The authors report that coffee does not cause high blood pressure and poses no risk to people who have high blood pressure.  Coffee is also NOT linked to an increase risk of coronary heard disease.  So once again we say to you, drink up!

A recent book release Heart 411 - The Only Guide to Heart Health You’ll Ever Need (Three Rivers Press) by Marc Gillinov M.D. and Steven Nissen M.D. brings coffee to the forefront of health news once again.  And oh yeah, it’s good news.

The authors report that coffee does not cause high blood pressure and poses no risk to people who have high blood pressure.  Coffee is also NOT linked to an increase risk of coronary heard disease.  So once again we say to you, drink up!

The book is available on Amazon here.

In regards to coffee, this is what the Fair Trade USA Organization says…

Many of the coffees you’ll find on our site say “Free Trade Certified” on the label, and we advertise them as such.  But what does it mean?  Something about trading freely, of course.  But here is a more official definition: Fair Trade is a movement aimed at helping small farmers around the world by setting minimum product pricing on goods.  This promotes healthier trading environments in developing countries and improves sustainability. (All good things!)

Regarding Fair Trade coffee, this is what the Fair Trade USA Organization says:

“Your rich cup of Fair Trade coffee can help farmers escape poverty. Most small-scale family farmers live in remote locations and lack access to credit, so they are vulnerable to middlemen who offer cash for their coffee at a fraction of its value. Fair Trade guarantees farmers a minimum price, and links farmers directly with importers, creating long-term sustainability. Through Fair Trade, farmers earn better incomes, allowing them to hold on to their land and invest in quality.”  Read more at www.fairtradeusa.org

Now if that hot cup of Joe in your hand doesn’t warm your insides, drinking Fair Trade coffee should!  Here are some of our current favorites:

Winter Seasonal 6-Pack K-Cups

Newman’s Own Special Blend Extra Bold K-Cups

Newman’s Own Special Blend Decaf K-Cups

Sorrento Fair Trade K-Cups

Colombian Fair Trade Select K-Cups

See all of our Fair Trade Certified K-Cup Portion Packs here.

We do offer a few substitute hot cocoa products which work nicely with Keurig brewers and offer exceptional flavor and more variety…

We’ve had the Green Mountain Hot Cocoa K-Cup marked as “out of stock” for quite some time. Unfortunately, Green Mountain has discontinued the distribution of this product to us and other distributors. We are no longer able to purchase Hot Cocoa K-Cups from Green Mountain to sell to our customers. We have changed the product listing to reflect this status. We are hoping this is a temporary condition but we do not know for sure. We will keep you posted.

We do offer a few substitute hot cocoa products which work nicely with Keurig brewers. While not K-Cups, these packet cocoas are from well respected brands - Swiss Miss and Ghirardelli - which offer exceptional flavor and more variety then k-cups including a sugar free hot cocoa options and even one that includes marshmallows!

To use these hot cocoas with your Keurig brewer simply open the packet and pour the contents into your mug. Open your the k-cup holder on your brewer, remove any used k-cups then close. Choose your brew size if applicable and press brew. The proper quantity of hot water will flow through your brewer into your mug. Enjoy your hot cocoa!

If you end up trying and liking any of these hot cocoa options, leave a review to let us know!

One of our Twitter followers - @maderradio - asked what a Keurig brewer sounds like in operation. To answer his question, I recorded the sounds a Keurig B155 Platinum Home Brewer makes while starting up and while brewing a K-Cup - Tully’s French Roast, if you were wondering.

This is my Keurig which has a permanent and frequently visited home on my kitchen countertop. It was early in the morning and the brewer had been turned off for at least 10 hours. I aimed the microphone at the brewer and held it about level with the top of the brewer for the length of the recording.

I hope this helps @maderradio and anyone else interested in knowing what a Keurig K-Cup Brewer sounds like during a normal- startup or brew cycle. If you have any other questions regarding Keurig Brewers, K-Cups or other coffee related interests, hit us up on Twitter, @theCoffeeKing!

Today on Twitter,  someone asked for K-Cup recommendations. I asked them what they liked; flavored? Dark roasts? Teas? They responded that they were new to the game and open for suggestions. I knew I would need more the 140 characters to reply appropriately so here is a short list of recommendations for anyone new to Keurig brewers and the wonderful world of K-Cups.

• Green Mountain Seasonal K-Cups - A good start is the current seasonal k-cup from Green Mountain. As of this writing it is either Gingerbread or Spicy Eggnog. When in season, the Pumpkin Spice is a must!
• Wolfgang Puck’s Jamaica Me Crazy K-Cups - This is a light roast that some people swear is a flavored blend. It is that subtle.
• Coffee People’s Original Donut Shop K-Cups - The classic donut house blend. A full-bodied medium roast.
• Gloria Jean’s Butter Toffee K-Cups - A flavored coffee that is still a coffee. Delicious caramel toffee flavor.
• Tully’s French Roast K-Cups - A bold rich brew that is powerful and intense. A true European coffee.
• Emeril’s Jazzed Up Decaf - A decaf that doesn’t scream decaf. Smooth finish with plenty of flavor.
• Bigelow English Breakfast Tea K-Cups - A true British classic.

The latest casualty of Green Mountain’s K-Cup consolidation efforts is Celestial Seasonings Earl Grey Tea. Unfortunately, we no longer have any in stock and will not be getting anymore. Fortunately, there is an alternative option in Bigelow’s Earl Grey Tea K-Cups. If you enjoyed Celestial Seasonings Earl Grey, please try Bigelow’s.

Many of the recently discontinued K-Cups have similar alternative options available but there are a few exceptions. One notable K-Cup recently axed is Green Mountain’s own Espresso Blend Extra Bold K-Cups. This loss leaves a significant whole in the Keurig world. There are now no Espresso K-Cups being produced for sale in the United States!

If you were a fan of this dark roast K-Cup I would recommend Tully’s Italian Roast or Tully’s French Roast. Another similar choice would be Coffee People’s Black Tiger K-Cups. If you have tried and enjoyed any of these dark roast alternatives, please leave a helpful review to assist the Keurig users who are frustrated by the lack of an espresso roast option.

Your Loyalty = Royalty at CoffeeKing.com!  We have officially launched our loyalty program!  All you need to do is register and log in while shopping and you’ll earn crowns that you can redeem towards future purchases and exclusive products.  Remember that you must be logged in to view, earn and redeem crowns so be sure to sign in before every purchase.  Use the slider in your cart to redeem crowns towards your order total.  Start earning crowns today!

It’s a sad, sad day here at CoffeeKing.com… Effective September 9, 2011 Timothy’s K-Cups will no longer be available for distribution in the United States.  The owner of Timothy’s World Coffees – Green Mountain Coffee Roasters – is regionalizing it’s K-Cup distribution. Effective September 9, 2011 Green Mountain products will be available exclusively in the United States and Timothy’s products will be available exclusively in Canada.
We will continue to distribute Timothy’s products until current inventories are depleted.  Click Here to see what’s available.

Win a Keurig Brewer and Two Boxes of K-Cups!
Coffee King has partnered with WickedLocal.com to bring you an exciting chance to win a Keurig B31 Brewer and two boxes of K-Cups!  Winner will be chosen by WickedLocal.com on September 9th.  Tell your friends and neighbors!  Enter HERE

We’re proud to announce that Coffee King is now on Facebook!  “Like us” and hear about new coffees, special offers, contests, and exclusive deals.  Feel free to tell us all about your coffee and tea adventures, too!  See you there!  Visit us on Facebook now.