The Burning Coffee Blog

Good Morning Coffee Lovers,

As February, and our $1 discount on all flavored coffees deal, nears an end I find myself enjoying each batch of Mountain Magic with its combination of Brazilian coffee beans and caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, pecan and rum, even more than usual. It may just be because, here in Vermont, the strange anti-winter leaves me not knowing what to expect next.

Will March roar like a lion at any point? Or will this be the last coffee blog of the season I write when we still have any snowfall on the ground?

Unanswered questions can drive me crazy! So I have decided to devote this coffee blog to one of those burning questions I get from people every once in a while about whether or not to cut back on coffee. Even though I do love my coffee, and make a living selling it, I believe it's important to know the facts and take care of your health.

According to an article in Health Magazine by Rob Van Dam, a PhD and an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, there are "yes and no" answers to that question. Here is a brief summary:

Why you should NOT cut back on coffee:

• Unless you have hypertension or trouble sleeping coffee isn't harmful to your health
• There may be health benefits from coffee. Studies show an antioxidant in coffee may actually lower your risk of getting diseases like diabetes, liver cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver
• The caffeine in coffee might actually reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

Why you should think about cutting back:

• Studies on the benefits of coffee aren't always complete as they may not include non-coffee drinkers in the studies
• Certain health conditions are made worse by caffeine. People with hypertension or diabetes should avoid it; although decaf is fine.
• Caffeine can make you more anxious and jittery

Of course, the details of all these things are more than I can go into in a short coffee blog. However, I'd say that as with most things in life you really need to use your own judgment. Drinking 10 cups of coffee a day is probably not wise, and is likely to have adverse effects on your health. However, the research seems to say that, for most healthy people, a few cups of coffee are fine and perhaps even beneficial.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? Dare to share!

Edible Vermont Food Exchange

A final reminder that our 2nd Vermont food swap will take place this Sunday here at Brown and Jenkins from 3 to 6. All the details can be found on our Facebook link above. Make something Vermont based and come and swap it with neighbors and local vendors like Waiora Farm. So far I hear folks are bringing homemade breads, ground lamb sausages and corn chowder to swap. Don't miss this!

Until our next health cup,

Sandy Riggen

Who is Behind the Brown & Jenkins Coffee Blog?

Good Morning Coffee Lovers,

Regular readers of this coffee blog have noted that I sign my name at the bottom of each post as Sandy Riggen, not Sandy Brown or Sandy Jenkins; although I've been called both on several occasions. You can read a brief history of our coffee roasting business in my first coffee blog from back in 2009. The gist is that I bought this business and moved it from a warehouse in Burlington to this picturesque vista just minutes from Smuggler's Notch ski resort and across the street from the Boyden Farm and Winery.

If you haven't stopped by, I encourage you to come and find out who we are. You can watch our master roaster at work Tuesdays through Thursdays of each week. Glenn and I love to talk coffee and help you learn about what you like, why you like it, and how to identify the coffee characteristics that really make a cup of coffee a pleasure to your personal palate.

Today, Brown and Jenkins coffee roasters rests comfortably on our hill in the Green Mountains of Cambridge, Vermont. We focus on sourcing and roasting Arabica coffee beans from all over the globe for our local residents and our many friends who order coffee online via the coffee break club.

A great chance to stop by and check us out will be at the next Edible Vermont Food Exchange which will take place on Sunday, February 26th from 2-5. Bring your favorite Vermont inspired recipe or food and taste what your neighbors have to offer. There will be great music, food and company. See the full details on our Facebook event listing.

Good Food is Good Health is the motto of my Cookin' with Coffee blog, so visit that blog too for some coffee inspired fare. I hope to see you soon!

Until our next cup,

Sandy Riggen aka Sandy Brown-Jenkins

The February I Love Coffee Blog

Good Morning Coffee Lovers,

With only a few days left before Valentine's Day passion moves me to focus this coffee blog on the best way to get into the heart of your favorite coffee lover. Yes, a box of decadent chocolates is always a treat, but what if you could give the coffee equivalent of mouth watering euphoria?

Just for the month of February Brown and Jenkins is offering $1 off all flavored coffees; no discount or code required. Give your love the luxurious chocolate raspberry coffee, or surprise him or her with chocolate whisky coffee from the mini-bar flavored coffee selections.

Red Velvet Cake from the Cookin' with Coffee Blog

If you've got a desire to make something special for your coffee loving sweetheart, try making this Red Velvet Coffee Cake with our special Cookin' with Coffee powder. It's simply delicious, and the coffee buzz rub gives it a unique flavor people love. I featured it on the cookin' with coffee blog a while back and get comments on it regularly.

Cupid's Coffee Club

If your sweetheart lives far away, or maybe your darling is your college student, consider sending them an online coffee club membership. It's an appreciated coffee gift that lets your loved one select the coffee beans they want to try on a weekly basis.

Edible Vermont Exchange

Just a heads up that we will be holding another Edible Vermont Food Exchange on Sunday, February 26th from 3-6 right here in our Cambridge, Vermont coffee roasting location. Watch for details in next week's coffee blog.

Until our next cup,

Sandy Riggen