of coffee, non-espresso is the way to go. Big percolator type coffee urns can be used to yield more than a hundred cups at one time.

They also prefer returning to the coffee pot time after time and refilling their coffee mug over making simply a mug at a time. Non-espresso type coffee machines are much cheaper than espresso makers.

Deciding on a Coffee Brewer Non-Espresso
These coffee makers are accessible in drip, French press and combination models. Drip machines often make 6 to ten cups of coffee at once. Intended for those who need a lesser quantity, it’s better to purchase a model that creates 4 individual cups (or less) at a time. Drip coffee machines are cheap and straightforward to make use of.

There are pod coffee machines available which employ single serving pods to prepare coffee. Pod coffee brewers can be low-cost but the coffee itself costs more than standard containers of pre-ground coffee.

French Press coffee makers are terrific for a few cups at once. Combination machines that includes both espresso and non-espresso coffee makers in a single machine are also available. These brewers provide coffee lovers the best of two worlds.

Picking a Coffee Machine Espresso
Espresso coffee brewers appear in semi-automatic, fully automated and super automatic versions. These machines turn out fewer mugs at a time and may require more time and attention than a regular drip coffee machine.

The more automated an espresso coffee maker is, the more options it will offer. A few manage everything from crushing the beans to filling the cup with coffee and ejecting the second-hand grounds.

The great number of features the espresso maker offers, the greater the price tag attached to buy it. These brewers might cost anywhere from hundreds of dollars to 1000′s of dollars.

The first decision to be made in deciding on a coffee maker is the necessity to resolve if an espresso brewer or a non-espresso coffee maker is needed. Coffee preferences, funds and amount to be made are factors that have an effect on the decision making procedure. Once you know the type you want, then you can start narrowing your hunt even more by thinking about the distinctive styles within the wider categories of espresso and non-espresso models.

This is when things can become enjoyable, believe it or not! Armed with your new found information you may now target precise brands of coffee machines within the kind that you prefer, for instance drip coffee machines, manual or automatic, and begin to do some research to establish what customers are saying about exact brand names. Used for this purpose, the World wide web is a great research tool as there are numerous evaluation and testing websites accessible to you using just a easy finger tap of a computer mouse button. Therefore pour yourself a cup of tea and let the search for the best coffee maker begin!

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Since its rise to popularity in 2006, the Keurig Brewing System has been as incredible addition to any home or office kitchen. Recently, the Keuirg's popularity has reached entirely new levels, making it one of the primary sources for coffee brewing no matter where you have your cup.

There really is no question as to why these coffee makers have become such a hit. The Keurig simply uses one K-cup, a small plastic container of coffee grinds, per cup of coffee. The machine allows the coffee drinker to not only choose their favorite flavor but also make one single serving of coffee without having to worry about drinking an entire pot.

With the Keurig's incredible convenience, it has been more than easy for people to overlook some of the flaws that come with the system in the past. However, as more controversy surfaces regarding the pollution to the environment that the system may cause, it's important to take a step away from the excitement and ease of the Keurig and acknowledge the flaws.

The K-cups, are made up of three equally important layers. The outermost layer is completely impermeable and has to be in order to keep out the contaminants that may ruin that fresh-tasting coffee. The next layer is simply Keurig's specialized filter, and then on top of the cup is an air-tight foil lid. Most of the environmental problems lie in the outermost layer. Because it is made so strong in order to protect against light, oxygen and moisture, is not biodegradable and therefore never gets broken down after it is thrown away. The foil on the lids of these cups is also to blame for these products not being recyclable, as it is made specifically with a polyethylene coating which is necessary for the Keurig brewing process.
The Keurig company acknowledges this problem with their product and is currently working on finding a solution. In a message to the public from the Keurig website, the company discusses their efforts stating that, "It is a challenge to create a portion pack that is recyclable and delivers an extraordinary cup of coffee; however, Keurig is actively working to meet this challenge head on."

Despite efforts to find a biodegradable version, researchers continue to struggle to uncover a completely feasible alternative to the already-successful K-cup. In the meantime, there are a few simple ways to reduce the pollution caused by Keurig use. There are a few popular items people are using with their K-cups to insure that the environment stays clean while they still get their morning caffeine.

