Are there any calories in roasted coffee beans?
And why do they seem to 'disappear' when turned into black coffee?
According to some websites, there are (I've seen values between 300 and 400 kcal per 100 g).
At the same time, when I check nutrition facts about black coffee – it says 0 kcal.
Where do all the calories of the coffee beans go when they turn into black coffee?
I read that when coffee is filtered (with paper filters), some oils are absorbed in the filter. But this alone does not seem enough to account for the missing calories. Also note that although the nutrition facts for black coffee are 'diluted' (i.e. it's expected they would be a lot less than the actual coffee in powder form, because there's water added), that is also not enough to bring the value to 0 kcal (however the rounding is performed).
And what about coffee that is not filtered (French press?) or even about eating whole roasted coffee beans – what would the calories be then?
Thanks
Below are some sources with confusing/conflicting data:
Sources:
Coffee beans kcal per 100 g:
- 406 kcal: http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=28551
- 417 kcal: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orzo-Coffee-Ground-Roasted-400/dp/B00EXPZIT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443103310&sr=8-1
- 300 kcal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/generic-whole-plain-medium-roast-coffee-beans-eaten-227569387
- 267 kcal: http://www.nestle.co.uk/brands/coffee/dolcegusto/dolcegustopods
Best Answer
Flatly, the calories are in the filter: in the grounds that you dump on your compost.
In the water that went through the grounds, there are mostly aromatic substances and traces of coffee oils, few enough that a cup of coffee has (rounded) 0 calories.
The caloric values given for coffee beans are valid if eaten - which is rarely done in significant amounts (except perhaps the occasional chocolate-covered bean or truffle garnish). That the values differ between sources is typical - it happens with other foods as well. Measurement methods vary and so do nutrition contents in different batches / breeds / origins of beans.
If you prepare your coffee with a method that leaves some coffee grounds in your cup (e.g. Turkish coffee) and you consume them (as opposed to leaving the dregs), your cup will have some calories. Yet probably not enough to be relevant for your daily calorie intake. My estimate would be that an amount of black coffee that would supply a significant amount of calories would have you shaking that much that you would burn them again just from the side-effects of the caffeine or from the additional trips to the bathroom.