Today the Huffington Post is reporting that the Kona Coffee Farmers Association has asked the Hawaiian state legislature to tighten up labeling regulations that apply to Kona coffee.  When you buy Kona in Hawaii, the label states what percentage of the blend is Kona, and you generally will see 10% blends and the more attractive (and more expensive) 100% Kona labels.  State law mandates that Kona blends sold in Hawaii must be at least 10% Kona and that the label must disclose the percentage, but the farmers association is asking that the law also require that the label report the source of the other non-Kona beans in the blend.   The farmers are concerned that low-quality beans are being blended with the Kona and creating a sub-standard final product.  I’m not sure simply telling the country the beans were sourced from will provide enough information to the buyer, but that’s a start.

Apparently when the 10% minimum was introduced, the initial language required that the coffee companies state the source of all beans in the blend, but that language was ultimately diluted to make the disclosure of other beans voluntary.  Since that time, none of the roasters who produce Kona blends are disclosing that additional information, so the farmers association is trying to bring back that mandate.    Another quality control attempt by the Kona farmers — a regulation that Kona blends must be 75% Kona or more — failed several years ago.

The other challenge for the farmers is that the labeling regulations being sought, just like the current 10% labeling law, would only control the coffee blends sold in Hawaii.  Labeling regulations are different in other states, and the Kona coffee sold in the United States mainland is not subject to the same labeling regulations.  As such, anything goes on the mainland unless the state where the beans are sold also has similar labeling regulations.  According to the Huffington Post article, Safeway stores, which have a presence in Hawaii, agreed in August 2011 to change the labeling on Kona coffee products sold in mainland stores to show what percentage of the coffee was Kona, and, at the same time, Safeway also started selling 100% Kona products in California.

You can download the app, which costs $2.99, for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad directly from the  iTunes store.  By the way, you should be running iOS5 on your device to use the Bloom app. (UPDATE:  I just realized that the developer has released a few redemption codes that might allow you to get the Bloom app for free.  Using this iTunes redemption code link, try the following codes:  NN4AKFFP6YRT, TFAYX3YP3TRT, 7MKWW7KY46JR, and L9W6WA9TWRAE.  If you use one of the redemption codes, The Analog Agency has asked that you notify them on Twitter (at @BloomApp) that you got the app using a redemption code.)

The opening screen of the Bloom app lists several coffee brewing methods, including Beehouse, Chemex, Clever, French press, siphon and V60.  Choosing any of these default brew methods takes the user to a timer screen that also lays out brew parameters for that brewing method.

For example, if you choose the Clever brewing option, the Clever brewing screen shows a timer preset for 4 minutes, and suggests using 26 grams of coffee and 380 grams of water. The bottom half of the screen offers brewing reminders, suggesting you allow the coffee to bloom with 100 grams of water for 30 seconds, then infuse with the remainder of the water for 2 minutes, and then allow the coffee to begin the drop process into the container for 1 minute, 30 seconds to complete the brew. All of these elements are customizable to your own coffee brew methods and parameters, including the ability to add or remove brew steps, change their times, change the amount coffee or water to use, and more.  And don’t worry — if you like your water or coffee measurement in ounces instead of grams, you can change that in the “Edit” screen.

When you start the timer, the larger time counts down the total brew time while the lower brewing guides screen works through each of the brewing steps, highlighting the current brew step and counting down time remaining in that step.  At the completion of each step in the brew process, the Bloom app dings a bell, moves the highlight to the next step and begins the next brew guide timer, moving step by step until the brew is complete and the final bell rings.  If the user closes the app during a brew cycle, the Bloom App conveniently pops up a reminder on the screen as each bell dings to inform the user which step is now complete.

The visual elements of the app are very clean, and it flows smoothly from step to step, working through each brew cycle.  The dinging bell isn’t too obtrusive, and the popup reminders on other screens is a convenient touch as well.  The magic of this simple coffee brewing app is that it works for someone new to manually brewing coffee by offering default parameters as a good starting point for each method, but for the advanced coffee user, the options are virtually endless.

