Coffee is rich in caffeine, which is the is the component of coffee that stimulates and activates our bodies and minds. It helps to improve some cognitive functions and memory. Caffeine also helps you to stay focused, energised, and alert - whether you enjoy your coffee black or with milk.

Caffeine is a natural vasodilator, which means it helps to decrease blood pressure by preventing the muscles in your veins from tightening up and getting narrower. People who suffer from headaches could benefit from coffee, especially if they add some milk. It’s important to not overdo it – even 3 cups of coffee a day could be too much, and it could easily become a trigger for headaches and migraines.

Caffeine has long been known to assist with weight loss, often used in various compounds, creams, and other products. Caffeine speeds up a process in the body called ‘thermogenesis’, which is how the body naturally burns fat. Interestingly enough, black coffee benefits the body more than milky coffee, which might be due to the fat content in the milk or added sugar, which is a known contributor to weight gain. However, coffee shouldn't be used alone in an attempt to lose weight - it's best to combine your daily coffee with regular exercise, a healthy, nutritional diet, and plenty of water. In fact, coffee can actually cause your body to retain water, which is one of the contributing factors to weight gain. A moderate amount of coffee every day will help you get the best out of your favourite drink.

The relationship between drinking coffee and neurodegenerative diseases such as these has been studied for years. It's very possible that regularly consuming coffee could reduce the likelihood of these diseases occurring in the future.

GOOD TO KNOW...
A favourite alternative to milk. They often have a full-bodied consistency that can help create a rich and satisfying drink.

HOW DO THEY TASTE?
Because oats themselves have a mild taste, oat-based drinks shouldn’t change the flavour of your coffee that much.

HOW ARE THEY MADE?
Usually, they’re made from oats that have been roasted at low temperatures to add flavour. That’s really similar to coffee-roasting: using heat to release flavours that would otherwise be hidden. After water is added to the roasted oats, it is then filtered to create the final drink.

GOOD TO KNOW...
Coconuts have quite a sweet taste, so these drinks are sometimes blended with other non-dairy alternatives so that they appeal to as many people as possible.

HOW DO THEY TASTE?
Coconut drinks can make your coffee taste sweet, so you might want to test a few different types to find the one that truly tickles your taste buds.

HOW ARE THEY MADE?
They’re made from the white flesh of the coconut, which is usually grated, boiled or simmered, then filtered through cheesecloth. The drinks themselves can be thick or thin, depending on the exact technique and recipe.

GOOD TO KNOW...
Some people say that rice-based drinks can be a bit watery, but that might be exactly what you’re looking for. Everyone’s tastes are different, so why not give them a try?

HOW DO THEY TASTE?
Rice-based drinks don’t have much flavour, so they shouldn’t change the taste of your coffee much. However, they’re not very creamy, so the texture of your coffee perhaps won’t feel as luxurious.

HOW ARE THEY MADE?
They’re usually made from brown rice, which is milled, diluted with water and then filtered.

Traditionally, the foam that baristas create comes from the proteins in dairy milk. So, if you use a plant-based drink instead, the results will usually be different. Baristas definitely prefer almond and oat drinks. But take your time to experiment. If you’re going to make latte art at home, we recommend trying several different drinks to find the one that foams best using your equipment.

Whatever your reason for choosing plant-based alternatives, there’s a world of inspiring alternatives to help make your coffee your own. Want to learn more? Try these 6 plant-based alternatives for coffee.

Dorotee grew up in the mountains near Lake Kivu in the village of Kiguri, Rwanda, where both of her parents were coffee farmers. “I used to help my parents with harvesting and processing of their coffee,” she explains. “After selling it, they were able to take good care of us.” So, when she started raising her own family, she knew that coffee offered an opportunity to provide. She saved enough money to buy a plot of land with coffee trees on it and began harvesting.

It is also key that women are empowered to take leadership positions in farmer groups and on boards of local farmer organisations. Dorotee enjoys sharing her learnings with her farming community.

This knowledge sharing is exactly what Nestlé hope to achieve on a global scale through the empowerment programs in Rwanda and other countries such as Kenya. We hope the various learnings can be rolled out in the future across East Africa.

