This Coffee is Mold-Free

Smooth, rich, and hot…mmm, coffee. If you’re a java fan, take heart. Harvard School for Public Health finds that a daily cuppa—as part of a healthy lifestyle—shows no increased risk for illness (exceptions: if coffee gives you jitters, you may be a slow metabolizer who’d be better off cutting back; also, pregnant women should try to steer clear since fetuses are slow caffeine-metabolizers). But recent studies show coffee can be a good guy. It may reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes; Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, certain cancers and even stroke risk—as long as the coffee is toxin-free. The problem: a lot of beans aren’t.

That’s why we’re excited about Sightglass Coffee. The San Francisco-based boutique roaster offers pesticide-free, seasonal beans—coffees do change with the seasons, which means the variety you’ve been buying year-round could have sat for months in a warehouse. And Sightglass prides itself in choosing only ripe, top-quality cherries (less expensive roasters often use a mixture of higher- and lower-grade). Even better, Sightglass’ beans are free of mold.

Say what? As it turns out, mold can form at the farm, from “contamination of water, animal interaction with the process of coffee or poor management of storage,” explains Sightglass’ Director of Green Coffee, Gabriel Boscana. That said, when coffee is roasted, any mold is believed to be destroyed. But wouldn’t you prefer beans that start out clean?

For the best cup:

• Use a paper filter. Coffee contains a component called “cafestol,” which is a powerful stimulator of “bad” cholesterol levels. The filter strains out the cafestol, which is in the coffee’s oils. Espresso has been shown to contain less cafestol than coffee made in a French press, but more than filtered coffee.
• Try darker roasts. Darker roasting has been shown to increase antioxidants, decrease caffeine, and produce a chemical that helps to reduce stomach acid. (Read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s take on it here.)
• Use ’em, don’t store ’em. Freezing or refrigerating coffee beans doesn’t actually extend their life, and freezing can damage their moisture balance. It’s best to buy less, and use it within two weeks.

Get Sightglass Coffee here.

And make toxic coffee a has-bean.