Coffee Culture in the US vs the Netherlands

Who knew that something so simple as getting coffee in the Netherlands could be so different? Here, I compare the Dutch coffee culture to the US. It was culture shock for me when I moved here to say the least! All part of life in Holland.
Cafes are everywhere in the Netherlands and in America, but the relationship that Americans have to coffee is nothing like that here in the Netherlands. It's just a different lifestyle.
In my videos, I like to share experiences of living in the Netherlands as an American expat. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, while enjoying every bit of it!
Blog website: www.dutchamericano.com
Instagram: DutchAmericano

[@ArrowRaider]

I am reminded of when Conan went to Italy and wanted pumpkin flavored espresso. The Italian looked so horrified by this request.

[@tjvanbenthem4333]

The quality of coffee here is way better. We get real coffee. Most coffee you can get in America is water flavoured with one bean

[@jankoevoet4042]

Not entirely true. Brands like Folgers or Maxwell's are just as good or better then Douwe Egberts, if you find the right blend. Especially Folgers 100% Columbian is the best coffee as far as i'm concerned.

[@Taliesin6]

@@jankoevoet4042 not familiar with american coffee but i've never liked Douwe Egberts, kanis & gunnink for life lol.

[@tns5044]

At US hotels you'd get brown water at volcanic temperatures, which tasted like they'd boiled cremation ashes

[@tedsteiner]

@@tns5044 beaten only by the dreaded gas station coffee

[@noegdoer]

Coffee is to be enjoyed. Never ever drink coffee from a plastic cup, that’s just an insult!!! Just take your time and enjoy a coffee, when you need a gallon coffee to go, your not living right

[@theGoogol]

Lol @ "Gallon of Coffee to go" Spot on, sir! Spot on.

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Or need to start looking for a place selling stronger coffee.

[@robrommens660]

You’re right, as long as it is fancy, a lot and expensive it is ok.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

A gallon?! o_0

[@TobiasMoes]

It's funny that you mention the coffee size difference, because in my opinion, the sizes at Starbucks are way too large. Even the smallest size is way to much for me.

[@Harrypjotter7]

But at Starbucks it’s not coffee

[@dwergmaster]

I don't recognise that you can't order regular ' coffee' in the Netherlands :-) It's actually the most traditional to order just a coffee. In fact, in most of the Netherlands, this is not odd at all. You order a coffee; you get a black one. They might ask you if you want milk/sugar in it. Perhaps in Amsterdam it's different these days since it has practically turned into a hipster city, but try any local coffee shop outside Amsterdam and they'll perfectly understand coffee.

[@ewoutw]

True...!

[@MrJimheeren]

Coffee in Amsterdam is just the same as anywhere else. Freshly pressed from an Italian espresso machine.

[@Man-in-the-green]

Why would the coffee in Amsterdam be different then the rest of the Netherlands. Perhaps there is more choice, but the normal coffee is the same.

[@blodekont5458]

7:47 Starbucks doesn't make coffee...they make "schuddelwotter" afwaswater

[@nourahnielson6204]

Blode Kont Gronings? 😁

[@Roel_Scoot]

The Dutch drink coffee all day at work, from the coffee machine / koffieautomaat. This is provided by the employer mostly free or very cheap. These machines are everywhere : in corridors or in a small nook. Special time at work is coffee time mostly at 10 pm. A small break is taken to socialize with colleagues and drink coffee, eat a bite, at the coffee machine or some special place. After lunch break there is a similar break: tea time at 3 am. This can differ with the location / job and work conditions but this the standard. Standard café koffie is in a koffiekopje, black coffee and a koekje, with sugar and koffiemelk on the side. In high end form this is real koffiemelk or koffiecream and kristalsuiker in a shaker or suikerpot, but mostly as paper sticks with sugar and milkpowder. Other types of coffee you can order are: cappucino and espresso. In the old days you could order koffie verkeerd, which is coffee with a lot of hot milk (real gekookte melk), like what now-a-days is a café latte but not in a glass but in a koffiekopje.

