5 Myths about Coffee Beans

Despite the UK drinking a staggering estimated 70 million cups of coffee per day, I have always felt that our nation really doesn’t appreciate the wonderful bean itself and has become hooked on the “Starbucks motto” that seems to laden everything with over-roasted coffee and lots of milk.

Indeed in my industry, if I hand someone what I would call a “proper espresso”, I am often given the response that it is 'far too strong', when in fact my opposite has just been used to drinking substandard coffee since they can remember.

As my family have heralded from the darkest depths of Napoli, Italy, having a good espresso in the morning and at subsequent well-timed intervals during the rest of the day is something I have grown up with.

Today I am listing a few quick myths about coffee that seems to occur on a day to day basis for me – hopefully learning a bit more about this wonderful plant will help you appreciate good, fresh coffee even more.

So...let’s begin.

MYTH NUMBER 1  -  Freezing beans keeps them fresh

The oils in roasted coffee beans are an important part of the flavour of a good cup of Joe but contrary to popular belief, freezing actually breaks down the aromatic oils in roasted coffee.

Unfortunately, a freezer can contain many other foods which have potent odours and the porous beans can absorb the flavours. Flavoured coffees can be pleasant, but I am yet to meet anyone who wants to drink seafood or garlic flavoured coffee!!

MYTH NUMBER 2 – There are two types of bean in the world, Arabica and Robusta.

Surprisingly there are over 90 different species of the Coffea genus, but due to larger harvesting we generally only use the coffea Arabica and coffea canephora (Robusta) beans.

Recently, there was even a new species of Coffea plant was discovered in Cameroon that is naturally caffeine-free!

MYTH NUMBER 3 - Beans stay fresh for weeks

The naturally occurring oils in coffee beans oxidise very rapidly, and it does also depend on the roasting date of the bean.

The coffee I always use for my City clients is always roasted about three to four days in advance of being transported to site, so freshness is key here. Once they have left their nicely sealed bag it’s estimated they have about 1 to 2 weeks at maximum before full oxidisation occurs.

MYTH NUMBER 4 - The best coffee’s in the world comes from Italy

Actually, unless someone is growing coffee as an indoor plant, you’d be very hard pressed to find coffee that is in fact grown in Italy at all. Italy's coffee fame rests on those Italian coffee company’s abilities as roasters and blenders for espresso, not on its aptitude for growing coffee!

Perhaps more importantly for those morning-after-Thursday-night-outings...

MYTH NUMBER 5 - Coffee sobers you up!

Research on mice indicates the drink may make you feel that you are coming to your senses - but it is only an illusion. In fact, it makes it harder for people to realise they are under the influence of alcohol.

Coffee simply “wakes” you up, but has no sobering effects to it.

Best stick to the water, pal!

I have advised City businesses on sourcing sustainable and cost-effective refreshment provisions, including tea and coffee supplies, for a good number of years now. Unlike most people, I’ve had firsthand experience by working in the City all my adult life, and so I know what works and what doesn’t.

Getting the right coffee in a bluechip company is a challenging task, and I am always at hand to advise on implementing the right solution.

I hope you have enjoyed my post and gained some valueable knowledge.

Until next time,

David Cocozza

Bottled Water Coolers – A Hygiene Horror Story?

People often talk about “water cooler gossip”, an image that formed part of mainstream media culture in the late part of the 20^th Century – I have no doubt this is where bottled water coolers became popular, and as of 2011, there are estimated to be over 400,000 bottled water coolers in the UK alone using up an estimated 300 million litres of water each year.¹

A clear healthy living message for all of us from the youngest to the oldest is to drink a sufficient amount of water every day and the last 12 years have seen a significant growth and having clean drinking water, readily available in just a few metres walk, is something that we now take for granted.

On the back of this, the assumption is being made that because water is good for us, the water from water coolers is safe.

Unfortunately this may not always be the case.

Back in 2007, Consumer Focus Scotland undertook a report and published some very startling discoveries. Of a random testing of 35 samples taken from bottled water coolers for microbiological examination, a staggering 40% failed to meet standards set for water purity by the European Drinking Water Directive.²

Horrifyingly enough, one sample even gave a positive enumeration of E. faecalis. This indicates contamination from a faecal source, possibly due to cross-contamination from a user with poor personal hygiene.

Inherently, bottled water coolers are designed to be unhygienic.

Think about it.

·         A leisure centre user fills up their empty bottle using the water cooler, with the neck of the bottle touching the tap – saliva, bacteria, germs and who knows what else are coming into contact with the tap.

·         An office worker does not wash his hands after using the toilet and decides to get a drink, by touching the tap he is contaminating the cooler.

I am often asked to source and implement water solutions, and there are some fantastic alternatives to bottled water coolers on the market now. In fact, I have declared to never sell a bottled water cooler again.

For those of you that cannot currently move away from bottled coolers, general best-practice advice and something I pass onto all my clients with water coolers on premises is they should ensure that;

1. The exterior of the coolers, including the dispensing taps, are cleaned at least once a week;

2. Bottled water coolers are cleaned internally every three months;

3. POU water coolers have their filters changed every six months;

4. Water cooler users are made aware of their responsibility to use units hygienically, possibly using pictorial advice on or near the coolers themselves.

Over the next 5 years, “bag in box” and like-for-like systems will experience a huge growth in popularity. Could this decade spell the end for bottled water coolers in the UK?

For our health's sake, I sincerely hope so.

Regards,

David Cocozza

Footnotes

1 – Source: BWCA Conference 2011

2 - http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/scotland/files/2010/10/Fountain-Failures-Report.pdf