The Coffee FAQ
A site dedicated to coffee obsession.

Coffee, coffee everywhere, and not a drop to drink... (apologies to Coleridge).

According to the International Coffee Organization, 116,428,000 sixty kilogram bags of coffee were produced by exporting countries in 2004, making coffee the second most widely traded commodity, behind only petroleum. Yet the vast majority of people have probably never had a good cup of coffee, let alone an excellent one. Even with the rise of "specialty coffee" over the last decade or two, the overall quality of brewed coffee is poor. There are many possible reasons for this: uncaring vendors, an attitude of convenience over quality, uninformed consumers... the list could go on. A great brew isn't a simple thing, but even simply realizing that your coffee should be better takes some initiative. Many people regularly drink weak, bitter, brownish hot water and accept it, thinking "that's what coffee is." It isn't.

But an excellent cup of coffee is worth it. If it isn't a simple thing, neither is it very difficult. Coffee need not taste bitter, nor must it taste like charcoal. It can taste chocolaty, without any chocolate having been added. It can have elements of citrus, without ever having come near an orange. You should be able to look forward to a morning cup for reasons beyond the caffeine rush.

This FAQ explores the how, what, where, and why of coffee. It will explain the elements involved in making a great cup of brewed coffee (espresso is a vast enough subject to deserve its own FAQ). The FAQ will be particularly helpful for those who have little or no knowledge about coffee, but even more experienced people should be able to glean new information.

As always, the danger with a site trying to be "all-inclusive" is that it rarely is. This site is regularly updated, but if you have any questions or suggestions, click here to email me. Do not change the default message subject, or the email will not make it past my spam filters. Go through the FAQ before asking questions; there's a good chance that the answer can be found below. Please don't ask for brand recommendations.