Tag: Coffee

Did you know that Honey Bees are Coffee Addicts?

Coffee beans come from Coffee trees and those coffee trees produce cherries that contain seeds. Those seeds are the ones that you grind up for your everyday coffee.

Do you know why coffee trees have caffeine? Here let me explain: It’s actually the tree’s defense mechanism. Coffee leaves are poisonous to garden slugs and they act as a natural pesticide.

To humans, we actually love that poison.. it brings us COFFEE! To us it isn’t the least bit poisonous, unless you drink about 100 cups in 1 go. This brings me to the honeybees, as they absolutely love caffeine as much as we do!

Honeybees stick their tongues into the flower and collects the nectar which contains a slight dose of caffeine in it. They also get caffeinated for the same reasons as we do:

1. Memorization

Honeybees will travel hundreds of miles just to get their nectar, and the caffeine in the nectar will often manipulate the honeybees long term memory (in a good way). A recent study has shown that the caffeine in nectar makes certain flowers more memorable – thus meaning the honeybee is more likely to return to the same kind of flower (the caffeinated ones) as they enjoy stimulant.

2. Productivity

Seeing as the caffeinated Bees remember which flowers give them the most kick, it then makes the more productive as they wont waste their time pollinating the wrong flowers.

3. Habit

Honeybees are definitely intelligent as they remember the effects of caffeine, to which they prefer coffee trees when collecting their nectar. Who else can sympathize with a HoneyBee? … Coffee>Everything else 😀

That being said, next time you’re feeling “buzzed” from drinking coffee, just know that Honeybees are right there with you 😉

Common mistakes when brewing Coffee at Home

  • When you store your coffee beans in the fridge or freezer, it doesn’t help keep them fresh. This is due to the fact that coffee beans are quite porous in them which will absorb all the different smells of the fridge. A dark air-tight container is the best way to store your coffee beans, in a room temperature room.
  • Buying pre-ground coffee beans: Yes, it is easier to buy your coffee pre-ground, but as soon as the coffee is ground it immediately loses freshness. In order to keep your coffee fresh, it is best to grind your coffee beans just before brewing!
  • When you use boiling water to brew your coffee, the bitterness and acidity are being extracted from the beans. Ideally, you want to brew your coffee at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit or 93 celsius.
  • There are different types of grind for certain coffees. The fine grinds are for Aeropress or Espresso, medium grinds are for drip makers and coarse grinds are for a French Press.

Happy Brewing Everyone!

5 Lies about Coffee!

1. Coffee Insomnia

No, No, No.. Coffee actually goes away faster than you think. It takes about 4-6 hours for the caffeine to leave your system, so you can’t use the excuse about not being able to sleep because of coffee anymore! (That is – unless you drink a cup minutes before you sleep.. then we have a problem)

2. Coffee Stresses you out

WRONG! Coffee actually makes you happier 🙂 A recent study shows that people who drink about 4 cups of coffee a day are less likely to be depressed. That being said.. if you’re having a bad day, drink a cup of coffee – it’ll cheer you up! The study also showed that people who drink 2-4 cups of coffee a day, are less likely to be suicidal

3. Coffee causes diseases

Coffee actually has quite a few benefits:

  • It helps with long term memory
  • Lowers your risk of Parkinson’s
  • Lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
  • Reduces risk of developing many types of cancer

4. Coffee sobers you up

Now I know many of you will be sad to hear, but coffee doesn’t actually sober you up and won’t fix your hangover. But on the bright side, coffee does help with recovering your damaged liver from alcohol: 4 cups a day drops the risk of liver cirrhosis by 65%.. meaning the more the better!

5. Being addicted to Coffee

Nope – impossible! Caffeine withdrawal will make you sleepy or give you a headache, but we already knew that. Though, coffee doesn’t threaten your physical or social health as addictive drugs do. On the reverse side, coffee is addicted to you!! So keep drinking coffee and all will be good a prosper 🙂 Happy coffee drinking!

What does your coffee say about your personality?

There’s been a recent study that tested the habits of 1,000 coffee drinkers. It measured the different types of coffee that people drink daily, and then linked their habits along with psychological styles and personality traits. This is what they found:

The Black coffee drinker:

  • Straightforward
  • Quiet, but moody
  • Likes to keep things simple
  • All about minimalism

The Espresso drinker:

  • Hardworking, but moody
  • Takes on Leadership
  • Knows how to get what they want

The Latte drinker:

  • Likes to please people
  • Often indecisive when it comes to making decisions
  • Tends to be anxious

The Cappuccino drinker:

  • Controlling and obsessive
  • Creative, honest and motivated
  • Makes great friends, but gets bored with people who are unimaginative

The Frappuccino drinker:

  • Will try almost anything once
  • Trend setter
  • Courageous and adventurous
  • Doesn’t make healthy choices

The Instant coffee drinker:

  • Laid back
  • Cheerful and optimistic
  • Tends to out things off

The Soy milk drinker:

  • High maintenance
  • Detail oriented
  • Self centered and self-righteous

5 Facts between Coffee and Poop!

Ever drink a coffee and have to go to the washroom minutes later? Well… you and me! I’m going to tell you a few facts about the correlation between coffee and poop.

