One Cup Coffee Machines

Having survived our first 100-degree spell this summer, our iced machine has certainly earned its keep.  We’ve brewed, brewed, and brewed some more – and have stumbled upon some n’ice ideas to make this summer’s iced coffees – like Brew Over Ice Nantucket Blend® or French Vanilla -  even more brew-tiful.  Here are some of our favorites:

1. Vanilla Infused Simple Syrup: No sugar clumps and it adds an extra burst of vanilla flavor?  Yes, please!  Here’s how to do it:
   
   
   
   1. Split a vanilla bean lengthwise into halves and place in a heatproof jar or bottle.
   
   
   2. In a saucepan combine 1:2 ratio of sugar and water.
   
   
   3. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
   
   
   4. Pour the hot syrup over the jar/bottle and let it soak up the vanilla-goodness for up to 10 hours.
   
   
   5. Store in the refrigerator (up to a week – but it doesn’t last that long around here anyway).
   
   
   
   


2. Coffee iced cubes: Okay, you’ve heard us extol the wonders of this little cube before.  As Brew Over Ice coffee is made so the flavor won’t be diluted when the ice melts, this a great way to plus-up your coffee kick for those who have other coffee makers– or even add a different flavor to your go-to iced brew.
   
   
   
   1. Brew your favorite blend (love to use Fair Trade Wild Mountain Blueberry™ for this one) into a cup.
   
   
   2. Pour the coffee into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer.
   
   
   3. Pop the cubes out when you’re ready – just brew over it like you would with ice (Brew Over Ice (coffee cubes)).
   
   
   
   


3. Iced (cream) coffee:  Lots of people reach for cream and sugar when they make their iced coffee – so why not add a scoop of ice cream as a shortcut?  We love to use a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Fair Trade Vanilla, or, if you’re into a adventure, Coffee HEATH® Bar crunch!

What do you do to make your iced coffee uniquely yours?

When I joined Green Mountain Coffee at the beginning of January as an intern in the Public Relations (PR) department, I had no idea what the next few months would bring. I came into the company with only a vague idea about the type of PR work I would be involved with. Now, a few months later, not only have my expectations for Green Mountain Coffee been met and exceeded, but I have developed a passion for the company that goes far beyond my PR role.

Growing up in Vermont, I’ve always known Green Mountain Coffee. As a Vermonter, not being familiar with this company would be like not knowing what real maple syrup tastes like or failing to own a pair of winter boots. After being employed at Green Mountain Coffee for about three months, I’ve discovered that it’s much bigger and much better than I thought. Here are some general things that I’ve learned:

• I have yet to meet one unfriendly Green Mountain Coffee employee.


• There’s so much more to the company than producing and distributing coffee.


• The time and energy that employees put into volunteer work and corporate responsibility is truly impressive and in my mind, very unique.


• At Green Mountain Coffee, it’s about more than just making money. It’s about spearheading industry-wide campaigns and solving challenges in the coffee world.


• The company really cares about each individual customer and does whatever it can to make everyone happy.


• There are so many different balls being juggled that, some times,  it’s a real challenge to keep up with everything.


• Having an endless supply of coffee is very helpful for getting through an eight-hour work day.


• There are so many company buildings dispersed throughout Waterbury that I sometimes think GMCR is the town.


• An iced Wild Mountain Blueberry® Maple Supreme (a drink made at our own Green Mountain Coffee Factory Outlet in town) is my new favorite afternoon sweet.


• The interactive presentation at the Visitor Center and Café makes me think of The Lion King.


• Watching the machine-operated K-Cup production line in the manufacturing plant is mesmerizing.

For someone like me with a big heart and an open mind, it’s easy to become passionate about a company quickly. However, I never imagined that I would learn to love Green Mountain Coffee as much as I do. It’s truly a great company that cares about its customers, the planet, and its employees. As a previous outsider, I saw the company’s dedication to social responsibility and the awards it was receiving, but I never knew the whole story behind this publicity. Now, after being on the inside, I can confidently say that the positive press surrounding Green Mountain Coffee is true— all of it.

