Inventive Coffee Roaster Changing the Way Americans Drink Coffee

12/04/07 X Cafe LLC, a Portland Maine based coffee roasting company founded in 1999 has never sold one coffee bean! X Cafe is recognized nationally as the originator of shelf-stable coffee extracts. Paul Kalenian, President, notes, "Our liquid coffee extracts have made Coffee on Demand possible and that is revolutionizing the coffee industry, providing a continuous supply of fresh and great tasting coffee on demand 24/7, cup after cup. For the foodservice operator, it means no waste, no grinds, no stale coffee, and no labor. And it's all done with Bag-in-Box technology, long favored by Coca Cola and Pepsi for the soda industry, using post-mix dispensers. Coffee on Demand is making waves in the coffee world, a $23 billion/year industry. Now sold to nearly all of the nation's major coffee roasters under private label, as well as juice distributors and broad- line distributors, the coffee is served at such locations as health care facilities, convention centers, hotels, casinos, sports arenas, cruise ships and the military."

The company, founded by Cathy & Paul Kalenian, developed a patented extraction process wherein the taste, varietal characteristics, body and aroma of a fresh brewed cup of arabica coffee is reproduced in a shelf-stable liquid concentrate. No refrigeration or freezing is necessary. X Cafe is the originator and leading manufacturer of shelf-stable liquid coffee extracts. Today X Cafe is the holder of U.S. and International Patents covering its unique technology. "Our technology allows us to control coffee from seed to cup, ensuring its consistency and great taste."

Since pioneering the ready-to-dispense coffee market, X Cafe has also seen a sharp increase in the use of its coffee extracts as an ingredient in such products as ice cream, gelatos, RTD beverages, iced / frozen drinks, and liquors. "Bulk packaging of our coffee extract in 1000 liter nitrogen flushed, FDA certified totes allows for repackaging at a co-packer anywhere in the country or internationally," said Paul Kalenian.

"We love special food & beverage formulation projects - any brix, any solids, the customer's beans or ours - we are happy to work on proprietary projects. Our concentrations can vary from 30:1 to 80:1. The use of our coffee extracts in other products is unlimited and a very exciting extension for the coffee industry," said Kalenian.

Due to the popularity of the company's coffee extracts, X Cafe recently completed an extensive expansion of its state-of-the-art coffee roasting/ extraction facility in Portland, Maine. The expansion increased the company's one shift capacity to 10 million lbs. of green beans processed per year. This volume equates to 3 million eight-oz. cups per day. The second, completely independent production line was designed with a keen sense of energy efficiency and environmental conscience with 80% recycling of water and 80% recapture of energy use. 100% of the extracted coffee grind waste is de- watered and recycled through composting or biomass energy.

Much like the coffee decaffeination process, X Cafe's extraction technology is a process essential to the coffee industry but available only in limited locations under X Cafe control. Future plans include the license of the company's extraction technology in key markets around the world, including the European Union, Asia, and Australia.