Does Coffee Cause or Prevent Cancer?
A few years ago (2018) a California court ruled that coffee sold in the state needed to come with a warning label saying that it could cause cancer. What was this all about and is it true that coffee can cause cancer? The ruling was based on a California law what says that if a product contains any amount of known carcinogens it needs a warning for consumers. In the case of coffee, it contains tiny amounts of acrylamide, a potential carcinogen.
Acrylamide as a Carcinogen
The chemical acrylamide is used in a variety of industries including mining, plastics, textiles foundry, oil drilling, construction, paper and pulp as well as food processing , cosmetics and water treatment.
Acrylamide is Used in Water Treatment
There are no human studies showing an association between acrylamide and cancer but there are animal studies showing a risk. The government regulates the acceptable level acrylamide in drinking water. However, overcooking starchy food can create acrylamide and there is no plausible way to regulate cooking in a home kitchen., Cigarette smoke is a major source of acrylamide exposure and this can be avoided.
What Is the Level of Cancer Risk of Acrylamide in Foods and Drinks?
There are no research studies in humans showing any significant incidence of cancer linked to dietary source. So, why did a California court say coffee needs to be labeled as a cancer risk? A California law states that if something contains any level of a chemical that in any setting and at any level of exposure is known to cause cancer then it warrants a warning label. Thus coffee which can have a tiny amount of this chemical was picked to be labeled as a cancer risk by a judge in 2018.
Coffee as a Way to Avoid Cancer
As opposed to the acrylamide situation with animal studies, there is much research with coffee showing that coffee consumption reduces the risk of cancer in humans. This applies to liver, endometrial, prostate, colon, skin, and mouth cancers. Additionally, coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
California and the Law Regarding Tiny Amounts of Potentially Dangerous Substances
The intent of the California law is good. They wanted to protect people from harmful substances. However, in the case of acrylamide, a potentially harmful substance in large amounts does not necessarily pose a risk with tiny amounts of exposure such as with people drinking just a few cups a day. and to top it off, long term human studies show that coffee reduces cancer risk instead of increasing it. Luckly the California Office of Environmental Health Assessment overruled the court and coffee does not need a warning label for cancer in California.
What Are the Risks That Come With Drinking Coffee?
So, coffee with tiny amounts of acrylamide does not appear to be related to any cancer risk in coffee drinkers. Are the others risks when you drink coffee? The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and if you are being treated for high blood pressure you should check with your doctor about how much coffee you can safely drink or if you should switch to decaf. The caffeine in coffee can stimulate more acid secretion in your stomach. This if you taking medicines to prevent ulcer of gastric reflux causing esophageal inflammation you should also chat with you care giver about how much coffee or if decaf would be better.
What Are the Benefits of Coffee Drinking?
As we noted above, coffee drinkers have a lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Type Two diabetes as well as cancers of the colon, uterus, prostate, skin, and mouth. Thus, if your sole concern is avoiding cancer you should not avoid coffee but rather enjoy up to six cups a day as the health benefits of coffee go up steadily to six cups a day and then level off.
Best Ways to Store Coffee to Preserve Flavor
If you love coffee you may well be drinking a fine Arabica from Colombia. Afterall, if you want great coffee you need to start with great coffee beans. However, there are some additional issues to consider besides the source of your coffee. Coffee flavor and aroma are also dependent on how fresh your coffee is at the moment that you brew it. Making certain than your coffee did not sit in a warehouse for years before it was sold is important. For that issue we suggest that you contact us at BuyOrganicCoffee.org so that we can help you source your coffee from the most recent harvest on a Colombian coffee farm in the coffee growing axis, the Eje Cafetero
When Was Your Coffee Roasted?
Green coffee retains its freshness much longer then roasted coffee. If you buy roasted coffee you can expect to retain maximum freshness for ten to fourteen days. Think of that when are deciding how much coffee to buy so that you are not automatically sentencing yourself to stale coffee because you buy an “economy size” purchase. Getting coffee that was roasted in the USA versus in the country of origin helps and it helps more if you learn how to roast your own coffee and only brew what which you just roasted. Remember that properly stored green coffee retains its freshness for a couple of years. Thus, you will ideally want to learn how to roast your own coffee if maximum freshness to a level of perfection is your goal.
