How Coffee Works

by Debra Beller

Introduction to How Coffee Works
Catching the Buzz
The Bean Belt
Red Cherry to Green Bean
Pop, Pop
Everyday Alchemy
Coffee Around the World
Lots More Information!
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If your morning routine includes a cup or two of coffee, you may know a few things about it. It's a stimulant drink, it comes from beans that are roasted and ground and, for many of us, it's a staple of life. But do you know where coffee grows and how it gets to America? How a French roast differs from an Italian roast? What a coffee cherry is? Or how decaffeinated coffee is made?

There's much more to that morning cup o' Joe than you may realize! In this edition of HowStuffWorks, we'll look at coffee's origins and how it spread, where it's grown, how it's harvested and processed and what roasting is all about. We'll finish by learning how to make a really great cup of coffee.

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