65 countries in the world grow coffee. They are all along the equator, within the tropics.
Coffee is not grown anywhere in the United States except Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
In 1675 Charles II, King of England issued a proclamation banning Coffee Houses. He said that they were places where people met to plot against him.
30% of coffee drinkers in US added a sweetener of some kind to their coffee, compared with 57% in UK.
October 1st is official “Coffee Day” in Japan.
Scientists have discovered more than 800 different aromatic compounds in coffee.
Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world (oil is the first.)
Brazil produces around 40% of the world’s coffee supply.
A Belgian named George Washington invented instant coffee in 1906.
Coffee has been used as a beverage for over 700 years.
Black coffee with no sugar contains no calories.
More than 20 million people worldwide, work in the coffee industry.
There are two species of coffee plant: Arabica and Robusta.
75% of the world’s coffee comes from the Coffea Arabica plant.
Drinking a single cup of coffee that has been brewing for 20 minutes provides the body with 300 phytochemicals which act as antioxidants and stay in the body for up to a month.
In days gone by, Turkish bridegroom had to promise that they would always provide their new wives with coffee.
Espresso Coffee has just one third of the caffeine content of ordinary coffee.
Coffee beans are really berries. Each berry contains two beans (pips).
An expert in preparing Turkish coffee is known as a “kahveci”.
The Nicaraguan Margogpipe is the largest of all coffee beans.
It takes 40 coffee beans to make an espresso.
One coffee tree yields less than half a kilo of coffee per year.
A coffee tree lives for between 60 and 70 years.
Worldwide, more 1400 millions cups of coffee are drunk every day.
Caffeine, which is found in coffee, increases the effect of some painkillers, especially aspirin and paracetamol.
Germany is the world's second largest consumer of coffee in terms of volume at 16 pounds per person.
Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide, but all of them lie along the equator between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
An acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2,000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.
The percolator was invented in 1827 by a French man. It would boil the coffee producing a bitter tasting brew. Today most people use the drip or filtered method to brew their coffee.
With the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, no coffee is grown in the United States or its territories.
Up until the 1870's most coffee was roasted at home in a frying pan over a charcoal fire. -It wasn't until recent times that batch roasting became popular.
Each year some 7 million tons of green beans are produced world wide. Most of which is hand picked.
Major per-capita consumers of coffee are Canada, the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Nordic countries.
27% of U.S. coffee drinkers and 43% of German drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee.
The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil with over 3,970 million coffee trees. Colombia comes in second with around two thirds of Brazil's production.
Hard bean means the coffee was grown at an altitude above 5000 feet.
Arabica and Robusta trees can produce crops for 20 to 30 years under proper conditions and care.
Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting the beans each year.
The popular trend towards flavored coffees originated in the United States during the 1970's.
Myths about the caffeine
Caffeine is a substance that has effects on the metabolism of the body. Among other actions, stimulates the nervous system. It can be found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and certain medicines, advises the MedlinePlus website. Some people consume caffeine causes anxiety, insomnia, irritability and head pains. But there are those who say that these are not their unique effects. Some people claim that coffee consumption may lead to breast cancer and addiction. Really is this true? Electronic sites specializing in health lifescript.com and afic.org revealed the truth about some myths about caffeine intake.
Myth: Caffeine causes dehydration True. Caffeine is a mild diuretic causing desire to urinate. If you are very often bath are lost more fluids that are being taken, says Franz H. Messerli, Professor of medicine at Columbia University in New York.
Myth: Caffeine causes hyperactivity in children. False. Studies have shown that a moderate amount of caffeine (from 40 to 200 milligrams) does not make kids hyperactive. As well as adults, children receive increased energy that is not harmful, reveals Suzanne Sheres, paediatric dietician at the Nemours Children's clinic in Orlando, Florida. She added that small amounts of caffeine can even help children diagnosed with disorder attention deficit and hyperactivity, because it helps them focus their attention.
Myth: Caffeine is related to fibrocystic breast disease. False. . According to the American Medical Association, caffeine intake is not related to the disease in moms. "There is no evidence to support the idea of caffeine causes changes fibrocystic or breast cancer", said Catherine B. Lee, doctor of the clinical center of Cleveland.
Myth: Caffeine may aggravate heart disease. False. A study carried out by the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid revealed that women who drank two to three tracks of coffee with caffeine a day had 25 percent fewer heart disease risk. There is little evidence that the substance increases the risk of a sudden death, abnormal heart rhythms and heart attack.
