For example, Irish coffee is served in taller than traditional Irish mugs. A set of these is useful for parties and holiday festivities.

Many people like the Libbey 12-Piece Irish Coffee Party Set sold on Amazon.

There are travel mugs that are useful when you want to carry coffee with you during your travel. These coffee mugs are usually insulated to keep coffee warm.

There are many coffee travel mugs made of stainless steel but they cannot be put in microwave once you reach the office.

Cappucino mugs are like large bowls having handles on them, and these mugs often have matching saucers. A lot of people are quite picky about their mugs.

The HIC Stackable Porcelain Cappuccino Cup & Saucer Set is both practical and attractive.

Coffee mugs make a gift too. If you need a quick Christmas or birthday gift, a set of coffee mugs is a gift that will be enjoyed for a long time.

Almost everyone has a special cup that they are fond of using. You may have put a lot of thought and effort into picking out the right mug or you may have just grabbed the first one that you saw. No matter how you went about choosing it, chances are that you have become very attached to your coffee mug. So what happens when your mug breaks? You get a new one of course, but where do you start looking for that perfect replacement?

A wide variety of coffee mugs

If you are someone who likes to have a lot of choices then you will be happy to know that coffee mugs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are so many to choose from that you may actually have a great deal of difficulty in making your decision.

Porcelain mugs: This is the most popular material for making coffee mugs. They are classic and have the ability to keep the coffee hot for good amount of time. These mugs come in all shapes and styles, and the one you pick will say a lot about who you are. There are porcelain mugs that are large for people who like to have a big morning caffeine jolt, and there are delicate ones with matching saucers for those who like to have their coffee in a refined manner.

Ceramic mugs: Most people who drink coffee all day long use ceramic mugs. These mugs are generally larger in size and come in a wide variety of colors and styles. A lot of ceramic mugs are fully customizable and allow you to pick out words or graphics as well as colors to make the mug your very own.

Portable: The portable mugs are generally a combination of both porcelain and stainless steel. These amazing cups have the ability to keep your coffee warm for hours. There is a flip top included to allow you full portability of your favorite morning beverage.

Odd’s are that you have become very picky about the coffee mug that you choose to drink from at home or work. Thanks to the wide variety of options available you are able to select a new mug that expresses your personality, and still have everything that you need from a coffee cup. Just don’t let anybody else touch it.

A few mugs to consider from Amazon:

• Casa Moda Coffee Signs Set of Four Mugs – great stoneware mugs
• WMF Kult Stainless Steel Coffee Mug – modern sleek design is a standout
• Contigo Double Wall Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler – this tumbler keeps coffee hot and doesn’t leak

When the country was first being settled by Westerners, it was quickly discovered that the soil and climate for producing excellent coffee beans. While it also produced sugar, chocolate, and tobacco, it has always been Costa Rican coffee that people have clamored over. It’s been at the heart of the gourmet industry since at least 1829, and coffee production is now one of the largest sources of revenue for the nation’s government, right behind tourism. The country first exported it’s famous bean to Panama, and then gradually to the rest of the world.

The United Kingdom is now the greatest importer of Costa Rican coffee, it’s a principal import throughout much of the rest of the Western world and even to some non-Western areas.

While much of the agricultural land devoted to producing the bean still follows traditional growing methods that involve a lot of pesticides and low wages for the workers, there are smaller areas that are beginning to go organic and Fair Trade. Fair Trade means that the workers get a fair wage, so buying it is something you can feel good about.. If your bean is both organic and Fair Trade, then it’s some of the best brew you can buy in terms of taste, health, and human rights.

So, if you want a superior cup of java, go to your nearest online coffee retailer or brick and mortar specialty shop, or even your local health food store, and get some Costa Rican coffee. It’s some of the best on the market, and has a 200-plus year history of being the leader in the industry. Pay a few extra dollars for organic or Fair Trade, and you’ve got a cup of joe you can really be proud about drinking.

Amazon carries a variety of ground and whole bean coffees from Costa Rica including:

• Copper Moon Costa Rican Coffee, Ground, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
• Copper Moon Costa Rican Coffee, Medium Roast, Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
• Poas Volcanic Earth Whole Bean Gourmet Coffee From Costa Rica
• Black Mountain Gold Gourmet Coffee Pods – Costa Rican – 14 Ct.

Why give yourself a taste?

