One moment coffee’s a healthy option; an espresso later, it’s bad for you. Crema Magazine tries to help you separate the fact from the fiction…

Every day, 70 million skinny lattes, cappuccinos, double espressos and plain old black coffees are consumed in the UK. But for each of us who savours that freshly ground taste and feels confident that it’s providing us with antioxidants and improving our concentration, there’s someone else growing increasingly paranoid that their daily cuppa joe might be leaving them dehydrated or addicted to caffeine.

Hardly a month goes by without a contradictory report on the health issues surrounding caffeine, so it’s no wonder the drink that many of us rely on is woefully misunderstood. This confusion was highlighted in a recent survey by the British Coffee Association.

It showed that 61% of participants didn’t realise that each cup of coffee counts towards daily fluid intake; three out of four people had no idea that scientific research has demonstrated that drinking moderate amounts of coffee may help protect against a range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s; and a whopping 63% of us have tried to reduce the number of cups we drink each day because we’re worried that coffee might be bad for our health.

Hydration

It was long thought that caffeinated beverages were diuretics (which speed up the elimination of bodily fluids), but studies reviewed last year found that people who consumed drinks with up to 550mg of caffeine – or the equivalent of al least eight cups of instant coffee – produced no more urine than when drinking fluids free of caffeine. However, above 575mg, the drug was classed as a diuretic.

Heart disease

Patients with heart problems, especially high blood pressure, are often told to avoid caffeine, a known stimulant. But an analysis of ten studies of more than 400,000 people found no increase in heart disease among daily coffee drinkers, whether their coffee came with caffeine or not.

“Contrary to common belief,” concluded cardiologists at the University of California, there is “little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk” of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms. In fact, among 27,000 women in Iowa who participated in a study for 15 years, those who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24%.

Hypertension

Caffeine induces a small, temporary rise in blood pressure. But in a study of 155,000 nurses, those who drank coffee for a decade were no more likely to develop hypertension than non-coffee drinkers. But a higher risk of hypertension was found from drinking colas.

Pregnancy
A study by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology found more than 200mg of caffeine a day doubled the risk of miscarriage. But British Medical Journal research found no difference between women who drank moderate amounts of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. The Food Standards Agency advises an upper limit of 300mg during pregnancy – the equivalent of four cups of coffee a day.

Cancer
In an international review of 66 studies in 1997, scientists found that coffee-drinking had little, if any, effect on the risk of developing pancreatic or kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do halve the risk of developing liver cancer. And a study of 59,000 women in Sweden found no connection between coffee, tea or caffeine consumption and breast cancer. Some studies have found coffee drinkers have lower rates of colon and rectal cancers.

Liver disease
A 2006 study suggested coffee could reduce the risk of alcohol-related liver disease. The US research found a 22% reduced risk of developing alcoholic cirrhosis for each cup of coffee drunk per day. But tea was not associated with a reduced risk, suggesting an ingredient other than caffeine may be the active factor.

Weight loss
Although caffeine speeds up the metabolism, with 100mg burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated. In fact, in a 12-year study of more than 58,000 health professionals, those who increased their caffeine consumption gained more weight than those who didn’t.

Cellulite
Despite the widely held belief that coffee is a toxin which causes cellulite, there is no scientific research to back this up. In fact, one Brazilian study found that skin creams made with caffeine can help combat the appearance of cellulite.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Probably the most important effect of caffeine is its ability to enhance mood and performance. At consumption levels up to 200mg, consumers report an improved sense of well-being, energy and sociability.

Caffeine improves alertness and reaction time. And in the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks. The Department for Transport advises drivers to ’stop for a 15-minute break and drink two cups of coffee every two hours’ to alleviate fatigue. For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities, and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel.

Recent findings add to coffee’s popularity. A review of 13 studies found that people who drank caffeinated coffee had a 30% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. Another review found that people who drank four to six cups a day, with or without caffeine, had a 28% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

How to kick the habit

Palpitations, irritability, insomnia, tremors in your hands and an inability to concentrate are symptoms of too much caffeine, but be prepared for more irritability, nausea, tiredness and headaches upon withdrawal.

Cut down slowly rather than going cold turkey. Drink plenty of (non-caffeinated) fluids to prevent headaches. Take painkillers to help with headaches. Massage, acupuncture, reflexology or any other stress-busting activities are also recommended.

The KS is ECA’s doserless offering and again is well-targeted to the home espresso market. It is slim, weighs only 5kg and stands at 38cm high, making it easily assimilated into the kitchen setting. It houses tempered stainless steel flat burr grinding blades and has a similar stepped adjustment to the Best, with somewhat large increments, although again we experienced no problem in setting the grinder to an accurate grind for espresso.

 While a little noisier than its counterpart and not quite as fast, the dispensing chute was very tidy, ensuring a minimum of mess/waste. Targeted a little more towards the mid-range of the domestic grinder market, the KS performed well and certainly had the power and finesse to grind finely enough to service a high-end domestic espresso machine without any hesitation.

