What's in coffee besides coffee?

[Stephen Tashiro]

It's obvious that coffees that say "hazelnut" or "vanilla" etc. have something in them besides coffee. What about the one's that don't? The gourmet coffees such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Rainforest have various coffees whose names and packages don't identify any non-coffee ingredients, but, to me, many of them taste like they have some other ingredient added. They don't have unpleasant tastes. However, I don't like them as well as less sophisticated coffees.

[Dana Decker]

well you asked

Caffeine

Water

2-Ethylphenol

Quinic acid

3,5 Dicaffeoylquinic acid

Dimethyl disulfide

Acetylmethylcarbinol

Putrescine

Trigonelline

Niacin

[Brian Kent]

are you saying these are additives or chemicals naturally occurring?

[Shawn Pixley]

To the best of my knowledge, Starbucks doesn't add anything to the beans. What I think you are tasting is the trace minerals that are absorbed by the coffee plant from the air, soil and water where they are grown. The other main variants are the type of bean (arabica or robusta) and the roast. Arabica Beans are considered the best, though robusta beans are added for espresso. Picking, drying and roasting techniques would have an effect on taste as well.

Me, I hate flavored coffee. I find Starbucks French Roast overdone and a bit too bitter. For Starbucks, I like Sumatra brewed very strong. Illy or Torefazione would be my preferred cup, but LOML prefers Starbucks.

[Greg Peterson]

I find Sumatra to be the right balance of flavors for me. Starbucks always seems to have an over roasted flavor.

There was a coffee shop across the street that roasted their own beans. The best cup of coffee I have ever had was a Sumatra coffee where the beans had been roasted 12 hours before. It was other worldly.

[Chris Padilla]

Whatever is in it, smells wonderful, tastes horrible. :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

So much of this is subjective...it's a matter of personal taste. I have tried many different brands and found just one domestic brand I like. I drink enough I should have bought stock 40 years ago.....

[Paul McGaha]

So much of this is subjective...it's a matter of personal taste. I have tried many different brands and found just one domestic brand I like. I drink enough I should have bought stock 40 years ago.....

Which brand do you like Ken? As for domestic brands I would say I like 8 o clock the best.

PHM

[curtis rosche]

my dad used to travel down to el salvador and some of the other coffe growing regions. he brought back some local coffee beens. when we use the french press they make the best tasting coffee i have ever had.

[ray hampton]

well you asked

Caffeine

Water

2-Ethylphenol

Quinic acid

3,5 Dicaffeoylquinic acid

Dimethyl disulfide

Acetylmethylcarbinol

Putrescine

Trigonelline

Niacin




why did you fail to mention the sugar content ?

[Lex Boegen]

I find Sumatra to be the right balance of flavors for me. Starbucks always seems to have an over roasted flavor.

<snip>

That's why a lot of people (me included) call them by the nickname "Charbucks". :D

[Prashun Patel]

The chemicals in unflavored coffees are naturally occurring. Especially if the beans are ground in front of you, it would imply flavoring the whole beans, which is not that easy to do consistently.

Those chemicals are all naturally occuring, but that's not to say they're good for you in large quantities. I'm no doctor or toxicologist, but I do manufacture synthetic fragrance chemical blends, and I can tell you that a lot of those amine and sulphur components are the key to natural things smelling as natural and tasty as they do.

When I say naturally occurring, I mean they either occur in the RAW bean itself, or develop as a result of the roasting of the bean.

As the proteins in fruits and meats decomposes, additional sulfur and amines are generated that make the food smell rotten. One of those items is putrecine, whose prefix comes from 'putrid'.

[David Weaver]

So much of this is subjective...it's a matter of personal taste. I have tried many different brands and found just one domestic brand I like. I drink enough I should have bought stock 40 years ago.....

Folgers? Folgers is my go-to in the cheap coffee range. I can sometimes find starbucks coffee at the mennonite grocery store for cheaper than folgers, but i agree with the comments above that starbucks has an over-roasted or overly-acidic aftertaste that isn't very good.

I generally like any straightforward coffee where the coffee is good and smooth, and the maker doesn't try to differentiate themselves by adding some flavor or aftertaste, because the result is usually worse in the name of being identifiable.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folgers? Folgers is my go-to in the cheap coffee range. I can sometimes find starbucks coffee at the mennonite grocery store for cheaper than folgers, but i agree with the comments above that starbucks has an over-roasted or overly-acidic aftertaste that isn't very good.

I generally like any straightforward coffee where the coffee is good and smooth, and the maker doesn't try to differentiate themselves by adding some flavor or aftertaste, because the result is usually worse in the name of being identifiable.

Folgers is what I drink.....a lot of it.....everyday........Too much probably!

It's cheap and I know what to expect when I pour a cup.

[Greg Peterson]

Ken - Do you brew your coffee for a strong cup or, like my parents and grandparents, brew it to be slightly darker than tea?

I ask because us folks in the vanguard of generation X take our coffee dark. almost black hole dark.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Greg,

I drink it dark but not as strong as I used to drink it. But seriously I have a cup in my hand 3 minutes after I get out of bed around 5:30-6:00 every morning and use a cup to take my nightly meds around 9:30-10:00 p.m. I carry a cup with me all day long unless I leave the house.

[Robert McGowen]

...... and use a cup to take my nightly meds around 9:30-10:00 p.m.

Which helps to explain why a retired guy is up at 5:30 am every morning........ :)

[Mac McQuinn]

So many variables here, darkness of roast has a huge effect, throw in Organics, Decafs, Regions of growth, method of drying, etc. and you have a constantly varying taste. Even the method the coffee bean is ground changes the taste, especially in espresso. Unless you're wanting to immerse yourself into the complex coffee world, just try several and stick with what tastes best to you.

I personally like Organic, Fair Trade beans as a base.
Mac

[Jim Creech]

I like my coffee like I like my ladies...................... a latte!


Sorry but I couldn't resist the opportunity.

[Brian Kent]

After a second divorce a friend said he likes his coffee like he likes his women - strong and bitter.

[ray hampton]

the best coffee are hot and straight, same for women

[Brian Ashton]

if its the most expensive (forgot the name) it's full of cat turd

[Tom Stenzel]

This reminds me back when Tom McCahill had a question-answer column in Mechanix Illustrated. One person asked about cigars, the box said they were made from "predominately tobacco with non-tobacco ingredients added". His question, of course, was were those non-tobacco ingredients?

Tom's answer: You're better off not knowing. Just smoke and enjoy!

Since I don't smoke, I have to settle for enjoying whatever it is they put in the coffee can before they hammer the lid on! I'm not sure I want to know.

-Tom Stenzel

[Dana Decker]

why did you fail to mention the sugar content ?

he did not mention if he drank it black or had a little coffee with his sugar, then which sugar.

[Jim Rimmer]

Which helps to explain why a retired guy is up at 5:30 am every morning........ :)

ROFLMAO :D No matter what you drink, this comment could cause it to spew.

[Jim Rimmer]

Folgers is what I drink.....a lot of it.....everyday........Too much probably!

It's cheap and I know what to expect when I pour a cup.

I don't know if it's available everywhere but Community Coffee is really good for a non-gourmet price.

[Paul McGaha]

I don't know if it's available everywhere but Community Coffee is really good for a non-gourmet price.

Louisiana coffee there Jim. My mom and dad drank it for decades. A lot of our family down there still use it.

PHM