While I can’t remember the first great cup of coffee that I ever had, I can certainly remember the last. It was brewed here in our offices earlier this week with freshly ground coffee beans, the perfect amount of cream & sugar, and a strong caffeine kick that cleared my early morning brain fog.
After reading an article recently about the history of coffee making, I realize that I owe the pleasure of that enjoyable cup of coffee to a series of coffee related innovations, some that date back to the 15th century. There’s the first coffee shop, which opened in 1475 in modern day Turkey; the percolator, which was invented in 1818 by a metal craftsman; and the first paper coffee filter, invented by Melitta Benz around 1908.
But what I find even more fascinating are the very eccentric and somewhat quirky coffee related inventions that are popping up all over the world. These include the coffee condiment stick, which contains pre-measured cream and sugar; the ‘Coffee Car’, a British vehicle that runs on discarded coffee grounds; and, my personal favorite, the Handpresso, a portable espresso machine.
I’m sure that I also speak for my fellow coffee addicts when I say that I look forward to innovation that continues to improve both the delivery and quality of our beloved "liquid gold."
