Happy Holidays from Home-Barista.com and the site sponsors!



First of all, Team HB and the site sponsors would like to wish you a happy holiday season filled with friends, family, and fine espresso!

• http://www.1st-line.com
  http://www.chriscoffee.com
  http://www.counterculturecoffee.com
  http://www.espressocare.com
  http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com
  http://www.klatchroasting.com
  http://www.paradiseroasters.com
  http://www.ptscoffee.com
  http://www.wholelattelove.com

To make your holiday season a little brighter, they've joined together to create this contest and holiday discount coupon giveaway.

UPDATED 12/10/08: The contest is over! Congratulations to the Holiday Gift winners!


____________________________

How do I enter?

This contest thread is "special" -- your reply to this thread will automatically randomly choose among the potential prizes. The result is displayed immediately at the bottom of your post (*).

How do I win?

Reply to this thread with an excerpt from any of the sponsor sites above; your entry must include ONE and only one of the website addresses above and an excerpt from the same site. You can enter once every four hours minus the "member rewards" period (**). Each of your entries within a given 12 hour period must be from different sponsor sites. Your subsequent entries that repeat an earlier sponsor site in a 12 hour period are invalid and void. See the example valid entry that follows this post.

In addition to an excerpt from a sponsor site, you are welcome to include your own personal commentary, for example:

• Holiday greetings to your fellow HB members,
• What you hope to win on the Wish List and why,
• Other espresso-related gifts not on the list you are considering to purchase and why.

What can I win?

Each sponsor offers three different prize levels:

• Holiday Surprise - a coupon code or similar discount. Odds of winning are 1 in 10.
• Holiday Delight - a higher value coupon code or similar discount. Odds of winning are 1 in 50.
• Holiday Gift - a genuine gift! No coupons! Odds of winning are 1 in 500.

Holiday Surprise and Holiday Delight coupons must be used within seven days of your winning entry unless stated otherwise. Coupon codes are not valid with any other offer unless stated otherwise.

Questions about the rules?

Questions or comments are welcome! Post your question to this thread - your post will be treated as a non-entry as long as it doesn't contain any URLs (***).

Reminders

• Replies to this thread cannot be modified or deleted. Use the Preview button before submitting your post!
• Each of your entries from the sponsor sites must be unique within a 12 hour period and spammish or trivial replies will be disqualified (****).
• You can comment or ask questions without your post being treated as an entry simply by not including any URLs in your post.
• See the Home-Barista.com Wish List 2008 Official Results for a summary of all awarded prizes. It is the same list the sponsors will used to confirm your award and redemption codes (*****).

FINE PRINT: To participate in the above (the "Contest"), you must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. resident of the 48 lower states. Home-Barista.com ("HB") moderators, sponsors, and members of their immediate families are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited. Prize winners will be determined by random selection. Each entrant shall indemnify, defend, and hold HB harmless from any third party claims arising from or related to that entrant's participation in the Contest. In no event shall HB be liable to an entrant for acts or omissions arising out of or related to the Contest or that entrant's participation in the Contest, including but not limited to computer systems failures or programmatic errors. Odds of winning are stated in the Contest introduction. No prize substitution is permitted. A contestant may win no more than one Holiday Gift and one Holiday Delight. A contestant may win no more than one Holiday Surprise from each sponsor, subject to sponsor limitations. An entrant must use only one login account; evidence of the same person using multiple accounts will be treated as fraud and all entries from said entrant will be disqualified. Sponsors reserve the right to modify their posted offerings or withdraw from the Contest at any time.

(*) The number shown in [brackets] after each entry result is a randomly generated value between 1 and 500. Winning entries are determined as follows: Holiday Gift winner if value = 500, Holiday Delight winner if value is between 1 and 10, Holiday Surprise winner if value is between 11 and 60. All other entry values are non-winning.

(**) As a reward for contributing to the site content, the waiting period between entry submissions is reduced by 12 minutes for every month in the year where the member posted to the forums. For example, if a member posted in December, November, and September, the waiting period is 4 hours minus 36 minutes.

(***) Technically the contest code is looking for any text matching one of the sponsor sites and [quote] tags; all other messages are treated as questions / comments.

(****) Trivial = Google does not uniquely identify the page using the excerpt. For example, "You have come to the right place!" is a trivial excerpt because there are more than 21 million matches.

(*****) Not all sponsors require redemption codes, see the sponsor's offer for details. You must log in to see your redemption codes in the Official Results.

Sponsor Contact Information

• To avoid spammers, the e-mails below are obscured, e.g., somebody <acme.com> = somebody@acme.com.
  
