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Archive-Name: caffeine-faq


Frequently Asked Questions about Coffee and Caffeine
****************************************************

URL: http://daisy.uwaterloo.ca/~alopez-o/caffaq.html

Alejandro Lopez-Ortiz

alopez-o@neumann.uwaterloo.ca



This FAQ is dedicated to all beverages and products that contain 
caffeine;
including tea, coffee, chocolate, mate, caffeinated soft drinks, 
caffeinated
pills, coffee beans, etc.

There are several newsgroups in which this topics may be of reelevance,
including but not limited to alt.drugs.caffeine, rec.food.drink.coffee,
rec.food.drink.tea, alt.food.chocolate, etc.

Rec.food.drink.coffee is preferred over alt.coffee and alt.food.coffee.

[Image]

  1.  The Chemistry of Caffeine and related products
       1. How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?
       2. How much caffeine there is in blend X?
       3.  Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?
       4.  Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, 
theobromine,
          etc?
       5.  Where can I find a gif of the caffeine molecule?
       6.  Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular 
coffee?
       7.  How does caffeine taste?
       8. How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?
  2. How to brew the ultimate caffeine drink?
       1.  What is the best temperature for drip coffee?
       2.  Quality of coffee
       3.  Why you should never use percolators
  3.  Peripherals and Secondary Storage
       1.  Proper care of Coffee makers...
       2. How to store coffee?
       3. Equipment reviews?
  4.  Caffeine and your Health
       1.  What happens when you overdose?
       2.  Studies on the side-effects of caffeine...
       3.  Caffeine and your metabolism.
  5.  Miscellaneous
       1.  How do you pronounce mate?
       2.  How do you spell Colombia/Colombian?
       3.  How do you spell Espresso?
  6.  Coffee Recipes and other beverages.
       1.  Espresso
       2.  Chocolate covered espresso beans
       3.  Cappuccino
       4.  Frappe
       5.  How to make your own chocolate
       6.  How to make the best cup of coffee
       7.  Turkish Coffee
       8.  Thai Iced Coffee
       9.  Vietnamese Iced Coffee
      10.  Melya
  7.  Administrivia
       1.  List of Contributors
       2. Copyright

  1.

     The Chemistry of Caffeine and related products

       1. How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?

          According to the National Soft Drink Association, the 
following is
          the caffeine content in mgs per 12 oz can of soda:

          Jolt                    100.0
          Afri-Cola               100.0
          Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb     58.8
          Mountain Dew            55.0  (no caffeine in Canada)
          Diet Mountain Dew       55.0
          Mello Yellow            52.8
          Tab                     46.8
          Coca-Cola               45.6
          Diet Cola               45.6
          Shasta Cola             44.4
          Shasta Cherry Cola      44.4
          Shasta Diet Cola        44.4
          Mr. Pibb                40.8
          OK Soda                 40.5
          Dr. Pepper              39.6
          Pepsi Cola              37.2
          Aspen                   36.0
          Diet Pepsi              35.4
          RC Cola                 36.0
          Diet RC                 36.0
          Diet Rite               36.0
          Canada Dry Cola         30.0
          Canada Dry Diet Cola    1.2
          7 Up                    0

          By means of comparison, a 7 oz cup of coffee has the following
          caffeine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams in 
_J Am
          Diet_ 74:28-32, 1979:

          Drip                    115-175
          Espresso                100mg of caffeine
          1 serving (1.5-2oz)

          Brewed                  80-135
          Instant                 65-100
          Decaf, brewed           3-4
          Decaf, instant          2-3
          tea, iced (12 ozs.)     70
          tea, brewed, imported   60
          tea, brewed, U.S.       40
          tea, instant            30

          The variability in the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee 
or tea
          is huge even if prepared by the same person using the same 
equipment
          and ingredients day after day.

          Reference Variability in caffeine consumption from coffee and 
tea:
          Possible significance for epidemiological studies by B. 
Stavric, R.
          Klassen, B. Watkinson, K. Karpinski, R. Stapley, and P. Fried 
in
          "Foundations of Chemical Toxicology", Volume 26, number 2, pp.
          111-118, 1988 and an easy to read overview, Looking for the 
Perfect
          Brew by S. Eisenberg, "Science News", Volume 133, April 16, 
1988,
pp.
          252-253.

          According to Maxwell House at 1-800-432-6333 (USA only), the 
cappio
          caffeine content per 8oz bottle is as follows:

          Coffee     100mg
          Mocha       90mg
          Cinnamon    85mg
          Vanilla     90mg

          Quote from the lab manual:

               Caffeine is present in tea leaves and in coffee to the
               extent of about 4%. Tea also contains two other 
alkaloids,
               theobromine and theophylline. These last two relax the
               smooth muscles where caffeine stimulates the heart and
               respiratory systems.

          Steve Dyer says:

               Theobromine is virtually inactive. Both caffeine and
               theophylline stimulate the heart and respiratory systems
               and relax smooth muscle (such as in the bronchioles).
               Theophylline is somewhat more toxic and somewhat less
               powerful a CNS stimulant than caffeine, but they are more
               similar than different.

          Other data on caffeine:

          Cup of coffee    90-150mg
          Instant coffee   60-80mg
          Tea              30-70mg
          Cola             30-45mg
          Chocolate bar    30mg
          Stay-awake pill  100mg
          Vivarin          200mg
          Cold relief tablet  30mg

          The following information is from Bowes and Church's Food 
values of
          portions commonly used, by Anna De Planter Bowes. Lippincott, 
Phila.
          1989. Pages 261-2: Caffeine.

          Candy:

          Chocolate                               mg caffeine
            baking choc, unsweetened, Bakers--1 oz(28 g) 25
            german sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g)           8
            semi-sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g)            13

          Choc chips
            Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g)                     13
            german sweet, Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g)       15

          Chocolate bar, Cadbury  -- 1 oz (28 g)         15
          Chocolate milk  8oz                             8

          Desserts:
          Jello Pudding Pops, Choc (47 g)                 2
          Choc mousse from Jell-O mix (95 g)              6
          Jello choc fudge mousse (86 g)                 12

          Beverages
          3 heaping teaspoons of choc powder mix          8
          2 tablespoons choc syrup                        5
          1 envelope hot cocoa mix                        5

          Dietary formulas
          ensure, plus, choc, Ross Labs -- 8 oz (259 g)  10
          Cadbury Milk Chocolate Bar

          More stuff:

          Guarana "Magic Power" (quite common in Germany),
          15 ml alcohol with
          5g Guarana Seeds        250.0 mg
          Guarana capsules with
          500 mg G. seeds          25.0 mg / capsule

          (assuming 5% caffeine in seeds as stated in literature)

          Guarana soda pop is ubiquitous in Brazil and often available 
at
          tropical groceries here. It's really tasty and packs a wallop.
          Guarana wakes you up like crazy, but it doesn't cause coffee
jitters.

          It is possible that in addition to caffeine, there is some 
other
          substance in guarana that also produces an effect, since it 
'feels'
          different than coffee. Same goes for mate.

