Latest posts by Angelica (see all)
- Caffeine Levels In Coffee – What Really Influences Them - July 25, 2011
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Did you know that caffeine is the most popular drug in the world? You could also die from caffeine overdose at very high amounts of it but to date, I have never heard of anyone dying from caffeine overdose yet. Did you also know that there are various different types of coffee that have an impact on caffeine levels? Even if you have all the types of coffee beans in the world, there are other reasons that can influence caffeine levels.
Coffee making is a multi-step process and for those not in the know, everything from harvesting the beans to the final crema can influence the levels of caffeine going into your system.
Let me begin with the first one.
Coffee Beans
Now we all know that there are many different types of coffee beans. But what we might not know is that each coffee beans have different levels of caffeine. The concentration of caffeine varies according to plant variety and the growing conditions. The one that is most commonly found in our coffee is the Arabica Beans type. These types of beans are primarily grown in South America and Central America. They have probably one of the lowest amounts of caffeine among all coffee beans. There is also the Robusta beans which can be found in countries like Indonesia. These are the types of beans used in instant coffee and quite surprisingly it has about 2 times more caffeine than in Arabica beans. There are other types of beans with very low caffeine content like the Excelsa beans. It is not used in decaffeinated coffee though and mind you even decaf coffee has very tiny amounts of caffeine. Excelsa beans is also widely used in Asia as a mixture of both Arabica and Excelsa to give that good “in-between” caffeine level for consumption.
Let us go to the next one.
Roasting Methods
Once you’ve harvested all your coffee beans, it will usually go through a roasting process. The way it is roasted again has an impact on caffeine levels. If you go to the supermarket you will find a confusing bunch of coffee products labeled “light roast”, “medium roast“, “dark roast“ “French roast“ etc. Light roasted coffee beans don’t taste so bitter while the French roast is the most bitter and strongest of all. I personally dislike French Roast but anyway, light roast has the most caffeine content but not that much more than dark roast beans.
Brewing Methods
Brewing methods can also influence caffeine levels. We shall have a look at them below:
- French Press
- Drip Brew
- Espresso
- Vacumn
- Cold Water
So can you guess which one gives you the most concentration of caffeine?
Although I wish you could tell me, the answer is definitely not French Press and neither is it Espresso. You might say that espresso gives you that highly concentrated coffee while your espresso machine works at 15 bars of pressure but it still isn’t. The right answer is drip brew. The methods listed above are only a part of other brewing methods that are possible but the winner goes to the drip brew method. There are still other factors that can influence caffeine levels in your coffee.
For example, brewing it quick reduces caffeine content. If you choose to brew at a lower temperature, you will also have lower caffeine content.
Confused? Ready for more? Right on to the next one”¦
Coffee Grinds
Coffee grinding has a big influence on taste as well. Finer grinds are more suited for espresso. Finer grinds also taste more bitter than coarser grinds. Coarser grinds on the other hand are more suited for French press coffee. If you have been reading, you’ll know that the type of brew has an influence on the level of caffeine itself. As you can see, there are many variables that can influence caffeine levels. However, assuming that you choose to use the same brewing method but switch from coarser to finer grinds, the finer grinds will have more caffeine in them.
Now that you have a better understanding on coffee making and caffeine, what are your thoughts on coffee and do you have any preference in the style of coffee?
