Healthy, Good-Tasting Organic Coffee

Coffee happens to be one of the hottest commodities on the market today. Some people can't go more than one waking hour without a cup of joe in their hands. In that sea of coffee drinkers, there lies a following of die-hard organic-coffee activists. But on the other side of the coin are people who are afraid of organic foods because they think they taste bad. That's where the record needs to be set straight: Not only are there some great-tasting organic foods out there, but there is also coffee to match.

According the Organic Trade Association, in 2008, approximately 81 million lbs. of organic coffee was imported into the United States and Canada, with a retail value of close to $1 billion. There was a 32 percent growth rate from 2000 to 2007 for organic coffee, compared to a 1.5 to 2 percent growth rate for the conventional variety.

The beans in conventional coffee have been raised with the use of chemicals and pesticides. The purpose of organic coffee is to offer a healthy substitute that is free of chemicals, pesticides and genetically modified organisms. As a side note, organic coffee is also raised without having a significant impact on the environment.

Organic coffee comes in many different forms, including regular, decaffeinated and instant; it also comes in a multitude of flavors. There are other organic, coffee-related products, such as ice cream, hard candies, chocolate-covered beans, coffee sodas and yogurt.

Many organic-coffee companies are what is called Fair Trade Certified. This means that co-ops are guaranteed a price above that of the conventional market. This helps the smaller farmers. The Fair Trade certification also entails strict rules, including prohibiting the use of the most hazardous types of chemicals and GMOs (or genetically modified organisms).

The Righteous Bean Company is located in Virgina. Unlike other companies, they only offer 12 different blends, to ensure quality control of the green beans they use in production. They are also a Fair Trade company, and roast their coffee in smaller batches to ensure quality and taste.

Dean's Beans is a company that is located in Massachusetts. They are Fair Trade-certified and offer a number of blends, including dark roast, medium roast, light/dark blends, decaf, flavored coffees and green coffee. Green coffees are simply unroasted beans for people who like to roast their own coffee.

Green Mountain Coffee Company is located in Vermont. They are also Fair Trade-certified and offer a selection of flavors, blends and specialty coffees. Some of these include mountain blueberry, chocolate raspberry truffle, mocha nut fudge, rainforest nut, french toast decaf and a Mexican Select variety that has a chocolaty finish.