I love coffee, but what should I do about it?

What should I expect of my tree?

• coffee is grown on a shrub/small tree, which ranges from 4.6 to 6 m (15 to 20 ft)
  
• the tree naturally grows to 10 m (30ft), but is kept lopped at the above height
  
• the tree has deep green, leathery/waxy leaves approximately 12 by 5 cm (5 by 2 in)
  
• the tree flowers in small white fragrant flowers, which last only a few days, but the tree continues to bloom for 8 months of the year
  
• coffee is the seed of the fruit of the tree
  
• as the fruit develops, it changes in colour from light green to red to deep crimson
  
• the mature fruit looks like a cherry in size and colour
  
• the fruit grows in clusters attached to the limb of the tree by short stems
  
• the fruit usually contains two seeds (or beans) surrounded by a sweet pulp
  
• the beans have flat sides which face each other in the fruit

Where should I grow my coffee?

• coffee grows well on the islands of Java and Sumatra and in Arabia, India, Africa, the West Indies, and South and Central America
  
• the Americas produce approximately two-thirds of the world's coffee supply
  
• coffee grows best in rich, moist soil with good drainage (especially sandy or gravelly soils)
  
• dry conditions during ripening produce berries with the best flavour
  
• the growing temperatures for coffee range from 13° to 26° C (55° to 80° F)
  
• altitudes of coffee plantations range from sea level to 1800 m (about 6000 ft)

When should my tree produce?

• the coffee tree starts producing from its third year
  
• the coffee tree produces its first full crop when it is about five years old (producing for up to 15 or 20 years)
  
• some trees yield 0.9 to 1.3 kg (2 to 3 lb) of quality beans annually, but 0.45 kg (1 lb) is a normal annual yield
  
• in some areas, the fruit is picked only once annually, whilst in other regions, it may be picked three times

How do I get that coffee?

• the fruit is gathered either by picking or shaking the tree
  
• picked beans are generally softened in water, depulped mechanically, fermented in large tanks, washed and then dried in the open or in heated, rotating cylinders
  
• shaken beans are generally only dried and the outer covering removed

How do I get that favourite coffee taste?

• a number of varieties of green coffee are usually blended and roasted together to produce differing tastes, aromas, and flavours
  
• the darker the roast, the stronger the flavour
  
• ground coffee loses its flavour within about a week (unless it is packaged)
  
• instant coffee is made by mixing coarsely ground and roasted coffee with hot water with the water later being evaporated
  
• in freeze-dried coffee, the coffee extract is frozen and the water removed
  
• coffee is decaffinated by treating the green beans with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (yuck)

How old is my coffee?

• coffee may have been grown initially in Arabia near the Red Sea about AD 675
  
• coffee cultivation was rare until the 15th and 16th centuries, when extensive planting of the tree occurred in Arabia
  
• the consumption of coffee increased in Europe during the 17th century

Why is coffee so darn cheap?

• a number of Latin American countries made arrangements before World War II (1939-1945) to allocate export quotas so that each country would be assured a certain share of the United States coffee market
  
• the first coffee quota agreement was arranged in 1940
  
• export quotas on a worldwide basis were adopted in 1962, when an International Coffee Agreement was negotiated by the United Nations
  
• during the five-year period when this agreement was in effect, 41 exporting countries and 25 importing countries agreed to its terms
  
• the agreement was renegotiated in 1968, 1976, and 1983
  
• participating nations failed to sign a new pact in 1989 and world coffee prices plunged!

Why do I like coffee sooo much?

• coffee contains 0.8 to 1.7% caffeine
  
• this is what caffeine looks like when you look at a coffee bean with a magnifying glass:

  

Have you had enough coffee?

If you haven't had enough, you may want to check out:

This ain't no sippin' coffee - now this is really interesting!
Frequently asked questions about coffee and caffeine - there ain't much more to ask frequently
Mr Cappuccino - at last, a coffee shop that also sells pizza ovens and wine kegs!

You're the person to lust after caffeine since 5 July 1996!

This page has been recognised as worthy of the bottom 95% club!