Tell some coffee lovers that there is nothing good about coffee and they will surely disagree. Yet acidity and caffeine sensitivity are just two of the disadvantages experienced when some consumers drink this aromatic beverage. Giving up coffee can be a little easier when a delicious hot substitute is available.
The demand for coffee alternatives is nothing new as demonstrated by the popularity of Postum, created from grains in 1895 by C.W. Post. While Postum was discontinued in 2007, additional coffee replacements have been developed throughout the years since Postum was developed. The following are a number of these coffee substitutions.
Coffee-Like Alternatives
Teeccino Caffe was created in 1994 as a coffee replacement consisting of a blend of grains, fruits, and nuts. The original formula included carob, chicory, dates, figs, and almonds. Ramon nuts, a staple of Mayan culture having a flavor similar to coffee when roasted, were added to the recipe in 2006. The preparation of this product requires brewing in a coffee maker or espresso machine although it does not contain any coffee.
Another caffeine-free coffee substitute, popular in Europe for around 50 years, is Bambu. Available to brew in your coffee maker or as an instant drink, it is a blend of roasted chicory, figs, wheat, acorns, and malted barley.
Pero, Grain Gourmet, and Inka Naturalis are three instant hot beverages containing comparable ingredients. Each one contains rye, barley, and chicory except that Grain Gourmet also includes barley malt and lists its ingredients as organic, while Inka includes beet roots.
Other Hot Beverages
Roastaroma is described and packaged as an herbal tea bag. The grains and spices giving this product a coffee-like taste are roasted barley, roasted chicory, roasted carob, cinnamon, allspice and Chinese star anise.
From Australia, Soyafe is a natural caffeine-free blend made from roasted soy beans and the natural sweetener, Stevia. Soyafe comes in powdered form to be prepared as an instant beverage.
As a final point, many of these beverages contain chicory, the root of this perennial being the most popular of all coffee substitutes. Not only is it a delicious coffee replacement, but it also offers health benefits such as purifying the blood and assisting the function of the liver. Yet, while chicory is a popular coffee replacement, there are additional hot beverages without it, most of which claim to contain health-boosting ingredients.
Some reformed coffee drinkers simply miss the taste while others miss the ritual of the brewing process. Therefore, determining your requirements may help to establish which alternatives to try first. Finally, finding a satisfying coffee substitute will most likely involve some taste-testing, so watch for free samples and enjoy.