  1st-line Equipment sales <1st-line.com>
  Counter Culture Coffee nbrown <counterculturecoffee.com>
  Chris' Coffee Service chris <chriscoffee.com>
  Stefano's Espresso Care service <espresssocare.com>
  Intelligentsia Coffee mriddle <intelligentsiacoffee.com>
  Klatch Roasting mike <klatchroasting.com>
  Paradise Roasters ameza <paradiseroasters.com>
  PT's Coffee (walkingmiller) or e-mail holly@... or bryan@... <ptscoffee.com>
  Wholelattelove mark@ <wholelattelove.com>
  
  The sponsor may ask that you send them an e-mail with your redemption code via HB for verification. Clicking one of the links above will open an e-mail form. You can retrieve your redemption codes from the Official Results.

Holiday Gifts

• http://www.1st-line.com
  
  You can choose between the Ascaso Steel Duo Professional or Mazzer Mini Electronic! The espresso machine is a dual system where there is a dedicated coffee boiler and a steam thermoblock. Both are independent of each other with separate vibe pumps. The winner has a choice of a brand new semi-automatic or free upgrade to a very slightly used, demo Tronic version. Already have an espresso machine? No problem! The winner can substitute a silver Mazzer Mini Electronic for the Ascaso Steel Duo Professional.
  
  1st-line says "We don't just vow excellent service, we deliver it!" and they sure have brought the goods for HB members. Thank you Jim and 1st-line equipment for your exceptional support of the Holiday Wish List!
• http://www.chriscoffee.com
  
  Compak K3 Touch Espresso Grinder. Chris' Coffee Service is a family owned, private business serving the espresso loving community for 30 years. Check out the online forums and you'll believe that they truly live their motto, "Quality & Service, Second to None"
• http://www.counterculturecoffee.com
  
  The "In Search of the Perfect Cup" DVD plus three months of free espresso (1 bag per month of your choice). Guided by its strong commitments to quality, sustainability, and coffee education, Counter Culture Coffee works side by side with talented, dedicated farmers to produce authentic, delicious representations of the world's most treasured coffee traditions.
• http://espressocare.com
  
  Stefano is a walking encyclopedia of Italian espresso equipment service and diagnosis; whatever ails your gear, Stefano is your man to get everything in perfect working order, pronto! For the contest, he offers the lucky winner a Le'Lit PL53 Espresso Grinder. It has conical burrs, ultra-precise adjustment, and delivers even, clump free coffee grounds.
• http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com
  
  Windy City Gift Box shipped to you, a $95 value.
  
  Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters is HB's official espresso provider and loyal supporter of events like EspressoFest, SwagFest and of course this contest. Intelligentsia also happens to be home of Matt Riddle, 2006 US Barista Champion. Their business philosophy is that "compassionate treatment of people and the environment inevitably yields higher quality."
• http://www.klatchroasting.com
  
  12 month subscription to your choice of espresso or coffee club! such as:
  
  Klatch Espresso: The one that started it all with a victory for Heather as the 2003 US Barista Championships
  Belle Espresso: 94 points and highest espresso rating by Ken Davids
  WBC Espresso: The one awarded Best Espresso in the World in Tokyo at the 2007 World Barista Championships.
  
• http://www.paradiseroasters.com
  
  Your own custom espresso blend. The winner will work with Paradise Roasters in creating an espresso blend designed to the winner's specifications. This first-hand look at what it takes to create an espresso blend includes one 12 oz. "first draft" bag of the custom espresso, one 12 oz. "second draft" bag of the custom espresso, and six 12 oz. "final" bags of the custom espresso.
  
  The process will be recorded in a thread on Home-Barista. Once completed, the custom espresso will be offered for sale on http://www.paradiseroasters.com for everyone to try. Of course, the winner also receives 15% off the custom blend throughout its production run.
• http://www.ptscoffee.com
  
  Combination for a Beautiful Life - PT's Coffee Roasting Co. presents a winning combination: The winner will receive a Baratza Vario conical burr grinder and PT's will ship directly to your home or office one pound of La Bella Vita Espresso for 12 months. Compare it with others, we think you'll be surprised! PT's Coffee Roasting Co is a quality-oriented wholesale/retail specialty roaster with a wide and refined selection of coffee blends and origins. The PT's motto is "without the love, it's just coffee."
• http://www.wholelattelove.com
  
  Receive a Macap MC4 Doserless grinder and a Handpresso Wild portable espresso maker with a box of Gaggia ESE-sized espresso pods.
  
