Slant On Life

Contrary to some of my long-form posts that you’ll find here on ‘Slant on Life’, this is a short one.

Many of us reach for coffee every day, often more than one time. We do it out of sleepy necessity, wanting something warm to drink, as the common denominator of a relaxing conversation, or just because we…love the taste!

For people who drink coffee because they love the taste and want to learn more about that (and how coffee goes from bean to cup), this post is for you!

Tip from me: Know your labels to get the taste you want. In the photo above of a bag in our house, the label tells you all you need to know. If possible, buy a handheld coffee grinder and grind your own whole beans each morning for freshness. From the label take note of the roast (light/medium/dark), whether or not it’s a blend, the type of bean, where it was grown, and the expiration date. The videos below discuss all of those factors.

But first, a word about decaf coffee and caffeine

For those of you who might be concerned about your level of caffeine intake from your coffee habit, or simply wondered “How is decaffeinated coffee made?”, check out this article called “How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee?” from Healthline.

And speaking of caffeine…Are you curious about why it perks you up and seemingly gives you long lasting energy? Check out this short video from NBC New’s “Better” series that clearly explains how caffeine affects your brain and body. It’s interesting to know the specifics of it. If you want to reset yourself back to normal, maybe consider giving decaf coffee a try instead. My wife and I both switched to decaf recently after many years of drinking caffeinated, and after giving our bodies and minds a few days to adjust and reset, we don’t miss it at all.

Subscription coffee?

You bet ya! The corporate world has moved to subscription pricing models for many products and services these days in order to provide people with convenience and options, and also provide the companies selling them with ongoing dependable revenue streams that are often far more profitable than a one time sale to a consumer. If everything else has gone down the subscription path, why not coffee as well? Check out this nice write-up from CNN about several coffee subscriptions to give you a taste of what’s out there.

And now, to the videos about taste and bean-to-cup

This first video called “Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about coffee” shows the many different factors that influence the taste of coffee. Flavor is affected by where beans are grown, what altitude they’re grown at, how long they’re roasted, and of course how the coffee is brewed. Learn it all from Chandler Graf in his TED Talk filmed at Beltway Coffee in Abilene, Texas.

This next video linked here called “How the world came to run on coffee” discusses the coffee industry from end-to-end to get from bean to cup, and explores how coffee has become a central part of many societies around the world (the excellent companion article is here). As the video mentions, it’s a business worth hundreds of billions of dollars that supports the livelihood of over 120 million workers worldwide. It’s no wonder that “in just a few centuries, the world has developed a two-billion-cups-a-day habit”.

Sit back and enjoy the articles and videos linked above, with a cup of coffee…of course!