The Reason Folgers Coffee Was Once Sold In Glass Jars

In American households, coffee is more than a staple; it is a necessity. Without that first cup of coffee, many individuals cannot begin their day. If you belong to this demographic group, you are not alone. According to the National Coffee Association, 62% of Americans consume coffee daily, with an average of three cups per day. PBS reports that New York City coffee drinkers consume seven times as much as those in any other city.

After the Boston Tea Party, coffee became an important beverage in the United States, as drinking coffee became patriotic. Today, coffee is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Prior to Starbucks’ beloved pumpkin spice latte and Peet’s black tie, there was Folgers.

According to the Folgers website, this homemade brew gained popularity in the 1960s. Initially, this mountain-grown coffee was sold in metal canisters, but that wasn’t always the case. For an intriguing reason, “the best part of waking up” coffee began selling in glass jars.

According to the Folgers Coffee website, even though coffee was more popular than ever during World War II, it was not possible to sell it in these original metal containers. During this time, steel was not readily available for such luxuries. Due to a shortage of this in-demand metal, the coffee company was forced to use glass jars to store those exquisite coffee grounds. However, why was so much steel required?

Steel was in high demand for the construction of tanks and ships, and consumers were strongly encouraged to give the government their scrap metal — even seemingly insignificant scraps such as the lining of toothpaste tubes (via Steel Specialties, Inc).

Every sacrifice was necessary, as it could take up to 18 tons of metal to produce a single tank. The Americans were happy to do their part.

Folgers attempted to capitalize on the rise in popularity of instant coffee brands following World War II, but was unable to find the right instant coffee formula to keep customers excited. In 1958, Folgers developed a successful instant coffee recipe to complement its ground coffee. You can still purchase Folgers ground coffee in its original metal canisters and Folgers instant coffee in its glass jars from after World War II.

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