Preserving Flavor and Aroma of Coffee
Starting with the coffee that you purchased here are some times on retaining maximum freshness. You want to keep oxidation to a minimum with your coffee. To do this buy only whole bean coffee which has a lot less surface area exposed to the air than the same amount of ground coffee. Than store your beans away from heat and humidity. (Do not put the container in the cupboard next to or right above your stove!) In regard to whole bean versus ground coffee, do not grind your beans until right before you plan to make coffee.
Do Not Refrigerate Coffee Beans or Ground Coffee
Ideally, you want you coffee stored at lower temperature to keep freshness longer. The problem is that when you take cool or cold beans out of the freezer or frig moisture in the air will condense on them. Repeated temperature changes and excess moisture can also reduce flavor and aroma and even add other unwelcome odors. Ideally you want your coffee stored in a pantry away from heat and humidity where humidity and heat are low and stable. No matter what, use an air tight container for storage. And go with a container that does not let any light shine on the coffee beans.
Practical Tips for Storing Coffee
If you purchase your coffee in larger quantities it is a good idea to purchase several opaque, air tight containers as well. That way you are not constantly opening and closing a container and letting air and moisture mix with your beans. Putting dates on the containers to let you know which ones you should use first is also a good idea. Think in terms of one or two week quantities for your storage. Remember that the two year figure depend on a closed bag and ideal storage. The time of retained freshness goes down to something like six to twelve months providing that storage is ideal. With less than ideal storage the time gets shorter.
Should Maximum Coffee Freshness Be a Big Hassle?
None of us should be getting an ulcer trying to maximize coffee freshness and aroma. Take what you can from our advice. Start with a good Colombian Arabica and enjoy!
How to Make Money from Coffee
About a billion people drink coffee every single day. That is about one eighth of the earth’s population. In the USA the average person spends $4.11 on coffee spread out across coffee purchased at the store and prepared at home and coffee purchased at coffee shops. Millennials average $7 a day. According to the National Coffee Association, Americans spend $110 billion a year or 301 million a day on their coffee according to the National Coffee Association in an article about the economic impact of coffee.
Coffee as a Beverage Versus Coffee as Way to Make Money
Although your only interest in coffee may be the morning wake-up effect or thr taste and aroma of a fine Arabica from Colombia, one might be forgiven for thinking about ways to make money from coffee based on a couple of things. One is the sheer volume of coffee and amount of money spent on coffee. The other is the current high price of green coffee beans due to the continuing drought in Brazil, the world biggest producer year after year. The high price of green coffee beans is a boon to coffee farmers who all too often suffer in what is a feast of famine world of coffee prices. The fluctuation that has driven coffee to roughly twice its price of a couple of years ago has been profitable for many who trade coffee futures.
What Are Coffee Futures?
Futures are what is called a derivative contract. Commodities like coffee, oil, gold, or winter wheat trade of markets like the NYMEX or New York Mercantile Exchange. With a futures contract one promises to buy or sell a specific quantity of a commodity on a future date at a set price. Depending on whether the price goes up by the settlement date a futures trader may make money or lose. Coffee futures are commonly traded by coffee roasters who use the futures contract to make certain than they don’t get caught in a price squeeze at times like these when prices are so volatile. Additionally, speculators trade futures contracts purely in search of profits. Another option for futures traders is to trade options on futures contracts. This is done to limit risk as well as to seek profit. These can be ways to make money on coffee without being in the coffee business.
Growing Coffee
When we think about the coffee business we typically think of the coffee farmer. Coffee is grown in a wide band around the equator where the weather allows for growing coffee plants that are perennial and do not tolerate a frost. The only place in the USA where coffee is grown is in Hawaii. Coffee farming tends to run in families just like farming in the USA where corn wheat and soybeans are major crops. Kids grow up working on the family farm and learn their trade from the ground up, so to speak. Thus if you want to make money growing coffee as a coffee farmer you had best have a strong background or be willing to pay someone to do all of the work for you and be certain to take the time to learn what is important and keep a close check on the books.
Coffee Farming Risks
A perfectly run coffee farm can lose money due to the weather, like the drought in Brazil right now, or in a banner year when supply is plentiful and the price of green coffee beans falls below production costs. The sad story of coffee growing in many parts of the world is that hard working farmers lose their farms due to successive bad low price years. The unreliability of coffee prices is only one more issue stacked on top of coffee plant diseases like leaf rust that can wipe out whole farms.
