Coffee is a brownish color that is a representation of a roasted coffee bean. Different types of coffee beans have different colors when roasted—the color coffee represents an average.
The first recorded use of coffee as a color name in English was in 1695.Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 193; Color Sample of Coffee: p. 53—Plate 15 Color Sample A11
The normalized color coordinates for coffee are identical to Tuscan brown, which was first recorded as a color name in English in 1913.Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscany: p. 37 Plate 7 Color Sample H12
Variations of coffee Café au Lait
The color displayed at right is café au lait, also known as coffee and milk or latte. This is a representation of the color of coffee mixed with milk, which when prepared commercially by a barista in a coffee shop is known as a latte.
The first recorded use of cafe au lait as a color name in English was in 1839.Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 191; Color Sample of Cafe au Lait: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample A6
The normalized color coordinates for café au lait are identical to Tuscan tan and French beige, which were first recorded as color names in English in 1926Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan tan: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample C8 and 1927,Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 195; Color Sample of French beige: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample A7 respectively.
Café Noir
The color displayed at right is café noir, also known as black coffee. It is a representation of the color of brewed black coffee.
The first recorded use of cafe noir as a color name in English was in 1928.Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 191; Color Sample of Cafe Noir: p. 39—Plate 8 Color Sample H12
See also List of colors
References
External links YouTube—"Coffee Roasting Basics—Color Changes":