You Are Drinking Poison and Loving It!

It is the ritualistic fixation millions of American coffee drinkers engage in daily without a second thought: the pouring of that first cup. You probably havent given much thought as to what is actually going into your cup. Its dark and most likely tastes of coffee with maybe a hint of vanilla or cinnamon, so whats the big deal, right?

East Brunswick, NJ (PRWEB) May 11, 2003 - It is the ritualistic fixation millions of American coffee drinkers engage in daily without a second thought: the pouring of that first cup. You probably haven't given much thought as to what is actually going into your cup. It's dark and most likely tastes of coffee with maybe a hint of vanilla or cinnamon, so what's the big deal, right? The big deal is this: you are willingly poisoning yourself with little more than what you throw in the garbage. Let me repeat this again: You are willingly poisoning yourself with the coffee you drink!

It's not your fault. If you are like 80% of the American public who buys their coffee in the supermarket, you are in need of a re-education. More to the point, you're being lied to. Here's what it boils down to.

The two major types of coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta, and are as different as night and day. The general differences between the two are those of taste and the conditions under which the two kinds differ in production. Of the two, Arabica beans are far superior to Robusta in quality and taste, and they are sold at a premium price.

Arabica beans also have a wider taste range between varieties. They range in taste from sweet-soft to sharp-tangy. Their unroasted smell is sometimes likened to blueberries. Their roasted smell is perfumed with fruity notes and sugary tones. We aren't concerned with Arabica beans here. It's the inferior, bacteria-laden Robusta beans we have to worry about.

Robusta beans, a cheaply produced and priced alternative to Arabica beans, taste range is bland to harsh and they are often described as tasting grain-like and bitter. The quality of unroasted Robusta is often akin to the odor of compost or burnt rubber, and would, quite literally, make you retch from its stench. The demand for this bastion of rubbish rose by over 1000% during the past decade as the production and importing costs of high quality Arabica beans substantially rose.

Facilitated by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards of quality for "pure" coffee, you are getting far more than what you paid in grabbing that can of supermarket coffee. Without going into the debris found in the canning process, you are consuming cheaply produced coffee with (if you're lucky) twigs, rocks, and putrid beans. (The U.S. FDA permits 30% of these contaminates in a Robusta crop and still call it "pure" coffee, whereas real pure coffee has less than one percent of defects per 300 gram coffee sample.)

Tempted by the lower pricing of Robusta and the ability to fool consumers, multi-national corporate coffee divisions are substituting cheaper beans for some of the better beans they used to put in their blends. New steam-cleaning technology in coffee-processing developed by the coffee divisions of supermarket coffee suppliers (yes, you know who they are!) allegedly reduces the harsh, moldy taste of Robusta beans. This allows these firms to increase the percentage of cheaper Robusta beans in their coffees mixed with Arabica beans. New flavored coffee product lines gives the appearance of serving the consumer 'gourmet' coffee, when all they're really doing is adding flavoring to make the foul taste of Robusta beans. Steam-cleaning does not disinfect Robusta and does not sweep away the bad taste of Robusta.

Think the jitters you've been getting from coffee stems from the caffeine? If you're drinking supermarket coffee, you're probably right. Robusta beans have up to 50% more caffeine per gram than Arabica beans. Those whose caffeine consumption is an issue, consider this the next time you purchase a supermarket coffee can or jar of instant.

While the economic repercussions of purchasing Robusta are of great global importance, here's what you can do close to home, to ensure you aren't drinking poisoned coffee with a smile on your face:

1. Buy 100% Arabica - Now armed with the necessary information to make appropriate decisions in your coffee consumption, opt for a specialty coffee retailer in your area or one of several internet Arabica bean retailers, like http://www.cuppadiem.com">Cuppa Diem Coffee and Tea (www.CuppaDiem.com). Cuppa Diem offers over 150 varieties of coffee, and all 100% Arabica bean sourced from Africa, Brazil, Latin America and Indonesia (the top producers of 100% Arabica beans), and at a significant discount over many retailers. For those insistent on buying your coffee at the supermarket for whatever reason, I leave you with this advice: Read the label. Coffees made with Arabica beans will prominently (and proudly) display "100% Arabica beans" as opposed to "100% Coffee". The "100% Coffee" is pretty much a dead giveaway that you aren't getting pure coffee.

2. Forego the Canned and Instant Coffee - Aside from being, in most cases wholly Robusta, the absolute fact is it's pre-ground. To capture the freshest taste coffee beans is to grind them yourself. There are specialty coffee retailers who offer grinding options for their customers, but when you can, opt for buying whole Arabica beans for the best cup of coffee.

3. Drink Your Coffee When You Make It - You can brew the perfect coffee, but make sure you drink it as quickly as it's made. Coffee consumed within 20 minutes of brewing affords optimal flavor and freshness. Same-brew coffee consumed after this time period can likely result in bacteria forming in the liquid, not to mention you're drinking bad tasting coffee.

Like any great undertaking, the making of a great cup of java relies on a solid foundation. The movement from drinking Robusta-based coffee to 100% Arabica is a definitely pleasurable experience, one where you will see an immediate improvement in the quality of the coffee you may have been accustomed to. Another exciting aspect to making this major improvement is the wonderful adventure in experimentation with different Arabica bean growing regions, which provide distinct tastes, aromas and flavors.

Now go find your coffee 'personality'.

For additional information or a sample copy, contact:
Lori Ann Höles
Cuppa Diem
Telephone: 732.613.0326
Lori@CuppaDiem.com
http://www.CuppaDiem.com">http://www.CuppaDiem.com

Lori Ann Höles is the owner of http://www.cuppadiem.com">Cuppa Diem Coffee and Tea and the future editor of The Coffee Muse, an upcoming online coffee and tea newsletter for coffee and tea drinkers wanting up to date coffee and tea news. A reformed long time coffee drinker, Ms. Höles launched Cuppa Diem and The Coffee Muse to offer and educate consumers about Robusta-free coffees. To subscribe for future issues of The Coffee Muse, send an email to coffeemuse@cuppadiem.com

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