 Our reviewers were impressed by the capacity of this unit to do the job with a minimum of fuss. Even though it’s nudging into the light-weight category, it kept its cool at a maximum grinder blade temp reading of 31°C through pretty rigorous testing. The consistency of grind showed in the resulting shots of espresso being very good with a clean flavour profile.

 VERDICT: a well-performing and stylish domestic unit. Recommended for the home espresso enthusiast for moderate volume.

Height: 38cm
Flat Burr (tempered steel)
Stepped, doserless
Speed of operation: 27.4gm in 30 sec
Temp of grinder blades at end of test: 31°C

 RRP: $599.00 (incl GST) 

and the winner is…  congratulations to Tim Adams from Queensland who won first place, taking home the Australian Barista crown for 2009. Tim will go on to represent Australia at the 2009 World Barista Championships, to be held in Atlanta, 16th to 19th April 2009. Congratulations also to Zoe Delaney and Con Haralambopolous, both from Victoria, who took home 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

For more great images from the event click here to visit our Gallery.
To discuss this topic (or any other topics), visit The Forum for news, views and opinions.

We continue to showcase our line up of high-end grinders reviewed late last year and featured in the latest issue of Crema Magazine. Whether you are starting out or planning to up-grade, this review is designed to highlight the features and functions that you should be taking into consideration. 

This unit from Wega is a ‘re-branded’ Compak K3 Touch so this grinder comes from an impressive heritage of commercial grinders.
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ECA (Anfim) ‘Best
RRP: Silver – $699.00 Chrome – $769.00 (incl GST)

This unit has the look and build quality of a commercial grinder but with significantly smaller dimensions, which lends itself to the domestic kitchen setting. With its polished alloy exterior and weighing only 8kg, it’s slim and stylish with pretty much all the benefits of a larger, heavier commercial unit. Standing at 38cm tall, it has 500gm bean hopper with a hopper-stopper. It has tempered steel flat burr blades, a dosing chamber and utilises a stepped grind adjustment mechanism.

The Best performed very well and our reviewers were particularly impressed with the speed of operation, even when lined up against the bigger semi-commercial grinders. It showed an excellent consistency of grind and dose. The resulting espressos were excellent, with a consistent flavour profile.

There were a couple of minor niggles which were picked up by the reviewers, the main one being that the increments on the stepping collar were quite big – therefore not allowing for ultra fine adjustments to the grind setting, but in practice, this did not present a problem in setting an accurate grind for espresso. The only other main issue was that the tamping disc on the front of the unit gets in the way – in fact, it is often unscrewed and left off by operators ‘in-the-know’!

The build quality and performance make it an excellent grinder to compliment a high-end home espresso machine while its smaller dimensions make it a stylish and reliable grinder for the home espresso setting.

VERDICT: High performance unit for the serious ‘prosumer’. Recommended for the home espresso enthusiast who needs a grinder to handle a moderate to high volume. Also suitable for low volume commercial use (ie: back-up/decaf grinder).

Height: 38cm

Flat Burr (tempered steel), Stepped, Dosing Chamber

Consistency of Dose: Max variation range of 0.1gm (average dose was 5.0gm)

Speed of operation: 39.2gm in 30 sec
Temp of grinder blades at end of test: 31°C

For more information on this review and to read about other grinders click here. 

The other day I was preparing to go through the process of designing a new blend and I called my broker to request some samples. He said “I’ve got just the coffee for you! El Salvador Bourbon, she’s my new girlfriend!”  After introducing me to his new love I found myself to be a little confused as to why he had fallen so head over heels; I certainly didn’t share the same attraction. However, keen to find out why my broker had fallen so hard I decided to give her a second chance to leave an impression.
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By Christopher Short

Coffee aficionados love to discuss the elements that make for their perfect cup. Factors often mentioned are their favorite brand of coffee beans, the proportion of arabica to robusta beans, the type of roast and single versus double boiler espresso machines, just to name a few. Interestingly, one issue only occasionally considered is that of water quality. This is odd given that water constitutes 95% of an espresso.

The reason it is not top of the list is probably because few really know what attributes they should be looking for in water and they generally have little choice in the matter. For most of us, it just arrives, normally out of the tap. The reason we should be concerned about water quality is that it does affect the taste of your coffee and it has a significant effect on brewing equipment performance and reliability in many regions. (more…)

As the Summer 2009 print issue of Crema Magazine hits the news-stands - we wanted to bring you a few ‘previews’ of stories. Here we preview our upmarket domestic grinder review, conducted earlier this year.

 So you love great espresso? We do too – that’s the whole reason for Crema Magazine’s existence. So is it all about spending $2,000 + on a fancy espresso machine? Well it may be, but before you go shelling out all that money on a fancy espresso machine, think about your grinder. In fact, one of Australia’s leading espresso authorities maintains that you should spend almost as much on a grinder as you do on your espresso machine – it’s that important. (more…)

We asked Russell Beard, from The Source Espresso Bar in Sydney, which coffee he’s excited about right now and to tell us a bit about it – here is what he had to say…. 