One of the most valuable advanced features of the app is the ability to set up parameters by coffee bean, and then break down different brewing methods and parameters that you prefer for that specific bean.  If, for example, you enjoy the Panama Elida Estate coffee, and you like it via both Beehouse and French press, you can have a Panama Elida Estate profile for the Beehouse method and a completely different Panama Elida Estate profile for the French press method. You can have your favorite coffees that way you like them, and track them all in the Bloom app, setting up brew guides, timers and water/coffee measuring parameters as well as keeping notes.

Jeremy Boles, the mind behind the Bloom app, lives in Springfield and can frequently be found enjoying coffee while working at The Coffee Ethic.  In creating this app, he consulted local coffee professionals on the best parameters to set up as defaults to assist users who just want to use without having to set their own parameters.  Download the app, support local coffee lovers in southwest Missouri, and check out the great functionality offered by this new app.  And, if you like it, review it to further support Jeremy’s efforts to develop this coffee app.

Entry to the contest costs $5, and it’s an open invitation to anyone who feels qualified to compete. So far, our understanding of the setup of the contest is as follows:  The contest will be three rounds, and each contestant will be expected to be able to pour a tulip, a heart, and a rosetta.  Entrants will be judged by a three-judge panel on the quality of each style of pour over the course of the three rounds to determine a winner.  If there is a tie, the finalists will enter a tie breaker in which they will be allowed to free style pour whatever kind of latte art they think will win.  This will be a free pour contest, and no etching or use of utensils to detail the latte art will be allowed.  One challenge is that the Hub’s espresso machine is a Pavoni lever-driven machine, so if you intend to compete and have never used a lever-driving machine to pull a shot of espresso, it might be a good idea to arrive early to practice.

The Hub serves coffee from both Handsome Coffee Roasters of Los Angeles, California, and Intelligentsia Coffee.  This event is supported by Ozark Mountain Creamery, which is providing the milk for the contest.  The Hub is located in downtown Springfield, Missouri at 811 North Boonville Avenue, just north of the intersection of Boonville Avenue and Chestnut Expressway.  For more information, contact The Hub Coffee and Bicycles at (417) 862-0670.

On top of all the flash and great interior design work, they serve coffees roasted right in the back room of the cafe by Ed Kuhlman himself, and they brew their coffees on top of the line equipment using a variety of methods.  You can also find a wide range of equipment for purchase as well for your home coffee needs, and you can buy Classic Rock Coffee beans for your own home brewing as well.

You can find out more at the Classic Rock Coffee Facebook page or their website (although the website primarily promotes the coffee roasting, not the cafe).

“That’s easy!” he says. “It’s the complexity. It’s not just sweet. It’s not just bright. It’s not 1-sided. There are layers to the espresso that only become evident once you’ve already started to drink it.”

This is a big deal coming from the guy who once told me that the only thing a barista could do to the quality of the coffee before serving it is diminish it. After having a couple shots of Honey Badger, I can say Jason has his work cut out for him! There is so much flavor in these 2 ounces of bliss, it should quite frankly be illegal.

For espresso drinkers craving a delicious departure from the Swiss chocolate flavor common to Intelligentsia’s popular Black Cat classic, Honey Badger will feel like a breath of ‘citrus-y’ fresh air. A flavor profile of lime and a hint of blackberry gives the blend a nice bright flavor. The heavy molasses mouth-feel rounds out the finish and keeps this espresso from feeling too mouth-puckeringly sweet. It’s a truly brilliant combination.

“The coffee from Kenya is what brings out the fruity brightness, while the coffee from Brazil gives it a little more body & depth,” Jason said.

The result is a marriage in sweet espresso goodness that can only be had at the Hub. If you’re thinking about heading out for a cup, do it quickly. Last time the Honey Badger offering was available at the Hub, it didn’t last long, and Strother is expecting the same results the second time around.

“Our last batch lasted us about one week,” Strother said.

Spectators might  score a free 12 oz. latte (although be warned, competition latte art drinks — as opposed to drinks you may purchase day to day with latte art on top — may tend to be overextracted to create visual contrast between the coffee and the foam). Overall, about 15 to 20 lattes will be created in their efforts to crown a Dancing Mule Latte Art Champion. Latte art competitions are always a good time to learn more about coffee preparation  and to socialize and get to know other coffee fans from the area.

