Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., (GMCR) announced the launch of its latest breakthrough, the Keurig® BOLT™ Carafe Brewing System. The commercial grade Keurig® BOLT™ system offers users the ability to brew a 64-ounce pot of coffee in approximately two minutes, bringing the innovation, speed, convenience and quality that Keurig® single cup brewing systems are known for to higher volume brewing, according to the release.
"Keurig BOLT is a revolutionary step in our journey of bringing Keurig simplicity, quality and convenience to new away-from-home applications," said Brian P. Kelley, president and CEO of GMCR, in a prepared statement. "While driving Keurig single serve adoption both in- and away-from-home remains a significant opportunity and priority, we recognize there are away-from-home consumption occasions where brewing in volume is preferred. By applying Keurig innovation to brewing a pot with Keurig BOLT, we will be able to capture those occasions and incrementally grow our business."
Keurig® BOLT™ delivers a superior batch-brewing experience, addressing common shortcomings of today's conventional batch-brew offerings by providing a quick and easy way to make a high-quality carafe of coffee, reported the company. Keurig® BOLT™ offers convenience and consistent beverage quality, and provides a faster brew time than the leading 120 volt commercial brewers.
With 65 percent of office coffee still being brewed by the pot, according to National Coffee Association USA's 2013 National Coffee Drinking Trends, the primary target channel for the Keurig® BOLT™ system is medium to large offices that prefer to serve coffee in volume and are looking for a premium brewing experience. In addition, Keurig® BOLT™ is applicable to foodservice customers like limited service restaurants and convenience stores, as well as colleges and universities and hotel and hospitality facilities.
"Our away from home customers are demanding a simpler and faster way to brew a high-quality pot or batch of coffee," said Michelle Stacy, president, U.S. Commercial at GMCR. "Extending the Keurig value proposition from cup to carafe with the addition of the Keurig BOLT system allows us to target that incremental need of away-from-home customers, giving us multiple ways to address opportunities in this high-priority growth channel for the company. We also see opportunity for both Keurig BOLT and our single serve offerings in the same office, depending on the beverage needs in different areas and at varying dayparts, thereby increasing our single cup penetration."
Following extensive laboratory testing and focus-group research, in-office testing of Keurig® BOLT™ with select customers in the U.S. begins this month. The Keurig® BOLT™ system, including Keurig® BOLT™ packs, will be available throughout the U.S. andCanadathrough limited Keurig Authorized Distributors beginning in late fall 2013.
Keurig® BOLT™ Brewer Features
- Brews a half-gallon (64 ounces) pot of coffee in approximately two minutes, compared with a brew time of over four minutes with a 120 volt commercial office coffee brewers
- Innovative Keurig® BOLT™ thermal carafe maintains the ideal combination of taste, freshness and temperature for up to two hours
- Plumbed system with fully programmable color touchscreen featuring auto on/off, temperature control between 187 and 197 degrees Fahrenheit and language selection (English/French/Spanish)
- UL-approved for commercial use andNational Sanitation Foundation(NSF) certified for foodservice environments
Keurig® BOLT™ Pack Features
- Each Keurig® BOLT™ pack, which resembles a larger Keurig® Vue® pack or Keurig® K-Cup® pack, contains the right amount of coffee needed to brew a high-quality half-gallon pot of coffee
- Pre-measured packs are sealed to keep coffee fresh and alleviate the need for messy filters and clean-up
- Keurig® BOLT™ packs offered will include brands representing a mix of GMCR's most popular offerings, including Green Mountain Coffee® ; The Original Donut Shop™ ; Timothy's World Coffee®; Tully's®; and Van Houtte® coffees.
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The Keurig® BOLT™ packs' plastic cups are made from polypropylene/#5 plastic, and can be separated from the lid and filter and recycled wherever polypropylene/#5 plastics are accepted, according to theMoore Recycling Associates, Plastic Recycling Collection: National Reach Study,May 2013, polypropylene/#5 plastics are recyclable by approximately 60 percent of the U.S. population. Keurig® BOLT™ system users should check with their local municipality or waste hauler or visit www.boltrecycling.com for more information on recycling options in U.S. communities.
