Do latte-loving ladies spell an upturn in the nations financial woes? One blogger thinks so, also Starbucks recalls more than a half million grinders.

Are you a lady? Do you like to sip espresso, cappuccino, and maybe even the occasional Americano from your favorite local coffeehouse while on your way to work or playing taxi driver for your kids? Well, then you might unwittingly be helping show the economy is bouncing back.

At least, that’s the idea that Bloomberg blogger Alexandre Marinis wrote about in his column earlier this week. Marinis has been looking at the coffee-drinking habits of women not in the recession-riddled US, but in Brazil, a country with a revved-up economy where unemployment is at an all-time low.

Coffee drinking in Brazil is now more popular than it’s been in 30 years. As one of the world’s largest producers of coffee, Brazilians were often left to sip the dregs of the coffee crop while the really good stuff got exported. Now, thanks to efforts by the Brazilian Association of the Coffee Industry to maintain quality standards domestically, Brazilians are avidly seeking a caffeine fix to help them keep that sparkling economy rolling and making them the world’s number two coffee consumer behind the US.

Nespresso, a division of Nestle, has found that the majority of Brazilians sipping espresso and buying high-end espresso machines are women. They target them in sexy ads where women overlook George Clooney in favor of an espresso drink (ok, I love espresso as much as the next girl, but given the choice between it and Clooney…) and often pay double what an American would just to display an espresso machine at home to show their friends.

Here in this country, we’ve all but ditched the ubiquitous latte cups in favor of brewing it at home, the $20 a week we used to spend for specialty drinks better used elsewhere. According to Marinis, once we start seeing ladies tote around coffee mugs again, it’s a subtle signal that the economy is picking back up, much like it has in Brazil. Well, girls, I’m ready to do my part. Are you?

Starbucks grinder recall

Attention Starbucks shoppers! If you own a Starbucks Barista Blade Grinder or Seattle’s Best Coffee Blade Grinder, you might be interested to know that the Green Mermaid has officially recalled these grinders because of more than 175 reports of hand lacerations.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the grinders can turn on unexpectedly or fail to turn off, thereby causing rather frightening problems when someone tries to clean the grinder. It’s worth noting that you should always unplug your grinder when attempting to clean it. Safety first, kids!

The recall is entirely voluntary and Starbucks estimates as many as 530,000 are currently out there. Grinder owners are encouraged to call 866-276-2950 to arrange to receive their free replacement.

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