Andiamo Coffee - A Feast For the Senses

View our Andiamo Coffee Flash presentation developed by Natural Buzz Multimedia and let us know what you think. Thanks

Specialty Coffee Origin Map

The Specialty Coffee Association of America has developed a state-of-the-art interactive tool that uses geographical information system technology to allow users to pay a virtual visit to more than 50 coffee-producing countries, many of which are part of the Andiamo Coffee repetoire.

The Origin Map can be used to search for coffee farms whose coffees meet strict cupping and growing standards or to locate the origin of a particular sample of specialty coffee while verifying its authenticity.

In addition to geographical data, the Origin Map includes information on growing conditions, altitude and rainfall. It was developed by the SCAA in association with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Would you like extra calories with that?

That's what they should ask you when you order coffee at your local coffeeshop, because when you really get down to it, you're better off calorie-wise by eating a chocolate bar. Order your specialty coffee drink with whipped cream, whole milk, add sugar, flavoring syrup and maybe even sprinkles and it's possible you're consuming as many as 800 calories in a grande (medium) sized drink. Perhaps you're used to even adding that pastry, and that light mid-morning snack morphs into a caloric nightmare.

How do you make that same drink at home? For starters, you probably leave out the whipped cream and the flavored syrup and use a milk frother on your cappaccino maker instead. Then, you most likely use low-fat or skim milk and viola, you have a drink that tastes just as good only without the total fat and sugar content.

The bottom line is coffee consumers pay very little attention to the fat and sugar content at their local coffee establishments while brewing quality coffee at home not only decreases fat and sugar, but very often increases flavor.

From a Costa Rican to a Kenyan or a Tanzania Peaberry, home brewing gourmet coffee allows you to use premium, fresh roasted coffee beans at less than 25 cents a cup. Besides the great taste, think of the money you'll save everyday by purchasing quality coffee, brewing it at home, and avoiding the calorie onslaught you never even knew you were facing.

You Think You Drink a lot of Coffee?

For those of you who think you drink a lot of coffee, consider this: according to the Agriculture Ministry, Brazil's coffee harvest - the world's largest - may actuall fall 16 percent to 32.46 million bags in the 2005- 2006 season.

32 million bags!

Brazil may harvest 23.26 million bags of Arabica coffee and 9.2 million bags of Robusta, the ministry said in a statement distributed to journalists in Brasilia. In December, the ministry said the crop would be between 30.7 million bags and 33 million bags.

The good news for the coffee industry is the 2006-2007 crop is expected to rise to more than 40 million bags. One bag of coffee weighs 60 kilograms or 132 pounds. Do the math and you'll see how much coffee is actually consumed on a yearly basis. Truly astonishing!

I think Andiamo Coffee's in the right business

The Starbucks Effect

Now we've heard everything! No, it's not the latest from Britney Spears.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently published a report called the "National Household Travel Survey" which claims that local morning traffic is made worse and worse by the continued opening of Starbucks and other coffee shops which divert people from their place of business destination causing traffic snarls that otherwise could be avoided. Dubbed "the Starbucks Effect", the report claims the local coffeeshop becomes just another stop along the line of additional errands Americans do before arriving at work, diverting the workforce from the shortest and fastest route to the office. Instead of going straight to work, the stop at the coffeeshop is the cause of the traffic congestion and increased gridlock you see everyday.

The solution? According to the report, brew your own coffee at home, which can actually save you gas and time by decreasing your stress level and the number of stops you'll make each morning which, in turn, saves you gas mileage in the process.

I mean, really... we know coffee's at the top of the food pyramid just like everyone else, but coffee the main cause of traffic problems? That's a bit of a stretch - what are these people drinking? We believe in brewing your own gourmet coffee at home for just two main reasons: it's just better that way and it's cheaper!

Best of all, you can order Andiamo Coffee online without leaving the house! Your gas mileage and traffic problems are solved.

It's the Battle of the Barista's in Seattle

The best coffee baristas from 36 countries travelled to Seattle this past weekend to compete in the World Barista Championship where competitors were judged on everything from the color of their espresso to the cleanliness of their tablecloths. By late Sunday morning, half the baristas had already competed and by the afternoon, all the baristas had pulled their best espresso shots.

