Seven Innovations in Coffee History
The invention of coffee isn't credited to a single person or time. However, since the realization that consuming coffee beans makes people energized and happy, there have been a series of historical innovations that we couldn't imagine living without today.
1475: History's First Coffee Shop
The first coffee shop in history, named Kiva Han, was invented in Constantinople - what is now Istanbul. Coffee had been introduced to the region by the Ottoman Turks and became so popular that a woman could file for divorce if she did not get a daily quota of coffee from her husband.
1668: Invention of a Breakfast Tradition
It may be hard to believe, but at one point in history, beer was the preferred drink at breakfast. It wasn't until 1668 that New York City claimed coffee as its breakfast drink of choice. The world followed suit and, in another hundred years, it was declared an American's patriotic duty to drink coffee.
1713: Accidental Marketing Innovation
In 1713, the Dutch accidentally supplied King Louis XIV of France with a coffee bush. They may have been more careful if they knew that the French would transport a seedling overseas, where it would result in over 19 million coffee trees 50 years later. This historic coffee bush of the Dutch became responsible for over 90 percent of the world's coffee production.
1822: Invention of the Espresso Machine
Despite its Italian-sounding name, the espresso machine was invented in France. A prototype appeared there in 1822. It took over a hundred years for the invention of the espresso machine we know today - this time in Italy. The modern espresso machine was invented by Achilles Gaggia in 1946.
1901: Instant Coffee Invented
In 1901, Satori Kato, a Japanese-American chemist, invented instant coffee in Buffalo, NY at the Pan American Exposition. Kato received a patent for his invention and coffee history was made. He even started his own coffee company - appropriately named the Kato Coffee Company - in Chicago.
1903: History's First Decaffeinated Coffee
Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee importer, turned a mistake into invention history in 1903. He gave a batch of ruined beans to researchers, who remove their caffeine without compromising on flavour. The world's first decaf is marketed under the familiar name "Sanka."
1952: Invention of the Coffee Break
At this time in history, workplaces in North America were becoming a bit more humane, installing lunchrooms in factories and offices for their employees to have a place to sit and relax. The American Coffee Bureau saw a marketing angle in the situation and invented the coffee break. It even had a slogan - "Give yourself a Coffee-Break -- and Get What Coffee Gives to You."
Today, coffee is loved all over the world. By 1995, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year. In fact, after oil, it is the world's second-largest commodity.
This article has been edited to remove an incorrect name.
Seven Innovations in Coffee History References:
Timeline of Coffee
The Brock Press
Agro Tropical Colombia