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Coffee and Caffeine in the NewsCopyright 2004 Brian Martell A recent front page article in the Globe and Mail took a shot at specialty coffee having more caffeine than “other” types of coffees. Superficially, the reader was left with the impression that there was something inherent in specialty coffee which imparted more caffeine than all others. Delving a little further into the article, the revelation came out that the specialty products tested were 20 ounce cups brewed at a strength of 3.5 ounces (about 100 grams) per 64 fluid ounces of water (this was implicitly stated, as one would have to know what strength some specialty shops brew their coffee). When presented in the proper light, it becomes clear how obvious this is, but the desired effect was achieved by implying there was something wrong with coffee, especially specialty coffee. Further, the article went on to state that Robusta can contain up to 4% caffeine! (Robustas usually have caffeine contents in the 2.2% range, while Arabica contains about 1.2% caffeine; I have yet to encounter a robusta coffee with 4% caffeine.) While the article stated that the types of coffee cultivated have differing caffeine contents, the reader was left with the impression that specialty coffee was predominantly Robusta (almost all specialty coffees are 100% Arabica). Again, the reader was left with a fallacious premise based on the genus of gourmet coffees. To better understand the co-relation between coffee preparation, coffee types and the amount of caffeine per fluid ounce of coffee, refer to the graph below. This will give you an indication of how much caffeine would be consumed under the variables of coffee genus, degree of roast and strength of brew. To keep the data as objective as possible, all other factors regarding the brewing are kept constant. As you can see, the greater the strength of the coffee (i.e. the more ground coffee used per brew, in this case 64 fluid ounces of brewed coffee) the greater the caffeine content per fluid ounce. It bears mention that using a control amount of water equal to 64 ounces will also have an impact on strength as the finished product will yield diminishing volumes as the weight of coffee goes up. In essence, the more coffee weight in the filter, the more water will be absorbed and held in the grounds and therefore, the less amount of finished coffee will be brewed in the pot. With less liquid coffee in the pot, the strength and caffeine levels go up. Further, the same Arabica and the same Robusta were used through the different weight categories.
As people are likely to consume all of what is given to them, the serving size becomes critical in determining the level of any substance that is consumed. Therefore, a 16 ounce serving of coffee will, all other things being equal, have twice as much caffeine in it than an 8 ounce serving. This is where the daily recommended amount of anything becomes fuzzy when stated in a subjective measurement such as a cup or “serving.” Most people do not consider a cup to be 8 fluid ounces, but rather whatever their cup happens to hold. I once had a 32 ounce insulated mug which the guys in my office would rib me about until one of our American colleagues produced a 64 ouncer which he used at convenience stores which charged one price to fill your own personal mug. That he made off with the entire pot is not the issue, but rather what constitutes a serving. Indeed, Cornelius Van Horn, the president of the CPR during the construction of the transcontinental railway, was instructed by his doctor to cut back to one cigar a day. He instructed his tobacconist to hand roll him 7 one foot long cigars per week! Getting back to coffee, there is something disingenuous with making the claim that specialty coffee has more caffeine in it than other types of coffee, especially from a newspaper as reputable as the Globe and Mail. I doubt very much that they would print an article stating that there is more sugar in your mom’s home made blueberry pie than in a regular Kit Kat bar (there is, of course, more sugar in the pie, but it outweighs the bar by at least 7 to 1). And yet, significant ink is spilled across the front page of a national newspaper on precisely that kind of wonky journalism and less than sophomoric science. The reason we in the coffee industry have to keep on our toes about such issues is that newspapers and the media in general, keep missing the mark on what the facts are. As an aside, one of my uncles who used to be a reporter for the (now defunct) Montréal Star always said “don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story!” I don’t think good ol’ Uncle Max was the first to coin that phrase, and heaven knows that its spirit lives on in contemporary media. As we try to promote better quality in our industry and raise the value of the products we sell, it is incumbent upon all coffee purveyors to flush out wrong or misleading information for the sake of our integrity and for the sake of our industry. Questions or comments? Reach Brian at Brian@heritage-coffee.com |
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