Bean Facts

16 COFFEE FUN FACTS TO LIVEN UP YOUR DAY

5 minutes

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages there is, with billions of cups enjoyed every year. Given that coffee is so well loved around the world, it’s only natural for us to want to know more about our favourite brew. That’s why we at NESCAFÉ® have compiled this list of our favourite coffee fun facts for you.

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1. Coffee goes back a really long way

Coffee is thought to date back to 800 A.D., where it was discovered by 9th century goat herders. It was said that they noticed their goats eating the plant and afterwards it appeared like they were ‘dancing’. Fascinated by the results, the goat herder tried them himself and discovered that it made him excitable too. Want to learn more coffee history facts? Read our article all about it!

2. Coffee is a fruit

Despite it being called a ‘bean’, coffee is actually a fruit. The ‘beans’ grow on a bush and are found in the centre of a berry, known as a coffee cherry.

Whether it helps you make the most of your day, or the perfect excuse to catch up with old friends, coffee plays a small but important part in our everyday lives.

3. Beethoven loved coffee

This may surprise you, but infamous composer, Beethoven, loved coffee! He was apparently quite obsessive about it, using precisely 60 beans per cup and would spend time counting out each and every bean.

4. Brazil grows the most coffee in the world

It’s widely known that Brazil is one of the biggest coffee hotspots of the world, but did you know it’s responsible for around a third of all the coffee in the world? Brazil is the number one coffee producer, followed by Vietnam and Colombia.

5. Finland consumes the most coffee in the world

Where Brazil may grow the most, Finland drink the most coffee! On average they drink 12kg per person, per year which works out to around an impressive 1,680 cups each a year. Now how’s that for a coffee fact?

6. Coffee wasn’t always enjoyed with breakfast

Despite coffee being known as one of the most popular drinks to have with breakfast (followed by tea), prior to the 18th century, beer was actually enjoyed with the first meal of the day!

7. Coffee helped Brazil go to the Olympics

In 1932, the Brazilian government didn’t have enough money to send their athletes to the Olympics, so they funded the trip by selling coffee. They loaded up a ship of coffee beans, hoping to sell it to California on their way. We love this heart-warming coffee fact!

8. Coffee wasn’t always for drinking

Before coffee was discovered to be a delicious beverage, it was actually a food. East African tribes would grind the berries and mix them with animal fat to eat.

9. There are two different types of coffee bean

Two types of coffee bean are used for drinking; Robusta and Arabica. Arabica has lower acidity and smoother taste, whereas Robusta is more acidic and bitter.

10. Decaf doesn’t mean no caffeine

For a coffee to be classed as decaf, it needs to have less than 0.3% caffeine.

11. The decaffeination process helps to create our favourite fizzy drinks

Once caffeine has been removed (for decaf coffee), the caffeine will usually be sold to fizzy drink or pharmaceutical companies.

12. NESCAFÉ^® produced the first instant coffee

We’re quite proud of this coffee history fact because it was us who created the first successful instant coffee blend! The story goes all the way back to 1929 when Brazil were looking for a solution to help with the coffee surplus in the country, which after years of careful research, led to the development of the Nescafé brand. Explore the history of NESCAFÉ^® to learn more.

13. Britain loves coffee

Where it’s thought to be a fact that Britons adore their tea, it may shock you to learn that the UK alone drinks around 95 million cups of coffee per day!

Four people celebrating with a coffee each

14. The most expensive coffee in the world costs $600 per pound

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, and as of 2019, it cost $600 per pound. Native to Indonesia, the coffee is roasted after being eaten, digested and expelled by the Palm Civet. It’s said that they only eat the very best, sweetest and freshest coffee cherries and when ingested, it’s naturally fermented, giving it a distinctive flavour. Would you try a cup of Kopi Luwak?

15. Coffee’s nearly been banned a few times

Coffee wasn’t always as loved as it is today. In the 18th century, governments tried to ban the beverage because it was thought to stimulate radical thinking. However, in Sweden in 1746, coffee actually was banned for a while, as well as anything related to it – including cups and saucers!

16. The largest cup of coffee in the world was 22,739.14 litres

Yes, you heard right! The largest cup of coffee ever made was 22,739.14 litres. The brew made in Colombia on 15th June 2019, took fifty people more than a month to make. It currently also holds the Guinness World Record.

That’s our list of 16 fascinating coffee facts! Want to find out more interesting information about your brew? Read our guide on the different types of coffee cups and discover the reasoning behind their unique shapes! Or, for more fun coffee facts, take a look at our Coffee Statistics.