       2. How much caffeine there is in blend X?

          Caffeine Content in beans and blends

          (Source: Newsletter--Mountanos Bros. Coffee Co., San 
Francisco)

          VARIETALS/STRAIGHTS
          Brazil Bourbons  1.20%
          Celebes Kalossi  1.22
          Colombia Excelso  1.37
          Colombia Supremo  1.37
          Costa Rica Tarrazu  1.35
          Ethiopian Harrar-Moka  1.13
          Guatemala Antigua  1.32
          Indian Mysore  1.37
          Jamaican Blue Mtn/Wallensford Estate  1.24
          Java Estate Kuyumas  1.20
          Kenya AA  1.36
          Kona Extra Prime  1.32
          Mexico Pluma Altura  1.17
          Mocha Mattari (Yemen)  1.01
          New Guinea  1.30
          Panama Organic  1.34
          Sumatra Mandheling-Lintong  1.30
          Tanzania Peaberry  1.42
          Zimbabwe  1.10


          BLENDS & DARK ROASTS
          Colombia Supremo Dark  1.37%
          Espresso Roast  1.32
          French Roast  1.22
          Vienna Roast  1.27
          Mocha-Java  1.17

          DECAFS--all @ .02% with Swiss Water Process


       3.  Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?

          Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are three compounds called 
alkaloids:
          caffiene, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, 
coffee,
          tea, cacao beans and other plants. These compounds are methyl
          xanthines, have different biochemical effects, and are present 
in
          different ratios in the different plant sources. These 
compounds are
          very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups 
in two
          positions of the chemical structure. By the way they are 
easily
          oxidized to uric acid which is also very simliar in chemical
          structure.

          Caffeine: (which we all know and love.)
          Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana.
          Effects: Stimulant of central nervous system, cardiac muscle, 
and
          respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.

          Theophylline:
          Sources: Tea
          Effects: Cariac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic,
          vasodilator

          Theobromine:
          Sources: Principle alkaloid of the cacoa bean (1.5-3%) Cola 
nuts and
          tea
          Effects: Diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, cardiac stimulant,
          vasodilator.

          (Info from Merck Index)

          The presence of the other alkaloids in colas and tea may 
explain why
          these sometimes have a stronger kick than coffee. Colas, which 
have
          lower caffeine contents than coffee, always kick me harder 
than
          coffee. Tea seems the strongest for me. Coffee seem more 
lasting for
          mental alertness and offers fewer jitters than the others.

          A search in CAS and produced these names and synonyms:

          RN   58-08-2  REGISTRY
          CN   1H-Purine-2,6-dione, 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl- (9CI)  
(CA
INDEX NAME)
          OTHER CA INDEX NAMES:
          CN   Caffeine (8CI)
          OTHER NAMES:
          CN   1,3,7-Trimethyl-2,6-dioxopurine
          CN   1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine
          CN   7-Methyltheophylline
          CN   Alert-Pep
          CN   Cafeina
          CN   Caffein
          CN   Cafipel
          CN   Guaranine
          CN   Koffein
          CN   Mateina
          CN   Methyltheobromine
          CN   No-Doz
          CN   Refresh'n
          CN   Stim
          CN   Thein
          CN   Theine
          CN   Tri-Aqua

          MF   C8 H10 N4 O2

          The correct name is the first one,
          1H-Purine-2,6-diione,3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl- (This is the
          "inverted name") The "uninverted name" is
          3,7-Dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione

          Merck Index excerpt...

               Caffeine: 3,7-dihydro- 1,3,7-trimethyl- 1H-purine-
               2,6-dione; 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine; 1,3,7-trimethyl-
               2,6-dioxopurine; coffeine; thein; guaranine;
               methyltheobromine; No-Doz.

               C8H10N4O2; mol wt 194.19. C 49.48%, H 5.19%, N 28.85%, O
               16.48%.

               Occurs in tea, coffee, mate leaves; also in guarana paste
               and cola nuts: Shuman, U.S. pat. 2,508,545 (1950 to 
General
               Foods). Obtained as a by-product from the manuf of
               caffeine-free coffee: Barch, U.S. pat. 2,817,588 (1957 to
               Standard Brands); Nutting, U.S. pat. 2,802,739 (1957 to
               Hill Bros. Coffee); Adler, Earle, U.S. pat. 2,933,395 
(1960
               to General Foods).

               Crystal structure: Sutor, Acta Cryst. 11, 453, (1958).
               Synthesis: Fischer, Ach, Ber. 28, 2473, 3135 (1895);
               Gepner, Kreps, J. Gen. Chem. USSR 16, 179 (1946); 
Bredereck
               et al., Ber. 83, 201 (1950); Crippa, Crippa, Farmaco Ed.
               Sci. 10, 616 (1955); Swidinsky, Baizer, U.S. pats.
               2,785,162 and 2,785,163 (1957 to Quinine Chem. Works);
               Bredereck, Gotsmann, Ber. 95, 1902 (1962).

               Hexagonal prisms by sublimation, mp 238 C. Sublimes 178 
C.
               Fast sublimation is obtained at 160-165 C under 1mm 
press.
               at 5 mm distance. d 1.23. Kb at 19 C: 0.7 x 10^(-14). Ka 
at
               25 C: <1.0 x 10^(-14). pH of 1% soln 6.9. Aq solns of
               caffeine salts dissociate quickly. Absorption spectrum:
               Hartley, J. Chem. Soc. 87, 1802 (1905). One gram 
dissolves
               in 46 ml water, 5.5 ml water at 80 C, 1.5 ml boiling 
water,
               66 ml alcohol, 22 ml alcohol at 60 C, 50 ml acetone, 5.5 
ml
               chloroform, 530 ml ether, 100 ml benzene, 22 ml boiling
               benzene. Freely sol in pyrrole; in tetrahydrofuran contg
               about 4% water; also sol in ethyl acetate; slightly in 
petr
               ether. Soly in water is increased by alkali benzoates,
               cinnamates, citrates, or salicylates.

               Monohydrate, felted needles, contg 8.5% H2O. Efflorescent
               in air; complete dehydration takes place at 80 C. LD50
               orally in rats: 200 mg/kg.

               Acetate, C8H10N4O2.(CH3COOH)2, granules or powder; acetic
               acid odor; acid reaction. Loses acetic acid on exposure 
to

_
            

               air. Soluble in water or alcohol with hydrolysis into
               caffeine and acetic acid. Keep well stoppered.

               Hydrochloride dihydrate, C8H10N4O2.HCl.2H2O, crystals, 
dec
               80-100 C with loss of water and HCl. Sol in water and in
               alcohol with dec.

               Therap Cat: Central stimulant.

               Therap Cat (Vet): Has been used as a cardiac and
               respiratory stimulant and as a diuretic.

       4.

          Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, 
theobromine,
etc?

          From "Principles of biochemistry", Horton and al, 1993.

               Caffeine is sometimes called "theine" when it's in tea.
               This is probably due to an ancient misconception that the
               active constituent is different. Theophylline is present
               only in trace amounts. It is more diuretic, more toxic 
and
               less speedy.

               Caffeine
                    1,3,7-trimethylxanthine
               Theophylline
                    1,3-dimethylxanthine
               Theobromine
                    3,7-dimethylxanthine

               Coffee and tea contain caffeine and theophylline,
               respectively, which are me thylated purine derivatives 
that
               inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase.In the presence of these
               inhibitors, the effects of cAMP, and thus the stimulatory
               effects of the hormones that lead to its production, are
               prolonged and intensified.

          Theobromine and theophylline are two dimethylxanthines that 
have two
          rather than three methyl groups. Theobromine is considerably 
weaker
          than caffeine and theophylline, having about one tenth the
          stimulating effect of either.

          Theobromine is found in cocoa products, tea (only in very 
small
          amounts) and kola nuts, but is not found in coffee. In cocoa, 
its
          concentration is generally about 7 times as great as caffeine.
          Although, caffeine is relatively scarce in cocoa, its mainly 
because
          of theobromine that cocoa is "stimulating".

