Features Selection of 21 Gourmet Coffees and Six Specialty Teas Brewed in Under a Minute

Westwood, Mass. --- December 17, 2003--- Van Houtte Inc. (Toronto: VH.TO), one of North America’s leading gourmet coffee roasters, marketers and distributors, and its U.S. subsidiary Filterfresh Coffee Service Inc., announced today the launch of its first at-home, single-cup coffee brewer, the B100 brewer for Van Houtte. The home system uses pre-measured, single-serve ‘K-Cups’ to brew a fresh cup of gourmet coffee or tea in under a minute.

As part of the introductory offer, the B100 brewer for Van Houtte (which can be purchased at www.vanhoutte.com) comes with 50 K-Cups, offering a selection of 21 Van Houtte gourmet coffee blends and six Bigelow specialty teas, available one cup at a time.

“This new brewer is made specifically for home use with a space-saving and sleek design to fit nicely on any size kitchen counter,” said Roger Cohen, president of Filterfresh Coffee Service and Van Houtte USA. “Our new home brewer exclusively offers consumers the very best in international, gourmet, flavored and organic coffee and teas at their whim.”

The single-cup brewer involves an easy two-step process. A K-Cup is placed in the brewer drawer and a button is pressed. Inside each K-Cup is a pure paper filter with the ideal grind and measure of Van Houtte coffee or Bigelow tea. It is sealed air-tight to keep light and moisture out, and freshness and aroma in. In less than a minute, a perfectly brewed cup of coffee or tea is ready to be served.

The B100 brewer for Van Houtte (with 50 K-Cups of assorted gourmet coffee and specialty tea) is available at the special introductory offer of $249. All purchases include a 30-day “no questions asked” money-back guarantee.

About Van Houtte Inc.
Founded in 1919, Van Houtte is one of North America's leading gourmet coffee roasters, marketers and distributors. The Company markets its gourmet coffees across Canada and the U.S. through distribution channels that include coffee services, retail stores, café-bistros, online shopping and food services networks. (www.vanhoutte.com)

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