A coffee brewing apparatus comprises a corresponding coffee brewer as well as a sensor that is configured and arranged to sense food components as used by that means for brewing coffee beverages. This coffee brewing apparatus then further comprises an external network interface that is configured and arranged to facilitate interfacing with a remote resource (or resources). The coffee brewing apparatus can further comprise an end user interface and a processor that is operably coupled to the sensor, the external network interface, and the end user interface and that is configured and arranged to independently use information regarding food components as are used by the means for brewing coffee beverages to facilitate obtaining corresponding responsive information from the remote resource and to then present that information to an end user via the end user interface.