Looking for a healthy alternative to tobacco products? Trying to kick the habit of using smokeless tobacco? There’s a new alternative on the scene: coffee dip. No, not dip as in chips and dip; it’s dip as in snus, snuff, or chewing tobacco. “The pinch between your cheek and gums,” as Skoal used to advertise. In the old days, Major League Baseball players were famous for the tell-tale bump on the lower lip. Today, we’re taking a look at the coffee version of smokeless tobacco: coffee dip.
A Quick Overview of Dip
To understand coffee dip, you must know the concept of smokeless tobacco – “dip” as it is widely called in the US.
You don’t “chew” dip, you put a lump of it between your cheek and gum and wait. Saliva begins to collect in your mouth. After a few minutes, you’ll want to spit it out; however, there are varieties of Swedish snus that can be swallowed safely.
If it all sounds a bit gross, it is gross. But for millions of smokeless tobacco users worldwide, there’s nothing better than the first dip of the day. Sound familiar?
Dip comes in a tin or a can, roughly the size of a hockey puck. The old-school smokeless tobaccos were either finely ground tobacco (snuff) or loose, “long-cut” versions. Roughly 15 years ago, the pouches became popular. And then, of course, the real-deal chewing tobaccos like RedMan and Beechnut are full-leaved tobaccos and rarely used anymore.
Why Use Dip?
According to the American Heart Association, nicotine is as addictive as heroin. Many dip users started out as cigarette smokers who either wanted to get off cigarettes or found dip much easier to use in office environments. Others just started using it for whatever reason.
The low-key, calming buzz of nicotine is one of the most popular and familiar attractions of tobacco use. The main problem with tobacco dip is pretty obvious: there’s a warning label on every tin of dip or snus that reads: THIS PRODUCT CAUSES ORAL CANCER.
And this is where coffee comes in. While the caffeine content of coffee is addictive, the absence of nicotine and carcinogens may result in a “safe product”.
Top 2 Types of Coffee Dip:
The tobacco versions of dip are generally ground and processed tobacco leaves. Coffee dip follows suit. At the time of this writing, these are 100% safe and approved by the FDA.
1. Major League Coffee Dip
Major League Coffee Dip is a combination of fresh ground coffee, honey sugar, and a bit of cream – with the same general texture and composition as Copenhagen Long Cut (loose) tobacco. The honey is the binding agent for a good pack. The 1.4-ounce vacuum-sealed tin is similar to a standard smokeless tobacco tin. The dip is 100% edible, so no worries if you find it palatable. The total caffeine content is roughly 200-250 mg, which, depending on the size of your “average dip” (portion, for non-users), is ¼ to ½ cup of coffee.
2. Java Chews
Java Chews is a nicotine-alternative coffee dip that is served up in a tin of small pouches. There are 15 small pouches in every tin. Each pouch is comparable to a ¼ cup of coffee and contains 24 mg of caffeine. Although the pouch is safe for human consumption, it is not recommended to eat the pouch. If you are into flavors, Java Chews has four flavors available; French Vanilla, Caramel, Wintergreen, and Mocha. There is a starter pack, too, which allows you to enjoy all the flavors.
Using Coffee Dip
For the Curious
So, maybe you’re not a smokeless tobacco user and you’re interested in trying this new coffee dip. How does it work?
We’ve featured two styles of coffee dip: loose and pouch. Now, take a pinch between your thumb and index finger, maybe ½ an inch thick – roughly the size of a grape or small plumb.
Place the pinch of coffee dip between the gum of your lower jaw and lip, slightly off-center. And that’s it. You’ll start salivating and enjoying the coffee flavor. Whether you spit it out is your call. It seems wasteful to us.
For Smokeless Users
Coffee dip is not considered a replacement for dip or snus; it is a nicotine-free alternative.
DISCLAIMER: If you have a nicotine habit that you’d like to quit, seek treatment and guidance from a medical professional. Therefore, the following suggestions are merely anecdotal situations, i.e. if you want to try kicking nicotine on your own, this has worked for someone we know very well. Above all, getting off nicotine takes discipline and dedication.
The act of using dip – the sensation of packing a wad of smokeless tobacco between your cheek and gum – is almost as enticing as the nicotine buzz. Using a nicotine-free surrogate may help to alleviate the stress of taking away too much, too soon.
The Weaning Method
Start Week 1 by creating a mixture of one-part Major League dip and one part of your favorite tobacco. Use this mix for a week. Start Week 2 with a two-thirds coffee dip and one-third smokeless tobacco.
Week 3 is when things get really tough. Cut the smokeless tobacco entirely. Week 4, stop using coffee dip. See how you feel. You may find the nicotine cravings are gone but a caffeine craving has filled the void.
Trying Coffee Dip: Things to Consider
If you are considering attempting or sincerely trying to break your addiction to nicotine, or merely limit your nicotine intake, then the coffee dip may work for you. The physical act of using coffee dip may help you get over one aspect of the psychological hump.
General coffee lovers may be intrigued and like the idea of having the coffee taste without having to have to pour a cup of coffee. Or you may welcome an additional boost of caffeine during the day and find the coffee dip useful. In any of these cases, the coffee dip or coffee dip pouches are 100% FDA approved. All in all, the coffee dip or pouch can provide a needed alternative for chew lovers or just a nice lift for the coffee lover.
Featured Image: vichni, Shutterstock