By: Arianna Bolotin, beloved PR intern

TOP TEN OFFICE GIFTS

#10 Small Revelation Travel Mug $2.95

We here at Business Coffee Express are often asked, "What is the best way to take my Green Mountain Coffee wakeboarding?" The answer is this cute little 12-oz. Revelation Travel Mug with a spill-proof, screw-on lid. It features a beautiful scene of the Vermont Green Mountains, and is the perfect size to grab and go whether you are free soloing, sky surfing, or even wakeboarding.  At this price you should buy one for everyone in the office!

#9 Logo Backpacker Thermos $19.95

The sleek, slender shape looks like you after the holidays, thanks to all the wakeboarding you've been doing! This compact, no-leak Thermos®, made by Nissan™ is so stylish it might just put mugs and tumblers out of style. Features an easy-to-open, spring loaded lid. Completely leak proof perfect for backpacks and travel. Double Insulation means your coffee stays hot for hours.

#8 Stoneware Logo Mug $14.95

Perfect for the boss who needs to be reminded on a daily basis that every office deserves great coffee! Each is individually hand-thrown by American master potters. Slight color and size variations showcase the unique properties of each one-of-a-kind mug. Solid and sizable, each of these mugs can stand on its own, but two make a nice pair.

#7 Bodum Milk Frother $19.95

The next time someone in your office tells you not to get worked up into such a lather, say "Why Not?" and show them this! This easy-to-use, battery-powered frother is perfect for foamy milk for your coffee without the hassle of an espresso machine. You will probably decide to keep it for yourself so buy two.

#6 Lake Champlain Chocolates Organic Truffles $22.95

Lake Champlain truffles— on the list because it's made in VT of course, and because they are the best Truffles I've ever had. Sorry Belgium, but cheer up, GMCR will probably never make a $25 raspberry beer aged in oak. Lake Champlain Chocolates has reached new heights with this collection of 15 all-natural, preservative-free truffles. Includes Ethiopian Coffee, Honey Fig, Ginger Lemon, Aztec, Mango, and Vanilla.

#5 Better World Gift Bag $59.95

Isn't dreaming of a better world what the Holidays are all about? Our exquisite chocolates, cocoa, coffees and tea help actually make it happen— plus they taste amazing. Includes 7 fabulous products contributing to a better world and a reusable shopping tote.

#4 Organic Breakfast Crate $37.95

Why a Crate? Because "Crate" just sounds cool, and who wouldn’t rather have a "crate" of something they love rather than just a box? Besides, it doubles as an "In" box. Filled with Fair Trade Organic coffee and Cocoa and Organic pancake mix and maple syrup, all from Vermont.

#3 K-Cup Ultimate Gift Basket $44.95

C'mon, "Ultimate" is right there in the name, of course it has to be in the top 10! The perfect gift if their office already enjoys a Keurig® Brewer. If not, get them one of those too! Our K-Cup Gift Basket gives you great coffee right away, and wonderful sustenance for the rest of the day. Includes 24 Green Mountain Coffee Sampler K-Cups.

#2 The Ultimate Office Gift Basket $49.95

Is it possible for two Green Mountain Coffee gifts to be called "Ultimate" at the same time? Yes, it's a holiday miracle! Packed full of delicious treats, and there’s more than enough to share. Brew up a pot of Breakfast Blend or French Roast while everyone in the office digs in to sweet granola, delicate shortbread, maple candy, or chocolate indulgences. It’ll be the most memorable Holiday coffee break ever!

#1 Keurig Office Pro Coffee Brewer $129.95

Not only the greatest invention in the history of humankind, but perhaps the greatest gift since frankincense and myrrh. (Gold is still hard to beat.) Even small offices deserve great coffee and the B145 Office Pro delivers. Designed for offices with 15 or fewer people, its small footprint makes it a perfect fit for conference rooms, board rooms and reception areas. Guaranteed to ward off office revolts, palace coups, passive-aggressive behavior and Monday sick days. They should rename it "Ultimate."

