Other Coffee Trivia:

• The optimal water temperature for brewing coffee is 92-96C for 90% of the contact time.
• The leading coffee producing countries are Brazil and Colombia.
• There are two primary types of coffee cultivated today; they are called Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is cultivated in higher altitudes, is more difficult to grow and produces a milder and more aromatic bean. Arabica is considered the superior of the two species and is therefore more expensive. Robusta is a heartier plant grown in lower altitudes with almost twice the caffeine content as Arabica, but contains fewer flavors.
• Professional coffee tasters are called “cuppers.”
• Green coffee beans are soft and have an almost spongy consistency and have a “grassy” smell.
  Roasting beans is a heat process. When beans are roasted they almost double in size. Roasting brings out the flavor and aroma that are locked inside the green coffee beans.
• There are several steps in the coffee roasting process. Beans must be heated between 370 oF to 540 oF and be kept in constant motion to prevent burning or uneven roasting. The roasting forces water out of the bean, causing it to dry and expand. As the bean is heated the color changes from green to brown, the natural sugars are transformed into gases and caramelize, giving the bean the rich flavors and essences with which we are familiar.
• Roasted beans typically fall into four-color categories--light, medium, medium-dark or dark.
• In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as four acres of land.
• Coffee is commercially grown in over 45 countries throughout the world. It is the second largest export in the world, second only to oil!
• Caffeine contributes no flavor to coffee. Caffeine content is primarily a product of the type of coffee beans used, the water to coffee ratio and the method of brewing.
• Specialty coffee is defined as a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup.