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.