Coffee Roasting Businesses
If you like to roast coffee you might think about doing it as a business. It is scalable, which means that you can start small and learn the trade and then expand with your market. The typical profit margin in the roasting business is about 35% which makes it much more protected from green coffee price swings than coffee farming. Plus, you can do coffee roasting in places like Alaska as opposed to having move to the Colombian coffee growing axis and learn Spanish along with all of the details of coffee farming.
Aside from making good roasted coffee, one will need to learn how sell or place their product where it sells which means working with retailers of doing a direct mail business. These things take time and effort but entail less risk then with coffee farming or trading futures contracts.
Starting a Coffee Shop to Make Money From Coffee
Coffee shops average a fifteen percent margin over cost of operation. They are labor intensive and require that you are able to provide good service and keep customers happy. The price of coffee beans is not so important as hiring, training, and managing your staff, supplies and costs.
As the graph shows, the market price of green coffee beans has fluctuated between $2.50 a pound and $4.30 a pound between September of 2024 and August of 2025.
Savvy futures trades who purchased options at the September 2024 price and sold at the peak in February of 2025 experienced tidy profits.
Why Is Coffee the Best Source of Antioxidants?
It is a good idea to consume lots of foods with high antioxidant levels. What antioxidants are good for is protecting the human body from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that are unstable and, as a result, cause damage to cells this is called oxidative stress.. This damage over time contributes to a whole host of health problems. When we consume antioxidants they neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. In turn lower oxidative stress typically lowers risks of various health problem including several types of cancer, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.
What Are the Foods With the Highest Antioxidant Content?
Here are foods with high antioxidant content
- Sumac bran
- Dried Indian gooseberries
- Oregano spice
- Rosemary spice
- Dried peppermint
- Thyme spice
- Boabab fruit powder
- Cinnamon
- Tumeric
- Vanilla bean
- Sage spice
- Szechuan pepper spice
- Acai powder
- Black sorgum
- Allspice
- Rose hips
- Majoram spice
- Sumac grain
- Red sorgum bran
- Nutmeg
- Basil spice
- Cocoa powder
- Camu camu powder
- Small red beans
- Blueberries domestic and wild
- ´Pecans
- Dark chocolate
- Arabica coffee beans
It turns out that coffee does not have the highest antioxidant content. So, why is it on our list? The problem with trying to get adequate amounts of antioxidants from all of spices that we list is we use small amounts for seasoning. Some of the other foods are not common to the American diet and may be hard to obtain.
Although Arabica coffee does not have the level of antioxidants per gram that many of the top-listed items do, we drink an awful lot of coffee. In fact, a good estimate that a coffee drinker can easily get half of the antioxidants that they need simply from enjoying their daily Arabica coffee. As a public health issue, because Americans drink so much coffee, it provides a greater health benefit to more people than many of the items that you would need to intentionally added to your diet and get used to.
Arabica versus Robusta Coffee and Antioxidants
We generally prefer Arabica coffee over Robusta because Arabica tastes better. However, if you want a greater antioxidant content, as well as more caffeine, Robusta has higher levels of antioxidants in green beans and it maintains its lead over Arabica after roasting as well Robusta has particularly high chlorogenic acids. The levels of antioxidants vary according to growing conditions, so levels may change from farm to farm and from year to year.
How Much Coffee Should You Drink for Optimal Antioxidant Intake and When Should You Drink It?
There is no long-term data about the amounts of antioxidants consumed from coffee and health results. However, there is good data relating to how much coffee we drink over the years and health results. As the rule the more cups of coffee you drink each day the more the benefits, up to about 5 cups a day. It turns out that when you drink your coffee makes a difference. Morning coffee drinkers have better results including lower incidence of various cancers and lower risk of premature death. So, enjoy your coffee, especially with breakfast and enjoy your healthy life, thanks to all of those antioxidants!
Is Decaf Coffee Good or Bad for You?
Research over the years has repeatedly confirmed that drinking coffee results in a whole host of health benefits from reduced incidence of type II diabetes to Parkinson’s Disease to Alzheimer’s to various types of cancer. Coffee drinkers generally live longer. Although many people just drink coffee for the stimulant effect of the caffeine, it is not the caffeine in coffee that conveys the bulk of the health benefits. Rather it is the high concentration of antioxidants in coffee that make the difference.
