We like this one a lot. Starbucks has just unveiled a new and ambitious –and possibly risky—business strategy with the launch of its new “Via” instant coffee line. That’s right. Instant coffee. As in the Sanka or Nescafe type. The kind of coffee that usually belongs in a college dorm room and which, well, doesn’t usually live up to the normal, brewed cup. Starbucks’ new Via instant coffee, which was test launched earlier this year in Seattle, Chicago, London and a few other US cities, comes in small packets. You simply dissolve them in some hot water and, presto, you have a pretty decent cup of coffee. How do I know this? Because I actually grabbed some packets this past spring and tried them. Read the rest of this entry »

The much ballyhooed “Espresso Gone Wild” may have brewed its last drop of joe — at least in the city of Belfair in Mason County, WA.

County officials have decided the scantily clad baristas at a this infamous espresso stand are simply “erotic entertainers”, and nothing more. And if the women don’t cover up, they’ll be forced out on their barely covered hinnies.

Apparently, the stand opened about a month ago and received complaints at a meeting of the Mason County Board of Commissioners. So the commission sent the owners a letter saying the coffee stand is not zoned for erotic entertainment. The owners said they didn’t expect the negative vibe and will comply with any regulations put forth.

“Almost all of our customers love us, even our women customers,” Porter said. “I personally have not had anybody come up and say anything mean or negative to me.

“I do it because its fun. I’m sure there are some people who would have a problem with that. Sex sells. I guess we’re trying to raise the bar, you could say.”

Kathryn Porter, 24, a dental hygiene student from Puyallup, has worked at the stand for two months. Porter, Read the rest of this entry »

With enough sex appeal to sink a battleship, the Brunopasso PD-1, designed by Tadahito Ishibashi for Japanese retailer deviceSTYLE, is a pod-espresso machine that belongs in the Smithsonian… or at least serving coffee there.

The auto-inspired design screams speed, refinement and style and would play the centerpiece role in many a Swedish kitchen.

The PD-1 is currently available for $850.