Monthly Archives: July 2019

How Different Coffees Vary in Their Caffeine Content

by • Beverages, Coffee, Hot Beverage • Tags: , , , , , , , , • 0 Comments

If your daily diet includes foods and beverages with caffeine, you are not alone. Government data shows that 95% of U.S. adults consume caffeine daily, most of which comes from coffee. What is most fascinating is that different kinds of coffees have varying levels of caffeine.

The U.S. FDA says a typical 8-ounce cup of coffee offers anywhere from 80 to 100 mg of caffeine. Compare that to green or black tea with 30 to 50 mg. Soft drinks offer less caffeine but energy drinks contain substantially more.

Given that this post is all about coffee, here are some of the different coffee types and the estimated amounts of caffeine each contains:

Hot Brew

Hot brew coffee is coffee that is brewed in a conventional drip brewer or over the stove on a percolator. The ground coffee is kept separate from the brew by way of a metal or paper filter. A typical 8-ounce cup contains about 95 mg of caffeine.

Cold Brew

Cold brew coffee is the latest big thing on the coffee scene. Cold brew is made by steeping ground coffee in cold or room temperature water. As such, cold brew is not the same thing as iced coffee. As far as its caffeine content is concerned, an 8-ounce cup contains between 100 and 157 mg of caffeine.

Espresso

Espresso is the extra strong brew normally associated with Italian cafés. It is made by steaming finely ground coffee under pressure. Due to its high caffeine content, espresso is normally served in 1-ounce shots with approximately 63 mg of the buzz-inducing substance.

Decaffeinated Coffee

Many people assume that decaffeinated coffee has absolutely no caffeine in it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. It is not really possible to completely remove caffeine from coffee and still have a usable product. So instead, coffee makers reduce caffeine content as best they can without ruining the coffee’s flavor profile. A typical 8-ounce cup contains about 2 mg.

Instant Coffee

Instant coffee is a powdered coffee beverage that is made by freeze drying or spray-drying liquid coffee. It is reconstituted by adding water or milk. A typical 8-ounce cup contains about 63 mg of caffeine, which is just over two thirds of what you would expect to find in regular, hot brewed coffee.

Roasting and Preparation Methods Matter

If you haven’t caught on thus far, roasting and preparation methods matter in terms of caffeine content. For example, the high caffeine content in espresso is less about the coffee beans and more about the fact that it is prepared using high-pressure steam and finely ground coffee. Steam extracts more caffeine to begin with; its abilities are enhanced by the coffee’s finer grind.

Galaxie Coffee carries a complete variety of coffee beverages ranging from standard drip coffees to cold brews. We would be more than happy to set up regular delivery service to your office that includes a variety of hot and cold beverages, breakroom supplies, and janitorial supplies.

The Evolution of Office Coffee in America

by • Beverages, Coffee, Hot Beverage • Tags: , , , • 0 Comments

Having coffee in the office is a normal part of work life in America. In fact, long before coffee houses became a thing in this country, groups of workers were chipping in at the office to make sure there was a regular supply of coffee on hand. Today, not having coffee in the office is rare.

The question is, how did we get here? That depends on who you ask. Historians generally agree on how coffee made it to the Americas and what made it popular here. But what took coffee into the office remains a matter of debate.

Coffee Replaces Tea

Tea was the preferred hot beverage from the birth of the colonies right up until the start of the Revolutionary War. From the end of the revolution through the Civil War, coffee’s popularity grew in the U.S. By the mid-1860s, smart business owners whose coffee sales were limited to families and small coffee houses started looking for bigger and better sales avenues.

Some started selling to cowboys out west while others tapped into California’s mining market. Still, having coffee in the office didn’t quite catch on. The office environment was still quite limited back then, and offices were not large buildings with hundreds of employees. They were one- and two-room spaces occupied by family-run businesses.

Then came the industrial era and two world wars. That is when large-scale employment and the offices that came with it began to flourish. It is when office coffee finally came into its own.

From Instant to Drip Brew

History is pretty clear on the evolution of coffee up through the start of the industrial era. This is where it gets a bit fuzzy. As best we can tell, office coffee became a thing in the years following World War II. That makes sense, given the big push toward industry and manufacturing. But office coffee in those days was instant coffee.

It was not until Starbucks came onto the scene in the 1970s that coffee providers realized they could install brewing equipment in customer offices to offer them the same high-quality technologically advanced equipment experience they got at the coffee house. Once the equipment started flowing, so did the coffee.

By the late 70s and early 80s, instant coffee in the office had been mostly replaced by drip brew. Coffee service providers like Galaxie Coffee started popping up all over the country. Advancements in technology led to better brewers, better coffees, and eventually the coffee pods we are also familiar with today.

Office Coffee is Still Evolving

It would be foolish for us to assume that office coffee is done evolving. It isn’t, and never will be. Our industry continues to innovate and change. We continually search for better beverages and more technologically advanced equipment.

If you are interested in learning about coffee service for your office, feel free to reach out to us. Galaxie Coffee is proud to serve the greater New York area with the finest beverages and best equipment in the industry.