Does Decaf Coffee Have Health Benefits?
Since caffeine is not the source of health benefits from coffee, one would not expect that removing it would not make a difference in health outcomes aside from reducing higher blood pressure, gastritis, and jitteriness, which are reasons that people opt for decaf in the first place. In fact, research shows that it makes no difference if you drink regular or decaf in terms of long term health outcomes. The antioxidants appear to be doing their job either way.
Are There Concerns About Drinking Decaf?
In order to remove caffeine from coffee, solvents are typically used. These are also removed as part of the process. Nevertheless, such impurities raise concerns with some coffee drinkers. Thankfully, the amount of solvent that remains after the decaf process if extremely small. Regulatory bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration have very low allowable limits in the range of ten parts per million. In Australia the allowable level is two parts per million. There has never been any evidence of harm to human health from levels so low.
Should You Drink Decaf Instead of Regular Coffee?
Your choice of decaf versus regular coffee is a matter of personal choice. If you are drinking coffee solely to wake up or stay awake, you need to stick with regular coffee. If you get gastritis, esophageal reflux, jitteriness, or elevated blood pressure from drinking coffee you will want to cut back on regular coffee or switch to decaf to reduce you caffeine intake, as caffeine in the reason for your unwanted side effects.
If You Are Still Worried About Solvents in Your Decaf Coffee Consider the Swiss Water Process
There is a decaf process that does not use solvents. It is the Swiss Water Process. This methods requires only time, temperature and water to accomplish removal of caffeine from coffee. This method preserves the purity of organic coffee as well as its original flavor profile. It starts with a green coffee (liquid) extract. Green beans are soaked in hot water and the liquid is passed over activated charcoal to remove the caffeine. This process results in the removal of 99.9% of the caffeine in a given batch of green coffee. Fortunately, this process does not remove any of the healthy antioxidants that provide long term health benefits!
How Dangerous Are the Side Effects of Drinking Regular Coffee?
As a rule, the jitteriness and heartburn come from drinking regular coffee, are temporary and not dangerous. The one clear exception is high blood pressure. If you start out with hypertension that is bad enough to require treatment evidence shows that drinking two or more cups of regular coffee each day will double your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This risk goes away if you drink a cup a day or less.
Drought in Brazil and Historic Coffee Prices
A severe drought in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, is significantly impacting coffee prices globally. Reduced rainfall and extreme heat in key coffee-growing regions like Minas Gerais and São Paulo have led to lower crop yields, decreasing supply and driving up prices. This has caused a notable increase in green coffee bean prices and is now affecting roasters, retailers, and ultimately, consumers, with higher prices at cafes and supermarkets.
How Long Will the Drought and High Prices Last?
Current price and climate conditions have been issues for about a year, since mid-2024. As we have previously written, longer term concerns exists due to likely temperature increases over the coming years. The current situation started out as part of the El Niño, La Niña cycle of Pacific Ocean currents along the West Coast of South America but seem to turning into one of the cycles of longer duration.
Brazil and the Global Coffee Supply Chain
Brazil has historically been the world’s leading coffee producer and exporter by volume. It is the largest Latin American country and has a long history of coffee growing. Vietnam in recent years has also become a major coffee producer, occasionally matching Brazil in exports albeit with Robusta coffee beans and not Arabica. Thus, when Brazil’s coffee production suffers it has a significant effect on total coffee availability, both Arabica and Robusta. While Colombia is a major coffee producer of almost exclusively Arabica beans it never has the same magnitude of effect on coffee prices as Brazil does. The same applies to producers like Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. Although Vietnam has had climate issues as well, coffee production throughout the Indonesian archipelago has not suffered. Thus coffee growers there, as well as in countries like Colombia are having a prosperous year with normal production and historically high prices as the supply chain has adjusted it price to account for less overall coffee volume being available in 2025.
What Can Brazil Do to Deal with Its Drought?
ng term options for coffee growers in Brazil include irrigation. However, this is generally only a viable solution for large operations with lots of cash and lots of credit. It is likely not a viable option for small coffee farmers who are being forced to simply “weather the storm.” It remains to be seen how many small, family coffee farms may go out of business should the drought and supply chain disruption persist for another year or two.