Evidenced by the growth of the coffee industry, about five hundred people gathered in the competition center to learn who made it to the final round. The well-attended event continues to fuel the explosion of the coffee industry, while the intensity level of the baristas attest to the fact that (like Andiamo Coffee) many people take making coffee very seriously.

When the championship ended on Monday, Danish barista Troels Overdal Poulsen claimed the title. Unfortunately, he's not an Andiamo Coffee employee... yet. But, in honor of Mr. Poulsen, and of course Earth Day, I'm going off my Mediterranean Diet and brewing a batch of Costa Rican tonight!

Andiamo Coffee Website Now Search Engine Optimized

Andiamo Coffee today completed the first process of optimizing their website for better search engine placement. The folks over at Search Engine Watch provided excellent and detailed information on how to get better placement in the Google and Yahoo search engines which the Andiamo webmasters successfully implemented.

Chances are if you're reading this blog to begin with, the newly upgraded site served it's purpose already. Of course, by just looking at the Andiamo Coffee site, you may not even notice a difference, but trust us that it's very different code-wise.

A new website... a new pope in Pope Benedict XVI (formerly german cardinal Joseph Ratzinger)... what a day it's been!

Online Golf Reservation System Works Well With Coffee

There's nothing like mixing two of lifes great pleasures, coffee and golf - especially when the weather's perfect. And that was exactly the setting when Andiamo Coffee took it's clients out to play a round yesterday at the Legacy Golf Course in Las Vegas. We started the golfing day off with an amazing batch of Tanzania Peaberry brewed from home and brought onto the course as we tee-ed off to start the round.

During the day, our client informed us of his new online reservation engine geared to golf courses called IBookA. After immediately checking out this powerful online golf booking solution, we were very impressed with its functionality. You can get details on his online reservation system at the GolfCoursesSites.com website.

Now if playing golf were only as easy...

Tomorrow's the Day

Don't forget to stop by the Douglaston Manor tomorrow evening for the "Queens A Taste of the World" event where we'll be featuring a variety of our gourmet coffees and looseleaf teas. Pick up an Andiamo Coffee Catering brochure while you're at it. Andiamo Coffee specializes in coffee catering for the Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk areas of New York. Stop by tomorrow and see why.

Call 718-263-0546 for more information.

Why the New York Mets are suddenly winning

The New York Mets started off the season with an alarming five game losing streak, with new manager Willie Randolph looking for that elusive first win. Even during their sixth game of the season, with ace pitcher Pedro Martinez on the mound, the team looked lifeless and headed for their sixth straight defeat. Then something amazing happened during the seventh inning stretch.

Russ Gompher over at Stitches brought Andiamo Coffee packages into the Mets clubhouse and locker room. Russ does the stitching for the New York Mets uniforms as well as the embrodiery for Andiamo Coffee's polo shirts. Call it coincidence or call it whatever you'd like, as soon as Andiamo Coffee hit the clubhouse, the Mets responded with a five run eighth innning for their first win of the season, a 6-1 decision over the Atlanta Braves - and they haven't lost since!

Andiamo Coffee provided a gift basket to the team featuring 50 2-ounce packages of a variety of Andiamo Coffee offerings. Whoever thought drinking Andiamo Coffee would improve baseball skills and give the players the extra drive needed for victory? Yes, I know we're playing this coincidence up, but then again, who knows?

Way to go, team! Andiamo Coffee will always be there when you all need a win!

Queens: A Taste of the World

The Queens "A Taste of the World" event will be held on Tuesday, April 19th, 2005 at 6:30pm at the Douglaston Manor in Douglaston New York. Andiamo Coffee will be featuring gourmet coffees from around the world at this event, along with a variety of loose-leaf teas.

Sponsored by the Queens Economic Development Corporation, this sumptuous celebration of culinary diversity is a must-attend as you allow your palate to roam the world via a delectable melange of gastronomic sensations provided by a wide variety of fine establishments and food/drink purveyors.

Tickets cost $60 and are available from the QEDC. There will be plenty of free parking available at the manor. Have your check or money order made out to "The Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC)" 120-55 Queens Blvd., Suite 309, Kew Gardens, NY 11424 or call 718-263-0546 for more information.

In the meantime, you can try the Kenya AA and House Decaf that will be served at the event at the Andiamo Coffee website.