How many people buy a cup of freshly ground coffee just to “warm their hands”?

Don't be like that, drinking coffee healthily is still the key. This year, Consumer Reports sent 10 popular freshly ground coffees on the market to a third-party authoritative testing agency for testing. Coffee enthusiasts should not miss it!

First, a test family photo

Test indicators

Caffeine, Total Sugar

Lazy Link

Caffeine: Costa, Luckin Coffee, and Starbucks use solid ingredients

The main source of coffee's stimulating effect is caffeine, which is also found in plants such as tea trees, green cocoa trees, and Paraguay. It is also a natural insect repellent, and in low-altitude areas where pests are more numerous, coffee beans have a higher caffeine content.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system of the brain through the blood-brain barrier, increasing alertness and cognitive ability, so after drinking a cup of coffee, the brain works especially fast.

The caffeine content in coffee is related to the ratio of concentrated coffee liquid, but it is also affected by factors such as coffee bean variety, roasting degree, and brewing method.

The test results showed that the caffeine content of 10 freshly ground lattes ranged from 207 to 605 mg/kg.

The caffeine content of the three major coffee chain giants , Costa, Luckin Coffee, and Starbucks, is as high as 605mg/kg, 532mg/kg, and 495mg/kg respectively, which shows that the ingredients are solid or the coffee beans themselves contain high caffeine, which is most effective in refreshing and preventing drowsiness.

However, fast food/convenience store chains such as FamilyMart, Burger King, Heytea, KFC, and McDonald's have lower caffeine content and are suitable for consumers with low caffeine tolerance.

However, it is worth mentioning that the higher the caffeine level, the better. Long-term high-dose caffeine intake can also cause anxiety, irritability, insomnia, etc.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends that the safe daily caffeine intake for adults is ≤ 400 mg (single intake not exceeding 200 mg), and specifically points out that pregnant or breastfeeding women should consume ≤ 200 mg.

If the density is calculated as 1μg/mL, the caffeine contained in the three large cups of drinks from Costa, Starbucks and McDonald's exceeds the maximum single caffeine intake.

Taking Costa Vanilla Coffee (Large, 600mL) as an example, one cup contains 363mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to the caffeine content of 7 cans of Red Bull. Xiao Daochang reminds us to drink coffee in moderation.

Caffeine remains in the human body for 4 to 6 hours, so it is best not to drink coffee 6 hours before going to bed. If you have trouble falling asleep, drink more water to promote the metabolism of caffeine. In addition, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, teenagers and other sensitive groups should stay away from all caffeine.

Total Sugar

In order to cater to the tastes of Chinese consumers, commercially available ground coffee is usually flavored with sugar or milk.

The freshly ground lattes selected for this evaluation are all of normal sweetness. When some brands offer a variety of sweetness options, normal sugar, full sugar, etc. are also defaulted.

The test results are reassuring. The sugar content of the 10 freshly ground lattes is relatively low. 7-11, McDonald's, KFC, FamilyMart, and Starbucks are all "low sugar" (≤5.0g/100mL). Heytea and Burger King have slightly higher sugar content, at 6.8g/100mL and 6.2g/100mL respectively.

But, well, you know the turning point is coming!

If converted according to the volume of coffee, the total sugar content of a cup of Burger King (448mL) and Costa (600mL) is 27.8g and 30.6g respectively, which may exceed the World Health Organization's recommendation that children and adults should not consume more than 25g of added sugar per day.

Moreover, the sugar content of the complimentary sugar packets was not taken into account in this evaluation, so the sugar content of the 10 freshly ground lattes is actually lower than when additional sugar packets are added when drinking.

Therefore, we recommend that consumers, in addition to not adding extra sugar packets and choosing smaller sizes, also ask the store for no added sugar or half added sugar to minimize the amount of "sugar" they unintentionally consume.

By the way, you should buy a hand warmer to keep your hands warm. As for the coffee, see you next time!