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Mother City boasts the coolest setting for enjoying the best brew on offer
The cool kids discovered Truth, in Buitenkant Street, a good while ago. Now the praises of this Cape Town coffee shop is being sung internationally – for its unique shop design and the classy brew it serves. Earlier this month Tom Midlane of MSN singled out Truth as the best coffee shop in the world.
The honour comes hot on the heels of another accolade earlier this year when Truth made the short list of the UK’s Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. This is the first time a restaurant or bar in Africa has been recognised in this way.
Professor Jones’s Fabulous Coffee Bean Contraption is the centrepiece at Truth – a coffee dispenser designed by Chris Jones, an industrial engineer turned artist. It’s this contraption in particular that has captured the attention of designers the world over.
We talked to Truth’s owner, David Donde, about what exactly “steampunk” – the brewing system that’s all the rage – is. We also asked him how to brew the best cup of coffee.
Seven reasons to drink coffee
You shouldn’t overdo your coffee consumption but two to four cups a day has a number of health benefits, according to various studies:
- Coffee can make your smarter. Its main ingredient, caffeine, is a stimulant (which is why coffee keeps you awake). Studies have shown this stimulant can improve your mood and brain function.
- Coffee can help your burn fat. Caffeine has a positive effect on the metabolic system; in other words it helps you burn fat faster.
- Coffee can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Studies have linked regular coffee intake (one to four cups a day) with a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, thanks to beverage’s high antioxidant content.
- Coffee may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Independent studies have shown coffee drinkers’ risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is up to 60 per cent lower than non-drinkers. Coffee can also reduce your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 32-60 per cent.
- Coffee is good for your liver. Various studies have found the antioxidants in coffee can protect you against liver disease.
- Coffee can extend your life. Two preliminary, independent studies found regular coffee consumption can reduce your risk of dying of any cause. One study found especially coffee drinkers with Type 2 diabetes have a reduced risk of up to 30 per cent of dying over a 20-year period.
- Coffee contains plenty of antioxidants. Coffee isn’t just dark liquid; it contains plenty of antioxidants – up to five times as much as blueberries – which have a number of health benefits.
Shané Barnard
Sources: popsci.com, eatingwell.com, huffingtonpost.com
