The best coffee facts

The best coffee facts

Did you know that the Dutch drink an average of 2-3 cups of coffee a day? Which amounts to a gigantic consumption of 6.5 million liters per day! But do you know all about coffee?

Coffee beans, for example, are not beans but kernels of the coffee berry. And coffee contains more aromas than wine. Test your knowledge by teaming up with a colleague, close friend or family member to see who can name the most coffee facts!

The coffee plant

The coffee plant was discovered around the 10th or 11th century in Ethiopia, so it was here that coffee was first made from the coffee plant. Then this quickly spread to Yemen, where coffee plants could also be found. The coffee plant has more interesting facts besides a rich history, for example, did you know that:

  • Coffee beans, as mentioned above, are not real beans. The coffee bean as we know it is the kernel of a coffee berry.
  • The coffee plant produces between 1.4 and 2.5 kilograms of berries per year! So a single coffee plant already produces quite a number of berries, which means that a lot of coffee can be made from the production of one coffee plant!
  • Coffee plants were used before coffee was made from them. Mainly for its uplifting properties, such as caffeine that make you feel exhilarated.
  • Coffee beans lend themselves perfectly to freezing, therefore the coffee bean does not lose its flavor and you always have fresh coffee.

Coffee general

A good cup of coffee is by far the most popular beverage in the Netherlands. The reason coffee is so popular today is because of its delicious aroma, easy brewing and, of course, the caffeine that keeps you nice and energized.

Our delicious cup of coffee is usually prepared from water and dried kernels that come from the coffee plant. Many things are already known about coffee and everyone can list a few coffee facts, but did you know, for example, that:

  • For coffee brewing, the perfect heat temperature is 96 degrees.
  • The meaning of espresso and café espresso is very simple? This is pressed coffee.
  • In the list of most coffee drinkers in the world the Netherlands is in the top 5. The average Dutch person drinks about 150 liters of coffee a year.
  • If you see “Extra Roast” on the packaging of your coffee beans, that this coffee contains less caffeine than regular coffee beans.

Coffee flavor

Everyone has their own preference in taste for coffee. The grind size affects the number of aromas released. If the grind is coarse, there will be a more acidic taste, but with a finer grind, there will be a bitter coffee taste. In addition to this fact about coffee taste, here are some other interesting facts, such as:

  • Coffee naturally contains more aromas than a glass of wine.
  • Do you have a very bitter coffee bean? Then it has been roasted longer.
  • Coffee has no taste, but aroma. What aroma is found in coffee has to do with its origin.
  • The coffee most commonly consumed is the one without milk and sugar. This is because milk and sugar reduce the coffee flavor of the delicious coffee bean.

Coffee varieties

These days they are almost impossible to find, people who don’t like a good cup of coffee. This is not surprising since there are 15 different types of coffee to choose from. Each type of coffee has its own variations so there is a suitable coffee for everyone! The coffees can be divided into the following categories:

  • Coffees with espresso: The coffee without milk is the espresso. In this you have the variants: ristretto, espresso, doppio, americano and the lungo. These coffees are always black without milk etc.
  • Coffees with milk: The slightly less strong coffee is the latte coffee type, it always contains some milk. You have the espresso macchiato, cappuccino, latte, cortado, flat white and the latte machiato.
  • Coffees with ice: For summer, there are the delicious coffees with ice. Think ice coffee, ice cappuccino or the affogato with a scoop of ice in it.

Caffeine in coffee

Caffeine, some can’t live without it while others don’t need too much of it. But what exactly is caffeine? Now in case you are a lover of tea and think that this also prevents you from ingesting caffeine, you are wrong. Tea also contains caffeine, though a lot less than coffee. There are some facts about caffeine that you may not have known, you can read them below:

  • The level of caffeine has to do with the water. The longer the coffee is in contact with water, the more caffeine your cup of coffee contains.
  • Espressos are strong and high-intensity, so espresso is often thought to contain a lot of caffeine but in reality an espresso contains much less.
  • Caffeine stays in your body for an average of three hours before it wears off.
  • Arabica beans contain 50% less caffeine than Robusta beans.