37 Amazing Coffee Facts That Might Surprise You

I’ve done my due diligence and investigated the available material to bring you the most interesting trivia and facts about this powerful natural stimulant.

Coffee has been a staple in the lives of many for centuries. It’s one of those things that you can’t imagine living without, and it seems to be an integral part of our culture as well.

Here’s the table of content for easier navigation.

Read on to find out some trivia but also some important coffee facts.

Why coffee is important

#1 – Coffee is the second most-traded commodity in the world

Coffee is not just a drink. It’s an international commodity that has been traded for centuries and still going strong. With a global trade value of $150 billion, coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil.

#2 – Coffee is the second most-consumed drink in the world

Coffee comes second in the world, just after water and it accounts for about 79% of all drinks drunk worldwide.

#3 – The world consumes about 2.25 billion cups of coffee each day

2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day, which is enough to fill the earth 200 times over!

#4 – More than 100 million people make a living from coffee

At least 20 to 25 million families around the world make a living from growing coffee. With an assumed average family size of five, more than 100 million people are dependent on coffee growing.

#5 – More than half of Americans drink coffee every single day

The United States is a coffee-drinking nation. In fact, over 50% of American adults drink it daily. That’s 150 million Americans who enjoy their morning cup!

#6 – People from New York drink seven times more coffee

If the United States is a coffee-drinking nation, then New York is a coffee-drinking city. The people in this area drink seven times more than other places around the country!

#7 – Finland takes leadership in coffee consumption

The Finns are the world’s largest per capita coffee consumers. They consume more than four cups of joe every day.

#8 – Brazil grows the most coffee in the world

Coffee and Brazil are inextricably linked – over two million hectares of Brazilian land is dedicated to growing coffee, with an average production rate of 43 million bags per year.

#9 – Only two U.S. states produce coffee

Hawaii has made a name for itself in coffee production with its world-famous Kona. California is a newcomer to the competition and doesn’t produce a significant volume of coffee ​beans. 

#10 – American coffee lovers spend a lot on their favorite drink

The average American spends about $1,100 a year on coffee according to the Acorns app. This doesn’t include the money spent at home or in restaurants which brings it up closer to two thousand dollars! 

#11 – Coffee consumption takes place during breakfast hours

65% of all coffee is consumed during breakfast hours, 30% between meals, and the remaining 5% with other meals.

Why coffee is beneficial

#12 – Coffee drinkers tend to live longer

This is because coffee has many health benefits and drinking it increases the chances of you staying healthy in general.

#13 – The grounds can beautify your skin

Coffee grounds are a great way to give your skin an even natural glow. The caffeine in coffee will help cleanse and exfoliate dead cells from the surface of our bodies, leaving us with younger-looking complexions!

#14 – Coffee contain an incredible amount of antioxidants

The antioxidants help fight free radicals, prevent the aging process and give the body natural protection against cancer cells. Scientists have identified approximately 1000 different antioxidants in the coffee bean alone.

#15 – Your blood flow can significantly improve by drinking coffee

Scientists have found an intriguing relationship between caffeine consumption and reduced death rates among people with heart disease. The reason is that coffee increases blood flow that helps stimulate healthy cells while keeping harmful ones at bay.

#16 – Coffee consumed in the morning is the most effective

If you want to make the most out of your morning brew, try drinking coffee between 9:30 and 11. This is when it’s believed that caffeine levels are at their highest for this period.

#17 – Coffee can help you burn fat

Caffeine is one of the most powerful fat-burning ingredients out there. It’s known to raise the level of adrenaline, which causes the release of fatty acids from fat tissue.

#18 – Your heart seems to like coffee

People who drink coffee have a slightly lower risk for heart disease and stroke than those that don’t! Coffee can raise blood pressure, but according to recent studies, this usually goes down over time.

#19 – Coffee can make you smarter

It enhances various brain functions like mood, energy levels, reaction time, memory, and general cognitive function.