  1. Coffee helps release a hormone in your body that is somehow really good at simulating a certain part of the muscle in your large intestine aka. THE COLON. Funny enough, Scientists still don’t know why!
  2. Does caffeine do it? Not so much, studies show that even decaf coffee will make you poop!
  3. Coffee drops the poop bomb as soon as 4 minutes after your first coffee (that’s extremely fast!) Make sure you don’t have coffee just before coming to work, because you’ll be hogging up the toilet!!
  4. If you have no clue what the coffee-poop feeling is, then you are among the lucky ones! Only 29% of coffee drinkers are affected by this coffee-poop relationship
  5. And Ladies… unfortunately this coffee-poop relationship affects you twice as much as men.

If you’ve learned anything from this, it’s that only 29% of coffee drinkers are affected by the coffee-poop relationship, and everyone else doesn’t feel it. (Sadly, I’m part of the 29% that is affected). It’s funny how there isn’t scientific reasoning for this, but I’m sure that in the near future, scientists will be able to provide us with answers to our coffee-poop problems! Until then, stay close to a washroom while drinking your coffee – you might need it more than you know!

What is Third Wave Coffee?

First Wave Coffee
Coffee became more easily accessible in places outside of restaurants and cafes and became a daily beverage many consumed at home or the office.
The emergence of instant coffee allowed for coffee to be enjoyed anywhere and everywhere
Brands like Nestle, Folgers, and Maxwell House became popular.
Coffee during this time as weak and acidic.
Second Wave Coffee
Chain coffee shops like Starbucks began to bring quality espresso-based beverages that were now easily accessible.
The coffee business became a big business – and specialty, personalized beverages became everyone’s fave.
Darker Roast coffees and espresso beverages became the daily drink of choice over instant coffee.
The appreciation for coffee began to slowly take over with people wanting to learn about the beans and other brewing methods.
Third Wave Coffee
People became eager to learn about coffee’s origins, the trading process, and the best way to brew it.
This wave brought out interest in manual brewing methods such as pour overs, soft brew, and cold brew.
People became interested in the chemistry behind coffee and its different flavours and notes.
Specialty coffees with unique stories and lighter roasts became the new favourite.

Third wave coffee can be described as the result of the evolution of the appreciation of coffee.
People have gone from wanting coffee easily in mass amounts to enjoying and appreciating its value and the journey of the bean.

New Year New Fads

2018 was a great year for the coffee industry, introducing some pretty interesting trends. Just as I was getting over the Butter Coffee fad, 2019 came in strong with some up and coming concoctions.

Nitro Coffee

One of the most fascinating trends I’ve come across is Nitro Coffee. Like the name implies, it is coffee that has been infused with nitrogen gas. Just like your favourite ale, the aerated coffee is kept in a pressurized keg and is poured from a tap, producing a great infusion of texture and taste. This method makes it a more velvety and sweeter tasting coffee when compared to regular iced coffee.

Nitro VS Hot Coffee

Besides the obvious differences between a glass of frothy nitrogen coffee and a warm mug of regular coffee, there are a lot of things lying under the surface that may influence your decision to try it. For starters, nitro coffee actually contains about 30% more caffeine than a regular coffee does, which can lead to an increase in anxiety levels. Nitro coffee doesn’t require any milk and sugar after pouring which could be a huge benefit if you’re trying to enjoy a flavourful caffeinated beverage without the additional calories. Both beverages contain antioxidants that fight free radical damage and reduce inflammation as well as providing a boost in mental and physical performance.

Mushroom Coffee

My initial portrayal of this in my mind was a hot cup of coffee ruined by some random spongy bits of mushrooms. After further research, I was relieved this was not the case. Making its introduction in 2018, Mushroom coffee is expected to hit peak popularity in 2019. Using a variety of different kinds of medicinal mushrooms, they are able to isolate and spray-dry different key components of the ‘shrooms to create a powder which is then infused with the coffee. This take on coffee is actually lower in caffeine than regular coffee, which could be beneficial for those who tend to avoid coffee for its high caffeine content. Mushroom coffee could also potentially help you with your New Year’s resolution with studies claiming it can help boost energy, improve brain power, help with indigestion and possibly also aid in weight loss.

Most Common ‘Shrooms Used

  • cordyceps
  • chaga
  • lion’s mane
  • turkey tail
  • reishi

So whether you’re looking for a new trendy caffeinated beverage for your Instagram page, or trying to find something to help keep you on track for your New Year goals, 2019 has something for you.