How Will Brazil’s Drought Affect Your Coffee?
A severe drought in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, is significantly impacting coffee prices globally. Reduced rainfall and extreme heat in key coffee-growing regions like Minas Gerais and São Paulo have led to lower crop yields, decreasing supply and driving up prices. This has caused a notable increase in green coffee bean prices and is now affecting roasters, retailers, and ultimately, consumers, with higher prices at cafes and supermarkets.
How Long Will the Drought and High Prices Last?
Current price and climate conditions have been issues for about a year, since mid-2024. As we have previously written, longer term concerns exists due to likely temperature increases over the coming years. The current situation started out as part of the El Niño, La Niña cycle of Pacific Ocean currents along the West Coast of South America but seem to turning into one of the cycles of longer duration.
Brazil and the Global Coffee Supply Chain
Brazil has historically been the world’s leading coffee producer and exporter by volume. It is the largest Latin American country and has a long history of coffee growing. Vietnam in recent years has also become a major coffee producer, occasionally matching Brazil in exports albeit with Robusta coffee beans and not Arabica. Thus, when Brazil’s coffee production suffers it has a significant effect on total coffee availability, both Arabica and Robusta. While Colombia is a major coffee producer of almost exclusively Arabica beans it never has the same magnitude of effect on coffee prices as Brazil does. The same applies to producers like Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru. Although Vietnam has had climate issues as well, coffee production throughout the Indonesian archipelago has not suffered. Thus coffee growers there, as well as in countries like Colombia are having a prosperous year with normal production and historically high prices as the supply chain has adjusted it price to account for less overall coffee volume being available in 2025.
What Can Brazil Do to Deal with Its Drought?
ng term options for coffee growers in Brazil include irrigation. However, this is generally only a viable solution for large operations with lots of cash and lots of credit. It is likely not a viable option for small coffee farmers who are being forced to simply “weather the storm.” It remains to be seen how many small, family coffee farms may go out of business should the drought and supply chain disruption persist for another year or two.
How Will Brazil’s Drought Affect Your Coffee?
The price of high quality Arabica coffee beans will likely remain historically high until Brazil’s drought lets up. In addition we are likely to see more mixing of Robusta with Arabica which will reduce coffee quality for those unwilling to pay “premium” prices.
Welcome to the world off coffee as climate issues directly affect supply, price and quality.
If you want to keep drinking the best coffee, we suggest as always the you buy coffee from Colombia.
Best Coffee Treats
About a billion of us worldwide drink coffee. But sometimes we are not so much interested in brewing up a cup of java. Rather we would like a treat with the taste of coffee. Coffee treats range from coffee flavored candy to coffee added to a great variety of cooked items. By in large the best coffee treats come from the best coffee and by in large the reliably best coffee time after time comes from Colombia. A great source of coffee and coffee treats from the coffee heartland of Colombia comes from Café Quindío. These folks offer great coffee and great coffee treats every time direct from Colombia.
Café Quindío
Cafe Quindío S.A.S. is a coffee roaster founded in 1991 with three employees in Armenia, Quindío, Colombia. Over the years the company has grown to include a full scale roasting operation in Armenia and forty-two coffee shops located across Colombia. In addition to its Colombian outlets Café Quindío has a US outlet located in Florida whose online address is https://www.cafequindiousa.com/. For coffee and coffee treat lovers in the USA this is a great source of coffee products.
Coffee Treats
Outstanding coffee treats offered by Café Quindío include merenguitos, coffee caramels, and coffee cookies, both with and without sugar. For those unfamiliar with merenguitos, these are Cuban meringue cookies made with sugar and egg whites baked at low temperature to come out crispy and light. Other types of common coffee treats include roasted whole coffee beans covered with chocolate, hard candy infused with coffee, toffee with coffee added, and coffee gummies.
Are Coffee Treats Good for You?
We have known for years that coffee is good for us. It reduces the likelihood of getting type II diabetes, various forms of cancer, heart disease, stokes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and more. We also know that a lot of coffee drinks contain sugar, cholesterol, and other items that may work against the beneficial effects of a cup of black coffee. Such is the case with coffee treats. For example, the maximum benefit of diabetes reduction with coffee is about 33% when one drinks six cups a day. If you are getting obese because of high sugar intake, you are working against the beneficial effects of your coffee. In such a case you would do better drinking black coffee and skipping the treats. Having said that, coffee treats in moderation are tasty and coffee is good for you in many ways.
