Los Angeles residents can get their freshly roasted coffee fix at the recently opened Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea. How do you know it's good? The head of research and development at Intelligentsia, Kyle Glanville, won the 2008 US Barista Championship, if that means anything. Just watching this video tour of their coffee bean stash and roasting process may not be enough to keep you alert, but coffee lovers may drool a little. Check out the video after the jump.... More

This internet-compatible coffee-maker appears to have some vulnerabilities to hacking. As posted on the Security Focus website: Fun things you can do with a Jura coffee maker: 1. Change the preset coffee settings (make weak or strong coffee) 2. Change the amount of water per cup (say 300ml for a short black) and make a puddle 3. Break it by engineering settings that are not compatible (and making it require a service)The connectivity kit uses the connectivity of the PC it is running on to connect the coffee machine to the internet. This allows a remote coffee machine "engineer" to diagnose any problems and to remotely do a preliminary service.Best yet, the software allows a remote attacker to gain access... More

This somewhat ingenious coffee carrier comes from Germany. As you can see, it helps you get a handle on two cups in a much more stable way than other carriers. Seems like a bit of a waste of paper and resources, though, when your hands would do. [via Neatorama]... More

Speaking lascivious lattes, the Epicurious Epi-Log hips us to bikini baristas in the Pacific Northwest. At shops like Cowgirls Espresso in Washington state, the skimpy togs worn by the female staff members are meant to perk up male customers as much as the caffeine does. Not everyone's happy.... More

Last month, we told you what coffee drinkers thought of the new Starbucks Pike Place Roast. Everything from "kinda watery" to "real strong." But who cares about the coffee; we should have asked about them about the mermaid's sassy new look. Er, old look, since the breast-baring image is a throwback to the original Seattle store's logo. Nicknamed the "Slutbucks" controversy, the redesign had one conservative group bickering and covering children's eyes. Well, they can simmer because Starbucks recently announced, "we will be returning to the standard green logo in a few weeks." Apparently, this was not in reaction to critics, but always part of the plan: roll out the "heritage logo" for an eight-week long Pike Place Roast launch,... More

From April 13 to 19, I traveled around Chile with two other American food journalists on a culinary media trip. Here's another snapshot from that week. —Robyn Lee "They don't serve any alcohol?" asked Jenn incredulously. "No," insisted Carolina, our Chilean host. "They just serve coffee." Jenn, Wes and I—the clueless Americans in Chile—were befuddled by the Chilean institution that is café con piernas, or "coffee with legs." Think Hooters, but with a focus on long legs and dainty cups of coffee instead of boobs and chicken wings. Sex appeal sans booze? Interesting. As these cafes have been around since the 1960s, the formula of coffee and legs must work pretty well. Although visiting one of these cafes wasn't part... More

Wired's latest issue features "12 Hacks That Will Amp Up Your Brainpower." Number two on the list is about the right way to consume coffee: For optimal brain gain, regular tea breaks, as favored in the UK, are more effective than a 20-ounce French roast... Throughout the day, your noodle fills up with adenosine, a chemical thought to cause mental fatigue. Caffeine blocks the brain's adenosine receptors, countering the chemical's dulling effects. To maximize alertness and minimize jitters, keep those receptors covered with frequent small doses — like a mug of low-caf tea or half a cup of joe — rather than a onetime blast.... More

This vintage sexist coffee commercial for Folger's instant coffee ... I don't know what to say. I can't believe they ever made ad spots like this. After the jump, the patriarchal percolations.... More

Update (1/5/2011) Starbucks dropped all words from its logo today. Here's what the latest version looks like (see below for the history up until now): Previous to 1/5/2011 A) Engraving of a twin-tailed siren (15th century); B) First Starbucks logo (1971 - 1987); C) Il Giornale logo; D) Merging of Starbucks and Il Giornale (1987 - 1992); E) Redesigned Starbucks logo (1992 - today); F) Current Starbucks logo, a revival of the original If you stopped by Starbucks the other day to try their new Pike Place Roast brewed coffee, you may have noticed the cup looked a little different, with the siren's tails displayed more prominently. Actually, this "new" design is a throwback to the original Starbucks logo, which... More

So is the new 'Bucks jolt juice as smooth as they say? We asked some coffee drinkers at the Starbucks branch in Rosslyn, Virginia, and heard a lot of mixed sentiments. Too strong. Smoother. Watery. Worse than Dunkin'. Worse than McDonald's. Free. Old-school. People, make up your minds! "No good. Pretty strong. I had to put a lot of cream in it to make it OK. I'd call myself a Starbucks drinker, but not this." —Sam "I like it. It's smoother. Normally Starbucks coffee seems to cater to the non-black-coffee drinkers. Too burnt-tasting normally. But this I could take black." —Malcolm... More