Cuppa Joe
If you are like the millions of people who
start the day, everyday, with some form of
brewed caffeine, your coffee pot should
reflect your concern for the environment.
Though you may think a coffee pot isn't
exactly home décor, it is a permanent
fixture in your kitchen. Consumers buy more
automatic-drip coffeemakers than any
other small kitchen appliance, using about
$400 million worth of electricity each year
- just brewing coffee! Switch it up a bit to
make an eco-friendly, yet high-voltage, cup
of coffee:
French press: Bodum Chambord's elegant
but inexpensive model contains coffee in
a thermal carafe to keep your coffee hot
without the need for an electric hot plate.
Chemex manual drip: Visit OurCoffeeBarn
for this stylish hourglass-shaped flask uses
recycled paper filters and can make as little
as one cup or as many as ten.
One-cup coffeemakers: Check your local
houseware stores for efficient
little pots that brew your morning
start in less than a minute,
use less energy, and eliminate
the need to make a large pot
of coffee that goes mostly
unconsumed. One-pot coffeemakers use
less energy, water, coffee and, ultimately,
money.
If you are like many, you are slightly
addicted to the convenience of those little
capsules. Just pop it in and viola! Right?
Well, there is an environmental concern
with those - of course, but Illy iperEspresso
fans can take heart in knowing that their
capsules are made from recycled plastic.
The company is working on a method
to allow consumers to open, clean, and
recycle their capsules.
Also OneCoffee offers fair trade,
organically grown coffee in a 99%
compostable capsule - I mean what's not
to like there? While most single-serve
systems may not be as eco-friendly as
other more traditional brewing methods,
the leading manufacturers are taking notes
and continually making improvements to
their products. Don't write them off just yet.
Consider these simple tips to
create an eco-friendly home.
