The differences of coffee

In order to be able to create the perfect blend, at “Caffè Pontevecchio Firenze” we have studied for a long time the characteristic of the different coffees.

As many know, not all coffees are created equal. The different blends and preparations, in fact, in addition to taste, intensity and aroma, also differ according to the caffeine content.

Here we compare the coffee prepared with mocha or espresso and the American one. It is often thought that espresso or mocha coffee, being more concentrated, contains more caffeine than American coffee which is more diluted. False!

The amount of coffee with which the American coffee is prepared is between 30 and 80 g per liter of water, compared to 6-7 g of espresso and 5-8 g of coffee prepared with mocha. Doing a quick calculation, it can be seen that in a cup of American coffee there are about 115/120 mg of caffeine, practically double that present in a cup of espresso of mocha coffee.

This is also affected by the contact time between the coffee powder and the water: 30 seconds are enough for the espresso and 1-2 minutes for the mocha, while the American coffee takes about 6 minutes.

How much coffee to drink?

Due to the caffeine contained in coffee, a limited daily consumption of the drink is recommended. Experts say a reasonable daily limit equals 300 mg of caffeine. Since a cup of espresso contains on average 60 mg of caffeine and one cup of mocha 85 mg, the daily limit is set at 5 espressos or 3 (abundant) cups of mocha coffee.

However, caffeine is also present in other widely consumed foods and beverages, such as tea and chocolate, so the contribution of these substances in the calculations must also be considered.

Therefore, if we take into account the nutrition of an adult as a whole, we recommend taking 3 cups of espresso a day, for women and men of slim build, and 4 cups for more robust men.

As for pregnant women, it is a good idea to limit the consumption of coffee as much as possible, as high doses of caffeine could be dangerous for the baby's health.

Coffee and diet

There are no contraindications to taking coffee during a weight loss diet or not.

The only thing to pay attention to is the sugar that we potentially add to sweeten the coffee: the calorie intake depends on it, not on the coffee! The ideal thing during the diet would be to consume bitter coffee or gradually reduce the amount of sugar per cup. It is also a way to slowly accustom our palate to appreciate the natural taste of coffee, thus being able to savor all the notes and aftertaste.

Many dietary supplements for weight loss stimulate the metabolism with the aim of increasing daily calorie consumption. It is curious to note how coffee also increases the body's thermogenesis: it is therefore possible to obtain the same "slimming" effect through a daily and intelligent intake of ... coffee!

What is certain is that there is no diet valid for everyone and we must always consider that coffee is a food that can cause intolerances in people who are unable to take caffeine but also other substances contained in the bean.

So the advice of "Caffè Pontevecchio Firenze" is to learn about your body and learn to appreciate and recognize the different types of coffee and their preparations.