Interesting Coffee Facts - Curious Information About Coffee

Delightful Coffee Tidbits and Amazing Coffee Anecdotes

Dark roasted coffee has slightly less caffeine than medium or light roast - about 5% less - roasting marginally burns off the caffeine.

When American soldiers ran out of coffee during the Civil War they often roasted up some Indian corn or sweet potato as a less satisfying substitute.

In one day on this planet expect about 1,400 cups of coffee to be consumed.

The word coffee first showed up in the English language in 1598, coming from the Italian word caffé which is derived from the Turkish kahve. The word kahve came from the Arabic qahwa, which itself is a truncation of the phrase qahhwat al-bun, which means “wine of the bean.”

Where does coffee grow in the United States you ask? Hawaii and Puerto Rico is your answer!

What is Cowboy Coffee you ask? Well those roughnecks sitting around the campfire would put some coffee in a sock and then cook it in a pot of water over the fire before transferring it their tin cup. MmmmMMmm!!

In 1820 caffeine was first isolated from the coffee plants.

Those Germans love their coffee! They consume about sixteen pounds per person each year, making them the second biggest consumer on Earth!

In one year a coffee plant may produce about one half kilo of coffee, and the tree may live for about sixty-five years.

Where did the term Cup ‘o Joe come from? It originated after Admiral Joe Daniels banned alcohol aboard his ship, causing coffee to become more popular as the beverage of choice, and also giving it a new nickname, Cup ‘o Joe!

Those silly Europeans! When coffee first became popular there they called it Arabian Wine!

Interesting Coffee Facts - Curious Information About Coffee continued:

Coffee includes about twelve hundred chemical components though only about half of those comprise the coffee's flavors and aromas.

About how many coffee beans are in a pound of roasted coffee? The answer: About four thousand.

Coffee drinkers in the Middle East often add spices like cardamom to their coffee.

Okay, you just ground up a fresh batch of coffee. Use it soon because in just one hour its taste will start to deteriorate.

How long until a coffee plant reaches maturity? About five years when it may produce about one or two pounds of coffee each year.

Where does the word “Espresso” come from? Funny you should ask! It turns out that the word's Latin root comes from “Pressure,” or “Under Pressure.”

Alright, fess up! Who is drinking all the coffee? The top offenders are Canada, the U.S., Germany, Austria, Nordic countries, and Italy.

It was 1827 when the percolator was first invented to brew quite a hearty beverage from the roasted coffee beans.

The vaporizing aromas during the coffee roasting process contain more than 700 different chemical substances.

Gourmet Coffee and Espresso Brewing Tips

For tips on brewing the perfect cup of coffee see the Espresso Coffee Guides section on Coffee Brewing.

For easy to follow instructions on how to make great espresso drinks see Espresso Drink Recipes and the How to make a Latte. Also provided are tips on Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot.

For the history of espresso and coffee see World's Best History of Coffee, and for a complete list of coffee terminology with detailed definitions see the Espresso Coffee Guides Coffee Terms.