What’s The Difference Between Arabica And Robusta Coffee Beans?

[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”center” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]True coffee aficionados know the difference. Coffee is part of a family of flowering plants called Rubiaceae, which has over 500 different families and about six thousand different species. So how did just two of them become the cream that rises to the top of mankind’s insatiable quest for the world’s best coffee? Those two species of Rubiaceae are Arabica and Canephora, also known as Robusta. While they are from the same family, the offer different characteristics that discerning coffee drinkers can spot right away. At Roasted Whisk, we actually use a blend of the two to get the best of both worlds, but more on that later.  Now back to the beans themselves…Arabica beans, while containing less caffeine than Robusta, are often considered superior in taste. They have a smoother, sweet flavor, with notes of chocolate and sugar. Some beans have hints of fruits or berries. Robusta is stronger, harsher, and sometimes more bitter.

So, why not just rely on the perennial favorite Arabica?  Think of Robusta as the street-smart version of its more delicate sister Arabica. Despite a flavor that’s slightly less refined, Robusta is widely used in espresso blends because it is known to produce a better crema (the frothy layer found on top of an espresso shot) than Arabica. Robusta, as the name implies, of also hardier, more resistant to disease, and produces better yields.  And one thing we love about Robusta here at Roasted Whisk? It packs more caffeine than Arabica!

Our Cafe Cubano is a delightful mix of Arabica beans with a touch of Robusta, resulting in a traditional style of Cuban roast. (After all, Roasted Whisk is the brainchild of three generations of Cuban-American Latinas).

So why do we blend to two? Simple–flavor. Most grocery store-bought ground and whole bean coffees are the Robusta variety. Why? Because Robusta beans are cheaper than Arabica beans. We have found that by blending the two, you get the best properties of each–sweeter flavor from Arabica and more deep richness from Robusta.  This incredible flavor combination enhances our espresso-infused cookies, brownies, and popcorn, too, for a veritable explosion of flavor.

Now that you know the difference, taste the difference with a fresh cup of Roasted Whisk, available online.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Perk Up Your Corporate Gifting Program

Corporate Gifting

Forging strong relationships in business is all about creating touchpoints with employees, clients, and prospect by giving them a gift.  It can be a common piece of swag, like a fountain pen or a branded note pad, but when you think a little outside the box, corporate gifting not only cements alliances, but builds your brand in a powerful way.  The best way to create that lasting memory is by appealing to their sense of taste.

It’s well known that taste triggers memories. 

Fresh coffee brewing in the morning might trigger a Christmas morning at Mom’s house, while a fresh-baked treat could take you back to hot cookies straight out of Grandma’s oven. So, why is taste such a powerful reaction? In The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship With Food, published by Harvard Press, John S. Allen explains that as human beings, we’re essentially hardwired to link food and memory through both nature and nurture.

In the book Allen ties together how our brains are designed to absorb experiences through the senses and then record them as memories. Much of this happens in the hippocampus, a part of our limbic system that deals with emotions, memory and emotional processing.

While the hippocampus is our most basic structure for forming memories and recalling them, it’s also responsible for the spatial memory we count on—knowing where things are, where we are and how to navigate. Essentially, the hippocampus helps us organize and remember our world so that we can survive, and since food is so vital, it qualifies as a significant memory to record.

To make the relationship even a bit more interesting, when we eat something we really like, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that lights up our brain’s reward centers and turns what might otherwise be a short-term memory into a long-term one.

At Roasted Whisk, we have the perfect corporate gift ideas to help celebrate holidays, birthdays, personal or professional achievements, and anniversaries.  Whether you’re saying “welcome aboard” or “thank you for your business,” a gift box with premium Cuban coffee and espresso-infused home-baked treats can keep you and your brand top-of-mind for all the right reasons.

The fastest way to their heart is through their stomach. 

After all, who thought Harry and David could build an empire selling pears?  At Roasted Whisk, we combine two office favorites–coffee and treats–in unique gift boxes they’ll appreciate with every sip and bite.

We can beautifully brand your corporate gift boxes.

Better yet, we can brand any of our boxes just for your company, and include your mugs, your logo on the box, and a custom, branded thank you card.  We’ll also work with you to help decide which coffees and treats you want your boxes to include, and can drop ship them for you fresh when ordered.

Plus, corporate gifts make tax time less taxing.

Did you know that you can deduct up to $25 for each corporate gift you give?  That makes a Roasted Whisk corporate gift box a smart choice in more ways than one.

Want to learn more? 

Visit us at RoastedWhisk.com.  Ready to start customizing your own corporate gift boxes right now?  Email us at [email protected] or call 813-804-0169.  It’s the tastiest way to show your appreciation.

