sheghan’s Blog

If you are like me and you love coffee, you are probably consistently searching for that perfect cup. Well, the perfect cup starts with the perfect bean. And the perfect bean is largely based upon the combination of soil quality and climate. So when you think of the perfect country for coffee bean growth what comes to mind? Probably, somewhere tropical. A place with regular rain and sun. If you are like most people you will undoubtedly say “Brazil”. It’s true, Brazil is the biggest dog on the block accounting for a whopping one-third of all coffee bean production. Its climate is ideal for coffee bean production. It’s no wonder they hold top spot. But, do they make the best bean?

Ironically, coffee bean production did not start in Brazil. It actually began in Ethiopia. Even though they can still be seen there they’re popularity has spread. Today you can find coffee beans being produced in many countries throughout the free world. Matter of fact, there are now about seventy some countries officially growing coffee beans. Unfortunately, only a few of these countries actually have the most ideal situation for producing beans of a high quality. Aside from Brazil, some of the most popular destinations for coffee bean production are Columbia, Indonesia, Hawaii and Mexico.

We must not forget that aside from climate and soil quality, the altitude at which beans are grown has a significant impact on their quality. The higher they are grown the better. With this in mind we must give some attention to Columbia. They certainly produce some of the best beans in the world. However, its poor economy and underdeveloped infrastructure makes transport to processing plants difficult. Therefore, I am sure we are not seeing the best that that country has to offer.

If you have ever had Hawaiian coffee, you probably will swear up and down that it is the best in the world. Well you could be right. Even though they don’t produce large quantities Hawaii’s volcanic ash, large amounts of rainfall and hot sweltering sun create the perfect environment for production. There is, also, probably something to the small quantities they produce. The small crafted feel no doubt enhances Hawaii’s mystic as a supreme coffee bean producer. Much like we see here in the states with regards to small-batch Bourbons.

Lastly, a very popular place that could possibly win the best coffee bean award would have to be Indonesia. The countries humid climate is ripe for perfect growth. Also, they have taken the production of coffee beans to new heights. They use very advanced technologies that help them grow beans in remote places like Java and Sulawesi. Coffee is so popular from this area that we often euphemistically refer to our coffee as a “Cup of Java”.

By: Scott Andrew Richards

Despite such speedy-sounding names as “Full Throttle,” “Amp” and “Rush,” energy drinks pack a punch that is generally no stronger than coffee, according to a report released on Monday.
 
A comparison of 12 popular energy drinks, published in the September issue of Consumer Reports, found that the caffeine in 8 ounces of various brands ranged from 50-145 milligrams (mg), though most were in the 75- to 80-mg range.

Results were rounded to the nearest 5 mg.

By comparison, the caffeine in an 8-oz cup of brewed coffee can range from 65-120 mg, with an average of 85 mg, according to the National Coffee Association.

The least-caffeinated energy drink Consumer Reports tested was the fruit punch-flavored offering by Target Corp.’s private label Archer Farms, with 50 mg. At the high end was the lemon-lime flavored Celsius with 145 mg.

Market-leading Red Bull had 80 mg of caffeine. Sobe No Fear, owned by PepsiCo Inc., had 85 mg of caffeine. Amp had 75 mg of caffeine, while Rush and Coca-Cola Co.’s Full Throttle both had 80 mg.

Jamie Kopf Hirsh, associate editor at Consumer Reports and the report’s author, said it was “good news” that energy drinks were not much more caffeinated than coffee, but said consumers should still be cautious.

Even though 8 ounces is the standard serving size for measuring, most containers have more than that, and most consumers drink more than that.

“You don’t have to be alarmed by this, you just have to account for it in your daily caffeine intake,” Hirsh said, adding that energy drinks, with their graphic video-game-like logos that appeal to young men, could be “coffee for the new generation.”