          Theophylline is found in very small amounts in tea, but has a
          stronger effect on the heart and breathing than caffeine. It 
often
          the drug of choice in treating asthma bronchitis and 
emphysema. The
          theophylline found in medicine is made from extracts from 
coffee or
          tea.

       5.  Where can I find a gif of the caffeine molecule?

          Caffeine = 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine

          A different view of the caffeine molecule.




                           CH3
                            |
                            N
                           / \
                     N----C   C==O
                    ||   ||   |
                    ||   ||   |
                    CH    C   N--CH3
                      \  / \ /
                       N    C
                       |   ||
                      CH3   O


          There is a gif picture at the wuarchive.wustl.edu ftp site or 
any of
          its mirror sites under

                     multimedia/images/gif/c

                     caffeine


          Theobromine is also a common component of coffee, tea, 
chocolate,
and
          mate (particularly in these last two).



                      Theobromine



                           CH3
                            |
                            N
                           / \
                     N----C   C==O
                    ||   ||   |
                    ||   ||   |
                    CH    C   N--H
                      \  / \ /
                       N    C
                       |   ||
                      CH3   O

          Theophylline was once thought to be a major component of tea. 
This
is
          not correct. Tea contains significantly more amounts of 
caffeine
than
          of theophylline.


                      Theophylline



                           CH3
                            |
                            N
                           / \
                     N----C   C==O
                    ||   ||   |
                    ||   ||   |
                    CH    C   N--CH3
                      \  / \ /
                       N    C
                       |   ||
                       H    O


       6.

          Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular 
coffee?

          Yes and no. An espresso cup has about as much caffeine as a 
cup of
          dark brew. But servings for espresso are much smaller. Which 
means
          that the content of caffeine per millilitre are much higher 
than
with
          a regular brew. Moreover, caffeine is more quickly assimilated 
when
          taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.

          The myth of lower caffeine espresso comes comes from the fact 
that
          the darker roast beans used for espresso do have less caffeine 
than
          regularly roasted beans (roasting breaks up the caffeine in 
the
          beans). But espresso is prepared using pressurized steam which
          extracts a higher percentage of caffeine from the ground beans 
than
          regular drip.

          Here's the caffeine content of Drip/Espresso/Brewed Coffee:

          Drip            115-175
          Espresso        100         1 serving (1.5-2oz)
          Brewed          80-135

       7.

          How does caffeine taste?

          Caffeine is very bitter. Barq's Root Beer contains caffeine 
and the
          company says that it has "12.78mg per 6oz" and that they "add 
it as
a
          flavouring agent for the sharp bitterness"

       8.

          How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?

          Sources: Physicians Desk Reference and Institute of Food
Technologies
          from Pafai and Jankiewicz (1991) DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

          cocoa                      250mg theobromine
          bittersweet choc. bar      130mg theobromine
          5 oz cup brewed coffee     no theobromine
          tea 5oz cup brewed 3min
          with teabag                3-4 mg theophylline
          Diet Coke                  no theobromine or theophylline

  2.  How to brew the ultimate caffeine drink?

       1.  What is the best temperature for drip coffee?

          According to chemical studies, the optimal water temperature 
for
drip
          coffee is 95-98C. According to my notes, colder water doesn't
extract
          enough caffeine/essential oils from the beans, and above such
          temperature the acidity increases wildly.

       2.  Quality of coffee

          The quality of a brew depend on the following factors (in no
          particular order):

            1.  Time since grinding the beans.
            2.  Time since roasting.
            3.  Cleanliness with brewing equipment.
            4.  Bean quality (what crop etc).
            5.  Water quality.

          Fact: Unless you are buying some major debris, bean quality is 
not
          very important, as compared to 1-3 and 5.

          Fact: The prepackaged stuff you buy in supermarkets is major 
debris,
          (in general).

          Fact: Once you have freshly roasted and ground coffee, 
filtered
water
          and equipment free of oil residues from the last brew, quality 
of
          beans makes a huge difference.

          Many times "inferior beans" are due to (a) adultered beans, 
either
          with the skin of the coffee bean or with peanut derivatives, 
(b) old
          grounds and roast.

       3.  Why you should never use percolators.

          Percolators violate most of the natural laws about brewing 
coffee.

                Don't overextract the oils and flavour. Percolators work 
by
               taking coffee and reheating it and throwing it over the 
grounds
               over and over and over again.
                Never reheat/boil coffee. This destroys the flavour. For 
best
               flavour, boil the water, pass it over the grounds and 
retain
the
               heat. Don't reheat it.

          Violating these rules may not sound like much, but these are 
about
          the only rules there are. The effect of a percolator is to 
keep
          passing boiling water/coffee over the grounds until there is 
no
          flavour left and the flavour in the coffee is so dead that 
it's a
          worthless waste.

  3.

     Peripherals and Secondary Storage

       1.  Proper care of coffee makers...

          It is very important that you wash your coffee maker pot and 
filter
          container thoroughly at least once a week. Bitter oils stick 
to the
          glass container and plastic filter holder.

          I used to wash the plastic filter container and rinse the 
glass pot.
          Coffee started to taste bad. When I was told to wash both 
thoroughly
          with plenty of soap the flavour improved instantly. Note: To 
the
          naked eye rinsed and soap washed pots look the same (clean 
that is).

          Some drip coffee makers require periodic cleansing with a 
solution
of
          water and vinegar.

          If you have a coffee/teapot, the inside of which is stained 
with
oily
          brown residues - also plastic/metal coffee filters, tea 
strainers,
          and stainless steel sinks in caffeine-o-phile houses - they 
can be
          restored to a shining, brand-spanking-new state by washing in 
hot
          detergent.

          Get a large plastic jug, add 2..3 heaped tablespoons of Daz
Automatic
          or Bold or whatever, and about a pint of hot water - just off 
the
          boil is the best.

          Swill the jug around until the detergent is dissolved, and 
then pour
          into tea/coffeepot, and let it stand for 5 minutes, swilling 
the pot
          around occasionally, just to keep the detergent moving. Put 
the lid
          on and shake it a few times (care: slippery + hot)

          Repeat as necessary. Keep it hot with a little boiling water 
if
          needed. If you have a cafeteriere, dissemble it, and soak the 
parts
          in the mixture for a few minutes, agitating occasionally.

          In both cases, the residue just falls off with almost no 
scrubbing.
          It does great things with over-used filter machine filters, 
too.

          Important: Rinse off all detergent afterwards, use lots of 
fresh
          water.

       2.  How to store coffee?

          One should always store coffee beans in a glass, air tight
container.
          Air is coffee's principle enemy. Glass is best because it 
doesn't
          retain the odors of the beans or the oils, which could 
contaminate
          future beans stored in the same container.

          For consumption within:

          1 week
               room temperature is fine
          2 weeks to a month
               refridgerate
               freeze them

          This prevents the chemical reactions that produce stale beans 
and
          lifeless coffee.

       3.  Equipment reviews?

  4. Caffeine and your Health

     Important: This information was excerpted from several sources, no 
claims
     are made to its accuracy. The FAQ mantainer is not a medical doctor 
and
     cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information.

