Tank Up Coffee Mug

When I was a kid, I had a great Cheshire Cat mug that changed color when you poured hot liquid into it. More specifically, everything but the cat’s big grin disappeared when it was full. At the time, my drink of choice was hot chocolate. I wouldn’t turn down hot chocolate today, but a mocha would probably be more my style. I still have a soft spot for those color changing mugs, though, and this Tank Up Coffee Mug. The mug has a fuel gauge printed on the side that turns bright red as you fill up the cup. The gauge will only go up halfway for a half-full mug, but let’s face it: with coffee, as with gasoline, it’s better to fill that tank up when you have the chance!

The Camera Lens Mug

I can’t resist cross posting The Camera Lens Mug here at Brewed Daily. I originally posted about it at Baking Bites because I love the way it combines food and photography. I’m tempted to try out a homemade version of the concept with an old lens of my own, but really I’d be a lot better off just buying one!

Happy Valentine’s Day with a Hearty Mug

What better way to say Happy Valentine’s Day than by saying nothing at all? A big cup of freshly brewed coffee served in this Hearty Mug will definitely make your valentine take notice, as the interior of the mug is heart-shaped. It’s a very cute idea and, frankly, one that would make me smile any day of the year.

Greenwell Estate Kona Coffee, reviewed

One of the most memorable coffee experiences I’ve had was going out to visit the Greenwell Plantation on the big island of Hawaii. Not only did I get to taste coffee cherries right off the tree, but I got to taste some of my favorite Kona coffee in one of the freshest batches you can get. I got this batch of Greenwell Estate Private Reserve Kona Coffee from Sea Island and I have to say that they make very quick work of the shipping and – aside from the lovely Hawaiian weather – you’re not missing anything by making the coffee at home and not traveling out to the plantation.

The Greenwell Estate coffee is earthy, sweet and tangy. It is really rich tasting and full bodied, and actually reminds me a lot of red wine, although probably better. I’d make this a daily brew if only I could pick it up at my local store, instead of having to have it shipped!

For other fans of Kona coffee, I previously bought green beans from Greenwell Estate and roasted them at home with good results. A fun project if you have the time and outdoor space!

Starbucks Coffee College

There are a lot of different things that you can go to school to study, from anthropology to virology, from auto mechanics to cooking. But some fields are best learned on the job – either because you need experience to achieve peak performance or because it just isn’t taught anywhere. Coffee falls into that later category, even though plenty of people specialize in it, since you can’t gain tasting experience from a textbook. Recently, however, I was invited to attend Starbucks Coffee College. The Coffee College was a day-long seminar hosted for several food writers courtesy of the specialty coffee chain.

Coffee College started with a quick trip through Starbucks history and a little tour of the store in Los Angeles that we met at. College was small, just myself and one other writer, and two members of the Coffee Experience (i.e. Education) team from Starbucks’ corporate office. Primarily, this portion of the day talked about how Starbucks started as a specialty coffee retailer, providing and creating blends of coffee beans that were representative of beans from a specific region of the world.

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