  Whole Latte Love is proud to be a long time retailer and service center of some of the finest home and prosumer products on the web. Come on over and see our two brand new fresh-off-the-boat Expobar Brewtus IIIs with PID control and the Brasillia prosumer machiens. Also review the amazing two-boiler Della Corte machines. Talk with our Prosumer Specialists for detailed info on any of our products.

Holiday Delights

• 10% off any merchandise ordered online that http://www.1st-line.com has in stock. Coupon codes do not apply to shipping charges or sales taxes, if applicable and both do not apply to previous purchases.
• 20% off any one item you want from http://www.chriscoffee.com. ANY ITEM. That includes a La Marzocco GS3, Alex Duetto, or even a La Spaziale Vivaldi II.
• Buy one bag of coffee, get one free from http://www.counterculturecoffee.com. The free bag must be of equal or lesser value than the purchased coffee. E-mail Nathan your redemption code using your HB account to claim your discount code. Coupon codes will be emailed from Counter Culture Coffee prior to purchase for use at checkout.
• 20% off any single order of Direct Trade coffee from http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com (no limit of quantity and applies only to DT coffees). Enter coupon code HBDELIGHT and the HB redemption code in the comments field of your order.
• Free shipping on any order over $30 from espressocare.com. Use coupon code HB-3-FS and include the redemption code in the order comment field.
• Buy one pound Belle Espresso get one FREE from http://www.klatchroasting.com. Use coupon code BOGOBELLE and put your HB login and redemption code in the order's comment field.
• Buy one bag of Espresso Classico, and when completed, get one free bag of the Holiday Gift custom espresso blend from http://www.paradiseroasters.com. E-mail Adam using your HB account to claim your prize.
• Buy one bag of coffee, get one free (equal or lesser value) from http://www.ptscoffee.com. E-mail PT's Coffee (walkingmiller) or e-mail directly to holly@... or bryan@... ptscoffee.com with your HB redemption code and they will return a coupon code to enter when ordering to receive the discount.
• 20% Off any item purchased at WholeLattelove.com. Enter the HB redemption code in your order to receive your discount (Contact Mark if you have questions).

Holiday Surprises

• 5% off any merchandise ordered online at http://www.1st-line.com has in stock. Coupon codes do not apply to shipping charges or sales taxes, if applicable and both do not apply to previous purchases.
• 10% off any one item you want from http://www.chriscoffee.com. ANY ITEM. That includes a La Marzocco GS3, Alex Duetto, or even a La Spaziale Vivaldi II.
• Free shipping for your online order from http://www.counterculturecoffee.com. E-mail Nathan using your HB account to claim your discount and include the HB redemption code. Coupon codes will be emailed from Counter Culture Coffee prior to purchase for use at checkout.
• One Pulycaff 570g free for any order above $60.00 from espressocare.com. Use coupon code HB-6-Puly570 and include the redemption code in the order comment field.
• Free UPS Ground shipping on any order from http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com. Please use coupon code HBGIFT2008 and e-mail Matt Riddle your redemption code using your HB account for confirmation with your order number.
• 15% off any one bag of coffee or espresso from http://www.klatchroasting.com. Use coupon code 15OFF and put your HB login and redemption code in the order's comment field.
• Free shipping on coffee order from http://www.paradiseroasters.com (excludes green coffee orders in excess of 10lbs).
• Free shipping on coffee order from http://www.ptscoffee.com. E-mail PT's Coffee (walkingmiller) or e-mail directly to holly@... or bryan@... ptscoffee.com with your HB redemption code and they will return a coupon code to enter when ordering to receive the discount.
• 10% Off any item purchased at WholeLattelove.com. Enter the HB redemption code in your order to receive your discount (Contact Mark if you have questions).

Holiday Greetings and Bonuses

• Jim Piccinich, 1st-line Equipment
  
  Everyone is a winner on HB! In addition to the Holiday Gift, Holiday Delights, and Holiday Surprises, 1st-line would like to offer 3% off any purchase to HB members through 12-31-08. Please use coupon code HB3. Thanks for your business and please have a happy and healthy holiday season!
  
  Mark Overbay, Counter Culture Coffee
  
  Counter Culture Coffee wishes everyone a wonderful, perfectly tamped holiday season!

Questions & Answers

• Q. How do I redeem my prize?
  
  A. Each sponsor has different ordering systems, see the prize description for instructions. In general, the Holiday and Surprise are redeemed using a coupon code. To help the sponsor validate your claim, each winning entry has a unique "redemption code" known only to the winner and the awarding sponsor; typically they request you enter this code in a comments field of the order along with your HB login name. The redemption codes are displayed in the middle column of the Official Results. You must be logged in to see the redemption codes associated with your entries.
  
