The Chemistry Behind That Starbucks You Can't Live Without [Infographic]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]

Some people say coffee is extremely addictive. I say to that, “Yes, what’s your point?” According to the International Coffee Organization, American’s just barely crack the top 10 list of coffee consumers by country. The top three countries for coffee consumption are Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. The United States comes in at a dismal eighth. Come on, surely, we can do better.

Here’s American coffee consumption by the numbers according to Harvard.edu

54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day
Americans drink an average of 3.1 cups a day
Average cup size is 9 ounces
65% of Americans drink it with breakfast
30% drink it between meals
5% drink it with meals other than breakfast
Average price of an espresso-based drink is $2.45
Average price of a brewed cup of coffee is $1.38
The U.S. spends $40 billion each year

This infographic provides an example of the chemical make up of a typical cup of Starbucks Venti Cappuccino with whole milk and vanilla syrup. (How do you order this in Starbucks lingo?) This typical drink is made up of caffeine, a stimulant, milk for color, shine and flavor, vanilla syrup for aroma and flavor, theobromine an aphrodisiac compound, chlorogenic acid which may cause the laxative effect of coffee and a reusable and recyclable polypropylene cup. Starbucks® makes these cups from a fully recyclable plastic that’s completely inert at boiling-hot temperatures (100°C/212°F). This ensures that absolutely nothing from the cup leeches into your piping hot drink before you drink it.

Cheers!

Click here to see a full size image.

Cover photo courtesy of Wikihow.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]