       1.  What happens when you overdose?

          From Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-3-R
(American
          Psychiatric Association, 1987):

               Caffeine-Induced Organic Mental Disorder 305.90 Caffeine
               Intoxication

                 1.  Recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess 
of
                    250 mg.
                 2.  At least five of the following signs:
                      1.  restlessness
                      2.  nervousness
                      3.  excitement
                      4.  insomnia
                      5.  flushed face
                      6.  diuresis
                      7.  gastrointestinal disturbance
                      8.  muscle twitching
                      9.  rambling flow of thought and speech
                     10.  tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia
                     11.  periods of inexhaustibility
                     12.  psychomotor agitation
                 3.  Not due to any physical or other mental disorder,
                    such as an Anxiety Disorder.

          Basically, overdosing on caffeine will probably be very very
          unpleasant but not kill or deliver permanent damage. However, 
People
          do die from it.

          Summarized from the Manual:

          Toxic dose

               The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported 
to
               kill 50% of the population) is estimated at 10 grams for 
oral
               administration. As it is usually the case, lethal dosage 
varies
               from individual to individual according to weight. 
Ingestion of
               150mg/kg of caffeine seems to be the LD_50 for all 
people. That
               is, people weighting 50 kilos have an LD_50 of approx. 
7.5
               grams, people weighting 80 kilos have an LD_50 of about 
12
               grams.

               In cups of coffee the LD_50 varies from 50 to 200 cups of
coffee
               or about 50 vivarins (200mg each).

               One exceptional case documents survival after ingesting 
24
               grams. The minimum lethal dose ever reported was 3.2 
grams
               intravenously, this does not represent the oral MLD 
(minimum
               lethal dose).

               In small children ingestion of 35 mg/kg can lead to 
moderate
               toxicity. The amount of caffeine in an average cup of 
coffee is
               50 - 200 mg. Infants metabolize caffeine very slowly.

          Symptoms
                     Acute caffeine poisoning gives Early symptoms of
anorexia,
                    tremor, and restlessness. Followed by nausea, 
vomiting,
                    tachycardia, and confusion. Serious intoxication may 
cause
                    delirium, seizures, supraventricular and ventricular
                    tachyarrhythmias, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia.
                     Chronic high-dose caffeine intake can lead to
nervousness,
                    irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle 
twitching,
                    insomnia, palpitations and hyperreflexia. For blood
                    testing, cross-reaction with theophylline assays 
will
                    detect toxic amounts. (Method IA) Blood 
concentration of
                    1-10 mg/L is normal in coffee drinkers, while 80 
mg/L has
                    been associated with death.
          Treatment
                     Emergency Measures
                          Maintain the airway and assist ventilation. 
(See
                         Appendix A)
                          Treat seizures & hypotension if they occur.
                          Hypokalemia usually goes away by itself.
                          Monitor Vital Signs.

                     Specific drugs & antidotes. Beta blockers 
effectively
                    reverse cardiotoxic effects mediated by excessive
                    beta-adrenergic stimulation. Treat hypotension or
                    tachyarrhythmias with intravenous propanolol, .01 - 
.02
                    mg/kg. , or esmolol, .05 mg/kg , carefully titrated 
with
                    low doses. Esmolol is preferred because of its short 
half
                    life and low cardioselectivity.
                     Decontamination
                          Induce vomiting or perform gastric lavage.
                          Administer activated charcoal and cathartic.

_
                                                     

                          Gut emptying is probably not needed if 1 2 are
                         performed promptly.
          Appendix A
               Performing airway assistance.
                 1.  If no neck injury is suspected, place in the 
"Sniffing"
                    position by tilting the head back and extending the 
front
                    of the neck.
                 2.  Apply the "Jaw Thrust" to move the tongue out of 
the way
                    without flexing the neck: Place fingers form both 
under
the
                    back of the jaw and thrust the jaw forward so that 
the
chin
                    sticks out. This should also hurt the patient, 
allowing
you
                    to judge depth of coma. :)
                 3.  Tilt the head to the side to allow vomit and snot 
to
drain
                    out.
          From conversations on alt.drugs.caffeine:

          The toxic dose is going to vary from person to person, 
depending
          primarily on built-up tolerance. A couple people report 
swallowing
10
          to 13 vivarin and ending up in the hospital with their 
stomaches
          pumped, while a few say they've taken that many and barely 
stayed
          awake.

          A symptom lacking in the clinical manual but reported by at 
least
two
          people on the net is a loss of motor ability: inability to 
move,
          speak, or even blink. The experience is consistently described 
as
          very unpleasant and not fun at all, even by those very 
familiar with
          caffeine nausea and headaches.

       2.  Studies on the side-effects of caffeine.

          OAKLAND, California (UPI) -- Coffee may be good for life. A 
major
          study has found fewer suicides among coffee drinkers than 
those who
          abstained from the hot black brew.

          The study of nearly 130,000 Northern California residents and 
the
          records of 4,500 who have died looked at the effects of coffee 
and
          tea on mortality.

          Cardiologist Arthur Klatsky said of the surprising results, 
``This
is
          not a fluke finding because our study was very large, involved 
a
          multiracial population, men, women, and examined closely 
numerous
          factors related to mortality such as alcohol consumption and
          smoking.''

          The unique survey also found no link between coffee 
consumption and
          death risk. And it confirmed a ``weak'' connection of coffee 
or tea
          to heart attack risk -- but not to other cardiovascular 
conditions
          such as stroke.

          The study was conducted by the health maintenance organization
Kaiser
          Permanente and was reported Wednesday in the Annals of 
Epidemiology.

       3.  Caffeine and your metabolism.

          Caffeine increases the level of circulating fatty acids. This 
has
          been shown to increase the oxidation of these fuels, hence 
enhancing
          fat oxidation. Caffeine has been used for years by runners and
          endurance people to enhance fatty acid metabolism. It's 
particularly
          effective in those who are not habitual users.

          Caffeine is not an appetite suppressant. It does effect 
metabolism,
          though it is a good question whether its use truly makes any
          difference during a diet. The questionable rationale for its
original
          inclusion in diet pills was to make a poor man's amphetamine-
like
          preparation from the non-stimulant sympathomimetic
          phenylpropanolamine and the stimulant caffeine. (That you end 
up
with
          something very non-amphetamine like is neither here nor 
there.) The
          combination drugs were called "Dexatrim" or Dexa-whosis (as in
          Dexedrine) for a reason, namely, to assert its similarity in 
the
          minds of prospective buyers. However, caffeine has not been in 
OTC
          diet pills for many years per order of the FDA, which stated 
that
          there was no evidence of efficacy for such a combination.

          From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of 
Therapeutics:

               Caffeine in combination with an analgesic, such as 
aspirin,
               is widely used in the treatment of ordinary types of
               headache. There are few data to substantiate its efficacy
               for this purpose. Caffeine is also used in combination 
with
               an ergot alkaloid in the treatment of migrane (Chapter 
39).

               Ergotamine is usually administered orally (in combination
               with caffeine) or sublingually [...] If a patient cannot
               tolerate ergotamine orally, rectal administration of a
               mixture of caffeine and ergotamine tartarate may be
               attempted.

               The bioavailability [of ergotamine] after sublingual
               administration is also poor and is often inadequate for
               therapeutic purposes [...] the concurrent administration 
of
               caffeine (50-100 mg per mg of ergotamine) improves both 
the
               rate and extent of absorption [...] However, there is
               little correspondence between the concentration of
               ergotamine in plasma and the intensity or duration of
               therapeutic or toxic effects.

               Caffeine enhances the action of the ergot alkaloids in 
the
               treatment of migrane, a discovery that must be credited 
to
               the sufferers from the disease who observed that strong
               coffee gave symptomatic relief, especially when combined
               with the ergot alkaloids. As mentioned, caffeine 
increases
               the oral and rectal absorption of ergotamine, and it is
               widely believed that this accounts for its enhancement of
               therapeutic effects.

