Source: 2001 survey of 2900 people 18 and older by the National Coffee Association of USA.

75% of world's production is Arabica coffee.
25% of world's production is Robusta.
Approximately 25 million acres are devoted to growing coffee.
...Coffee grows on trees.
...Usually, the trees are pruned to retard vertical growth and this encourages horizontal growth spreading out the branches. This makes good economical sense and cents as the fruit needs to be harvested by hand.
...The coffee fruit are cherries.
...One is surprised to find that coffee beans are contained within bright red
coffee cherries.
...They look like red grapes.
...The green coffee beans are found in the center of each coffee cherry.
...A cherry bean ripens in 6 to 9 months.
...Each cherry contains two beans.
...Each tree yields an average of 1.5 pounds of coffee annually.
...The U.S. is the world's largest consumer of coffee - 2.5 billion annual pounds.
...More than 10 billion pounds worldwide.
...Coffee is grown in 50 countries and is second only to oil in dollar value as a world trade commodity.
...One-third of all coffee imports come to the United States.
...More than half of all Americans drink coffee.
...The coffee industry is the world's single largest employer.

The Top Five Flavored Coffees
1. Hazelnut
2. Irish Cream
3. Vanilla/ Vanilla Nut
4. Chocolate Macadamia Nut
5. Amaretto

Coffee Families
TESTING BASICS

Varietal - Premium arabica beans, designated by country of origin.
Blend - A mixture of two or more coffees that complement and enhance each other.
Dark Roast - Coffee that is roasted longer to develop a dark-brown bean with a pleasant spicy taste.
Flavored - Roasted coffee with natural and artificial flavors added to give the taste of chocolate, almond, liqueurs, etc.
Decaffeinated - Coffee without caffeine.

Roast Types

Cinnamon - A light cinnamon-brown color, which produces a nut-like flavor.
Medium - Even chestnut brown color
Full City - Dark Brown color with no trace of oil on the bean.
Vienna - Dark brown color with a small amount of oil on the surface of the bean.
French - Very dark brown color with large amounts of oil on the surface of the bean.
Italian - Almost black, with large amounts of oil on the surface of the beans. Can have a very strong burnt or bitter taste.

Grinding

The degree to which you grind coffee beans will affect the taste of your coffee. It is important that you grind your beans according to the brewing method you use.

Turkish Grind - is the finest grind, with a flour like consistency. This type of grind is used for brewing in an ibrit.

Espresso Grind - is a very fine grind, with a texture similar to cornmeal.

This type of grind is used primary for espresso and cappuccino beverages.

Medium Grind - has the appearance of salt or sugar granules. This grind is primarily used for electric drip brewers with basket filters.

Course Grind - has very large granules. This type of grind is usually used fro percolators and commercial brewers.

NOTE: When grinding flavored coffee, be sure to clean your grinder thoroughly before grinding again. This will help you avoid flavor contamination.

Coffee Life Span