Myth: Caffeine is addictive. False. Although caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, is not addictive, reported the American Journal of drug addiction and alcoholism. Unlike classic amphetamine, rarely arises a compulsion to use this substance. But does not generate addiction, yes causes dependence, therefore, to decide to quit drinking coffee you should do so gradually, so that to avoid the pains of head, the anxiety and irritability.
Myth: Caffeine increases the risk of hypertension. False. Caffeine causes a small boost to short-term, blood pressure, but nothing serious, and no effect on health. A Harvard University study showed that no relationship there is between coffee consumption and an increased risk of hypertension. What could be dangerous is sugar and other ingredients for soft drinks and coffee, but not the caffeine itself.
Myth: Caffeine causes bone loss. True. Caffeine causes a small loss of calcium if consumed about three cups of coffee a day, but this is something that could be compensated for taking milk, revealed a study conducted by the Creighton University.
Myth: Caffeine is not healthy for pregnant women. True. Women who are expecting a baby should not take more than two cups of coffee a day, the American College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists is recommended. The reason for this is that too much caffeine can cause irregular heartbeat in the fetus, in the same way that occurs when you consume excessive amounts of chocolate.
Myth: Caffeine have abundant amounts of calories. False. Alone, coffee or tea are calories or fat. What makes drinks with caffeine a bomb is that they are combined with whole milk, sugar or cream.
Coffee Tips
Grinding Tip Never grind more coffee than you will use for immediate brewing. Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor of your coffee. Once ground, coffee will begin to lose its flavor almost immediately. Different methods of brewing will require different grind consistencies. Typically, coffee used for drip brewing should be ground to a consistency similar to granulated sugar. The complete drip cycle should occur within four to six minutes. If the drip cycle is completed in less than four minutes, grind your coffee finer. If the cycle takes longer than six minutes, grind your coffee coarser. When using a French press, the coffee will need to be ground extremely coarse. Espresso requires an extremely fine grind...almost powder-like with a slight grittiness. The key to the proper espresso grind is the extraction time. After the proper dose and tamp, one ounce of espresso should be extracted in approximately 25 to 30 seconds. Like drip coffee, if the one ounce extraction occurs in less than 25 seconds, grind your coffee finer. If the extraction occurs in longer than 30 seconds, grind your coffee coarser. Talk to you local coffee professional for additional information.
Storage Tip Never store your coffee in the refrigerator. Coffee will absorb flavors and aromas from other food products in your refrigerator. Freezing coffee can also have a damaging effect, and we do not recommend this practice unless you will not use-up your supply of coffee for a prolonged period of time [two weeks or more]. Coffee should be stored in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool, dark place.
Dosage Tip When making brewed coffee, allow 2 to 2 1/2 level tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water [3 tablespoons for 8 ounces]. For espresso, allow 7 to 8 grams for a single shot, and 14 to 16 grams for a double shot.
French Press Tip You will want to grind or have your coffee ground to a very coarse consistency for this method. If your grind is too fine, you will over extract your coffee and a bitter flavor may result. It will also be difficult or impossible for you to push the plunger down in your pot if the grind is too fine. Now here is an application for your French press that you probably don't know about. Heat a cup of milk [non-fat works best] in a sauce pan on your stove or in a microwave. It should be heated just until it is too hot to put your finger in it. Don't overheat or you will scald the milk. Next, pour the milk into your clean, empty French press. Insert the plunger, and pump the plunger up and down like a butter churn for several minutes. The milk will expand and increase in volume by three or four times, creating beautiful frothed milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
Moka Pot Tip It is an old Italian secret to mound the coffee grounds high in the filter basket of the Moka pot before screwing the two pieces together. Do not compact the coffee! To ensure a tight seal, be sure to wipe the rim of the bottom of the pot with your finger to remove any grounds. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.
Filter Drip Tip Be sure to use a filter, which is designed to fit your filter basket. Bleached white paper filters are most common, however unbleached brown filter papers are usually available. Permanent gold-plated wire mesh filters also work very well and are environmentally friendly.
Espresso at Home Tip When selecting a machine for home, look for one that will drive the water through the coffee with the aid of a pump vs. a steam driven machine. A good pump machine will usually cost $200 to $1,000, but the investment is worth it if you are serious about enjoying tasty espresso. It is our opinion that a steam driven machine [the typical $49 model] will not produce a palatable product. We suggest you use a Moka pot if you have a limited budget to invest in equipment. Beautiful milk froth can be created for cappuccinos with a plunger pot [see French press].
