Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Caffeine buzz


NeroW

Recommended Posts

I was eating my way through a packet of chocolate-covered coffee beans the other night, and I got to thinking: how many of the beans would I have to eat to get the "lift" I get from one cup of coffee?

There were 42 beans in the packet. I estimate that when I brew coffee at home, I grind 55-60 beans for one 12-cup pot.

Should this just be simple math, or does the brewing process have an effect on the caffeine itself? Do I have to apply heat and water to the beans in order to get the caffeine to "come out"?

Or can I just eat the beans raw and get the same effect?

Noise is music. All else is food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, caffiene is water soluable, so I would imagine if you chewed the beans well enough that there should be little difference. Did you notice any effect?

Edit for spwwling.

Edited by =Mark (log)

=Mark

Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.

Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.

Teach a man to sell fish, he eats Steak

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmmmm.... the beans you describe are most likely chocolate covered espresso beans. They're actually fairly dark roasted rather than "raw" but in theory the caffeine content shoudl be the same. That's the theory. In practice I think that when eat about handful of them in an hour or so I definitely feel the caffeine but no more so than I do from a double espresso and definitely less than I feel from a 10 -12 oz cup of coffee. Perhaps the brewing process releases other alkaloids or compounds that affect hown the body absorbs the caffeine? Wouldn't surprise me. Buzz or no buzz.... now you have me wanting some choco-covered-espresso-beans

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NeroW, I have a neurologist friend who chews coffee beans all of the time. When I need to stay "up" for long periods of time, I also chew coffee beans.

My experience is that the caffeine lift I get comes on quicker when chewing coffee beans than when drinking cuppas. This is because the caffeine crosses through the mouth/gums readily and is in the mouth longer when you're chewing coffee beans.

I drink 3 strong cups of coffee a day. When I chew coffee beans to bolster that, I find 3-5 an hour is sufficient.

Edit to add coffee beans are a good source of fiber, too!

Edited by jsolomon (log)

I always attempt to have the ratio of my intelligence to weight ratio be greater than one. But, I am from the midwest. I am sure you can now understand my life's conundrum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...