One of the most popular of these items is the "My K Cup," which is a reusable coffee pod made by Keurig. Used in place of the disposable K-cups most coffee is found in, the "My K Cup" acts almost like miniature coffee filter that slides right into place where the K-cup would normally go. Even if it means washing and re-filling the "My K Cup" after each use, this alternative is simple in the fact that it works just as well and helps the environment too.

A second eco-friendly option for Keurig coffee drinkers, is the "My Kap" system, which is essentially a plastic cap that allows for reuse of each disposable K-cup many times before it's thrown away. To use the "My Kap" system, the plastic K-cup is simply rinsed out after use, filled with coffee grinds again and then closed up with a reusable cap that fits over the top of the pod. Even if each disposable cup is only reused three or four times, it is still reducing the number of pods that may be piling up in the landfills.

Even if Keurig has its environmental drawbacks, the company is intent on finding ways to remedy the situation. Still, while they continue to search for solutions, using some of the company's alternatives are easy ways to remain eco-friendly while still enjoying the coffee and brewing system that everyone loves.
"All companies have sustainability challenges," the Keurig company website continues. "What we believe makes us different is how we address that challenge—by embracing it, by running towards it, and using that tension to drive us towards new solutions."

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Being the coffee enthusiast that I am, I am constantly coming across some really amazing coffee mugs. Here are a few interesting ones that caught my eye. The Darth Vader Ceramic Mug is an awesome gift for any Star Wars enthusiast or movie buff. I must admit that I laughed hard when I saw this one. All that is missing is an audio button, “Luke, I am your father.”

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Arabica-coffee futures fell the most in a week on signs of increasing worldwide supplies. Sugar and cocoa prices rose. Global coffee output will be 132.4 million bags in the season that started in October, up 3.8 million bags from the December estimate, the International Coffee Organization said last week. Harvests are accelerating in Central America, Hernando de la Roche, the director of futures at INTL FCStone in Miami, said in a telephone interview. A bag weighs 60 kilograms, or 132 pounds.

Producers “have coffee to sell against March and May futures, and the industry may be waiting for prices to fall further” before buying, de la Roche said. Arabica coffee for March delivery fell 2.6 percent to settle at $2.1945 pound at 2 p.m. on ICE Futures in New York, the biggest drop for a most-active contract since Jan. 13. The commodity has declined 3.3 percent in January.

The market has been unable “to hold onto anything to the upside,” Drew Geraghty, a broker at ICAP Futures LLC in Jersey City, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. “There seems to be short selling from funds,” or bets that prices will drop, he said.

Raw-sugar futures for March delivery rose 0.3 percent to 24.96 cents a pound in New York. The price advanced for the sixth straight session, the longest rally since November 2010. The commodity has climbed 7.1 percent in January.

On NYSE Liffe in London, refined-sugar futures rose for the 12th straight session, the longest rally since 1989. Cocoa futures for March delivery advanced 0.4 percent to $2,269 a metric ton in New York. The price has climbed 7.6 percent this month.

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Coffee output in the current crop year 2011-12 could be lower than the initial estimates on decline in yields, especially of the robusta variety. The harvest of robusta has begun in some coffee zones in Karnataka and the trade expects about a 10 per cent decline in crop.

In its post-blossom or initial estimates, the state-run Coffee Board had pegged the 2011-12 crop at 3.22 lakh tonnes (lt), with a projected Arabica output at 1.04 lt and Robustas at 2.17 lt. The coffee crop has a bi-annual cycle, wherein the crop size peaks every alternate year. Last year was an ‘on year' for the Indian coffee, where the production peaked to 3.02 lt.

The harvest of Arabicas, the milder and premium varieties has almost been complete. “The Arabica output is broadly in line with the estimates. However, the robusta crop is seen lower. Being an ‘off-year,' we doubt whether the plants have strength to deliver another huge crop this year,” said Mr Ramesh Rajah, President, Coffee Exporters Association. Mr Rajah expects the 2011-12 crop at around 3 lt, almost same as last year.

The Coffee Board Chairman, Mr Jawaid Akhtar, said the board was still in the process of post-monsoon crop assessment and will finalise its estimates in a couple of weeks.