Thanks to the efforts of Dorotee and female farmers like her, there will be girls who don’t leave school early because they can see a different future; children who don’t end up being a field worker because their mother can afford to give them a chance to go to school; families that don’t go without, between coffee harvests, because income and nutritional sources are diversified.

“The Kahawatu Foundation is helping to make us better farmers. But the real benefits of partnering with them is that it has enabled me to take care of my children’s wellbeing,” says Dorotee. “I’ve been able to buy them school uniform and pay for them to go to school. I have big hopes that, thanks to coffee, I will be able to pay for their education until they all finish their studies. I am a happy woman in a happy home because of coffee."

Honduras has one of the world’s youngest populations, with around 65% of Hondurans under 29. In June 2019, NESCAFÉ^® launched a Youth initiative there.

A collaboration with the national government and part of the Nestlé Needs YOUth project, it aims to inspire younger generations to contribute to the success of their coffee-growing communities.

Part of Nestlé’s wider commitment to help 10 million young people worldwide to access economic opportunities by 2030, the NESCAFÉ^® Plan aims to provide coffee farming training up to 25,000 young people in Honduras.

Following the initiative, a new generation of farmers feel fully invested in the farmland of their ancestors. “Most of us come from coffee producing families, but the challenge is that we inherit land along with other grandchildren, children and cousins,” says Cesar.

"We lack theoretical and practical training when it comes to farm management. We let older people worry about it, and production has declined. Coffee is something that many young people see as obsolete. Thanks to the program, I have a different vision of what I want for my farm.”

The collective learnings, shared among youth training programs in coffee, accelerate and expand the programs started by the NESCAFÉ^® Plan in countries like Mexico and Colombia. “I think about a future in coffee, but not just in terms of an income,” says Cesar.

“It’s a culture, a patrimony, an inheritance, and our family. It will always form a part of me and our community. The difference is, I don’t feel I have to be bound by tradition".

"In Italian, the term ‘macchiato’ translates as ‘marked’ or ‘stained’, meaning a stained or marked coffee. The macchiato is an espresso coffee drink, topped with a small amount of foamed or steamed milk to allow the taste of the espresso to still shine through.

The small amount of milk used in the macchiato gives this coffee a slight sweetness. However, the combination of sweetness and creaminess of the milk isn’t enough to dilute the strength of the espresso, so some may argue that a macchiato can taste slightly bitter.

It may surprise you, but coffee beans aren’t beans at all. Rather, they’re seeds which are found inside a coffee cherry. The coffee plant is a fruit tree and the fruits are similar in appearance to berries. After picking, the skin and pulp are removed and what is left are the seeds or coffee ‘beans’. Prior to roasting these ‘beans’ are green and smell grassy, a far cry from the rich aroma that we associate with coffee!

The coffee roasting process is where the magic happens and the clever little beans develop between 800 – 1000 different aroma compounds to transform into the coffee you know and love. It’s during this process that different roast profiles and flavours are developed and as such, the temperature and time it takes has a huge impact on these flavours as well as on the colour of the beans. 

How is NESCAFÉ coffee roasted?
In every roasting method, the energy source for roasting coffee beans is hot air. There are currently three main coffee roasting processes used:

If a more balanced flavour and aroma is appealing to you, try our NESCAFÉ^® GOLD BLEND. It's smooth, rich, yet well-rounded. Or, perhaps NESCAFÉ^® AZERA Americano is for you, with its irresistible velvety crema.

A cappuccino is the perfect balance of espresso, steamed milk and foam. This coffee is all about the structure and the even splitting of elements into equal thirds. An expertly made cappuccino should be rich, but not acidic and have a mildly sweet flavouring from the milk. And, because the milk is not actually mixed in it gives the espresso a stronger flavour.

If you’re ordering in a coffee shop, you might be wondering what the difference is between the two. The macchiato begins with a base of steamed milk, two shots of espresso and then a thin layer of milk foam on top for a much higher ratio of coffee to milk. A cappuccino on the other hand starts with a shot of espresso, followed by steamed milk and finally milk foam on top, all in a perfectly balanced ratio. You should now have all the information you need for your next order!