Five Surprising Benefits Of Drinking Black Coffee

Five Surprising Benefits Of Drinking Black Coffee

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” border_style=”solid” admin_label=”Blog – Content” admin_toggled=”no” flex_column_spacing=”0px” type=”flex” flex_justify_content=”center” padding_right=”0″ padding_left=”0″ margin_top=”0px” padding_right_small=”65px” padding_left_small=”65px” margin_top_small=”0px”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” first=”true” type_medium=”3_5″][fusion_title title_type=”text” rotation_effect=”bounceIn” display_time=”1200″ highlight_effect=”circle” loop_animation=”off” highlight_width=”9″ highlight_top_margin=”0″ before_text=”” rotation_text=”” highlight_text=”” after_text=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” content_align=”left” size=”2″ font_size=”32px” animated_font_size=”” fusion_font_family_title_font=”” fusion_font_subset_title_font=”” fusion_font_variant_title_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”4%” margin_top_mobile=”” margin_bottom_mobile=”” text_color=”” animated_text_color=”” highlight_color=”” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=””]Curabitur aliquet quam id dui[/fusion_title][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”center” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]

Coffee.  Americans just can’t seem to get enough of it.  Recent is showing that is a very good thing for public health.  Coffee consumption soared to a  two-decade high post COVID, according to consumer polling released by the National Coffee Association.  A whopping 66 percent of Americans drink coffee each day, more than any other beverage including tap water.  That’s up 14 percent since January of 2021 and the largest increase the NCA has found since it began tracking data.   For many of these coffee lovers, they’ll take it black, thank you, and science is finding that’s even better for their overall health.

Black coffee, when consumed daily, has been proven to provide serious health benefits to those who consume it.  Up to three cups a day can protect your heart and help prevent stroke.  Those ages 65 to 84 who drank black coffee regularly had a lower rate of cognitive decline.  Black coffee can also help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, help you achieve your fitness goals, and combat depression.

All of this is great news for Roasted Whisk, but we’re not surprised.

We can’t imagine anything more satisfying than the simple beauty of a freshly brewed cup of black java.  All of these health benefits make us love it even more.  In this post, we’ll look at each in more depth. Perhaps it will change your coffee consumption habits?

How black coffee consumption protects your heart and helps prevent strokes.

Analysis from a major study recently published by the AHA Journal Circulation tracked self-reported dietary data from the original Framington Heart Study, which began in 1948.  Compared with those who didn’t drink coffee, the analysis found the risk of heart failure over time to be between five and 12 percent lower for each cup of coffee consumed each day.  The risk of heart failure remained the same for drinking no coffee or one cup per day in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. But when people drank two or more cups of black coffee a day the risk decreased by about 30%, the analysis found.  This analysis did not extend to decaffeinated coffee, as it doesn’t contain the caffeine component the heart seems to thrive on in moderate amounts.

A couple of cups of black coffee each day may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that people who increased their intake of black coffee each day by more than one cup over a four-year period had an 11 percent lower risk for type 2 diabetes. Conversely, those who decreased their coffee consumption by more than a cup each day increased their risk by 17 percent.  Caffeine in black coffee “energized” those studies to lead less sedentary lifestyles, which in turn, lowered their risk for type 2 diabetes.

Can drinking black coffee before a workout help you burn fat?

For many of us, any extra stimulation we can muster for a trip to the gym is welcome.  But coffee may be just the push we all need.  The caffeine in black coffee is a natural stimulant, and moderate consumption of this stimulant increase alertness, cognitive function, and weight loss.  Recent analysis of studies by the FDA also suggest that black coffee can increase exercise performance by enhancing anaerobic power, aerobic endurance, and muscle endurance and strength.  Data also showed that this positive effect was more pronounced during aerobic exercise than during anaerobic sessions such as high-intensity interval training.

Feeling blue?  Black coffee might provide relief.

Dr. Alan Leviton of Harvard University, a leading researcher in neurology, recently conducted a comprehensive review and found that evidence showed that coffee drinkers are significantly less likely to be depressed than people who do not drink coffee.  This, too, is no surprise to us who find great joy in daily cups of our favorite, proprietary coffee blends.  Coffee’s positive impact on mental health may be related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its ability to block receptors in people’s brains from binding with a chemical that causes fatigue and depressed mood.

Coffee is showing incredible potential to delay cognitive decline and ward off Alzheimer’s Disease.

An Australian observational study of 227 cognitively normal participants aged 60 years and older at the start of the study more than a decade ago has found that daily intake of black coffee was associated with a slower decline in attention, executive functions like planning and decision-making, and an overall composite score of cognitive functions.  Higher coffee intake was also shown to lower the likelihood that mild cognitive decline or Save Alzheimer’s would occur in that same ten-year period.  This is because high coffee intake slows the accumulation of amyloid in the brain by up to five percent.  The study was unable to ascertain which substance, whether it was caffeine, chlorogenic acids, polyphenols, cafestol, and other properties of black coffee actually prompted the most benefit, or whether they worked in concert to help keep mental decline at bay.

A word of caution.

Many studies on coffee are done only on drinking black coffee. However, adding dairy, sugars, flavors or nondairy creamers can add a lot calories, sugar and fat, which could negate coffee’s healthy benefits. An additional caveat: In most studies, a cup of coffee is only 8 ounces. But the standard “grande” cup at the coffee shop is 16 ounces.

The good news is coffee is good for you and Roasted Whisk is even better. 

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”80px” margin_bottom=”80px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” first=”true” element_content=”” margin_top_small=”30px” margin_bottom_small=”30px” align_content=”flex-start”][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]