[@rdevries3852]

It doesn't in any way detract from the information you've given, but... you mixed up your am and pm. Coffee time at 10 pm (post meridiem; "after midday") would be 10 o'clock in the evening. Tea time at 3 am (ante meridiem; "before midday") would be at three o'clock at night, which is obviously not when most people have their break. Unless you're working night shifts, I suppose. Then it might be possible. 🤷‍♂️

[@Roel_Scoot]

@@rdevries3852 Yes, you are right, and at 2 am the night shift is drinking coffee, but they do it all the time, I know because I have been there :) (night shift: 10 pm - 6 am, 2 am is half way)

[@angelinebosma]

Even in most hospitals you can get free coffee (or tea, etc) from machines, while waiting.

[@patricksimons560]

The Netherlands have the 5th highest coffee consumption per unhabitant and the USA is 25th. NL 8,4kg per year and USA 4,2kg per year.

[@annap7046]

Probably because in US ppl drink half-liter milk with sugar and coffee flavor, therefore in kilos of coffee it’s less

[@GTvehicle]

Unhabitant ? - What a Great word !!

[@ndekamper]

You're confused🤣. When you ask for a coffee in the Netherlands, they'll give you a coffee. It's not an espresso, and most definitely not an espresso with a bunch of water added to it, like an Americano, which is a disgrace. They make it with whatever coffee machine they have which has a button with a coffee cup, not an espresso cup or a cappuccino cup. Maybe the person helping you wasn't Dutch.... or maybe they figured you didn't actually know what you wanted because you aren't Dutch... but I was a waitress for many many years, and I only asked, "so you want a regular, black coffee?" If they looked like they'd actually want a vanilla skinny triple shot decaffeinated cappuccino without the froth🤣. Also, we like our coffee hot and fresh. Lately I've heard a couple of Americans say they microwave their coffee when it gets cold, that nearly made me cry. The same goes for beer, we like it small, fresh and cold. I was in the US once trying to work my way through like a liter of diet coke with a million ice cubes in it... about half way through it got really bad and I just left it.... quality over quantity my friend. And lastly, where have you worked in the Netherlands that didn't provide the coffee? We literally drink THE most coffee in the world, despite our tiny cups😁... btw a baby cappuccino is a cappuccino for a baby (or toddler if you will).... it's just the froth, and yes it is insane😑.... every place you can possible work at will have the coffee, we need the coffee😳😳😳.... Sooooo having said that, love your videos!!! Keep 'em coming. It's good to have you here☺!

[@frankhooper7871]

That gels with my experience - when in the Netherlands, I always just ask for a 'koffie' (and probably a piece of appelgebak!) and get exactly what I want; a small cup of coffee - bigger than an espresso and smaller than an American monstrosity.

[@jankoevoet4042]

I tend to agree with you here, even better, going to a place where they sell coffee is usually "normal" coffee, otherwise you ask for cappucino or whatever, but just plain simple coffee is still the norm. But maybe it's different in Amsterdam, a city i always tried to avoid like the plague.

[@mkvk74]

@@jankoevoet4042 It's still pretty much the norm in Amsterdam, as long as you keep away from tourist area's (which sadly take up most of the center these days).

[@kriswarren2469]

The key thing to take away is this, which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned in this thread, is an American coffee cup is larger than an European cup. 8-10oz vs 5-7oz.

[@RealConstructor]

At 8:30 you’re not showing a large cup, you’re showing a vase. And a vase is for flowers, not for coffee. And why is it so hard for Americans to take a little time to enjoy your coffee (in a normal cup, pottery or porcelain). It’s the same with lunch or breakfast. In American cities you always see people eating on the streets while walking or at best sitting on a park bench. It’s such a waste of food and drinks. Normally everything tastes better when taking more time, but maybe not in the US. Is it the meager quality of food? Is it life style? Last but not least: American coffee is niet te zuipen!

[@marcovtjev]

Or switch to IT, if you are not already in that sector. IT is more coffee friendly :_) But no Americano dishwater please! Note that filter/drip coffee used to be pretty much the standard at home. Restaurants/Cafe started switching en masse to espresso machines only halfway through the nineties.