Katie Barrow, PR Manager at TransFair USA (the third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States), recently traveled to Rwanda to meet the Fair Trade coffee farmers who produced the beans for our Fair Trade Spring Revival Blend™. There she witnessed firsthand the hope and pride that Fair Trade has brought to the people of this tiny country, especially the women.  Here’s her story:

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I’m so excited to be a part of Green Mountain’s World Fair Trade week!  If you’ve been following this wonderful blog, then you’ve probably already read several stories about the positive impact that Fair Trade has on the lives of coffee farmers.  You may have heard stories of cooperatives that have used Fair Trade premiums to provide entire communities with access to clean water or electricity for the first time.  There are also the stories of medical clinics built, new roads paved and scholarships funded.  But the Fair Trade story that has excited me the most during time at TransFair USA is the story of the Hinga Kawa Women’s Association (part of the Abakunda Kawa cooperative) - a group of women who came together as a community to sell their coffee directly to U.S. buyers, including Green Mountain Coffee for the Fair Trade Spring Revival Blend.

So this year I decided to take a vacation to visit these beautiful women in the far-away hills of Rwanda.  I’ll spare you the details of my entire journey through East Africa (though the 30-mile walking safari we took through remote mountain villages in Uganda was unforgettable).  Instead, I will just focus on one day - the day we spent with Hinga Kawa.  It was one of the most humbling and joyful days of my life thus far.

At this point, my travel buddy Jenna and I had been in Africa for a little over a week.  One thing we were already used to was getting up early so that all of the day’s activities could be accomplished before the afternoon rains came. This morning was a little different; it had been raining all morning.  Christine picked us up at our hotel in Kigali in a rugged SUV at 8am sharp, and we began the drive to Gakenke.  What an experience that was!  The road started off paved in Kigali, but soon pavement gave way to a rocky dirt path (hard to call it a road!) that we followed for another two hours, winding through small villages and farms.  When we arrived at the cooperative, we met Ernest, the manager of Abakunda Kawa.  He proudly showed us the coffee washing station and coffee beans from the last harvest.  And he was equally proud to show off the cooperative’s new copy machine, purchased with Fair Trade premiums.

The members of Hinga Kawa began to arrive one by one at the cooperative office.  The president of the group introduced herself to me and explained “the rain this morning made the women late.”  When you depend on the sun as your alarm clock, an odd rainy morning would cause delays!  Finally, all of the women had arrived, and they filed into the coffee storehouse for their monthly meeting.  That’s when I found out that I was to be a guest speaker!

Because of translation issues (Christine translated to Kinyarwanda), I kept my message short.  I told them that my job at TransFair USA is to listen to their stories, document their lives, and share this information with the world.  Americans love their daily cup of coffee, but it is very rare that we stop and think about where it came from: Who grew the beans and what were the unthinkable challenges associated with this seemingly ordinary act?

They received this message well.  They thanked me, and then the secretary of the group stood up to share her story on behalf of her colleagues:

“Our lives are not easy,” she began. “We wake up very early with the sun, strap our babies to our backs and head to the field where we tend to the coffee.  We then make sure that our older children get to school on time, and we begin searching for food to prepare for lunch.  In addition to gathering food, we must also find wood for a fire.  Because food is scarce and not easy to prepare, lunch is generally the only meal we eat all day.  After lunch, we return to the fields and tend to the coffee until the sunset.  At night we take care of the children, and after they fall asleep we work on applications for scholarships to help pay for their education.  Then we start all over again the next morning.”

“Many of us are widows or orphans [because of the genocide], and those who are married are still responsible for all of the work at home and in the coffee fields because our husbands spend the days in the villages trying to earn money.  This is why we formed Hinga Kawa; it is a way for us to sell the coffee that we grew.  It allows us to take pride in our work, and it is also a support network.  It is a time for us to come together and talk about our hardships with other women who have experienced the same challenges.  And it is a time for us to sing and dance… and laugh.  For many women, this meeting might be the only time they’ve smiled all day.”

And with that, the women began to clap as they sang a beautiful song.  This song wasn’t beautiful because all of their voices were on key, or because it was accompanied by interesting instruments.  It was beautiful because of the way that the women were able to let go of all their worries and just pour all of their energy into the song.  And then they began to dance!  As they danced, the women approached me one by one to hug me and thank me for visiting them.  Tears poured down my face.  I had never experienced anything so sincere and passionate.  I could go on and on about this part of the meeting, but this video I recorded really says it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6gOI7E3x0

At that moment, I realized that all of the work I’ve been doing at TransFair USA for the past year-and-a-half has been for these women:  women who work so hard every day just to feed their families, to grow their coffee sustainably (100% organic) and to simply survive.  Fair Trade has not made them rich.  Not even close.  But it has given them enough additional income to pay for their eldest child to go to school and still have money left over to feed their other children.  With our help and the continued sales of Rwandan Fair Trade Certified coffee, these women will soon be able to pay for all of their children to go to school… through Fair Trade, not aid.