          I have some doubts about explanation of the mechanism(s) of 
the
          stimulatory effects of methylxanthines, like theophylline and
          caffeine. Inhibition of phosphodiesterase is certainly of 
little
          importance, since the concentrations of caffeine or 
theophylline
          capable of producing this effect are only rarely achieved in 
usual
          situations, including clinical ones.

          Nowadays most of researchers believe that the stimulatory 
actions
are
          attributable to the antagonism of the adenosine. Agree, 
agonists at
          the adenosine receptors produce sedation while antagonists at 
these
          sites, like caffeine and theophylline induce stimulation, and 
what
is
          even more important, the latter substance also reverse
          agonists-induced symptoms of sedation, thus indicating that 
this
          effects go through these receptors.

          Another possibility, however, is that methylxanthines enhance
release
          of excitatory aminoacids, like glutamate and aspartate, which 
are
the
          main stimulatory neurotransmitters in the brain.

          As to the side effects: methylxanthines inhibit protective 
activity
          of common antiepileptic drugs in exptl. animals in doses 
comparable
          to those used in humans when correction to the surface area is 
made.
          It should be underlined, that although tolerance develop to 
the
          stimulatory effects of theo or caffeine when administered on a
          chronic base, we found no tolerance to the above effects . 
This
          hazardous influence was even enhanced over time. Therefore, it
should
          be emphasized that individuals suffering from epilepsy should 
avoid,
          or at least reduce consumption of coffee and other
          caffeine-containing beverages.

  5. Miscellaneous

       1.  How do you pronounce mate?

          MAH-teh. MAH like in malt, and -teh like in Gral. Patten.

       2.  How do you spell Colombia/Colombian?

       3.  How do you spell Espresso?

          By far, the most common spelling used throughout the world 
today is
          "espresso". This is a shortened form of the original Italian 
name
for
          the drink "caffe espresso" (accent marks omitted). This 
spelling is
          considered to be the correct spelling by the vast majority of 
of
          coffee consumers, vendors, retailers, and producers.

          Some English language dictionaries also list "expresso" as a 
variant
          spelling. However, this does not mean the spelling is 'equally
          valid'. (see the post by Jesse Sheidlower included below)

          It was pointed out during the great "espresso vs. expresso" 
debate
          (spring 94) that the Italian alphabet does not even contain 
the
          letter "X", which is incorrect.

          Further, it was discovered that at least three dictionaries
contained
          incorrect definitions of the word "espresso". The American 
Heritage
          Dictionary gave the following definition:

               "A strong coffee brewed by forcing steam under pressure
               through darkly roasted, powdered coffee beans."

          The Oxford English Dictionary said:

               "Coffee brewed by forcing steam through powdered coffee
               beans"

          The Webster New World Dictionary gives:

               "coffee prepared in a special machine from finely ground
               coffee beans, through which steam under high pressure is
               forced."

          All three of these are wrong. In fact, espresso is a strong 
coffee
          brewed by quickly forcing hot water through darkly roasted, 
finely
          ground coffee beans.

          (Some espresso makers do use steam, but only to force the hot 
water
          through the ground coffee. The steam NEVER touches the coffee. 
Many
          espresso makers use no steam at all. Instead, they use either 
a pump
          or a piston to quickly force hot water through the ground 
coffee.)

          Once these errors and the origins of the word "espresso" had 
been
          pointed out, the argument "but expresso is in the dictionary"
quickly
          began to crumble. The final death blow to this position came 
in a
          post by dictionary editor Jesse Sheidlower. This post is 
reproduced
          in its entirety below:

          --------- Start of quoted material
----------------------------------


               I find this thread fascinating. I regret that it
               demonstrates an unfamiliarity with dictionaries and how 
to
               use them, but no matter. I believe that I am the only
               dictionary editor to participate in this discussion, so 
let
               me waste a bit more bandwidth addressing some of the 
points
               made so far, and introducing a few others:

                     The OED, Second Edition, does include _espresso_ 
and
                    _expresso_, the latter being a variant of the 
former.
                    It correctly derives it from Italian _caffe 
espresso_.
                    [Accents left off here.] Whoever claimed it derives
                    the term from a would-be Italian _caffe expresso_ 
was
                    in error.
                     There _is_ an "x" in Latin and Italian.
                     There are four major American dictionaries 
(published
                    by Merriam Webster, Webster's New World, Random 
House,
                    and American Heritage). The most recent edition of
                    each gives _espresso_ as the main form, and 
_expresso_
                    as a variant only. The fact that _expresso_ is 
listed
                    in the dictionary does not mean that it is equally
                    common: the front matter for each dictionary 
explains
                    this. The person who claimed that three dictionaries
                    including OED give _expresso_ as "equally valid" was
                    in error.
                     Dictionaries, in general, do not dictate usage: 
they
                    reflect the usage that exists in the language. If a
                    dictionary says that _espresso_ is the main 
spelling,
                    it means that in the experience of its editors 
(based
                    on an examination of the language), _espresso_ is
                    notably more common. It does not mean that the 
editors
                    have a vendetta against _expresso_.
                     To the linguist who rejects the authority of
                    dictionaries: I agree that language is constantly
                    changing; I'm sure that every dictionary editor in 
the
                    country does as well. Dictionaries are outdated 
before
                    they go to press. But I think they remain accurate 
to
                    a large extent. Also, if you are going to disagree
                    with the conclusions of a dictionary, you should be
                    prepared to back yourself up. I can defend, with
                    extensive written evidence, our decision to give
                    _espresso_ as the preferred form.
                     The spelling _espresso_ is the form used by the 
copy
                    desks of the _New York Times,_ _Gourmet,_ _Bon
                    Appetit,_ The _Wine Spectator,_ the _Wall St.
                    Journal,_ the _L.A. Times,_ _Time,_ _Newsweek,_ and 
to
                    my knowledge every other major or minor newspaper or
                    magazine, general or food-related, in the
                    English-speaking world. The fact that a handwritten
                    menu on an Italian restaurant door spells it
                    "expresso" is trivial by comparison.
                     In sum: though both _espresso_ and _expresso_ are
                    found, the former is by far the more common. It is
                    also to be favored on immediate etymological 
evidence,
                    since the Italian word from which it is directly
                    borrowed is spelled _espresso_. The form _espresso_ 
is
                    clearly preferred by all mainstream sources.

               Jesse T Sheidlower. Editor.

  6. Coffee Recipes and other beverages.

       1.  Espresso

          After living in Italy (Rome) for two years and living off 
espresso,
          Mr. X have found American espresso doesn't cut it. Heres how 
to do
          it.

                Get good dark roasted espresso beans, imported Italian 
brand
if
               you can find it.
                Pack your strainer real full. Pack it hard. your 
instructions
               will say NOT to pack it, but don't listen.
                Don't use too much water. Espresso in Italy is as thick 
as
               syrup. Very thick.
                Add two spoons of sugar, it's a sweet, thick liquid in 
Italy.

          Drink fast.

          Enjoy.

          If using a stove top espresso machine, clean after each use, 
paying
          attention to the seal and strainer.