Peace Coffee is a socially aware coffee company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This company believes in fair trade and runs its own business that way. Fair trade coffee is coffee that is grown and sold through cooperatives, without a middle man. There are no large corporations involved. The relationship Peace Coffee builds is with the farmers and their coops, not a faceless corporation that literally stands on the backs of these individual farmers, taking more than the corporation’s fair share of the sales price while wearing out the earth and its environment at the same time.

Coffee with a conscience
John Denver sang “It’s about time we begin it, to turn the world around” and that’s what Peace Coffee is doing. They not only believe in sustainability, they practice it. They believe that by being fair to their growers, the growers will flourish, along with their families and countries, the coffee will be better, more people will buy their coffee and all will prosper.

All of their coffee is shade grown and organic. Shade grown coffee comes from coffee plants that are grown under a canopy of trees. Few chemicals are used, there is more sustainability and bird habitat is preserved. Supporting the fair trade philosophy supports the earth and does, indeed, start to turn the world around.

Peace Coffee extends this philosophy to their own marketing and sales efforts. Imagine a coffee company that delivers its coffee using bicycles. In Minneapolis, that’s Peace Coffee.

Where can you find this fair trade coffee? In the Twin Cities area, in a variety of places – some unexpected. You can find Peace coffee in delis, food coops, restaurants and on the campus of the College of St. Catherine and several bike shops.

Fair trade coffee is available in almost every state and the list is growing. If Peace Coffee is not in a location nearby, you can order it directly from this socially aware coffee company at their website www.peacecoffee.com.

If you want coffee that is grown, traded, and roasted in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, the coffee that Peace Coffee offers is for you. Fairly priced and fairly traded, it’s a cup of coffee that not only tastes good, it supports the concepts of global sustainability and fairness for all.

1. Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker
   For an all-around decent coffee maker at an affordable price, the Brew Central is a fine choice. The brewing technology used in this machine is the same type you’ll find in commercial coffeemakers. One of the nicest features is the two brewing settings: choose from 1-to-4- or 5-to-12-cups to get your pot brewed to perfection. It also offers brew pause, so you can steal a cup while the pot’s still filling and a timer to set your morning cuppa wake-up coffee brewing. Other nice touches are the GoldTone filter, charcoal water filter, and decalcification indicator.
2. Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ’n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug Convenience is the driving idea behind this coffee maker and mug set. Instead of brewing the coffee into a pot, it brews it straight into a 15-ounce stainless steel travel mug you take with you anywhere. More than just a coffee maker, it can also heat up other beverages or soup, so it’s perfect for the office or dorm room. The permanent filter means you won’t have to deal with paper filters, which is another bonus for busy coffee lovers.
3. Black & Decker DCM2500-PT 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
   This model is also known as a SmartBrew coffeemaker. With a name like SmartBrew, you’d expect a few handy high-tech features and this model certainly delivers. The coffee maker is easy to program with intuitive touch-pad buttons accompanied by clear instructions. There are also more common features like brew pause, and automatic shut-off. As for actual brewing technology, though, you’ll find nothing out of the ordinary here. A downside for some is that the SmartBrew requires paper filters.
4. Braun KF590 Impressions Digital 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
   If you’re looking for a coffee maker that goes above and beyond the average home coffee maker, Braun Impressions is a good pick. The machine itself is designed with top quality parts like a permanent Goldtone filter and Brita water filter for purer-tasting coffee. Special fast-brewing technology lets this coffee maker pump out up 10 cups of full flavor coffee in surprisingly little time. That’s a big plus if you have a large household or office that doesn’t like to wait. The Impressions is designed to be easy to use and clean, with dishwasher-safe parts, a filter that can be released with the touch of a button, a non-slip handle on the carafe, and even a spot to store the cord.
5. Zojirushi EC-BD15 Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
   The name Zojirushi may not as well known as other electronics brands, but the Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker can hold it’s own among the best. The main reason for that is the 1.5-liter thermal pot that comes with it. This is the same technology coffee shops use to keep their coffee warm without it acquiring that bitter, burnt taste that happens with glass coffee carafes. The pot is a little unusual in how it’s used and cleaned, but read the instructions and you’ll be fine. Other features include brew pause and automatic shut-off.

If none of these coffee makers sound like what you’re looking for, remember Amazon.com has dozens of other coffeemakers at budget-friendly prices and almost all have been reviewd and rated by your fellow coffee lovers.