Hot Cup of Hype

"That's right," wrote the site's Hamilton Nolan, "you've finally lived to see the historic day when Folgers sells coffee grounds that are the product of a slightly upgraded pre-roast drying process! The future is now."

It's not clear how long this innovation has been in the works, but Folgers is now touting it as a way to snare customers worried about the economy, who may be looking for an inexpensive home-brewing alternative to grabbing a pricey cup at Starbucks.

A soon-to-launch ad campaign for the new roasting method will represent "the largest marketing investment in the history of Folgers," said Marnie Kain-Cacossa of Saatchi and Saatchi, the agency that came up with the brand's signature campaign ("The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup") in 1984.