Easy Coffee Merengue Recipe
If you like to bake at home you do not necessarily need to buy your coffee treats but rather can make them yourself. An easy coffee merengue recipe includes egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder. Beat the egg whites at progressively faster speeds until peaks form. Then fold in sugar until it is dissolved, the mix is shiny, and peaks are very hard. At this point you should be able to turn the mixing bowl on its side or even upside down and not have any dripping. Then fold in vanilla and espresso powder to taste. You can either beat more until you have a uniform color or you can just beat until it has a swirly appearance. Then lay out waxed paper and cover with dollops of the merengue mix. This works best on a cold and dry winter day and can be a bit troublesome in a hot and humid climate. The taste will be the same but light and crispy can be a challenge when the air is humid and hot.
Impact of Starbucks Strike
Workers at Starbucks outlets in Seattle, Chicago, and New York went on strike with just a few days left until Christmas 2025. Starbucks has offered a 1.5% raise which workers say does not even keep up with inflation. How will the Starbucks strike affect your morning latte, and will it affect the price of your coffee going forward? It occurs to us that the folks most responsible for getting you a good cup of coffee are the ones who are paid the least. Coffee farmers and the folks who brew your Java are at opposite ends of the coffee supply chain and get the least while the “middlemen” always seem to get a healthier cut!
Starbucks Strike
According to CBS News workers at more than 500 Starbucks outlets have voted to unionize, are in negotiations with Starbucks, are unhappy with Starbucks’ contract offers and are striking. It should be noted that Starbucks has more than 10,000 outlets in the USA. Thus only five percent of Starbucks stores are involved in the strike. Issues include unfair labor practices and failure to come to an agreement in 2024 as promised by the company. The biggest issue, however, is the paltry wage increase being offered by the company at a time when wagers are rising across virtually all industries and the economy is humming along in good shape. Meanwhile the Starbucks CEO is expected to make $100 million in 2024! The company notes that they already pay an average of $18 an hour and that benefits include paid family leave, free college tuition, and health care. They contend that total benefits average $30 a hour for a barista who works at least 20 hours a week.
Working at Starbucks
The average income for a Starbucks barista is $25,000 a year and Starbucks pays a fourth of its yearly revenue in salaries. As a point of comparison the average worker in the USA makes $68,000 a year. However, the average Starbucks worker is 23 or 24 years old. The average weekly income in this age group is $757 which comes to $37,850 for a fifty week working year. The point is that Starbucks workers not only make less than the national average but also make less than the average for the age group of their workers. Another point of comparison is that entry level restaurant workers average $29,000 a year and the average salary is $39,000. Those who have the most experience can make closer to $70,000 a year.
Work Experience at Starbucks vs Starbucks Business Prospects
Despite the fact that some Starbucks stores are unionized and are on strike, as a rule Starbucks workers give the job a high rating for job satisfaction. Part of this is the fact that the benefits are considered good. Job satisfaction at Starbucks ranks in the top 20% of companies of similar size. Looking at the company point of view, Starbucks has issues that it needs to deal with. One of these we wrote about, which is the huge number of drink options for a company that sells coffee. Waits can be long, which leads to unhappy customers. The company has spent a lot of time and effort on its management team but seems to have overlooked the folks who make the daily business work, the baristas. In the end we expect to see more Starbucks stores unionize and more strikes!
How Good Is Dunkin Donuts Coffee?
People who want a great cup of coffee commonly go to their local coffee shop. Folks in places in Manhattan, San Francisco, or Seattle may go to their local “third wave” coffee shot where they know the precise location where their coffee was grown down to the coffee farm. If you go to a Starbucks you are going to be deluged with choices. If you go to a “third wave” coffee shop you may end up paying an exorbitant price for a unique coffee that is not more enjoyable or satisfying that you could brew at home. Many folks find that they can get a reliably excellent cup of coffee where they pick up their donuts, namely at Dunkin Donuts. How good is Dunkin Donuts coffee?
A Good Cup of Coffee or Just Showing Off?
