Starbucks is now ready on demand. The coffee giant expanded its empire Tuesday with VIA, its version of "Ready Brew" instant coffee. Available in Colombian roast or bolder Italian roast, the packets of powdered coffee are sold in packages of three for $2.95.
After two decades of development, Starbucks is so certain consumers will like it that it's pitting VIA up against its whole-bean coffee, asking consumers if they can taste the difference.
"I think it takes great courage for us to take our brand name -- which we value more than anything in the world -- and put it on an instant coffee," CEO Howard Schultz said at a Starbucks VIA Ready Brew launch event Tuesday. "That's not a move of desperation, that's a move of confidence and the fact that we know this coffee will pass the test of time."
Back in March, Slashfood did a taste test and we were "pleasantly surprised" by the flavor. More recently, we did a side-by-side comparison and found the results to be similar. There's no doubt that a freshly brewed cup of coffee takes the cake, but after a recent instant coffee taste test (that we're still recovering from), we would be more than happy to sip VIA.
Find out where VIA is available and how you can get a free sample after the jump.
The soft-drink maker is currently test marketing a sweetened fizzy milk beverage called Vio. Made with sparkling water, a hint of skim milk and cane sugar, the 8-ounce beverages come in four fruit flavors: Citrus Burst, Peach Mango, Very Berry and Tropical Colada.
Ray Crockett, a spokesman for the brand, told Slashfood on Tuesday that the drink is currently in "very limited distribution and only in New York City."
Day three of the Fancy Food Show was just as big and bold as Sunday and Monday, with some extra swag to take home. Even after spending three days there, we still feel like we missed a bunch of things.
As Slashfood staffers strolled the aisles on Tueday afternoon, we discovered Key Lime Graham Cracker Gelato, stuffed our faces full of Lobster Mac and Cheese and topped our day off with cultured butter with sea salt crystals.
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Tuesday's walk through the show.
Why yes that flower does taste like a battery. Photo: Sara Bonisteel
Day Two of the Fancy Food Show didn't disappoint. With hundreds of thousands of products on display, you're bound to miss a few items on your first walk through of the show at the Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side.
As Slashfood strolled the aisles on Monday afternoon, we discovered a better bacon candy bar, pondered the correct way to grow a shallot and finally tried a pepquiño (and another edible oddity, the above pictured Sechuan button).
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Monday's walk through the show. Sundays's favorites can be found here.
As a matter of fact, yes. That is pizza in a cone. Thanks for asking. Photo: Kat Kinsman
"Pleasant and acceptable taste and smell"
If that's the best your copywriters can cook up for a brochure blurb, take that as a sign that your microwavable pizza cones might not be a standout at the Fancy Food Show. At least not in the way you'd hoped.
Luckily for our increasingly overtaxed palates, there were more than a few swoon-inducing nibbles amongst the 250,000 edible products available for sampling at the Javits Center from June 28-30.
After the jump, learn about some of our favorites from Sunday's stroll through the aisles.Mondays's favorites can be found here.
Perhaps you couldn't get to NYC for the 55th Summer Fancy Food Show or maybe you're plotting the most delicious path through the 250,000 edible products on display at the Javits Center. Consider Slashfood your eyes, ears and mouth on the scene.
We'll be Twittering our most fabulous finds as @slashfood from the moment doors open on Sunday, until they roll us on out Tuesday night. Just sit back and watch Slashfood's real time reactions via the widget below and after the jump, see Twitters from folks all over the food world.
Are you for or against the increasing amount of technology in the kitchen?
Blog DVICE seems to think that over the long-term you can save money on eating out by purchasing nine specific kitchen gadgets, like plates that cook. As exciting as these gadgets sound, just how necessary are they and will they actually help you save money?
The adjustable measuring cup (see the photo above) can measure up to two tablespoons with the small cup and up to a half-cup with the larger one. While this device costs $18, it functions as both a measuring cup and spoon. And, the price is similar to that of both measuring tools and can take up less space.
But are these gadgets worth it? Find out after the jump.
Just in time for weather hitting record low temperatures (at least in New York City), Jamba Juice announced their national rollout of their new Steel Cut Oatmeal with Fruit menu items this morning. Taking a full 40 minutes to prepare (but available to customers immediately), Jamba's oatmeal comes with a choice of three real fruit toppings: blueberry-blackberry, apple cinnamon or fresh bananas.
Adding to their already nutritious and wholesome menu, these small pints of oatmeal are sure to give Starbucks a run for their money with their rivaling whole-grain oatmeal with dried fruit. Getting a hold of a sample ourselves, I can honestly say I was impressed. The oats were plump and could instantly tell the difference between instant oatmeal made with boiling water and these oats, which are simmered over a period of time. The fruit topping was not too sweet and the brown sugar crumble simply put on smile on my face (who doesn't love crumble).
How seriously do you take your tequila? What champagne is for France, tequila is for Mexico. Mexicans drink it to celebrate national holidays, weddings, and anniversaries. It even has a government protection similar to the French AOC. The Consejo Regulador del Tequilo states that the drink must come from a region in central south Mexico: the state of Jalisco. Drinking tequila straight from a small glass is the most traditional way to drink it.
So, what does it mean that companies, such as Tanteo, are now producing flavored tequilas? In a recent New York Times article, Florence Fabricant explains that flavors, like jalapeño and passion fruit, are subtle and delicate in Tanteo's line of flavored tequilas. As much as I want to be a traditionalist, I have to admit that I'm intrigued and looking forward to trying these tequilas. Tanteo tequilas are now available in NY at three locations: Ambassador Wines and Spirits on Second Avenue, SoHo Wines and Spirits on West Broadway, and at Philippe Wine and Liquor in Chelsea.
