Caffeinated Combustion Engine

Coffee and Creativity certainly go together, but who knew it would lead to a gasoline alternative?

The Cafe Racer is a 1975 GMC pickup that essentially burns up used coffee to create a combustible gas. The gas is filtered on its way to the engine and, Viola, a caffeine-powered truck.

Read more about it here and here.

Caffeinated Findings

A friend told me about a DailyCandy-ish website that publishes an email list about food, and wouldn't you know it? Only a couple days after I discover it, they print an article about COFFEE...

from HungryGirl.com...

We recently heard that drinking three cups of coffee
or tea a day could actually help older women sustain their memory. According to
a French study, it's the caffeine that plays the biggest factor in these
findings.

And speaking of caffeine, a separate US study found that a combination of
exercise and caffeinated water (aka coffee or tea) could actually reduce the
damaging effects the sun has on the skin. But don't think that means you can
chug some iced coffee and skip the sunscreen... you can't. Click for more on that.

Their newsletter is well done, and hungry GUYS as well as hungry GIRLS will be equally engaged in the content.

Well Crafted Cuppa

Creative form and function flow out of this new coffee maker. Shared from the Single-Serve Coffee Blog...

Europe: The WMF 1 Design Object Single Serve Coffee Maker
We're not sure how we missed this single serve coffee maker, but Gizmodo found it recently and it looks pretty amazing. The WMF 1 is a coffee pad/pod-based single-serve coffee machine, which integrates a cup into its minimalist cubic design that's not much bigger than a couple of books. The almost Apple like design can be livened up with your choice of four colors for the lining. After dumping in the water and pressing a button, it only takes a minute to brew your coffee.

Take your cup and fill with water, unscrew the pod holder and insert a coffee pod. Then put a pod in, press the button, and in less than a minute you have a cup of piping hot single serve coffee.

What's interesting is how the WMF 1 is both a single serve coffee maker and a design object. It's meant to look great or we think interesting along with your other design related objects in your design ridden house. We happen to be in that camp, so the WMF actually has us pretty excited. The only thing that doesn't have us excited? You can't use your own cup, but if you do break the WMF cup you can buy a replacement. And one last thing - there's even a video - a must watch and a video game. The WMF 1 is currently available in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, The Nederlands, and Spain.

Via Gizmodo at WMF

Hot Coffee Cool Links

A couple hot items from the Single-Serve Coffee blog...

First, the new JavaWand! It's promoted as an alternative to a French Press, and allows you to make fresh brewed coffee without lugging around a coffee-maker.

Seems to have some potential, and at $20 I can't be expected to pass it up. I'm ordering one today and I'll report back on its effectiveness.

Second, a recent episode of On Point with Tom Ashbrook (which airs on Boston's NPR station WBUR) featured the buzz on our favorite caffeinated beverage. They did an on-air coffee tasting, and had interviews with several notables including George Howell, founder of The Coffee Connection, which he sold to Starbucks in 1994.

You can listen to the archived podcast here.

Caffeine Death Match!

Ever wonder which would kill you first, Coffee or Red Bull? According to the "Death By Caffeine" utility on EnergyFiend.com, for a guy my weight (I ain't telling) it would take 149.20 cups of brewed coffee vs. 200.48 cans of Red Bull to make me croak.

Other interesting findings:

• Diet Coke will kill ya faster than Coke Classic
• Jolt Cola will "do" you in much more quickly than Mountain Dew
• 160 cans of Enviga Green Tea would have me Resting In Peace

...And don't even get me started on how KitKat bars are TWICE as deadly as Reese Peanut Butter Cups!