            1.  For best results, get arabica beans that have been 
roasted
dark
               ("Italian Roast" is darkest) and are oily-looking. Other 
roasts
               are for other types of brewing: espresso machines won't 
draw
the
               earthy flavour of Sumatran out, for example. A small 
amount of
               other beans might add a nice note to the flavour, though 
(I've
               had surprising success adding a few of Thanksgiving 
Coffee's
               "High-Caffeine Pony Express" beans, which are actually 
robusta
               beans from Thailand).
            2.  Grind those beans until they're very fine, but not quite 
a
               powder. Put them into the appropriate piece of your 
machine and
               tamp it down (but don't pack all the grounds in tight).
            3.  Watch the espresso as it drips down. Does a nice layer 
of foam
               form on the top? If it does, all is well; that foam is 
made
from
               the flavourful oils, and it is called crema. If not, go 
to the
               coffee roaster and demand quadruple your money back.
            4.  Never make more than 2oz at a time. If you're making two 
cups
               of espresso, make two separate shots. This is important. 
The
               idea is that the water rushes through and draws out only 
the
               most flavourful part of the grounds. More than 2oz and 
you're
               drawing out less flavourful stuff and diluting your 
espresso.
If
               you're really hardcore, make only 1oz at a time; this is 
called
               caffe ristretto.

       2. Chocolate covered espresso beans

          You won't get single, glossy beans, but the taste is there!

            1. Put dark roast coffee beans on a waxpaper-covered baking 
sheet.
            2.  Melt some chocolate by puting a container with the 
chocolate
in
               a pan of boiling water, stir the chocolate when it is 
getting
               hot. Some experimentation regarding what chocolate to use 
is in
               place. I used chocolate chips of from Girardelli. One 
should
               probably aim for dark + not too sweet chocolate.
            3.  Pour the chocolate over the beans and smear it so that 
each
               bean is covered - you should have a single layer of 
covered
               beans not too far apart.
            4.  When the beans have cooled off a little bit, put the 
sheet in
               the fridge/freezer.
            5.  When solid, break off a piece and enjoy.

       3.  Cappuccino

          Disclaimer: People prepare cappuccino in many different ways, 
and in
          their very own way each one of them is correct. The following
recipe,
          which is commonly used in Latin countries, has been tasted by
several
          of my North-American friends and they unanimously agreed that
          cappuccino prepared using this recipe tastes much better than 
the
          standard fare in USA/Canada.

          Start with cold milk (it doesn't really need to be ice-cold), 
use
          homo milk or carnation. 2% or skim is just not thick enough.

          Place the milk on a special cappuccino glass with a cappuccino
          basket. (Cappuccino glasses have a thinner bottom).

          Aerate the milk near the top, within 2cm (1 in) of the top. 
Move the
          glass down as the milk aerates. It is a good idea to have an
          oscillating motion while aerating the milk.

          Stop when the milk starts boiling or have it boil, let it cool 
down
          for a second or so (literally), and aerate again (it is harder 
to
get
          a nice froth after the milk has boiled).

          Aerating the milk in another container, then pouring in a 
glass and
          adding the foam with a spoon is sacrilege.

          Anybody who has done so should make a pilgrimage to San 
Francisco's
          Girardelli's. Otherwise entry to heaven will be denied (god, 
is
after
          all, Italian. At least the catholic one).

          If you need to aerate the milk on a separate container, aerate
          exactly the amount of milk required for one cup, so no need to 
add
          foam with a spoon.

          Once the milk has been aerated, promptly clean the aerator 
with a
wet
          rag. Failure to do so will quickly result in rotten milk 
flavour
          coming from the aerator.

          Another warning on similar lines applies to restaurant type 
coffee
          machines: leave the aerator valve open when powering the 
machine up
          and down. When the machine is off a partial vacuum is formed 
in the
          boiler that will suck milk residue into the boiler. This then 
coats
          the inside of the boiler and can cause bad smelling steam 
until the
          boiler is flushed. Some machines have a vacuum bleed valve to
prevent

_
                                                                         

          this problem but many don't.

          Wait for the steam pressure to build up again (for some 
cappuccino
          makers wait time is near zero, for others it maybe as long as 
60
          secs).

          Prepare the espresso coffee, you may add it directly on to the 
glass
          if possible or use a cup and then pour it from the cup on the 
milk.

          According to Jym Dyer: In Italy, the milk is added TO the 
espresso,
          not the other way around, that way the milk is floating; on 
top,
          where you then add the sugar, and stir it up.

          Cappuccino tastes better when is really hot, and has two 
coffee
          teaspoons of sugar. (small teaspoons, like the ones in 
expensive
          silverware).

          Then accompany said cappuccino with a warm tea bisquet or 
english
          muffin with marmalade, or alternatively with a baguette 
sandwich or
          panini.

       4.  Frappe

          Frappe coffee is widely consumed in parts of Europe and 
LatinAmerica
          especially in summer. Originally was made with cold espresso.
          Nowadays is prepared in most places by shaking into a shaker 1-
2
          teaspoons of instant coffee with sugar, water and ice-cubes 
and it
is
          served in a long glass with ice, milk to taste and a straw. 
The
          important thing is the thick froth on top of the glass.

       5.  How to make your own chocolate

          Here's the recipe for making a real chocolate beverage. 
Important
          steps are in boldface.

          Ingredients

                1-2kg (2-4pounds) of cocoa beans.
                A manually operated grinder.

          Instructions

                Sift though the beans removing any impurities (pieces of
grass,
               leaves, etc).
                Place the beans in a pan (no teflon) and roast them. 
Stir
               frequently. As the beans roast they start making "pop" 
sounds
               like popcorn. Beans are ready when you estimate that 
approx
               50-75% of the beans have popped. Do not let the beans 
burn,
               though a bit of black on each bean is ok.
                Peel the beans. Peeling roasted cocoa beans is like 
peeling
               baked potatoes: The hotter they are the easier it is to 
peel
the
               darn things, at the expense of third degree burns on your
               fingers. (Tip: Use kitchen mittens and brush the beans in 
your
               hands). If the beans are too hard to peel roast them a 
bit
               longer.
                Grind the beans into a pan. They produce a dark oily 
paste
               called "cocoa paste".
                The oil in the cocoa has a bitter taste that you have to 
get
               used to. I like it this way, but not all people do. Here 
are
the
               alternatives:

               With oil, which gives you a richer flavour:

               Spread aluminum foil on a table and make small pies of
               chocolate, about 1/4 of an inch high, and 6 inches in 
diameter.
               Let them rest overnight. The morning after they are hard
               tablets. Remove them from the aluminum foil and rap them 
in it.
               Store in the freezer.

               Without oil, some flavour is gone, less bitter, weaker
(whimper)
               chocolate:

               Put the paste inside a thin cloth (like linen), close the 
cloth
               and squeeze until the oil comes out. If you manage to get 
most
               of the oil out, what is left is high quality cocoa 
powder, like
               Droste's.

               What is left now is either bitter tablets or bitter cocoa
               powder.

          You can now make a nice beverage as follows:

               Boil a liter of milk (or water, like in ancient Mexican 
style.
               Like water for chocolate, "Como agua para chocolate": you
know).
                When the milk is warm (not hot) add a chocolate pie in 
pieces.
               Stir with a blender (but be careful! the blender's 
electric
cord
               should NOT touch the pot or any other hot thing around 
it).
                When the chocolate has dissolved add 1/2-3/4 cups of 
sugar
               (depending how sweet you like your chocolate) and blend 
in
fast.
               Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved in the 
chocolate
               otherwise it would be bitter no matter how much sugar you 
may
               add afterwards.
                Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or natural vanilla flavour
               (artificial vanilla flavour with chocolate results in an 
awful
               medicine like flavour) if you like, and blend again.
                Let the mixture boil, when it starts to get bubbly 
quickly
               remove the pan from the stove top, and rest the bottom 
against
a
               soaked cloth. Put again on stove top, it should get 
bubbly
               almost immediately, remove once again and repeat one last 
time.
               This aerates the chocolate which enhances the flavour.
                In a mug, put about 1/2-3/4 of the chocolate mixture, 
and add
               cold milk, until the temperature and/or the concentration 
of
the
               flavour is right for your tastes. Accompany with French
               Pastries. Yum Yum!!

