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Free Coffee quiz: 89 trivia questions and answers — arabica, robusta & espresso. Easy to hard, with explained answers. No sign-up.
Start this quiz →🖨️ Printable version (20 questions + answers)
From the Ethiopian coffee ceremony to roasters' cupping sessions, this quiz explores the rituals, science and curiosities of coffee. A fun way to test your caffeinated knowledge.
This quiz currently has 89 questions, ranging from easy to hard, available in French, English and Spanish when the Spanish translation is available.
Warm up before the quiz with these 17 trivia questions and their explained answers: click a question to reveal the answer.
Answer: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica accounts for about 60% of world production, Robusta 40%. They differ in taste, growing altitude, and caffeine content.
Answer: Natural processing. In natural processing, whole cherries dry in the sun for several weeks. The bean ferments inside its pulp, developing intense fruity notes.
Answer: Because oxidation and CO₂ off-gassing cause them to evaporate. Grinding multiplies the surface area exposed to air. Oxidation and CO₂ loss degrade the flavors within minutes — hence the benefit of grinding just before brewing.
Answer: To allow CO₂ to escape without letting air in. After roasting, coffee releases CO₂ for several days. The one-way valve lets this gas out without letting in oxygen, which would degrade the flavors.
Answer: White, with a jasmine-like scent. Coffee tree flowers are white and delicate, giving off a scent reminiscent of jasmine. They last only a few days before giving way to the cherries.
Answer: Australia and New Zealand. The flat white originated in the 1980s in Australia and New Zealand, before spreading worldwide thanks to major coffee chains.
Answer: Bialetti. Its little moustached man, a caricature of the founder's son, still appears on the pots. It is estimated that most Italian households own one.
Answer: Melitta Bentz. Tired of grounds in her cup, she pierced a brass pot and slipped in blotting paper. Her company, which bears her first name, still exists.
Answer: About 25 to 30 seconds. Too short and the coffee is sour and under-extracted; too long and it turns bitter. Baristas adjust the grind to hit this window.
Answer: Ethiopia. Legend has it that Kaldi, an Ethiopian shepherd, noticed his goats became excited after eating berries from a coffee tree.
Answer: Germany. Melitta Bentz, a German woman, patented the paper filter in 1908, revolutionizing coffee preparation.
Answer: The artisanal movement that values traceability, origin, and precise extraction methods. The third wave (2000s) treats coffee as a quality artisanal product, much like wine, highlighting producers and flavor profiles.
Answer: A coffee prepared in a 'jebena', a clay pot, and served in three successive rounds. The Ethiopian ceremony is a social ritual. The coffee is roasted on the spot, ground, and brewed in a jebena. The three servings (Abol, Tona, Baraka) symbolize blessing and community.
Answer: Angelo Moriondo. Italian Angelo Moriondo, of Turin, patented in 1884 the first machine allowing coffee to be brewed quickly under steam pressure, a forerunner of the modern espresso.
Answer: Éric Favre. Engineer Éric Favre, a Nestlé employee, developed the pressurized capsule system that allows a consistent espresso to be made at home.
Answer: Vietnam. Vietnam mainly produces robusta, used in instant coffee and blends. It produced almost nothing before the 1980s.
Answer: Voltaire. Told that coffee was a "slow poison", he reportedly replied: "It must be slow, for I have been drinking it for over sixty years."
72 more questions are waiting for you in the quiz!