Virginhillcoffee's Weblog

Solofill

virginhillcoffee — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:25:43 +0000

I’ve been meaning to write this post forever – we ordered our Solofill refillable k-cups and got all excited when they arrived. Tried them out and now three weeks later, finally getting around to posting. So here’s our review.

Solofill - best refillable k-cup we've tried!

Of course there’s the obvious reasons we like Solofills: it takes away the environmental concerns of using k-cups and we can use our own coffee in them (which of course saves money, well, depending on how expensive your coffee taste is!). But that’s pretty much the case for any of the refillable k-cup inventions.

So, what we liked about Solofill in particular:

We really liked that they are all one piece – because of the very small added hassle of having to wash them out, it’s nice to have everything in one piece so that nothing gets lost in the wash
On that note, it’s dishwasher-safe
It fits in ANY Keurig machine – both commercial and at home machines (which is rare)
Because of their Octaflo-Plus System, which evenly distributes hot water through the filter, you get the true taste of the coffee
It’s very easy to use
100% BPA free

What we didn’t like about them:

Tiny bit of residue, but this is true to any permanent filter type of machine

That’s it! And we were stretching for that one! There is one more negative actually – we contacted them about a month ago to see if we could resell them and still not heard back! Until we do, they have free shipping to Canada right now if you order 4 or more on their site. At $14.95 USD they are about middle of the road in price, but great for value so definitely worth it.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Breakfast Blend (Matin)

virginhillcoffee — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:06:15 +0000

Like a coffee that’s a little milder? Our Breakfast Blend (Matin) is great for people who like a milder coffee but still want the true taste of a good coffee. It is a blend of some of the best coffees sourced from Central America. It’s a traditional blend, rather mild but delicately sharp and a great choice if you’re not a regular coffee drinker.

Give it a try with free shipping. Or you can get 20% off if you order from our Facebook page!

Virgin Hill Breakfast Blend - a true, mild coffee

Ripplecove Blend

virginhillcoffee — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:48:46 +0000

A little post about our Ripplecove blend. Generally when I give out a sample of our coffee this is one of the two I’ll hand out (the other is the Knowlton blend of course!). This blend was a custom creation for Ripplecove Inn, a gorgeous inn on the shore of Lake Massawippi in Quebec. The inn was originally built as a summer retreat and in the sixties became a year-round resort. Beautiful views over the lake, a pool, fantastic spa and even a log cabin complete this escape. On top of this, we’ve just installed in-room Keurig single serves in each of the guest rooms.

Anyway, back to the coffee itself. It was developed for Ripplecove, with a full-bodied medium to bold strength. It’s a fantastic all-rounder with lots of character.

Ripplecove Blend

It’s that time of year: Coffee + maple syrup

virginhillcoffee — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:09:54 +0000

I had never heard of it, but yet as a Quebecer it’s so obvious – maple syrup to sweeten your coffee (if you do that kind of thing). So perfect in the morning, you’ll think your coffee is incomplete without eggs. A bit stronger and sweeter than regular sugar. Oh and according to a study commissioned by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers it has health benefits as well! With anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds as well as antioxidants maple syrup in your coffee is not just delicious, it could even be called healthy well in moderation of course.

Read about it here

Have you ever tried maple syrup in your coffee? What a perfect time of year to give it a go!

Frac Packs

virginhillcoffee — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:48:43 +0000

Because I love our new frac pack design so much, just a quick note about frac packs in general. To begin frac pack is just short for fraction pack – they are a smaller packet of coffee that makes it easier for higher volume places (well, higher-volume than most homes lets say) to make coffee quickly, without having to measure out each time they make coffee.

www.virginhillcoffee.com sets up frac packs in sizes based on what each customer needs. This can be anywhere from 45 grams all the way up to a half pound bag (although 71 grams is usually the max). Of course we always recommend that our customers use fresh beans and a grinder but this is not always possible due to lack of space and budget limitations. In any case our frac packs are made fresh every week to go out in our weekly deliveries. They are kind of like “single serves” for restaurants!

Here is our beautiful bag:

Virgin Hill Coffee Frac Pack

Four O’Clock

virginhillcoffee — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 20:19:22 +0000

After indulging in a wonderful massage at Auberge West Brome this morning I was offered a cup of tea. Anyone who knows me knows that ironically I don’t consume hot drinks. But I was in the moment so had a Four O’Clock passion fruit tea. Completely surprised I totally enjoyed it! The teas are on our site and are FTO (fair trade organic). I’ve become a tea drinker (albeit luke warm!)!!

Fundraising Success!

virginhillcoffee — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:47:18 +0000

Got some amazing news today! A local elementary school of 400 students ran a Virgin Hill Coffee fundraising event over 3-4 weeks. Only about half the school participated and they managed to make just over $6,500!!! Terrific success!

Chocolate cake with mocha frosting

virginhillcoffee — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:44:40 +0000

Maybe I should have called this post mocha frosting with chocolate cake! Just had a slice of this chocolatey coffee heaven. My mom spent 2 hours creating this delight (from virgin hill coffee – sorry, I can’t help myself). My intent was to post the recipe but she won’t share it. Seriously, she won’t. If you want it she has dishes in the sink and a carpet to vacuum. All serious offers considered.

Our sad attempt at growing coffee

virginhillcoffee — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:40:39 +0000

So this is a picture of our poor, pathetic coffee plants, brought lovingly from Kona. We searched the island for these puppies and ended up finding two at the airport. We were worried about getting them past customs but there wasn’t a problem as they were all approved.

Anyway after going out to buy $40 worth of supplies we transferred the plants, which were already turning brown. Matthew (yes, I’m blaming him) seemed to forget what we learned – how lava rock makes for good growing conditions because the plants don’t sit in water. They’ve been sitting in water. Lots.

But not all is lost. We’re banking on 6 beans we’ve planted. We will prove you can grow coffee in Canada!

(if you have any tips please post! Thanks!)

This week’s offer

virginhillcoffee — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:17:35 +0000

Ok so I’ve tried to be creative about this week’s offer. But, as you’ll see, I’m definitely lacking inspiration. So here it is: half off, 50% off, get twice what you pay for, buy 1 get 1 free, etc. Just use HALFMARCH at checkout Virgin Hill

Always wanted to try something new? Buy your regular coffee and try maybe the Hatley blend (or whatever you want) for free.

The code is good until March 30, 2011.