Q. Favourite bean right now and why?

Guatemalan COE Lot# 22 Finca La Perla (only 16 bags produced).
It was a Cup of Excellence (COE) finalist coffee from Guatemala – we were in Tokyo at the SCAJ and this coffee was on the table. When we brewed it (pour over) it had a cloudy apple juice appearance. We tasted it & all just looked at each other and….Wow! A special moment. I was hooked! So much so that we will be getting more coffee from this farm in the coming weeks/months.

La Perla means “Sleeping Woman” in Xamac, a Mayan language used in the Ixil Triangle, where the farm is located, some 38 kilometers northeast of Chajul, in the province of El Quiché. The farm produces Catuaí and Bourbon between 3000 and 6500 feet. Soil is loose, clayey and sandy over a limestone base. Producing quality coffee is very important to the owners of La Perla. They pay attention to detail – from harvesting at the exact moment to wet milling and drying the beans. This is evident in the fact that they have been finalists in the Cup of Excellence program in 2001, 2002, 2006 & 2008.

The lovely thing about the COE program is that the farmer is celebrated and receives the accolade & thus benefits financially; which in turn lays the platform for more interesting and exquisite coffee’s for the future….watch this space!

Q. How is it best appreciated?

I experienced this coffee as pour over /filter & drip. I wouldn’t roast this coffee too dark, as this would take away some of the delicate nuances inherent in this lovely bean.

Q. Flavour/cup profile?

The coffee was clean (as expected of a COE winning coffee) with beautiful apple acidity, nice heavy viscosity in the mouth, just beautifully sweet like honey. Once brewed it’s appearance was almost tea-like or like a cloudy apple juice.  

The Coffee

Farm: La Perla Y Anexos  Farmer: Finca La Perla Y Anexos
City: Chaju  Region: El Quiche  Country: Guatemala
Variety: Caturra  Type of shade trees: Inga  Harvest: October to May
Processing System: Sun and Wet Mill
Climatic Conditions: Average temperature: 18°C, Annual rainfall: 5000mm, Relative humidity: 75%
Type of soil: Loamy (balance of clay, sand and limestone)

Note: The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction.

It has many guises…espresso, cappuccino, café latte, macchiato, ristretto, doppio, flat white – that bitter sweet pleasure which is a way of life for so many of us. Sure, the active ingredient caffeine is found in other beverages, such as tea and soft drinks, but there’s only one true pure form: coffee.

But there is an art to making an espresso and all its variations. Even that simple long black demands respect for the espresso machine, and attention to the packing of the ground coffee beans. Without that ‘rat’s tail’ spiralling into the demitasse, your coffee is going to be sub-standard.

Seven steps to the perfect home espresso

Step 1 – Select your favourite coffee blend. You can either use pre-ground coffee or grind your own just before you make your espresso. If you are using pre-ground, make sure it is freshly opened and espresso blend [not filter]. If you prefer, as we do, to grind your own, make sure it is finely ground.

Ensure your espresso equipment is clean and hot, this includes the filter holder and filter basket, where your coffee grounds go. Preheat your cups – espresso cups should be approx 60ml capacity, cappuccino cups about 200ml capacity.

Step 2 – Place coffee grounds into the filter basket using a spoon or preferably a coffee scoop. You must place the right amount of coffee in the basket in order to get a good, strong espresso – one scoop in the smaller (one cup) basket; two scoops in the bigger basket (two cup) one.

Step 3 – Level the coffee in the basket and tamp (compress) the grounds. This will slow the flow of the water through the coffee, so that it can pick up all the flavour (oils & aromas) from the grounds. Check your machine instruction guide as to how hard or soft you should tamp.

Step 4 – Ensure the rim of the filter holder is clean before inserting it into the machine. Activate the water to flush  out any grounds from the inside of the machine.

Step 5 – Insert the filter holder into the machine. Immediately place warm cups underneath and start the flow of water through the coffee. The extracted coffee should pour in a fine stream (the proverbial ‘rat’s tail’).

Step 6 – The result should be 30ml of espresso (in around 25 seconds) with a 2mm golden, hazelnut-coloured crema on top. (The crema is an important indicator of the quality of your espresso.) and…Taste! 

Note: If you get little crema, make sure your coffee is fresh for a start. Try again making sure you have the right amount of coffee, the right tamping pressure and that your machine has been properly warmed up. You may need to experiment with different grinds (particle sizes) – remember you typically need a very fine grind for espresso coffee. As a general rule with domestic espresso machines, make your espresso before preparing the milk.

Step 7 – Steaming your milk. Place fresh, cold milk in a small stainless steel jug (fill between a third and one half of the jug). Activate the steam button so that your espresso machine increases in temperature to produce steam. Once the ‘Ready’ light on your machine goes on, turn the steam on and off to expel any water.

Place the tip of the spout just (about half a centimetre) under the surface of the milk and positioned near the centre of the jug. Turn on the steam wand to full power. You should see and hear air being drawn into the milk, creating a whirlpool effect, making it foamy. When the milk reaches 65°C turn off the steam and wipe the steam wand clean.

Pour the steamed milk to produce the drink of your choice and enjoy!