  Sponsors may need to contact you via your HB account e-mail. Confirm your Profile e-mail is valid and "Users can contact me using the e-mail form" under Board Preferences is set to Yes. This enables an HB member to contact you via the site's e-mail form:
  
  
  
  Note: Your e-mail address itself is not publicly viewable, period. This profile option simply enables the e-mail form button.
  
  Q. Is it just coincidence that I won a surprise twice and that each time, it was the SponsorX offer that was next in line to be awarded AND, since I had won that prize already, I am not eligible to win it again ... ever.
  
  A. The awarding sponsor is selected at random. If this results in a previously awarded sponsor, no prize (and it counts towards your entry every four hours limit).
  
  Q. Does the web site entry that I use affect the drawing prize awarded?
  
  A. The website entry you use has no bearing on the awarding sponsor.
  
  Q. Does the "Already Won Something" response count as one of my tries, or is it discarded and I should try again?
  
  A. Yes, it counts.
  
  Q. If I had won a Surprise from SponsorX and then had later won a Delight from SponsorX, would I get both, or would the Delight be disqualified because I had already won a surprise from this company?
  
  A. You COULD get both unless the sponsor specifically says otherwise.
  
  Q. How long is the Holiday Wish List going to run? Until every prize is won? Until a certain date?
  
  A. Until the Holiday Gifts are gone or December 14th, which ever comes first.
  
  Q. How long are the coupons good for?
  
  A. Unless stated otherwise, the Delight and Surprise discounts are valid for seven days from the day they are awarded.
  
  Q. The rules state: "[participants] must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. resident of the 48 lower states." Why isn't the contest for all members?
  
  A. Short answer: The sponsors' concerns about shipping, post-sales service, and promotional value. Longer answer: Some of the sponsors do regularly ship product overseas (e.g., espressoparts.com, Paradise Roasters), but most do not. While the sponsors are showing good holiday spirit by supplying free product, one purpose of this contest is to promote awareness of their company and increase potential sales. All the sponsors are based in the US, hence the sales potential outside the 48 states is very small.

http://www.counterculturecoffee.com

[quote]Preparing and enjoying a great cup of coffee is one of life's simplest, most transporting pleasures, and few things as simple as brewing coffee provide such rich rewards. Preparing coffee is actually a lot like cooking with fresh produce; start with the best, freshest ingredients, take care to do it well, and you will produce something astonishingly delicious.[/quote]

Compak K3 Touch Espresso Grinder. Chris' Coffee Service is a family owned, private business serving the espresso loving community for 30 years. Check out the online forums and you'll believe that they truly live their motto, "Quality & Service, Second to None"

The "In Search of the Perfect Cup" DVD plus three months of free espresso (1 bag per month of your choice). Guided by its strong commitments to quality, sustainability, and coffee education, Counter Culture Coffee works side by side with talented, dedicated farmers to produce authentic, delicious representations of the world's most treasured coffee traditions.

Stefano offers the winner a Le'Lit PL53 Espresso Grinder. It has conical burrs, ultra-precise adjustment, and delivers even, clump free coffee grounds.

Windy City Gift Box shipped to you, a $95 value.

Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters is HB's official espresso provider and loyal supporter of events like EspressoFest, SwagFest and of course this contest. Intelligentsia also happens to be home of Matt Riddle, 2006 US Barista Champion. Their business philosophy is that "compassionate treatment of people and the environment inevitably yields higher quality."

12 month subscription to your choice of espresso or coffee club! such as:

Klatch Espresso: The one that started it all with a victory for Heather as the 2003 US Barista Championships
Belle Espresso: 94 points and highest espresso rating by Ken Davids
WBC Espresso: The one awarded Best Espresso in the World in Tokyo at the 2007 World Barista Championships.

The winner will work with Paradise Roasters in creating an espresso blend designed to the winner's specifications. This first-hand look at what it takes to create an espresso blend includes one 12 oz. "first draft" bag of the custom espresso, one 12 oz. "second draft" bag of the custom espresso, and six 12 oz. "final" bags of the custom espresso.

The process will be recorded in a thread on Home-Barista. Once completed, the custom espresso will be offered for sale on http://www.paradiseroasters.com for everyone to try. Of course, the winner also receives 15% off the custom blend throughout its production run.

Combination for a Beautiful Life - PT's Coffee Roasting Co. presents a winning combination: La Bella Vita Espresso and a Baratza Vario conical burr grinder. The winner will receive the grinder as well as a pound of our signature espresso blend a month for one year. PT's Coffee Roasting Co is a quality-oriented wholesale/retail specialty roaster with a wide and refined selection of coffee blends and origins. The PT's motto is "without the love, it's just coffee."