Why Do Product Sizes Keep Shrinking?

Coffee is something a majority of us can’t do without in our lives.  My biggest problem with this and other products lately is the ever shrinking sizes.  Do companies think we don’t notice this?

Maybe the solution for shrinking sizes of coffee calls for smaller cups.

I remember when people would buy a can of coffee in a 3 lb. container.  The can had a whooping 48 ounces that would feel heavy in your hand.  Then years ago, they went to 39 oz., next to 34.5 oz. and on a recent trip to ALDI discovered the cans are now 30.5 oz.  Now in all fairness I used to think these cans weren’t getting smaller, but the product inside was.  So you would open it and you see all the wasted space.  So you have to go back to the store and buy more coffee or just pick up more cans.

I know they probably studied what happened when they left the cans at 48 oz. and just raised the price. People probably bought less.  Since many stores don’t post unit prices and if you don’t look at what you are paying per ounce then you may not notice they raised the price.  They are easing price increases via shrinking sizes.

I remember one crisis where they had some problem in growing coffee and the price went sky high.  I saw the cans sit there and dust form on the top.  People weren’t buying.  But that was a quick spike in prices.

These larger sizes are still being made.  You don’t have to buy small cans. Another option is online ordering of these products. I went to Amazon.com and actually found Folger’s coffee in the 48 oz. can sold there at a price less than I was paying at ALDI.  The only problem was the shipping was $8.00 unless you have Amazon Prime with free shipping.

At this pace of shrinkage, we’ll be buying 1 lb. cans of coffee soon.  I saw some 24 oz. cans.  There are reasons I don’t buy 1 lb. cans, they cost too much, and I drink too much coffee.

I, for one, cut down my consumption of coffee.  Now I just drink it in the morning and have replaced my favorite beverage with tea and water.  Doing so, is better for my health but also a small way to protest.  If more people followed this example, then perhaps, manufacturers would get the message that we had enough!

Review: New Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System—Influenster VoxBox #HelloKeurig

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System in box

I was one of the lucky people chosen by Influenster to try out the new Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System.  I had not realized what I had been missing until this amazing little machine arrived to replace my Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker. Now this coffee lover is spoiled and will never go back to brewing coffee without my Keurig!

The reason I have fallen so totally and passionately in love with this machine is because it can brew one specific K-Cup at a time or a larger carafe that makes fours cups of what I consider perfect coffee. No more waiting until an entire pot of French Roast or Hazelnut brewed any longer for me.  The Keurig makes pleasing everyone in the family easy instead of deciding what flavor of coffee that we will drink next.  

Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System in use

Brewing coffee is so simple, not to mention convenient, as well when you need to get out of the house in a hurry to work.  Once I loaded it and pressed, my coffee was ready practically in a flash without making hardly any noise as it brewed.

Being a new Keurig convert, I can’t compare this new model against an older version.  However, I can tell you this model features an extra-large 80 ounce water reservoir, 2.8 inch color touch display, programmable clock and controls, an auto brew option and a strength control setting for brewing bolder coffee.  Another delightful find is discovering this model has as customizable night light in the water reservoir and offers hot water on demand and a separate setting when the craving for hot cocoa or something just as delicious like a latte comes over you.

Another view of the Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System

I also found my new Keurig 2.0 K550 Model came equipped with two boxes--six K-Cups and four K-Carafe packs to get me started. 

I have been having so much fun playing with this machine and all it can do.  For someone truly addicted to coffee, I honestly can’t think of a better way to brew than with the Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System for all the variety, convenience, and ease it brings into your daily life.  I highly recommend looking into getting one for yourself, family, or friends because the holiday season will be here and this would make an awesome gift, especially for an older relative living alone!

Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade House Blend & Pumpkin Spice Coffee Review

*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  No money was exchanged.  All I received were free products from BzzAgent to facilitate this review.*

This was the first time I ever sampled any coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Company when I was selected to review some as a BzzAgent project.   I received a bag of their Organics House Blend ground coffee (a medium to dark roast) and a bag of their Seasonal Pumpkin Spice ground coffee.

I thought their flavored ground Seasonal Pumpkin Spice coffee was delightful with a hint of pumpkin pie spices to give it a holiday flare, an excellent choice for upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving gatherings. 

Their Organics House Blend was rich and a satisfying way to start off a day or complete any meal for this coffee-lover.  To me, it was roasted to perfection and brewed the ultimate cup of coffee.

I definitely loved both varieties of the Green Mountain Coffee.  Sometime soon, I would be interested in trying more of what they make.

Good News for Coffee Lovers When It Comes to Your Health!

My grandmother used to live with us when I was young.  She constantly used to scold my mother for drinking too much coffee threatening it would kill her liver.  My mother's typical reply was that she only had a cup at a time with a straight face.  

Her response always frustrated my grandmother.  She would shake her head, frown, and then point to my mother's cup saying, "That is not a cup."  She would point to her small cup.  "This is a cup." 

My mother would shrug.  "So my cup happens to be a little bigger, " she would answer back. 

Grandma would roll her eyes and then eventually try to hide my mother's soup bowl-sized mug before the next meal.  This became a ritual when I was growing up because my grandmother was convinced coffee would damage livers!

I do not know if too much coffee or caffeine will damage livers.  In fact, one day we hear coffee and caffeine are bad for you.   Other times, we hear that drinking coffee and tea with caffeine is good for us.  I just know that I love my coffee and would have a hard time giving it up.  Although, I have been cutting back and drinking more water with meals instead.

According to a new study, however, women should continue to enjoy our coffee with at least three or four cups because it may help prevent  endometrial cancer.   Those women that did drink more than four cups of coffee cut their chances of developing endometrial cancer in half. 

This study also found if you had only two to three cups of coffee a day, you still reduced your chance of having a stroke by 19%.

Another thing these researchers found was that drinking two to three cups of coffee before exercising helped relieve muscle pain that followed their workout.