Even coffee growers feel that the crop size would shrink on lower Robusta output. Mr Marvin Rodrigues, Chairman, Karnataka Planters Association, said based on initial trends in harvest the robusta crop could be lower by about 10 per cent than the post-blossom estimates.

“A clearer picture would emerge in a couple of weeks as harvest would commence across all coffee zones,” Mr Rodrigues, also a large grower, said. The robusta output had touched an all time high of 2.07 lt in 2010-11, with the previous high being 1.96 lt in 2000-01.

Another grower, Mr K.A. Bopanna, partner of Kaapi Royale with estates in Coorg and Chikmagalur, said the robusta crop was down by about 20 per cent this year.

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Your morning "cup of Joe" may do more than deliver the jolt you need to get going -- it may also help you stave off type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. But, before you pour yourself a second cup know this: The study authors said their research was done with cell cultures and there's no proof yet that coffee has any ability to keep type 2 diabetes at bay.

Past research has suggested a link between coffee and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and now Chinese researchers behind the new study think they may know why that may be so. They found three major compounds in coffee that may provide potentially beneficial effects: caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeine.

"These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of coffee consumption on type 2 diabetes mellitus may be partly due to the ability of the major coffee components and metabolites to inhibit the toxic aggregation of hIAPP (human islet amyloid polypeptide)," Ling Zheng, professor of cellular biology at Wuhan University in China, and colleagues wrote.

Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is a substance normally found in the pancreas, according to background information in the study. Sometimes, however, abnormal protein deposits (toxic aggregation) arise from hIAPP. These abnormal deposits (amyloid fibrils) are found in people with type 2 diabetes, the study authors said.

The researchers wondered if blocking formation of these deposits could help prevent or treat type 2 diabetes, the more common form of the blood sugar disorder. The next step would be to find a substance that might prevent these deposits.

In 2009, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that people who drank the most coffee seemed to have the lowest risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That study reported that with each cup of coffee consumed daily, the risk of type 2 diabetes dropped by 7 percent. So, the researchers behind the new study conducted laboratory experiments to see if compounds found in coffee could inhibit the production of the abnormal protein deposits associated with hIAPP.

Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeine -- the three most common components in coffee, the study authors said -- helped reduce the abnormal protein deposits, but caffeic acid appeared most effective.
"Our results suggest that caffeic acid had the greatest effects in the major components of coffee. The rankings for beneficial effects of coffee compounds against the toxic hIAPP aggregation are caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeine," Zheng and study co-author Kun Huang, professor of biological pharmacy at the Huazhong University of Science & Technology in Wuhan, explained in an email interview.

Because decaffeinated coffee contains even higher levels of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid than caffeinated coffee, the beneficial effect may be even stronger for decaffeinated coffee, they added.
The investigators pointed out that this work has only been done in cells, so it's not clear if this is how coffee might help prevent diabetes in the body.

A U.S. diabetes expert was guardedly optimistic about the study's conclusions. "Scientifically, this is a very nice paper, but it has its limitations," said Dr. Vivian Fonseca, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association. "This was done in cells, not in animals or people. We also don't know if the (abnormal deposits arising from hIAPP) are the most important thing in the development of type 2 diabetes, or if it's something that develops later."

In addition, Fonseca said, the study that found a link between a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coffee was an epidemiological study. That means the study couldn't prove cause and effect, only that there was an association between those two factors. It could be that people who drink coffee have other habits that lower their risk of diabetes.

The bottom line, said Fonseca, is it's way too soon to make any recommendations about drinking coffee to prevent diabetes. But, he added, "if you want to prevent diabetes, there are some very straightforward things to do. You can walk for 30 minutes most days of the week, and reduce calories a little bit and reduce your weight a little."

Zheng and Huang also pointed out that their study looked strictly at coffee. "Our study does not imply that the cream and sugar served with coffee will be beneficial for type 2 diabetes," they said. The study was funded by grants from various Chinese governmental agencies. Results of the study were published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

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Tata Coffee said that the alliance with Starbucks may start by January-end. Starbucks is likely to open outlets by December end, reports CNBC-TV18, quoting Newswire18. Tata Coffee touched an intraday high of Rs 875.75 and an intraday low of Rs 801. At 12:05 hrs the share was quoting at Rs 869.35, up Rs 8.15, or 0.95%.
 
