If you were worried that expanding into K-cups and the one-cup coffee market would hurt Starbucks, worry no more. According to a press release by Starbucks, after two months they have shipped over 100 Million kcups. Jeff Hansbury, president Channel Development for Starbucks said “Our [Starbucks] focus with the initial launch has been on Keurig Single Cup Brewer owners. Our next big opportunity will be to attract new customers to the category. We are confident the combination of the Starbucks Experience with the quality and value of Starbucks Coffee K-Cup Packs will ultimately make this a billion-dollar business over time.” In the fall of 2012, Starbucks will begin selling k cup single-cup portion packs in their retail stores.

Currently, Starbucks offers seven k-cup single-cup packs to customers: French Roast, Pike Place Roast, House Blend, Breakfast Blend, Sumatra, Caffé Verona, and Veranda Blend. The Veranda Blend k-cup is the only light roast Starbucks kcup available, while the Pike Place Rost, Breakfast Blend, and House Blend are all medium roast k cups; the French Roast, Sumatra, and Caffé Verona are all dark roast kcups. The Starbucks k-cups are currently available at food, drug, and retail stores nationwide as well as online at www.keurig.com.

Fans of both the Keurig single-cup coffee brewing system and Starbucks Coffee can celebrate this new year because Starbucks k-cups are now available online. The k cups are available at starbucks.com for $19.95 per 24-count kcup box and at keurig.com for $22.49 per 24-count k-cup box (20.24 for club members). You may also be able to buy the Starbucks kcups online at Amazon and the websites of big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Starbucks and Keurig are offering five different roasts in k cups: Pike Place, Sumatra, House Blend, Breakfast Blend, Caffé Verona, and French Roast. Unfortunately, Tazo Tea fans have to wait until Fall 2012 for the Awake and Zen blends k-cups to be available online by Keurig or Starbucks; however, those Tazo Tea kcups are sold at grocery and big-box stores.

According to Forbes, Starbucks Coffee recently hosted a sustainability summit (dubbed Cup Summit 3) at MIT to explore ideas for a more environmentally-friendly coffee cup. And the issue of sustainability is popping up more and more in the single cup coffee industry. Nespresso’s Limited Edition Dhjana Grand Crus is 100% sourced from the Nespresso AAA Sustainability Program. Green Mountain Coffee — parent company of the singe serve Keurig k-cup system — uses sustainably sourced beans whenever possible in both their traditionally packaged roasts and k cup roasts. Keurig is also actively researching alternatives to their current kcup packaging.

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Grocery stores and retailers like Target and Wal-mart will offer the Starbucks kcups in 10-, 16-, or 54-count boxes; the k-cup teas will be packaged in 10- and 16-count boxes. Starbucks k cups will be sold in the United States at first, and expand to Canada in March 2012. In August 2012, Greenmountaincoffee.com and Keurig.com will begin selling the Starbucks k-cups on their website. No firm date for the selling of Starbucks k cups in Starbucks retail stores has been set, though its expected to happen late 2012.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Green Mountain Coffee sold over 2.9 billion k-cups last year. The Starbucks k-cups are expected to push that number even higher for 2011.

The Tassimo one cup brewing system draws on Kraft’s global scale and sells T-discs under brands most Americans will easily recognize (Maxwell House) and several of Kraft’s better-known international brands (Kenco and Jacobs). Teas from Tazo and Twinings of London and delicious hot chocolate from Suchard are also available in T Discs.

CoffeeReview.com, the world’s leading coffee buying guide, has reviewed a variety of T-Discs. But be aware, Tassimo no longer offers Starbucks-branded T Discs. In March 2011, Starbucks elected to not continue their relationship with Tassimo and signed a licensing agreement with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc instead, allowing for the production of Starbucks-branded K-Cups.

Green Mountain Coffee’s K Cups are the most popular brand of K-Cups. In fact, most K-Cups enjoyed in the United States and Canada are produced by this socially responsible Vermont company.

Green Mountain Coffee also produces Celestial Seasonings tea, Caribou Coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts, Newman’s Own Organic coffee, and Starbucks Coffee (coming Fall 2011) in K-Cups under licensing agreements with the owners of those well-known brands.

Located in Irvine, California, Diedrich manufactures K Cups under the brand names Diedrich Coffee, Gloria Jeans Coffee & Tea, and Coffee People Coffee. In May 2010, Green Mountain Coffee purchased Diedrich Coffee and its family of brands.

In February 2011, Dunkin’ Donuts and Green Mountain Coffee reached an agreement allowing Green Mountain Coffee to manufacture Dunkin’ Donuts-branded K-Cups. The Dunkin’ Donuts K Cups are available exclusively at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants.

In March 2011, Starbucks Coffee and Green Mountain Coffee reached an agreement allowing Green Mountain to manufacture of Starbucks- and Tazo-branded K Cups. The Starbucks K-Cups will be available at grocery, big box, and warehouse stores in Fall 2011. In 2012, the Starbucks K Cups will expand to Starbucks coffeehouses and the official online stores of Keurig, Green Mountain Coffee, and Starbucks.

Timothy’s Coffee, based in Toronto, Canada, manufactures KCup coffee and tea under the Timothy’s brand name and has a licensing agreement to produce Emeril’s-branded K-Cups. Green Mountain Coffee bought the KCup side of Timothy’s Coffee in November, 2009. Timothy’s Coffee continues to operate its retail stores throughout Canada.

The Seattle-based Tully’s Coffee Company manufactures K-Cups using the Tully’s name. In September 2008, Green Mountain Coffee purchased the Tully’s K Cup business. Tully’s Coffee continues to operate their retail stores in the Northwest.

Twinings Tea, located in Clifton, New Jersey, makes eight different K-Cup teas for the Keurig one cup brewing system.

Montreal, Canada-based Van Houtte Coffee manufactures KCups under their own brand name and the Wolfgang Puck brand. Van Houtte Coffee also has a licensing agreement to produce K-Cups for Bigelow Teas. Green Mountain Coffee purchased Van Houtte Coffee in September 2010.