          Enjoy!

       6.  How to make the best cup of coffee?

          The best coffee I ever tasted was while in the coffee growing
regions
          of Mexico, in the state of Veracruz, in the town of Coatepec. 
The
          quality of the coffee was mostly due to the method of 
preparation
          than to the quality of the grains (which is at about the same 
level
          as an average colombian coffee). Here's how to make it:

                Grind the coffee grains from coarse to very coarse.
                Boil in a pan a litre of water (four cups).
                When the water is boiling, turn off the stove and add 8-
12
               table spoons of coffee (2-3 spoons per each cup).
                Add two-three teaspoons of sugar per cup (for a total of 
8-12
               spoons of sugar).
                Stir very slowly (the water is so hot that the sugar 
dissolves
               mostly on its own).
                Let the coffee rest for about 5 minutes.
                Strain the coffee using a metal strainer! Like the ones 
used
               for cooking. The strainer should be like the ones used by
granny
               for making tea. The diameter is a bit smaller that a cup, 
with
a
               semi-sphere shape.
                This coffee has grit in the bottom, even after being 
strained.
               Therefore do not stir the pot or the cup. If the coffee 
is
               shaked, let it rest for about five minutes. Needless to 
say, do
               not drink the last sip of coffee from the cup: it's all 
grit.
If
               you want to add milk, add carnation.

          Warning: This coffee may fool you 'cause it has a very smooth 
taste
          but is extremely strong. Caffeine content per millilitre is 
right
          there with espresso, but you can't tell!

          Note: For some strange reason, when preparing this coffee I 
tend to
          have a success ratio of about one out of two attempts. I still 
don't
          know what I'm doing wrong, since, as far as I can tell, always
repeat
          the same steps. Perhaps sometimes I don't let the coffee rest 
long
          enough.

          This type of coffee is similar in nature to the French press. 
And in
          principle, you could possibly add sugar to the ground coffee, 
then
          pour water, and lastly press with the strainer.

       7.  Turkish Coffee

          From Schapira, The Book of Coffee and Tea:

               Turkish coffee is prepared using a little copper pot 
called
               briki.

               Use a heaping teaspoon of very finely ground coffee and 
one
               heaping teaspoon of sugar (to taste). Use about 3oz of
               coffee. [Add the sugar only just before boiling point.]

               The trick of it is to heat it until it froths, let it sit 
a
               little and allow it to cool until the froth settles,
               heating it to the same point a second time and serving.

       8.  Thai Iced Coffee

          Make very strong coffee (50-100% more coffee to water than 
usual),
          use something like Cafe Du Monde which has chicory in it. Pour 
6-8
oz
          into cup and add about 1 Tbs sweetened condensed milk. Stir, 
then
          pour over ice.

          You'll have to experiment with the strength and milk so you 
get lots
          of taste after the ice/water dilutes it.

          My version comes from a newspaper article of many years ago, 
and
          simply calls for grinding two or three fresh cardamom pods and
          putting them in with the coffee grounds. Make a strong coffee 
with a
          fresh dark roast, chill it, sweeten and add half-and-half 
(that's
          what I saw the chef using at the last Thai restaurant I went 
to) to
          taste.

          This is a derivation -from- memory of a recipe that I first 
read
some
          two years or so ago for Thai iced coffee (that lovely stuff 
that I
          can drink for hours on end while I'm slurping down panang and 
pad
          thai):

          Makes 1 8-cup pot of coffee

                6 tablespoons whole rich coffee beans, ground fine
                1/4 teaspoon ground coriander powder
                4 or 5 whole green cardamom pods, ground
                Place the coffee and spices in the filter cone of your 
coffee
               maker. Brew coffee as usual; let it cool.
                In a tall glass, dissolve 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar in 
an
ounce
               of the coffee (it's easier to dissolve than if you put it 
right
               over ice). Add 5-6 ice cubes and pour coffee to within 
about 1"
               of the top of the glass.
                Rest a spoon on top of the coffee and slowly pour 
whipping
               cream into the spoon. This will make the cream float on 
top of
               the coffee rather than dispersing into it right away.
                To be totally cool, serve with Flexi-Straws and paper
               umbrellas...

          One other fun note: I got a fresh vanilla bean recently and 
put it
to
          good use by sealing it in an airtight container with my sugar. 
The
          sugar gets the faintest vanilla aroma and is incredible in 
Real
          Chocolate Milk (TM) and iced coffee.

          One final note: this would probably be even better with iced
          espresso, because the espresso is so much more powerful and 
loses
its
          taste less when it's cold.

          Another recipe:
                Strong, black ground coffee
                Sugar
                Evaporated (not condensed) milk
                Cardamom pods

          Prepare a pot of coffee at a good European strength (Miriam 
Nadel
          suggests 2 tablespoons per cup, which I'd say is about right). 
In
the
          ground coffee, add 2 or 3 freshly ground cardamom pods. (I've 
used
          green ones, I imagine the brown ones would give a slightly 
different
          flavour.) Sweeten while hot, then cool quickly.

          Serve over ice, with unsweetened evaporated milk (or heavy 
cream if
          you're feeling extra indulgent). To get the layered effect, 
place a
          spoon atop the coffee and pour the milk carefully into the 
spoon so
          that it floats on the top of the coffee.

          The recipe I have calls for:

                1/4 cup strong French roasted coffee
                1/2 cup boiling water
                2 tsp sweetened condensed milk
                Mix the above and pour over ice.

          I'd probably use less water and more coffee and milk.

          There is also a stronger version of Thai coffee called "Oleng" 
which
          is very strong to me and to a lot of coffee lovers.

          6 to 8 tablespoons ground espresso or French roast coffee 4 to 
6
          green cardamom pods, crushed Sugar to taste Half-and-half or 
cream
          Ice cubes

          Put the cardamom pods and the ground dark-roast coffee into a 
coffee
          press, espresso maker, or the filter of a drip coffee maker 
(if
using
          a drip-style coffee maker, use half the water). Brew coffee as 
for
          espresso, stir in sugar.

          Fill a large glass with ice and pour coffee over ice, leaving 
about
          1/2 inch at the top. Place a spoon at the surface of the 
coffee and
          slowly pour half-and-half or cream into the spoon, so that it
spreads
          across the top of the coffee rather than sinking in. (You'll 
stir it
          in yourself anyway, but this is a much prettier presentation 
and
it's
          as used in most Thai restaurants.)

          As with Vietnamese coffee, the struggle here is to keep from 
downing
          this all in ten seconds.

       9.  Vietnamese Iced Coffee

          Same coffee as above. Sweetened condensed (not evaporated) 
milk Ice

          Make even stronger coffee, preferably in a Vietnamese coffee 
maker.
          (This is a metal cylinder with tiny holes in the bottom and a
          perforated disc that fits into it; you put coffee in the 
bottom of
          the cylinder, place the disc atop it, then fill with boiling 
water
          and a very rich infusion of coffee drips slowly from the 
bottom.)