#20 – Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing cancer

Studies have shown that drinking two cups of coffee every day is associated with a 43% lower risk of liver cancer. [1, 2]

Another study showed that people who consume coffee had a 15% lower risk of rectal cancer. [3]

#21 – Coffee contains essential nutrients for the body

A single cup of coffee contains ingredients like riboflavin, potassium and magnesium in addition to other vitamins necessary for your health. The volume of nutrients is not significant – if you drink 3 cups a day (like the average American adult), you’ll be getting a steady source of nutrients.

#22 – Coffee can fight depression

Over 17.5 million people in America alone suffer from depression and it’s growing. Scientists at Harvard University have found that women who drink four or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk for depression. [4]

The researchers discovered that people who drink four or more cups of coffee per day are 53% less likely to die by suicide. [5]

Interesting facts

#23 – People drink coffee from the beans digested by animals

The most expensive of them is Black Ivory Coffee. It costs $2,200 per kilogram! It’s produced from part-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by Thai elephants. Kopi luwak is coffee made from cherries eaten, digested, and defecated by the Asian palm civet. You also have monkey coffee sucked and spit by monkeys from Chikmagalur, India. The list goes on…

#24 – Coffee beans are technically seeds

Coffee beans are fruit pits and you can eat coffee cherries as food.

#25 – Drinking Coffee in public was once punishable by death

In 1633, the Ottoman sultan Murad IV beheaded anyone he saw drinking coffee in public. Coffee was deemed as a mild narcotic back then and Murad IV believed that coffee shops could encourage dangerous thoughts or speech against his rulership.

Murad IV was neither the first nor last person to crack down on coffee drinking but he was the most brutal and successful in his efforts.

#26 – The largest cup of coffee ever filled a 9-foot tall cup

The World’s Largest Cup of Coffee was over 20,000 Litres.

#27 – The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America

The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal moment in American history, helping to popularize coffee and making it more well-known than ever before.

#28 – Decaf does not mean caffeine-free

You might think that decaffeinated coffee does not contain any caffeine, right? Wrong. It’s not possible to completely remove all the caffeine from a coffee bean.

#29 – Starbucks opens an average of two stores per day

The Starbucks corporation has been on a rapid growth spurt in recent years, with 4678 stores opening up since 2010 – an average of 2.5 per day!

#30 – One cup of black coffee only has one calorie

Coffee is a low-calorie drink by itself. If you drink espresso or brewed coffee without any flavorings, you can get away with only 1-2 calories per cup.

#31 – An American inventor named George Washington invented instant coffee

An American inventor named George Constant Louis Washington developed the instant coffee process for mass production and put it on the market in 1910.

#32 – You’ll get more caffeine from drip coffee than espresso

Espresso is more concentrated and contains more caffeine per volume unit than drip coffee. Yet, due to the usual serving size, you’ll get more caffeine from a drip coffee mug than from a shot of espresso.

#33 – Light roast has a similar amount of caffeine to dark roast

What is the difference in the amount of caffeine between light and dark roast? The fact is that the bean’s caffeine content virtually stays the same. The things that do change as the roasting progress are the bean’s volume and weight.

#34 – There are only 4 types of coffee beans you need to know about

There are several coffee bean types that exist worldwide, but you only need to be aware of the main four. These are Liberica, Excelsa, and the most prevalent ones – Arabica and Robusta.

#35 – Coffee was reportedly discovered by goats

The legend says that an Ethiopian goats herder in the 16th century observed his flock eating fruit from plants with seeds inside. He noticed they became more energetic and didn’t need to sleep as much at night. He spread the word about his discovery with local monks and soon they started to prepare a drink from coffee beans that could keep them up all night for prayer.

#36 – The caffeine extracted from decaf coffee is sold to soda makers

The caffeine removed from coffee ends up in a variety of products – from energy and soft drinks to diet pills and cosmetics.

#37 – The taste of coffee is different from its scent

Why does coffee flavor never live up to its aroma? Saliva destroys nearly half of the molecules responsible for a delicious smell!

What’s next?

The more you get to know about coffee, the more you realize its importance in our lives and cultures.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out my article about the types of different coffee drinks.