Coffee has practically no calories, since it is low in proteins, fats and digestible carbohydrates. As a luxury drink, it is consumed mainly for its taste and stimulating effect.
Roasted coffee does, however, contain certain micro-nutrients such as the vitamin niacin (essential for numerous metabolic processes). One cup contains 1 – 3 mg niacin (approximately 20% of the recommended daily amount). Coffee also contains calium (important for cardiac circulation function). Two cups of coffee cover roughly 10% of the recommended daily amount.
Yes. Coffee alternatives are coffee with added ingredients and coffee additions. Both contain chicory, a plant with a high content of inulin in its roots. Inulin is a sort of fibre which is transformed into fructose and caramel through roasting. Together with the natural bitterness of the chicory plant, these combine to produce the taste and colour. In coffees with added ingredients (e.g., Incarom, Nescoré), part of the coffee has been replaced with additives such as extract of chicory to make it milder and more digestible. Coffee additions such as Franck Aroma consist of pure chicory which has been roasted and finely ground.
No! The acidic environment in the stomach is necessary for digestion. Healthy people are not affected by the relatively small amounts of acid contained in drinks such as coffee.
So-called heartburn comes when the contents of the stomach flow back up into the gullet, which is sensitive to acid. This is often caused by weak muscle rings between the gullet and the stomach.
The heartburn which some people complain of after drinking coffee may result from this. However, the results of studies carried out in this area are contradictory.
No! Coffee is not an addictive drug and this means that it has no damaging effect on either the health, or the economic and social status of people who drink it. Nor does coffee need to be taken in ever-increasing amounts in order to attain the same stimulating effect, as would be the case were it an addictive drug.
Nonetheless, high coffee consumption may lead to a habitual effect. Sensitive people who suddenly reduce their high coffee consumption may suffer from nervousness and headaches, although these symptoms will generally vanish after a short period of time. By reducing coffee consumption gradually over a period of days, these symptoms can be reduced, or avoided altogether.
Of course! But don’t use boiling water when brewing (ideal is 80 to 85° C). Boiling water can make some of the minerals contained in the water insoluble, and affects the taste of the coffee.
The flavour of coffee is very volatile. Thus the manufacture of soluble coffee demands that roasting and production follow closely on one another’s heels. Nestlé engineers made a breakthrough in 1992 when they developed a process which catches the volatile flavour, freezes it briefly and then re-introduces it into the Nescafé. This is the reason why Nescafé often tastes more aromatic than filter coffee, particularly when the latter has not been professionally produced. Thus in the course of blind tests, the Nescafé taste has often been labelled as being more typical of coffee.
The coffee was probably brewed with boiling water and is therefore bitter.
Use only hot water for brewing coffee.
Water from the hot-water tank, however, is not hot enough.
During the decaffeinating process, the green, unroasted coffee beans are made to swell in steam. The caffeine is then drawn out with water. None of the flavour is lost during this process, nor are any other ingredients added. Thanks to decaffeinated coffee, even sensitive people can enjoy coffee without having to suffer any unpleasant after-effects such as sleeplessness. It is recommended that such people drink only decaffeinated coffee from noon on.
Soluble coffee is coffee, and nothing but 100% pure coffee. It contains no added ingredients.
When filter coffee is brewed, hot water is filtered through the ground coffee beans such that the water can absorb the colour and the flavour of the coffee. Soluble coffee is manufactured in precisely the same way, except that the water is then removed again. What remains is concentrated coffee in granulated form, which quickly and completely dissolves when brewed again, and contains the full flavour of the original coffee.
Three-quarters of world coffee production is made up of arabica coffee. Originating from Ethiopia, this is now widely grown in central and South America, but can be found all over the world. It is characterised by its aromatic taste and relatively low caffeine content (0.8 – 1.3%). Robusta coffee, totalling 25% of world production, was discovered towards the end of the 19th century and originates from Central Africa. It is grown mainly in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia. Robusta coffee has a stronger taste and relatively high caffeine content (2 – 2.5%).
Both sorts are treated during the roasting process to produce the right flavour for the taste of the relevant consuming country. For Swiss Nescafé mainly arabica types are used. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the delicately spiced Nescafé Gold Finesse and the fruity Ambiance are popular; in the French-speaking part the slightly bitter Espresso is preferred.
The main active substance in coffee is caffeine. Caffeine is a light stimulant, which stimulates the cardiac circulation, the nervous system and the metabolism, as well as increasing reaction times and attentiveness. It is a proven fact that for many consumers, just 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day improve performance and concentration at work.
The effect of caffeine on the body, however, is different for each individual and is also dependant upon eating habits. Whilst some people can drink several cups of coffee without noticing anything, others are affected by the first cup. Caffeine is not stored in the body, but is excreted after a few hours (half-life 2 – 6 hours), after which the stimulating effect decreases accordingly.
1. Put 1-2 tsps of soluble coffee according to taste into cup.
2. Pour on hot (but not boiling) water. Water from the hot-water tank, however, is not hot enough.
3. Stir, ready.
The caffeine content of coffee depends upon the variety of coffee as well as upon the method of brewing. Filter coffee generally contains more caffeine than espresso. The slow filter method allows the water to draw more caffeine out of the coffee powder than is possible in the espresso method, where the water is shot through the powder within seconds and under great pressure. According to coffee mix and method of preparation, the caffeine content of a cup of coffee fluctuates between 50 and 150 mg. This, of course, also applies to soluble coffee.