It was trading with volumes of 380,746 shares, compared to its 5-day average of 184,511 shares, an increase of 106.35%.  In the previous trading session, the share closed up 1.49% or Rs 12.65 at Rs 861.20. ( Enjoy Moneycontrol.com on iPad and be prepared for a fantastic experience. Get real time stock quotes, interactive charts, market buzz, and watch CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz live on your iPad. Check out the free moneycontrol app

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Coffee futures fell to a one-week low in New York on signs that global production will increase. Sugar and cocoa advanced. The worldwide coffee market may have a surplus in the season starting in October as output expands in Brazil, the world’s biggest grower, Commerzbank AG said today in a report. Global production will be 132.4 million bags in the current season, up 3 percent from a December forecast, the International Coffee Organization said yesterday. “The ICO news is weighing on the market,” Drew Geraghty, a broker at ICAP Futures LLC in Jersey City, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. Arabica coffee for March delivery slipped less than 0.1 percent to close at $2.2515 a pound at 1:51 p.m. on ICE Futures U.S. in New York. Earlier, the price touched $2.211, the lowest for a most-active contract since Jan. 9.

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Coffee drinking has been linked with a reduced risk of diabetes, and now Chinese researchers think they may know why. Three compounds found in coffee seem to block the toxic accumulation of a protein linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

''We found three major coffee compounds can reverse this toxic process and may explain why coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes," says researcher Kun Huang, PhD, a professor of biological pharmacy at the Huazhong University of Science & Technology.

Previous studies have found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 50% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The new study is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Coffee and Diabetes Risk: Explaining Why It May Work

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. In those who have it, the body does not have enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. The hormone insulin, made by the pancreas, is crucial to move glucose to the cells for energy.

Other researchers have linked the ''misfolding'' of a protein called hIAPP (human islet amyloid polypeptide) with an increased risk of diabetes. HIAPP is similar to the amyloid protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease, Huang says. When these HIAPP deposits accumulate, they can lead to the death of cells in the pancreas, Huang tells WebMD. The Chinese researchers looked at three major active compounds in coffee and their effect on stopping the toxic accumulation of the protein:

Caffeine
Caffeic acid or CA
Chlorogenic acid or CGA
"We exposed hIAPP to coffee extracts, and found caffeine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid all inhibited the formation of toxic hIAPP amyloid and protected the pancreatic cells," Huang tells WebMD. All three had an effect. However, caffeic acid was best. Caffeine was the least good of the three.

Those results suggest decaf coffee works, too, to reduce risk, Huang says. "In decaffeinated coffee, the percentage contents of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid are even higher [than in regular coffee], whereas the level of caffeine is greatly reduced." "We expect that decaffeinated coffee has at least equal or even higher beneficial effect compared to the regular caffeinated types," Huang says.

In patients who already have diabetes, he says, several studies suggest decaf is better for them than regular coffee. The National Basic Research Program of China, the Natural Science Foundation of China, and other non-industry sources funded the research.

Coffee and Diabetes Risk: Perspective
Explaining the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes among coffee drinkers is an ongoing effort, according to Vivian Fonseca, MD, president for medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association. He is a professor of medicine at Tulane University, New Orleans.

He reviewed the study findings for WebMD. There are many possible mechanisms for explaining the link, he tells WebMD. The Chinese researchers, he says, ''have identified a fairly novel one."

However, he cautions that the study was done in the laboratory. "The next step would be to do studies in animals,'' he says. Next would be studies in people. The lab and animal findings don't always translate to human studies, he says.

Joe Vinson, PhD, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton who has researched coffee, also reviewed the study findings. "We know that coffee can help prevent type 2 diabetes and this may be just one of the ways it can do that," he says of the new research. "There may be more."

However, the concentrations of coffee compounds used in the study appear much higher than what the body would get from typical coffee consumption, Vinson says. Vinson reports being a paid speaker at two National Coffee Association meetings.

Coffee and Diabetes Risk: Take-Homes
There are many measures to take to reduce diabetes risk, Fonseca says. "Walk 30 minutes a day, lose 5% of your body weight if you are overweight," he says. "While doing that, if you drink a couple of cups of coffee it won't hurt you."

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