When people see the CaffiNation they assume I only drink Coffee. I love coffee, but I also tend to drink my fair share of tea as well. Not only do I enjoy a good cup of tea i think bad tea is worse by far than bad coffee.

I was approached about reviewing the Village Tea Company’s Rooibos. Specifically the Cherry Me Bloom Rooibos with Acai. First order of business with anything new is to check up on what all the fun words mean and apparently this tea like so many others is full of antioxidants and other bits of healthy goodness. Selling points of health marketing aside I wanted to know how it tastes! Read the rest of this entry »

Coffee has been called many things, joe, java, motor-oil, giddy-up juice and a good deal more. So it’s pretty easy to figure out why and where RocketfuelCoffee.com got the idea for their name. I was recently sent a care package by Lisa of Rocketfuel Coffee that included two different samples of Coffee, the first of which being the Hawaiian Kona Dark, and the second being the Millionaires Blend, but that is a story for a different time.

Lisa Rotenberg the owner and artist for Rocketfuel coffee focuses on specialty coffee, the high quality Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kopi Luwak ect.

The Contestant this time is the Dark Roasted Kona. Certified with a lovely embossed stamp affirming that the product is in fact 100 percent Kona Coffee. Read the rest of this entry »

To get up to speed on Johnny Milton and his BODY (Barista On Duty) coffee I suggest you read the first review. Consider this an Addendum to that pieces as Johnny sent in some new pieces to try out.

The Contestants this time where EthiopianYirgacheffe, and Ethiopian Limu

Packaging. Johnny uses canning jars, hand labeled like all of this coffee is hand roasted. The jars do a fantastic job sealing in the aroma and need to be degassed upon receiving them. This allows the carbon dioxide off-gassed by fresh roasted coffee to escape and prevent it from flattening the taste of  the beans. This also lets you know that you are drinking very fresh coffee. Coffee only off gasses strongly for 48 – 72 hours after being roasted. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a geek, if you’ve looked around the site very much you know that. But I’m a special kind of geek, I love coffee and I like shiny things, so when word got out that there was a voice responsive coffee maker coming to the marker I reported on it on my podcast. I would never guess that I would later get a chance to review the very same item.

Primula Products was nice enough to send me a a Primula Speak n’ Brew voice activated coffee maker. The idea behind this is that you press a button and speak the time and AM or PM when you would like your coffee. It also allows you to set the time on the clock without playing with any buttons or dials.

No matter what product comes out there is always a target audience. A group of people who the product is meant to appeal to. Who would be the target audience for this coffee maker? Well anyone who isn’t too technically inclined and still loves good coffee. There are a good number of people out there who at one point or another had a flashing 12 on their VCR’s and this product is marketed directly to them. Beyond the voice recognition aspects I wondered how the coffee coming out of the machine would taste, because no matter how awesome the features, if it doesn’t brew good coffee there is no point. Read the rest of this entry »

Lego Mugs = things taste better

What has twitter done for you,Or Your Business? Has it ever made you coffee? Try as i might I hadn’t been able to make twitter give me anything good, until recently that is.

Twitter has been called everything from a frivolous nonsense website, to a fantastic business tool. And on many different levels both assertions are correct. However now I have Twitter to thank for some of the best coffee I’ve had in quite a while. Thanks to the Barista On Duty a Pan Roasting Coffee Fanatic Supreme! Read the rest of this entry »

As anyone who reads this site regularly already knows, I like coffee. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a snob, but I know what I like. If you serve me swill I’ll drink it, but i don’t have to like it. I recognize both goof coffee, and equipment which allows for the production of good coffee. Today I’m lucky enough to talk about the Friis Coffee Savor.  Friis, pronounced “Freece” was kind enough to send me a model to try out and report my finding on.  The claim is that this canister will allow Carbon Dioxide out of the can, while not allowing Oxygen in, and by doing this keep coffee fresh longer. And anything that keeps Coffee fresh is alright in my book. Come with me as we test this neat idea out.

The Claims:

I like simple  and easily provable claims to judge products on. Most companies that make simple statements don’t have anything to hide, which is what I like. Cut the buzzwords give me the facts.

• Claim #1: Prevents a buildup of Carbon Dioxide inside the canister
• Claim #2: Keeps Coffee at peak freshness for longer than traditional storage

Simple claims and a very thirsty reviewer make for an easy review to write.

Read the rest of this entry »

From time to time i travel away from the Caffination Lair, and when i do i like to make note of exceptional coffee findings. When I venture to a hotel i don’t have very high hopes for coffee, most of the time i just pray that the little machine in the room is clean and call that a win when it is.

This past weekend i stayed at the Lovely Radnor Hotel to attend my Cousin’s wedding, which was actually held at the very same hotel. The hotel was beautiful and the accommodations where very very nice.The ceremony was held indoors due to inclement weather and the staff from the hotel at all times were very friendly and helpful.

But being the kind of person I am I was stunned to find no coffee maker in the room but rather a large Douwe & Egberts Machine in the lobby. I was stunned, not only because I truly love Douwe and Egberts coffee for its smooth taste, but also because a hotel has finally made the correct choice, Centralized Quality over convenient junk.

In the morning there is a full station, which i didn’t get a chance to snap a picture of with selections of sweeteners, Twining Tea Bags and creamers.

I just had to share the experience. My only regret was that i didn’t try their restaurant while i was there however my parents had rave things to say about the food as well.

The Radnor Hotel

• 591 East Lancaster Avenue, St. Davids, PA 19087
• 800-537-3000

Hot Summer months are now upon us and we have spent no small amount of time talking about the wonder that is iced coffee. I was recently sent a product to review which promises to make the production of Cold Brewed Iced Coffee that much easier. The Ronco Coffeetime Brew System. Ronco the same company who makes all sorts of As Seen on TV goodies have tried their hand at a coffee system. And the best part is that I get to try it out! One more reason why i love running this website.

The Claims:

I like simple  and easily provable claims to judge products on. Most companies that make simple statements don’t have anything to hide, which is what I like. Cut the buzzwords give me the facts.

• Claim #1: Brews Coffee with much less acid
• Claim #2: Easy to Use
• Claim #3: Saves money over expensive coffee drinks

Simple claims and a very thirsty reviewer make for an easy review to write.

But wait… There’s More!

Read the rest of this entry »

A short time ago i was approached about reviewing a caffeinated water product called Avitae, pronounced  ah-vee-tay. I jumped at the chance because their hook is that there are no extra flavors or chemicals in the beverage, just water and caffeine. I was intrigued, and frankly after trying and panning more than a few syrupy sweet energy drinks I was looking for a refreshing change.

The Claims:

I like simple  and easily provable claims to judge products on. Most companies that make simple statements don’t have anything to hide, which is what I like. Cut the buzzwords give me the facts.

• Claim #1: Water, Caffeine Nothing else
• Claim #2: Tastes like nothing
• Claim #3: Gives you a boost

Like I said Simple enough for anyone to give it a run down. Read the rest of this entry »