Years ago this author came to a decision regarding the purchase of a bottle of wine. The prices involved will indicate how many years ago it was and the economic circumstances of the writer at the time. My basic price for a bottle of wine was $5 but sometimes I would splurge on a $10 bottle because I could tell the difference between the two and felt that the extra price was worth it. However, when I tried a $20 bottle of wine I discovered that I did not appreciate a similar increase I quality as I doubled the purchase price. In other words, the move up to better grapes for a $10 bottle of wine was worth the price. The move up to a $20 bottle of wine was just showing off for my friends and dinner guests.
My point is that the same reasoning can be applied to a reliably good cup of coffee at a good price. Starbucks generally has great coffee and your local “third wave” coffee shop may have even better coffee. But is the uptick in quality worth the uptick in price and the fuss and bother of choosing from hundreds or even thousands of options? If you want to get a reliably good cup of coffee at a good price, consider getting your coffee at the same place that you pick up a donut or a dozen, Dunkin Donuts.
Dunkin Donuts Coffee
Dunkin Donuts serves high quality Arabica coffee. It does not serve just black coffee. It also does not have thousands of options. Think of their coffee menu as a trimmed down list of traditional coffee shop options. An advantage of this approach is that their staff is not overwhelmed by requests for endless variations of flavored coffees. Another is that they can focus on making basic and great coffee every time. Part of this approach comes from the fact that they are not a chain of coffee shops but rather sell donuts, bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, wraps and snacks. By limiting their coffee menu they can focus on the food that they sell and use their good coffee as simply an additional selling point.
Cenicafé and Coffee from Colombia
Colombia grows great coffee. Its production is virtually all arabica coffee. Colombian coffee commands a price generally higher than the world coffee market price because of its quality. This great quality comes from coffee being grown in rich volcanic soil by families that have been in the coffee farming business for generations. However, Colombians have had to overcome various threats to their coffee business including the arrival of coffee leaf rust and the destruction of significant portions of their coffee crop. The Colombian institution that has repeatedly come to the rescue of Colombian coffee production in the face of plant diseases and pests is Cenicafé, the Colombian National Coffee Research Center. Cenicafé also works with coffee farmers to promote sustainable coffee farming, natural resource preservation, and continued production of great coffee in the face of a changing climate.
Cenicafe and New Colombian Coffees
A major threat to coffee production everywhere is coffee leaf rust, Hemileia vastratrix. This fungal disease first affected coffee crops in the East Indies and around the Indian Ocean in the middle of the 19th century. It was a big reason why growers in places like Ceylon (Sri Lanka) switched to tea and the English came to drink tea instead of coffee. The disease spread across Africa to the Atlantic coast by the 1950s and reached Brazil in 1971. It reached Colombia in 1983 and caused as much as 30% crop loss by the 21st century.
Cenicafé, which was founded in 1938, took up the task of protecting Colombian coffee production from coffee leaf rust even before the plant disease arrived in Colombia. The most recent leaf rust resistant arabica coffee developed by Cenicafe is Cenicafe1 which is a cross between the Caturra variety and a leaf rust resistant strain from the East Indies on the island of Timor. The strain is also resistant to coffee berry disease.
Previous varieties developed by Cenicafé include Castillo, Colombia, and Tabi. Castillo is a cross between a Timor hybrid and Caturra which is a rust resistant mutation from Brazil. Likewise Colombia is a cross between Caturra and a Timor hybrid. Tabi was developed by crossing a Timor hybrid with Bourbon and Typica. Each of these has qualities making it the best choice for specific areas and altitudes in Colombia.
Where Is Cenicafé?
While the main Cenicafe facility is in Chinchiná, Caldas, they have eight research stations scattered throughout the Colombian coffee producing region. These stations can be found throughout the three parallel mountain ranges that comprise the Andes as they pass through Colombia and include a variety of microclimates.
Who Buys Colombian Cenicafé Coffee?
The biggest buyer of Colombian coffee by far is the USA at about 29 kilotons a year. The next step down is Germany followed by Canada, Japan, and Belgium each in the 50 kiloton to 55 kiloton range. The total sum of exports to all other nations comes to about 200 kilotons. The biggest individual coffee exporter from Colombia is the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia or Colombian National Coffee Growers Federation which is the parent organization of Cenicafé.