          If you are using a Vietnamese coffee maker, put two 
tablespoons of
          sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a cup and put the 
coffee
          maker on top of the cup. If you are making espresso or cafe 
filter
          (the infusion method where you press the plunger down through 
the
          grounds after several minutes of infusion), mix the sweetened
          condensed milk and the coffee any way you like.

          When the milk is dissolved in the coffee (yes, dissolved *is* 
the
          right word here!), pour the combination over ice and sip.

          Thai and Vietnamese coffees are very different.

          Ca phe sua da (Vietnamese style iced coffee)

                2 to 4 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee 
(preferably
               with chicory)
                2 to 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (e.g., 
Borden
Eagle
               Brand, not evaporated milk!)
                Boiling water
                Vietnamese coffee press [see notes]
                Ice cubes

          Place ground coffee in Vietnamese coffee press and screw lid 
down on
          the grounds. Put the sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of 
a
          coffee cup and set the coffee maker on the rim. Pour boiling 
water
          over the screw lid of the press; adjust the tension on the 
screw lid
          just till bubbles appear through the water, and the coffee 
drips
          slowly out the bottom of the press.

          When all water has dripped through, stir the milk and coffee
          together. You can drink them like this, just warm, as ca phe 
sua
          neng, but I prefer it over ice, as ca phe sua da. To serve it 
that
          way, pour the milk-coffee mixture over ice, stir, and drink as
slowly
          as you can manage. I always gulp mine too fast. :-)

          Notes

          A Vietnamese coffee press looks like a stainless steel top 
hat.
          There's a "brim" that rests on the coffee cup; in the middle 
of that
          is a cylinder with tiny perforations in the bottom. Above that 
rises
          a threaded rod, to which you screw the top of the press, which 
is a
          disc with similar tiny perforations. Water trickles through 
these,
          extracts flavour from the coffee, and then trickles through 
the
          bottom perforations. It is excruciatingly slow. Loosening the 
top
          disc speeds the process, but also weakens the resulting coffee 
and
          adds sediment to the brew.

          If you can't find a Vietnamese coffee press, regular-strength
          espresso is an adequate substitute, particularly if made with
          French-roast beans or with a dark coffee with chicory. I've 
seen the
          commonly available Medaglia d'Oro brand coffee cans in 
Vietnamese
          restaurants, and it works, though you'll lose some of the 
subtle
          bitterness that the chicory offers. I think Luzianne brand 
coffee
          comes with chicory and is usable in Vietnamese coffee, though 
at
home
          I generally get French roast from my normal coffee provider.

          Of these two coffees, Vietnamese coffee should taste more or 
less
          like melted Haagen-Dasz coffee ice cream, while Thai iced 
coffee has
          a more fragrant and lighter flavour from the cardamom and
          half-and-half rather than the condensed milk. Both are 
exquisite,
and
          not difficult to make once you've got the equipment.

          As a final tip, I often use my old-fashioned on-the-stove 
espresso
          maker (the one shaped like an hourglass, where you put water 
in the
          bottom, coffee in the middle, and as it boils the coffee comes 
out
in
          the top) for Thai iced coffee. The simplest way is merely to 
put the
          cardamom and sugar right in with the coffee, so that what 
comes out
          the top is ready to pour over ice and add half and half. It 
makes a
          delicious and very passable version of restaurant-style Thai 
iced
          coffee.

      10.  Melya

                Espresso
                Honey
                Unsweetened cocoa


          Brew espresso; for this purpose, a Bialetti-style stovetop 
will
work.
          In a coffee mug, place 1 teaspoon of unsweetened powdered 
cocoa;
then
          cover a teaspoon with honey and drizzle it into the cup. Stir 
while
          the coffee brews; this is the fun part. The cocoa seems to 
coat the
          honey without mixing, so you get a dusty, sticky mass that 
looks as
          though it will never mix. Then all at once, presto! It looks 
like
          dark chocolate sauce. Pour hot espresso over the honey, 
stirring to
          dissolve. Serve with cream (optional). I have never served 
this cold
          but I imagine it would be interesting; I use it as a great hot 
drink
          for cold days, though, so all my memories are of grey skies, 
heavy
          sweaters, damp feet and big smiles.

  7. Administrivia

       1.  List of Contributors

          This FAQ is a collective effort. Here's a list of most (all?) 
of the
          contributors.

                Marc Aurel (4-tea-2@bong.saar.de)
                Scott Austin (scotta@cnt.com)
                Tom Benjamin (tomb@panix.com)
                Steve Bliss (steveb@pcdocs.com)

_
                                                                                                                               

                David Alan Bozak (dab@moxie)
                Rajiv (w94_bhatnaga@wums.wustl.edu)
                Jack Carter (scjack@ausvm1.ibm.com)
                Richard Drapeau
(Richard.Drapeau@p1.f92.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com)
                Jym Dyer (jym@remarque.berkeley.edu)
                Steve Dyer (dyer@spdcc.com)
                Stefan Engstrom (stefan@helios.UCSC.EDU)
                Lemieux Francois (lemieuxf@ERE.UMontreal.CA)
                Scott Fisher (sfisher@megatest.com)
                Dave Huddle (jdh64@cas.org)
                Tom F Karlsson (tomk@mamba.csd.uu.se)
                Bob Kummerfeld (bob@basser.cs.su.OZ.AU)
                John Levine (johnl@iecc.com)
                Alex Lopez-Ortiz (alopez-o@neumann.uwaterloo.ca)
                Steven Miale (smiale@cs.indiana.edu)
                Alec Muffett (alecm@uk.sun.com)
                Dana Myers (myers@cypress.West.Sun.COM)
                Tim Nemec (tim@netins.net)
                Jim Pailin (pailinje@ctrvx1.vanderbilt.edu)
                Dave Palmer (arxt@quads.uchicago.edu)
                Stuart Phillips (phillips@healthy.uwaterloo.ca)
                Cary A. Sandvig (sandvig@rhea.cray.com)
                Jesse T Sheidlower (jester@panix.com)
                Stepahine da Silva (arielle@taronga.com)
                Michael A Smith (msmith@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
                Mari J. Stoddard (stoddard@gas.uug.arizona.edu)
                Thom (thomd@atm.com)
                Adam Turoff (ziggy@panix.com)
                Nick Tsoukas (japetus@orfeas.chemeng.ntua.gr)
                Ganesh Uttam (g.uttam@ic.ac.uk)
                David R. B. Walker (drbw@mail.che.utexas.edu) Orion 
Wilson
               (moria@cats.ucsc.edu)
                Piotr Wlaz (wlaz@plumcs11.umcs.lublin.ed)
                Ted Young (theodric@MIT.EDU)
                Steven Zikopoulos (szikopou@superior.carleton.ca)

       2.  Copyright

          This FAQ is Copyright (C) 1994,1995 by Alex Lopez-Ortiz. This 
text,
          in whole or in part, may not be sold in any medium, including, 
but
          not limited to, electronic, CD-ROM, or published in print, 
without
          the explicit, written permission of Alex Lopez-Ortiz.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
---

Copyright (C) 1994, Alex Lspez-Ortiz.
alopez-o@neumann.uwaterloo.ca
-- 
Alex Lopez-Ortiz                             alopez-
o@neumann.UWaterloo.ca
http://daisy.uwaterloo.ca/~alopez-o                     FAX (519)-885-
1208
Department of Computer Science                      University of 
Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1                                           
Canada

               
