FIRST CRACK

Hot Products & Fresh Ideas

mug of steel

Shinier than a speeding bullet, more dent-proof than a locomotive, able to hold 24 ounces in a single filling. Look, in your hand—it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Supermug! Okay, well, maybe that’s going a little far, but the Steele travel mug by DrinkWorks! is sure to appeal to any man of steel. Designed especially for the male coffee drinker, this rugged, insulated mug features a squared-off design reminiscent of an SUV, a non-skid TuffGrip bottom with workboot-style tread, and an oversized rubber handle that makes it easy to grasp, even with gloves on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with X-ray vision—that part you have to figure out on your own. DrinkWorks!, 877.534.5454; www.drinkworks.com.

brighten up your daily grind

Just because you take your coffee black doesn’t mean you have to take your burr grinder that way. Instead, show your true colors with the Lipstick Red and Dazzling Blue Maestro Plus burr grinders by Baratza, LLC. Like all Maestros, these grinders offer more than a pretty face; they’re the whole package, with 40 grind settings, a pulse button and quiet operation. So why choose between beauty and brains? Now you can ooh and aah over your grinder, and use it, too. Baratza, LLC, 877.701.2021; www.baratza.com.

bean of a different flavor

Move over liquid flavorings… now there’s something cleaner. Flavormatic’s new line of bean flavorings, called Powerbean, allows roasters to flavor their beans and grounds without any of the mess, odor or chemical solvents of traditional liquid flavorings. And that means a cleaner roastery, and a cleaner-tasting coffee. The company spent five years developing the process which turns ordinary roasted beans into direct flavor carriers, so now all you have to do is mix 97 pounds of your beans with three pounds of Powerbeans, and voila—instant flavor. Ditto for ground beans, cocoa mixes and teas. So far, Powerbeans are available in amaretto, chocolate, cinnamon and a variety of other flavors, with more on the way. The company also offers a line of Organic Powerbeans. Flavormatic Industries, Inc., 845.297.9100; sales@flavormatic.com; www.flavormatic.com.

faces in the grounds

• Torani has added three senior level managers to its sales and marketing sections: Eric Gould joins as retail sales manager, where he will continue to develop Torani’s retail business and division; As foodservice marketing manager, Pamela Resser will work to build Torani’s brand equities and develop strategic partnerships in the foodservice channel; Cindy Wright is the new Northwest foodservice regional sales manager and will work with Torani customers in the established Northwest market. 
• Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters announces the promotion of David J. Wasson to vice president general manager and Scott Merle to vice president of coffee. Wasson has spent 15 years in the coffee industry, eight of them with Batdorf & Bronson. Merle has worked with Batdorf & Bronson for 11 years and has been the company’s green buyer and roastmaster since 2001.
• Probat Burns, Inc. has named new East and West coast representatives: Launtia Taylor of the Taylor Gentles Group represents Probat’s line of specialty coffee roasters within the East coast sales area, while Robert Hensley of West Coast Specialty Coffee Training Institute, represents the company’s line along the West coast.
• Shawn Hamilton, master roaster and vice president of operations with Java City, has been elected vice chairman of the Roasters Guild. Hamilton is one of the original founding members of the Roasters Guild and previously served as secretary/treasurer.