Stephanie Larkin

Starbucks. When you say the name, it automatically conjures up an image: an upscale coffee bar with light wood, glass and chrome. The invigorating and inviting aroma of brewed coffee and the café atmosphere has made Starbucks the best-known specialty coffee roaster and server in the world.

Ah, espresso! It's been called the nectar of the gods and the elixir of energy. Properly prepared, the perfect shot of espresso is an unparalleled sensory experience, encompassing four of the five senses - five, if you include the sound of this delicious drink as it is prepared and consumed.

It was a match made in heaven, at least if your heaven includes wonderful coffee. When Douwe Egberts, the world's second largest coffee roaster, teamed up with Royal Philips Electric, one of the world's leading innovators in electronic devices, the result was bound to be sensational. The Senseo coffee pod system is the product of a partnership between two world leaders in their field with a common background.

Each year, the National Coffee Association of the USA publishes their report on National Coffee Drinking Trends. The report has become one of the bibles of the coffee industry.

When discussing the Tassimo hot beverage system, one thing should be made clear: Tassimo is not a single-serve coffee maker. There is a reason that they call it a 'hot beverage system' rather than a one-cup coffee machine. The Tassimo Hot Beverage System may just be one of the most versatile beverage makers on the market today.

Pick the best coffee beans available all over the world, roast them to perfection, season with an advanced social conscience and a mission to help change the world, flavor with a very savvy sense of marketing and business and you might end up with one of the most successful specialty coffee businesses in the world.

If you go by the growing sales of such top of the line single cup brewing systems as Keurig, single cup coffee brewing systems have taken the home market by storm. Keurig's K-cup system is easily the most popular out of the new line of single cup brewers.

In a time and age when 'environmentally responsible' has become the latest buzzword in marketing for many corporations, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont is refreshingly different and sincere. For Green Mountain, social and environmental responsibility is not a trendy marketing move.

As single cup coffee brewing systems gain in popularity, the brand that has stood above the rest has been Keurig. With its K-cup coffee brewer and incredible variety of available coffees, it's no wonder that Keurig has risen to the top.

Many employers often wonder what their employees want, besides a raise of course. The answer might be surprising. A number of Fortune 500 companies have discovered that one of the most treasured perks they provide for their employees is something they might never expect - coffee! A break room well-stocked with a variety of coffees and other beverages is high on the list of perks that employees are looking for.