If you don’t quite know what latte art is, you may have noticed that at some coffee shops, your drinks are poured in such a way that hearts, flowers or other designs appear on top of the drink in the milk.  Latte art involves steaming and texturing the milk in such a way that it forms tiny foam bubbles.  When you’re drinking a latte, proper steaming and texturing highlights the natural sweetness in the milk and also brings the espresso crema to the top.  The texture of the milk also allows a skilled barista to make designs with the milk based on how they pour the milk. A latte art competition is an opportunity for baristas to show off their skills.  It takes practice, training, a steady hand, and just a little luck to be able to pour a variety of designs in front of a crowd and your peers, especially when you’re limited in your number of attempts and being judged.

Stop by Dancing Mule Sunday to get a glimpse at some serious competition between friends, learn a little more about coffee, and maybe grab a drink.

Coffee prices have risen 84 percent, or $102 per metric ton, over the last 12 months, according to TradingEconomics.com coffee charts.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports  that coffee was $180 per metric ton in October and $240 in January.  The historical peaks of coffee (one in the late 1970s and another in the late 1990s) have been above $300 per metric ton, so there may be even more room for coffee prices to increase.

Starbucks recently warned market analysts that the rising cost of coffee beans will eat into its profitability but that they are not yet going to pass the price increase on to its customers. To date, the coffee giant has eaten the additional costs instead of raising prices in its shops, but that may not last forever. Starbucks did not rule out increases in the future on certain products.

For now, Starbucks has already sourced its coffee beans at fixed prices through 2011, so their cost per cup is predictable, but future cost increases will ultimately affect the consumer cost per cup. By contrast, McDonald’s has noted that due to increasing food and coffee costs as part of the expanding food inflation trend, the company may need to increase prices or shrink portions to keep their products profitable.  Some are speculating that food companies in general are afraid to raise prices and are pursuing better efficiencies hoping to avoid a consumer confidence crisis in these rough economic times.

The primary reason for the increase in coffee costs is lower than expected production of high-quality arabica coffee beans.  Coffee prices in Tanzania have set a seasonal high due to short supply in world markets.  Coffee harvests in Colombia are expected to be below expectations due to excess rainfall.  Brazil, which is the largest coffee exporter in Latin America, expects its production to decline by 13 percent this year. While coffee exports from the Dominican Republic, Columbia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Salvador and Peru all increased in the last quarter of 2010, even if all of those markets continued to increase their exports, Brazil’s impact in the market is so significant that a decline in Brazil’s production will overshadow all of the other country’s increases and create a global deficit, which in turn raises coffee prices worldwide due to less available supplies.

Interestingly, Brazil’s internal coffee consumption has increased by 5 percent, so Brazil may also use more coffee internally instead of exporting.  Brazil’s coffee consumption rate is higher than all other coffee producing countries, and at its current rate of growth, coffee consumption in Brazil is set to exceed the United States in 2012.  While coffee consumption in Brazil will never hit the highs found in Finland, Norway, and Denmark, where people drink crazy amounts of coffee, Brazil is becoming a world player in coffee consumption, not just production and exporting.

Overall, the coffee markets are very complicated worldwide, and as a coffee drinker, you can expect to see changes in the price of your daily cup of coffee as these effects ripple through the markets.  With sugar prices at a 30-year high and cocoa prices in turmoil, maybe it’s time you just drank your coffee black.

To use the service, coffee customers must download the Starbucks Card mobile app to their device.  That app has historically been used for finding nearby Starbucks locations, managing a Starbucks card balance and loading a Starbucks card from a credit card or Paypal account.   The coffee giant is piggybacking the mobile payments program onto their successful Starbacks card platform.  Right now, 1 in every 5 Starbucks transactions is paid using a Starbucks card, and last year, Starbucks customers loaded $1.5 billion onto Starbucks Cards.

Functionally, to make a mobile transaction, the coffee purchaser pulls up the Starbucks Card app on their mobile device to reveal the bar code of their Starbucks Card, and then they hold their mobile device in front of a scanner on the counter at the Starbucks location.  The scanner scans the on-screen bar code on the mobile device to complete the purchase.

I’m a huge fan of mobile payments.  Have you made a mobile payment at a Starbucks yet?  Let us know how it goes.