PODcast Newsletter, Issue 9

More Caffeine Trouble
Speaking of elucidations, this one kept me unintentionally lucid all night long. Last month's article was on decaffeinated espresso, which some people need due to caffeine sensitivity. Coincidentally, I became mysteriously caffeine-sensitive recently. After a bit of head-scratching and research I learned that:

"Caffeine-containing beverages may increase the restlessness and insomnia caused by pseudoephedrine in sensitive individuals..."

I had been taking Claritin-D for allergies before bedtime. Claritin-D contains the decongestant pseudoephedrine. The result was that any coffee in the evening caused me to have trouble getting to sleep and waking in the middle of the night. If you are taking decongestants and are sensitive to caffeine, this might be the reason why.

For the caffeine-challenged, be sure to check out our wide variety of decaffeinated espresso pods at www.podmerchant.com.
 

For your maximized espresso enjoyment, we present this issue's tip:

Tip No. 8:
If you are using pods with a larger brew-head (58-60mm inside basket diameter) machine, you might get better results using double-shot pods. Try these pods in both the single and double-shot baskets to see which works best. It may also be useful to use your tamping tool to seat and spread the pod to prevent seepage around it. Double-shot pods do not fit machines that are specifically designed for pods as these machines have a smaller diameter brew-head.

 

Our big shipment from Italy finally came in (10 weeks of waiting!) and we've got lots of inventory and some new products.

Lucaffe Colombia is now back in stock. We also have Lucaffe's exclusive blend, Blucaffe, which makes a great gift in its presentation box of 50 pods. We will be adding Lucaffe espresso cups, mugs, and posters to the online store but these may take a while before they are made available. Our large purchase resulted in lower prices which we've passed on. Lucaffe Classic and Mr. Exclusive prices have been reduced, especially in cases. We've also reduced the price of some Caffe Bristot and Miscela d'Oro items.

We now carry Izzo Caffe Espresso and Izzo Vivi Caffe pods. I hope you'll like these espresso pods as much as I do. The Vivi Caffe pods are a very hearty, strong roast and I recommend it for anyone looking for a more "manly" cup of espresso.

I mentioned double-shot pods above — we now stock 2X pods from Miscela d'Oro and have re-acquired stock on Bristot double-shot pods.

For capsule users, we now have Espresso Point machine capsules from Café del Doge. These capsules contain the Café del Doge Nero blend. A great addition to the Lavazza capsule selection. These are not yet online but watch for them soon.

The store's navigation and categories have been expanded a bit. I've added categories for "Pods by Type." There are Blends, 100% Arabica, and Single-origin coffees. Decaf Pods, and Espresso by the Case have been moved to this area. This additional categorization should make it easier for you to find other espresso's that you may enjoy.
 

Last month we simplified and increased our PODcast subscriber discount. Now it's a 10% discount across the board on all products, including machines.

As our average order is greater than $40, a 10% discount should be greater than the previous $4 coupon. Oddly, I saw a lot of discount coupons taken for under $3. Well, if you only need $30 of espresso per month, then you only need $30 of espresso per month... I'm looking into a way to keep it at 10% but put a floor of $4 on the discount. The current software does not have that feature...

(Note: Only one coupon per subscriber per issue. This coupon cannot be used with other coupons. PODcast coupons are only valid for PODcast subscribers — we check use of coupons against the subscriber list. Coupons expire 35 days after the newsletter is published, or when the next issue is published, whichever comes first):

10% off your next order. — Enter code: XXXXXXXX (subscribers only)