I promised these women that I would share their story with you.  I also promised them that I would help sell more Rwandan Fair Trade Certified coffee.  All you have to do is order a bag of Green Mountain Coffee’s Fair Trade Spring Revival Blend.  Trust me, it would mean so much to the women of Hinga Kawa if you did.

You can see more pictures from my day with Hinga Kawa right here.

Fair Trade Month Quiz:

Question 22: What is Max Havelaar?

Answer: The name of the first Fair Trade certification initiative and a fictional Dutch character who opposed the exploitation of coffee pickers in Dutch colonies.

Haven’t answered our Fair Trade Quiz question of the day, yet? Well, why not? The answer’s right there! If that isn’t enough for you, the first 100 participants* get a sample of Green Mountain Coffee’s Fair Trade Certified™ Organic House Blend and all answers get entered to the grand prize drawing of 12-months of Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified™ Coffees. Go here to enter: http://www.eatdrinkandbefair.com/quiz.php.

*Sorry, employees and their immediate family members of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. are not eligible. But keep an eye out for our internal Fair Trade quiz.

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While there’s no way to really know, we’d like to think that Max Havelaar would approve of our Fair Trade efforts at Green Mountain Coffee. Or, at least that he’d enjoy one of our most popular seasonal Fair Trade coffees, Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

People tell us they can’t wait for fall…and then they stock up on Pumpkin Spice like little squirrels. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors are even better when you add a touch of hot chocolate.  Try this yummy Fair Trade recipe:

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

• Brew a pot of Fair Trade Certified™ Pumpkin Spice or get a K-Cup of Pumpkin Spice


• Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg in the bottom of the coffee cup


• Fill the cup halfway with hot coffee (either from your pot or your Keurig machine)


• Fill the remainder of the cup with hot chocolate.  (We carry Fair Trade Organic Hot Cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates in our catalog and on our web site.)


• Top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon and/or shaved chocolate

Enjoy!

-Ken

By Roger Garufi

This time of year always brings with it a plethora of special events and community gatherings.  As we sweep out our mud rooms, wash winter’s grit off our cars, and welcome summer back into our lives (a late-emerging and all too brief occurrence in Vermont), we also make time for the many local and regional sampling and sponsorship opportunities.

Green Mountain Coffee started the busy events week last Thursday at the Vermont Ski Areas Association Annual Meeting.  Held this year at the Killington Grand Hotel, we were on hand to show support for our marketing partners at the VSAA, and to distribute K-Cup samples of, among other things, our new seasonal offerings, Summer Safari ™ Blend and The Perfect Peach™. 

Saturday kept two sampling teams busy at two different events.  One team helped our friends at Cabot Creamery celebrate their 90th anniversary, at a special community event at their original Cabot location.  Closer to home, the other team provided free coffee to the attendees of the Waterbury Kids Fest /Green Mountain Coffee Safety Day, an annual event held in the park directly in front of our Visitor’s Center and Café.

On Sunday, at the beautiful Shelburne Museum, a row of Keurig machines and a huge selection of complimentary K-Cups awaited volunteers and participants of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation annual fundraising walk.

Next weekend, I’m off to Hague, NY, to help the volunteers and the racers at the Northern Country Triathlon jump-start their day.  On the same day, a crew of local Green Mountain Coffee employees will be rolling down Main Street on our custom-built float, tossing hundreds of bags of coffee and travel mugs to the crowds gathered for the Waterbury 4th of July Parade.  On Sunday, June 28th, a remote sampling team will be sharing our fine offerings with folks at a special ‘Edible Garden’ event at New York City’s Botanical Garden.  Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse will be in attendance…hopefully they’ll be enjoying their very own Summer Safari.

