| Five on test: coffee-makers | | Posted Monday, January 29, 2007 12:49:43 PM by Blog57 Team | | Colin McAllister, one half of the now infamous design duo 'Colin and Justin' from Channel Five, is standing in his south Kensington kitchen, doing his impersonation of 'a fabulous American waitress' pouring coffee in a diner with a chunky Cuisinart coffee pot. Hand on hip, Colin pouts: 'Can I getcha ya more cawfee?' while Justin Ryan chuckles. These two don't really need a coffee-maker (they have their very own built-in apparatus) but judging by their crazy schedule, they definitely need caffeine. Colin and Justin have just spent practically every day of the past 10 months revamping and renovating the Arden council estate in Glasgow, for their latest show, Colin and Justin on the Estate. .... | |
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| | | Why a cup of instant coffee could spell doom for last hairy rhino | | Posted Saturday, January 20, 2007 2:50:39 PM by Blog57 Team | | After surviving the incursions of poachers, loggers and farmers, one of the last great tracts of protected virgin rainforest in South-East Asia is now being destroyed because of booming coffee exports, according to conservationists. They estimate that about 20 per cent of the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra has been hacked down for illicit plantations. If the destruction continues unchecked in the 340,000-hectare (840,000-acre) park, some of Asia?s last surviving tigers and the critically endangered hairy rhino, as well as elephants, could vanish within a decade because of the world?s craving for caffeine. Gone in an Instant, a report published today by WWF, blames international coffee companies for buying illicit coffee ? often unknowingly ? from middlemen who abuse a lack of regulations to mix beans from the 20,000 tonnes grown illegally inside the park with legitimate crops from elsewhere in Lampung province.... | |
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| | | Coffee creation simple, exacting | | Posted Sunday, December 24, 2006 2:49:33 PM by Blog57 Team | | It was bound to happen sooner or later; I suppose the only wonder is that it took so long. After dinner a couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me for a cup of coffee. And that's when I realized I had no earthly idea how to make one. I'm 51 years old, and I've been cooking seriously for more than 25 years. I've written two cookbooks. Yet I didn't know how to make a really good cup of coffee. (And judging from what I'm usually served in restaurants, I wasn't alone.) I'm something of a minor-league coffee geek, complete with a really good home espresso machine (Rancilio Silvia), top-quality grinder (Gaggia MDF) and a standing order at a local roaster (the Caffe d'Abruzzo blend from Supreme Bean in North Hollywood). I can talk tamp pressures and extraction times with most anyone.... | |
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| | | GADGETS: Built-in coffee | | Posted Sunday, December 17, 2006 12:50:06 PM by Blog57 Team | | Quicker than you can say Starbucks, appliance makers are heating things up in the kitchen with built-in coffee-brewing systems designed for cappuccino and latte lovers. European manufacturers Bosch and Gaggenau have introduced sleek, stainless models. Created largely as kitchen appliances, the machines could be installed by homeowners and set up as coffee bars in a dining room, home office or den. The Bosch Benvenuto allows users to pour in whole coffee beans and set the grind coarseness. A removable water filter takes care of any metallic taste and impurities. This machine comes with a frothing attachment and makes espresso, cappuccino and hot water for tea or hot chocolate. The price: $1,999; www.boschappliances.com. Gaggenau takes a similar approach with gorgeous brushed stainless or aluminum models of the CM 200.... | |
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| | | Product recalls: Coffee makers, plush toys, tents, climbing ... | | Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2006 12:51:09 PM by Blog57 Team | | Starbucks is recalling about 73,000 Barista Aroma stainless steel eight-cup coffee brewers. The brewers may have defective electrical wiring that can result in overheating, smoking, burning and melting, posing a possible fire hazard. Starbucks has received 23 reports of melting in the plastic housing of the brewers. The recall includes the Starbucks Barista Aroma eight-cup brewer only. "Starbucks Barista Aroma" is embossed on the front of the brewer and the brewer has silver control panel buttons and a chrome finish. The products were sold at Starbucks stores nationwide between March 2005 and September 2006 for about $100. Consumers should contact Starbucks for a full refund. Consumers will receive a postage-paid package along with instructions on how to return their brewer.... | |
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| | | Wal-Mart's Price Blitz | | Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2006 2:51:11 AM by Blog57 Team | | The upcoming holiday season is looking like a bonanza for bargain-hunters -- but perhaps a rougher time for many retailers. In the latest offensive of its ongoing war against rivals, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is cutting prices on small appliances. Just last week, after slashing toy prices, Wal-Mart announced reduced prices on electronics. That's left some investors wondering how retailers like Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Circuit City (NYSE: CC), Target (NYSE: TGT), and even Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) might respond -- or how they might be affected. Wal-Mart is lowering prices on 50 household staples, including coffee makers and microwaves. It's also reducing prices on its Metro 7 apparel line, its nascent attempt at trendier clothing options -- an obvious volley against Target's cheap-chic duds.... | |
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| | | Rwanda: Starbucks Reviews African Coffee Projects | | Posted Sunday, November 12, 2006 2:48:52 PM by Blog57 Team | | Starbucks Coffee Company has reviewed its African coffee projects initiative. The review is in acknowledgement of the significant progress taking place in the African coffee growing regions of Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. According to a release by Starbucks release dated October 2006, the development to be carried out jointly with other partners is set to improve on the quality of coffee beans introduced in recent years and contribute to new economic and social developments in African coffee growing communities. .... | |
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| | | Big discounts for SUVs and trucks | | Posted Saturday, November 11, 2006 2:53:34 AM by Blog57 Team | | Car lots are filling up and auto makers are offering big discounts on several SUVs and trucks to clear inventory, Edmunds.com said Thursday. Buyers can push for a better deal on trucks and may receive customer cash rebates and zero-percent financing, in some case saving up to 30 percent off the sticker price, Edmunds.com said. .... | |
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| | | Climate puts new twist on California cabs | | Posted Thursday, November 09, 2006 2:54:26 PM by Blog57 Team | | Various wine experts have described the 2003 vintage for California cabernet sauvignon as the product of a roller coaster climate that year. With lots of early rain and periods of high heat, most commentators we read said that overall, wine from this vintage should be almost as good as 2002. Some experts said one result of the climate changes should be more fruity wines. Most California makers of high-end cabernets are releasing their 2003 wines now, although some 2004 bottles are on the shelves. Our wine-tasting group decided to compare new releases, from 2003 and one from 2004, to give you tips on how to spend your money when you to splurge on an exceptional cabernet. Wine of the week 2003 Jocelyn cabernet sauvignon Price: $35.99.... | |
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| | | AMD is capacity constrained | | Posted Tuesday, November 07, 2006 10:49:29 PM by Blog57 Team | | THE BEST OF odd thoughts and rants come from the places you would least expect. This one had it's seeds at a Starbucks in Times Square, specifically a conversation about how AMD would have problems due to capacity constraints. The odd thought is that the capacity constraints might not be capping profit, and any downturn might not hurt AMD much. The tale is long and convoluted, but it starts out with an analyst and I talking over a coffee and an evil strawberry milkshakeish creation. He was lamenting that AMD's brutal capacity constraints meany that there is little chance that they will beat their numbers. If you know you can make X units max, and your ASP is Y, your income for the quarter is XY. One potential upside is that we hear AMD is skewing the product mix toward higher margin parts, notably Turions and Opterons.... | |
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