Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

As far as java sippers go, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is hot. They love its Keurig single-cup brewers and K-cups. Investors see a different company entirely, and the outlook for that one appears bitter.

There's a new contender for the dumbest CEO crown: Robert Stiller, the now ex-chairman of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. And the stupid mistake that cost him his job -- and a lot of money -- was an investing choice that you might be making too.

Shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters crashed after an abysmal quarterly report Wednesday night. The company behind the Keurig coffeemaker and the single-service K-Cup failed to live up to its guidance, and its 2012 outlook is even more disappointing.

When the new Verismo coffeemaker shows up later this year, java buffs will be able to make Starbucks-quality espresso, cappuccino and latte beverages at home. But will the fancy European coffee drinks it'll crank out really be as good as Starbucks? Starbucks probably hopes so.

The convenience of single-cup coffeemakers is undeniable: They're simple. They're fast. They're clean. What they aren't, unless you're comparing them to a Starbucks habit, is cheap. Think $50-a-pound coffee. But it's possible reduce the cost of your K-cup caffeine hit.

Just a few months ago, coffee-related companies were as hot as a steaming cup of joe. Buoyant coffee bean prices, a growing consumer appetite for premium coffee, and a few company-specific events fueled a rally in the niche. But the hype has lost it caffeine buzz, and prices are way down.

Words can move the market, especially when the person mouthing those words is legendary hedge fund manager David Einhorn. Shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters tumbled 10% after Einhorn revealed that he was betting against the company. Let's go over three reasons he may have sipped more than he can slurp here.

The popular hub of latte lovers and Frappuccino sippers may be rolling right now, but the longer term outlook is far more challenging. A good cup of coffee is surprisingly easy to find these days, as is a Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' K-cup.

Remember when Starbucks was special? Now you can get a good cup of coffee just about anywhere, including at home. If you're seeking the next hot beverage business with lots of room for growth, it's Teavana, the mall-based tea retailer that went public last month and expects to open 50 new stores this fiscal year.

There are freebies I've never heard of -- like Halloween pumpkin stencils -- and old standbys (a free movie rental and sample of Emergen-C) in this week's collection of Friday Freebies. Get pumpkin carving ideas with free stencils, a free sample of Vaseline Intense Rescue lotion, and free sample of...