Thanks to Shelterrific for finding these innovative and odd utensils.
According to the designer, Seongyong Lee, "This product started from two main purposes. First, whenever you wash your dishes, you might have difficulties finding spoons as cutlery sinks deep down into water. Second, it is based on the idea of easy holding [...] the spherical shape in the center acts as a supporter to help you when you cut and chop food with less effort."
This invention makes me wonder how dirty and piled up we let our sinks get. Is it easier to just immediately wash dirty items in the sink even though we're tired, or would we rather come to terms with a washing that could take up to 30 minutes for the entire weeks dishes. I've even heard young adults in their first homes (without dishwashers) letting the dishes get so bad that they pack them up and bring them home to mom and dads house where an electric machine will deal with the dirty work.
Admitting that they are pleasing to the eye and would make life easier if you let all your dishes soak before washing -- I want to know what you think.
That's right! This December, Beer made with chocolate will be available from the Japanese company Kirin. What can be better than the mixture of these two alluring and bewitching foods? This sounds like an idea for Valentine's Day...
Apparently, this beer chocolate will be better than previous beer and chocolate concoctions. I've never tasted them before. So, I wonder if it'll taste obnoxiously sweet or if it'll meet that perfect balance.
Beer chocolate is just one out of the many flavored beers you can find. For example, just last month, we had a post about a blueberry ale from Maine. This makes me wonder whether or not this is a recent trend or something that has been done for ages. Either way, I look forward to tasting this Japanese beer chocolate this winter.
For years now, I've been hearing about the Fancy Food Show. I'd see clips of it on the Food Network, or read about it in the New York Times, until this week, it had never been something I got to experience personally. And now that I've lived through my first one, I'm struggling to find a way to write about it.
You see, it's a big event. Thousands of people are there, selling, buying, tasting and sipping. I only sampled a fraction of the available goods and by the end of each day all I wanted was a crunchy green salad to serve as a simple foil to all the chocolate, cheese, cookies, crackers, salsas, jams and gourmet popcorn I had munched.
I discovered that herbal flavors are the New! Big! Thing! in sweets, beverages and vinaigrettes, so expect to see lots rosemary, lavender and mint in both sweet and savory items going forward. Another popular flavor combination I encountered was Pear-Ginger. It is a lovely marriage and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it on the store shelves. My gluten-free friends will be happy to hear that lots of companies are working on producing the best in gluten-free cookies, crackers and breads (I'll have more specifics in another post). And lastly, everyone is looking for a way to make their products more natural, organic and artisanal.
I'll have more on the show soon, including specific products that I loved. I'm still working my way through a lot of the samples I brought home with me (the image above is my coffee table after I unpacked my suitcase). Don't forget to check out Kat's Day One Favorites!
How is it that I've never heard of these new Chocolate Mix Skittles until this very moment, when I popped them out of a vending machine? The bag features s'mores, vanilla, chocolate caramel, chocolate pudding and brownie batter Skittles, in various shades of cream and brown. This is the kind of stuff that gets sugar freaks like me all excited.
The vanilla and brownie batter flavors taste a bit off to me (and since when is vanilla a chocolate flavor?), but the s'mores, chocolate caramel and chocolate pudding are tasty. Similar to Jelly Belly jelly beans of the same flavors, but with a Skittle's crunchy outer coating.
Candy Addict gives a good rundown of the flavors. They describe the brownie batter as "someone took fake, store-bought chemical-y brownie mix and blended in a tablespoon of cold butter."
Now if Mars would just bring licorice Skittles to America (they have them in Italy, in a black bag, with flavors like aniseed and licorice mint), I'd be thrilled. If anyone knows somewhere in the US or online that carries these, I'd be grateful for the info.
Have you ever looked at a cake with flowers on top and thought about possible hygiene issues? Or have you just wondered how they did that? There hasn't been any kind of industry standard, but the new CakeVase would not be a bad start.
Most of the time, decorators just put a plate on top of the cake with a floral arrangement on that. One problem with that is the plate may be too heavy. Also, you have no way water the flowers, so you may have some wilting by the end of the day. And no one recommends sticking flowers directly into a cake.There are ways around these problems without the CakeVase of course, but this gadget really does appear to make the task pretty easy, clean, and hygienic.
The website has more information and examples, as well as links to where it can be purchased. It's not too pricey, either. You get three vases for $13.93. There are two sizes of the regular vase, and one that's a ring so you can have flowers just around the edge. The CakeVase can help easily add a touch of elegance to your next cake.
I love Oreos. They're one of the great classic cookies of all-time. But I still don't understand this list.
Schneider Associates, along with comScore, IRI, and New Product magazine, asked 1000 people around the country what they thought the most memorable product launches of 2007 were. Some of the products on the list are obvious (the iPhone is #1, of course), but a couple of the food-related items didn't thrill me. They're both Oreo cookie-related: the Domino's Oreo Pizza and the Oreo Cakesters.
How seriously do you take your tequila? What champagne is for France, tequila is for Mexico. Mexicans drink it to celebrate national holidays, weddings, and anniversaries. It even has a government protection similar to the French AOC. The Consejo Regulador del Tequilo states that the drink must come from a region in central south Mexico: the state of Jalisco. Drinking tequila straight from a small glass is the most traditional way to drink it. 
Have you ever looked at a cake with 
I love Oreos. They're one of the great classic cookies of all-time. But I still don't understand this list.
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