Columbian coffee was once the standard for many American coffee drinkers. The simple fact is until recently, many Americans were perfectly content living the Starbuck's free lifestyle that included drinking coffee that was whole heartedly endorsed by the likes of Juan Valdez. Truth be told, coffee was one of the best products coming out of Columbia at the time. It's amazing how much can change in the course of twenty or thirty years.

There have been many things that in combination have crippled the Columbian coffee market to some degree but might not have managed to do so alone. Weak prices that have resulted from other world markets introducing stiff competition within the coffee ranks combined with a particularly devastating infestation of berry borers (these are very similar to boll weevils) and the collapse of the international coffee agreement have combined to create a situation for many Columbian growers in which coffee is no longer a profitable endeavor.

The end result is that coffee growers are turning to products such as sugar cane and bananas in order to earn livings and make fortunes rather than tackle the increasing costs involved in raising coffee while prices and profits continue to plummet.

Columbian coffee is noted for the fullness of its flavor and the (in certain regions such as Bogota) its low acidity. With so much emphasis being placed on gourmet coffees and coffees that are roasted a certain way or have added flavor in order to create the perceived coffee culture it is great to know that a few growers are sticking with it and continuing to produce excellent coffee to those of us who have a deep appreciation for what Dennis Leary refers to as 'coffee flavored coffee'.

Columbian coffee is perfect for your automatic drip coffee maker. In fact, it is probably the best selling coffee in America despite the growing popularity of flavored and gourmet coffees among the 20 and thirty something crowd. The fact is that as long as there is coffee there will probably be some demand for the flavor that only Columbian coffee can provide. It is important to remember that some factors of the coffee growing process simply cannot be simulated elsewhere. Only in the regions of Columbia can you find the perfect conditions for growing the coffee that has made this region famous around the world.

One thing that separates Columbian coffee from other regions, even though other regions use Arabica beans, is that Columbian coffee is washed which results in the release of impurities and provides it with its rich taste and that famous coffee scent that simply cannot be duplicated. Once washed and dried these beans go through a rigorous screening process in order to make sure they are up to snuff so to speak. These steps are necessary in order to keep to the high standards required for coffee to be called Columbian coffee and a large part of the reason this particular coffee is still enjoyed around the world. Fads and flavors and coffee lore may come and go, but Columbian coffee is showing an incredible ability to survive trends, pests, and plummeting prices.