Surprised? Caffeine DOES NOT Increase Blood Pressure — PERIOD!
A major metastudy, reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which followed more than 170,000 people over a period of 30 years, has definitively demonstrated that caffeine does not increase blood pressure. Many doctors and kibbitzers from the Dark Side have been attacking caffeine for many years, spreading the myth that caffeine increases blood […]
Caffeine Mugs: Sipping in Style
If caffeine is what you’re really after when you drink your daily cups of coffee, perhaps it’s time to declare your interest to the world by enjoying the use of an eponymous caffeine drinking vessel. One nifty item is called a Caffeine Molecule Mug. This glass mug with a stable design is emblazoned with the […]
Vienna Celebrates Coffee House Founder's 100th Birthday
Austrian President Heinz Fischer joined a national celebration of Café Hawelka by congratulating Leopold Hawelka, one of the nation’s most famous coffee house founders, on his 100th birthday on April 11, 2011. Hawelka’s café was opened in central Vienna in 1939 and quickly became a gathering spot for Austria’s traditional coffee house culture as well as […]
Starbucks' Burned, Bitter Beans Invade China
Starbucks is spreading its legacy of burned, bitter beans to China. Traditionally a nation of tea drinkers, China will now be sold Starbucks’ line of cheap, low quality coffee in an effort to enlist the Chinese into the tasteless army of Starbucks drinkers who already fill hundreds of coffeehouses in the West. Starbucks has launched its […]
Caffeine Content: Coffee and Tea
Unfortunately, the caffeine content of coffee and tea is almost never reported on a label or a sign in a coffee shop or anywhere else. This table will give you a fighting chance at estimating how much caffeine you are getting from some of your favorite drinks. Preparation Method Mg of Caffeine COFFEE (6 oz […]
Pregnancy and Caffeine: They Don't Mix
No questions about caffeine’s effect on health are more important than if and in what way caffeine affects fetal development. Unfortunately, the issue about caffeine and pregnancy has been repeatedly beset with confusion, distortion, misinformation, and outright negligent inaccuracy. The good news: Researchers proved long ago that if a pregnant woman consumes caffeine, she does not […]
The Advent of Coffee and Coffeehouses in History
If you’ve ever been curious about when and where coffee appeared in the world, you might enjoy reading Coffee and Coffeehouses by Ralph S. Hattox. Hattox explores the mystery of coffee’s origins. Coffee enters history among the dervishes, members of a Moslem ascetic order, who used it to sustain their frenzied, whirling dances as acts of […]
Burned Beans — The Shame of Starbucks
There are two major varieties of coffee beans: arabica and robusta. Robusta coffees are easier and cheaper to grow, but they taste harsher and more bitter. Arabica coffees, from Mocha, to Java, to a dozen other varieties of more costly “gourmet” beans, have a range of subtle and rich flavors. However, there is more to coffee’s […]
Keurig Coffee Maker Attracts Vast Following
A new coffee maker, based on a novel method of brewing single cups of coffee, has been getting a great deal of attention. We admit we haven’t tried it yet, but users’ reviews rave about the quality of the coffee that comes out of this machine. In future posts, we’ll present a complete evaluation. Meanwhile, […]
The Ultimate Coffee and Tea Books!
In 1922 William Ukers published an enormous book called All About Coffee. Several years later, he published a companion volume, All About Tea. These books became the classic, compendious resources for anyone interested in the cultural and natural history of both beverages. Unfortunately, they were out of print for many years. Now, however, Amazon offers […]
