Coffee is the second largest traded commodity surpassed only by Oil, the world's world's largest traded commodity.
The first wholesale coffee roasting company in America started business in 1790. That same year, the first advertisement for coffee in a newspaper was published. What is believed to be the first coffee roasting plant in America started operations at 4 Great Dock Street in New York City, now Pearl Street.
The first coffee filter was invented in 1908 by Melitta Bentz, a housewife from Dresden, Germany. She created the filter using blotting paper. The Melitta Bentz and her husband Hugo Bentz started the Melitta Bentz company that same year in 1908. The Melitta brand is synonymous with coffee filters to this day.
Contrary to what most people think, espresso coffee actually contains about 1/3 the caffeine level of a normally brewed cup of coffee. This is partially due to the fact that espresso is typically made using top premium arabica beans. Arabica beans have a lower caffeine content than robusta beans found in many coffee blends used for standard brewing.
