FAQs About Coffee

Coffee, since its discovery in South America in the 1600s by Spanish explorers, coffee monopolized the breakfast of virtually every country. Today, consumers spend billions of dollars a year on coffee beans, purchasing coffee-flavored desserts, coffee-scented candles, coffee-flavored candies and even decorating homes with coffee-themed decorations. Some misconceptions about this marvelous drink still exist.

Q: Should you always use bottled water when you make coffee?

A: Unless you have extremely strong tasting water, it does not matter. Coffeemakers usually heat up water to evaporation and this condenses, dripping into the coffee itself. Any impurities stay in the coffee maker's reservoir. Unless a user remains concerned for the coffeemaker itself (which cleans easily with a vinegar/water solution), tap water works fine. In fact, in the U.S. and Europe, almost a third of the tap water is used to brew coffee.

Q: Is coffee bad for you?

A: Doctors have debated that question for years. Coffee can cause dehydration, increased heart rate, sweating and stain teeth. On the other hand, coffee holds off the effects of Alzheimer's, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even Parkinson's. Balancing the two out, doctors agree that a moderate amount of coffee (one or two cups a day) can actually improve health.

Q: Why is coffee ovcerpriced?

A: Although a simple product, coffee is quite costly in comparison to other drinks, such as tea. Compare a cup of coffee at a gas station versus Starbucks. Coffee requires many steps to bring it from fields to a coffee cup. It has to get picked, dried, roasted, shipped, ground up, brewed and then poured. Each step involves traveling and labor so the higher quality the coffee, the more expensive the process.