Coffee and Caffeine FAQ

I cannot point to definitive research you probably have not already located regarding this "dark roasting sublimates caffeine" topic. The many books in my coffee library perpetuate this myth without citing supporting scholarship although Corby Kummer cites the caffeine chapter of "Psychiatry/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual" 4th ed, 1994. However, there is one factor you might consider including in your discussion about espresso. Robusta beans contain twice as much caffeine as arabica beans. Most supermarket and office coffees are primarily cheap, caffeine-riddled robustas from Brazil. The better espresso blends are almost all 100% arabicas. The exceptions are the so-called northern Italian style espressos which contain 4-12% high-quality robustas to add color, body, crema, and distinctive flavor profiles. See Josuma and Espresso Vivace.
http://www.josuma.com/european.shtml
http://www.espressovivace.com/blends.html

cited works:
Illy, Francesco & Riccardo. "The Book of Coffee" Abbeville Press, 1989. See page 14 for comparison of robusta and arabica caffeine content. See page 175 for descriptions of espresso blends.
Davids, Kenneth. "Espresso: Ultimate Coffee" Cole Group, 1993. See page 50 for the "caffeine goes up the chimney" myth about dark roasting.
Kummer, Corby, "The Joy of Coffee" Chapters, 1995. See page 163 for everything caffeine-ish.

david bogie
My claim to fame: "FAQ: Home Espresso Machines" as seen 1987-1994 on the pre-Web Usenet newsgroup alt.coffee