6 Surprising Facts About Coffee

I work in a beverage and cleaning solution environment which is awesome because I am always really clean , well hydrated and loaded up on caffeine.
Astoundingly many of the people that I work with or network with no very little about a marvellous little thing called coffee and today I would like to go through a few interesting details about my one and only.

Coffee Fact #1:Coffee is Like Wine:

Have you ever asked a drinker of the Vino what the strongest wine is? They will tell you something completely different to the previous lover of wine you asked to the next one you ask. Asking a room full of wine tasters what they taste and you will hear some remarkable comments. The same truth is with coffee – there is no strong one and the blends taste different to each individual! We can adjust the beans to be ground finer or courser which will affect the taste but this does not make it strong or weaker. Beans are roasted dark, medium or light but this does not affect the “strength”, it affects the flavour. Which is our best blend? This is the most common question and even within our office we cannot decide on just one as each have their favourite.

Coffee Fact #2:It all started with an espresso:

Some may know and others may not but all coffee drinks start with an espresso, espresso and hot water(a shot of strong coffee) what you add to that coffee gives the coffee a new name such as a Cappuccino – Espresso coffee mixed or topped with steamed milk or cream, or a Latte – Espresso served mixed with hot milk. My favourite is a Flat White as I am completely smitten with the dense smooth foam over a sweet shot of espresso 

Coffee Fact #3:The only rule of Fight Club is:

I am a movie fanatic and live in the silver screen but I did not realise that there is a cup of Starbucks in every scene of the cult movie Fight Club, so was the rule Don’t talk about Fight Club and there are no rules or was the rule that you had to have coffee readily available to ensure all the rules were adhered too?

Coffee Fact #4:Left over coffee?

Did you know that the USA consumes over of 400 million cups of coffee per day? Most of those used coffee grounds are thrown right into the trash or rinsed down the sink.

Although I don’t think I have EVER had any coffee leftover in my life here are a few uses for liquid, grounds and filter.
In the kitchen- Pour left over filter coffee in an ice cube tray and freeze, add to coffee to cool it down or make an iced coffee smoothie with some cinnamon or cocoa powder or BOTH, crush ice cubes and cover in Baileys or Amarula, make a few Iced Coffee popsicles (pour condensed milk in the popsicle tray first and then coffee…..Mmmmmmm). Leave a bowl of used ground coffee in your fridge to eliminate odours. In the garden – Acid-loving plants such as Hydrangea’s and Hibiscus love being showered by your left over brew – good place to discard of your used grounds and filter coffee, because of the acidity coffee grounds work well with repelling bugs(including ants) so it’s a double whammy. Add used ground coffee to your compost heap as it is a great source of nitrogen.
In the bathroom – Mix a teaspoon of used coffee grounds into your facial mask. It will exfoliate the skin and the caffeine will smooth and tighten. Mix ½ cup of used coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil. Massage all over body while standing in the shower. Leave on for 10 minutes before showering. This mixture will exfoliate your skin and may also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite. And after your bath pour used coffee grounds down the sink or bathtub drain, followed by 3 drops of dish soap and a pot of boiling water. This will clean and clear the drain of clogs and built up grease.

Coffee Fact #5:Coffee Etiquette around the World:

When in Rome, as they say do as the Romans do and it Italy it is a common occurrence for water to be served alongside coffee – this is to clean your palate and mouth from other flavours so that you may really taste your coffee, similar to smelling coffee beans to clear your olfactory sense between smelling of perfumes. The French are hoity toity and have many Don’ts so don’t ask for flavoured coffee, whipped cream and NEVER filter coffee. Goooooooood morning Vietnam with a coffee traditionally served with a few TABLESPOONS of condensed milk. Ethiopia, the land in which it all began, coffee is the national drink and a ritual which generally takes at least one hour.

Coffee Fact #6:Coffee and your health:

I believe in things I can see, if you write it down I will probably believe it until I go onto Snopes to see it’s untrue and/or a hoax but where I can I will research and just for people like me who want “proof” there is an actual Institute dedicated to the scientific information on Coffee (ISIC- Institute for Scientific information on Coffee). So I can honestly say that scientifically, research indicates that a moderate consumption of coffee fits well into a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle.

In conclusion try and find those hidden undertones in each cup of coffee, remember where it all starts and started. Never crook your pinkie when drinking coffee and don’t dunk doughnuts or biscotti in your coffee unless you’re in an ultra-casual space where dunking is common. If you think my blog is just for those not pregnant think again as current recommendations advise that pregnant woman should decrease caffeine intake to 200mg from all sources and a cup of coffee only contains ± 80-85mg (espresso even less)

To read up more on what makes a good coffee great, check out our post “The Guide to Selecting the Right Coffee Bean”