Hope to see you at an event sometime soon….

Roger

People tell us they can’t wait for fall…and then they stock up on Pumpkin Spice like little squirrels. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors are even better when you add a touch of hot chocolate.  Try this yummy Fair Trade recipe:

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

• Brew a pot of Fair Trade Certified™ Pumpkin Spice or get a K-Cup of Pumpkin Spice or Pumpkin Spice Decaf.


• Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg in the bottom of the coffee cup


• Fill the cup halfway with hot coffee (either from your pot or your Keurig machine)


• Fill the remainder of the cup with hot chocolate.  (We carry Fair Trade Organic Hot Cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates in our catalog and on our web site.)


• Top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon and/or shaved chocolate

Enjoy!

GMCR was again included on Forbes' list of "Americas 200 Best Small Companies."  We were ranked #55, up from our 2007 ranking of #88.  This year, Forbes gave us a special call-out in the "Everyday Tech Stars" section for the Keurig brewer.

Click Here for our inclusion in the "200 Best" introductory piece.  Below is a nice quote from their story.

"Yet there are also many other companies utilizing technology affecting our everyday lives. Take Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (nasdaq: GMCR). Its Keurig Single-Cup Brewer has revolutionized coffee making for those not interested in making a whole pot. The single-cup market rose 59% last year to $176 million, according to research firm NPD. Single-cup penetration is still only 5% of U.S. households, leaving lots of room for growth."

Click Here to see the nice GMCR call-out in their "Everyday Tech Stars" section.  Forbes wrote:

"Green Mountain's Keurig single-cup brewer is an enabler for java addicts. Pop a coffee pack into one its machines, and a cup of the good stuff is a simple touch of a button away--no grinding, no measuring, no mess and no physical evidence (that can't be washed away)."

Click Here for Forbes' summary of our financials.

The Keurig brewer is a great invention - no doubt about it.  The engineers that toiled, experimented, failed a hundred times before figuring out how to make something work, showed the kind of grit and determination that is required to bring a new idea, a new machine, a whole new way of doing something like making coffee a marketable possibility.  And what a success it is!

There is an old saying that "necessity is the mother of invention."  And, indeed we often drive our experiments and pursuits for new things based upon perceived needs.  But, its not just the mothers that deserve credit for recognizing necessity - the kids seem to have a good amount of applied creativity, too!

Today was the second of a couple of hot, humid days here in Vermont (believe me, I'm not complaining about the weather, as contractually I cannot), and the kids were alternating between jumping on the trampoline and coming into the house to get cold water, juice and anything else that would cool them down.  Walking through the kitchen at one point, I noticed that the Keurig brewer was on (it isn't usually, as I have a particular penchant for espresso), and upon further examination, I saw that a fresh cup of cocoa had just been brewed.

Emma, age 9, had helped herself to a cocoa, turning on the Keurig brewer, dosing a big glass of ice, and when the cocoa had brewed, poured it over the ice to make a cold cocoa beverage.  I checked on her a few minutes later and she had drank the whole thing!

Well, I had been involved in the development of the Keurig Hot Cocoa, and we had struggled to make it strong enough to suit most people's palates.  Given the small size of the K-Cup, we had to densify everything, the sweetener, the cocoa powder and dairy flavors, and still make it dissolveable.  The project took over 3 years to get it right and bring it to market, and never did I think during that time that we were making something that would be used to make a cold drink.

In fact, we still have this belief that the Keurig brewer is just a hot beverage brewer.  But, necessity proves otherwise.  I did a catering gig one time on Randall's Island for  the Dave Matthew's Band.  We had a whole team of Green Mountain Coffee folks there to service the audience and demonstrate Keurig brewers.  It was boiling out, and we ended up serving more iced tea out of the Keurig brewers than we did hot coffee.

And Emma showed me again today that I have more to learn.  Here is this Keurig brewer on our counter, well used over the cold long winter months (again, I'm not complaining, just being factual) for the kids to make hot cocoa anytime they wanted.  If I had thought about it, I probably would have taken it out of the kitchen and put it down in the basement as Summer approached.  But now I know it has a use for the next few months as well, and I'm sure if I moved it now, Emma would want to teach me a few more lessons!