[@infinite_pilot]

P Constructor I would say that part of the reason why Americans eat food quickly, is that yes, our food is not as high-quality as it is in Europe. My sister is gluten-free only in the US. When she goes and visits family in Europe, she can have gluten.

[@aquitainedugascon4726]

A friend of mine who has had quite some anxieties moving to the Netherlands has been greatly helped by your videos - thank you! Coffee is life, though if I might correct one small error - the Dutch drink far, far more coffee then Americans - on average twice as much.

[@nilsjurgens4112]

I think most of your friends are not Dutch, because we drink the most coffee in the world and typically Dutch coffee is drip coffee, what you get at a cafe is luxury Italian (original) coffee

[@bertnijhof5413]

At home with coffee I like a cookie too. My mother always prepared two cups of coffee for everybody at home at 11:00 and 20:00 sharp. At 16:00 we got two cups of Ceylon type of tea also with a cookie.

[@TheEvertw]

That's the Life!

[@WillemUtUje]

When she's talking about sizes of the coffees, the same could be said for US-NL pants sizes ;-) .

[@Dutchbelg3]

Hahahahaha Eva, You want the States imported into The Netherlands... You want quantity in stead of quality... That traditional american coffee that is transparent ;-) I do love your videos.. keep it up! But in respect for coffee... nahhhhhhhh!! ;-) ;-) No worries.. I still love you.

[@onescreentwomovies254]

Ordering a coffee, of "één koffie" is just fine, in any kind of place! If the waiter has an attitude and is pretentious bc they serve all kinds of different coffee well that's his/her bad. Doe effe normaal!. In Holland a coffee is just "koffie", ordinary drip coffee, no fancy espresso, cappuccino, latté or whatever..., if I wanted something different I would not have ordered it, but now I want a common cup of koffie. And if you don't serve that, it's ok, a sorry from the waiter is enough and just suggest me the alternatives. In A'dam we mock those pretentious waiters.

[@pramakers]

My manager uses "got time for a cup of coffee with me?" as code for "meet me in my office, there's something I need to discuss with you" and I think that's amazing.

[@noegdoer]

Flavored coffee?! A mortal Sin!!!!

[@BlacksmithTWD]

I guess flavored coffee is for those who don't like the taste of coffee.

[@erikmulder2574]

I agree there is a cultural difference even in our coffees. When I am in the USA i always ordered a small coffee, ending up throwing two thirds of it away. Way too much coffee to finish before it gets cold. Now I actually started to order an espresso, that is much better in size. By the way, although much stronger than normal coffee, espresso has less caffeine than plain coffee. This because water is forced with more pressure through the coffee. Then buying your coffee on the way to work is not what most Dutch people would do. Brewing it yourself costs about 30 cents for a thermos full, buying it at a cafe like Starbucks will cost you more than 4 Euros, so why would you? 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month is a monthly saving of 100 Euro. I know that sounds really Dutch being tight, however that is not the reason. You can only spend a Euro once, so it is choices you make. Over all, nice video and I appreciate to learn from your experiences. Erik

[@martianpudding9522]

I don't know about other places but my workplace just has a nice coffee machine (two actually). The idea of getting to go coffee and bringing it to a different place THAT HAS A COFFEE MACHINE (like work or home) is just a crazy concept to me.

[@ari-etta]

Talking about coffee, I have noticed that in the US the people take their coffee to work and sip every once in a while from coffee that got cold. And that is I think the big difference : The Dutch like their coffee HOT. That is why we have so many coffee machines at the workplace. We don't need to drag it along, we just get a new cup (or 2 or 3 or 25) at the workplace. And we do have filter coffee we just like it al lot stronger (so less water with same amount of coffee) . I couldn't stand that light brown water they sold me in the States calling it coffee.

[@catharina2022]

Filtercoffee ( dripcoffee) is a normal in the netherlands, some will say dutch coffee. So ask for "gewone koffie" and you will get your filtercoffee!👱‍♀️🇱🇺

[@MrJimheeren]

Filter coffee in bars and restaurants is dying out though. It’s either pressure coffee or maybe Nespresso in smaller bars

[@pjotter07]

When you have any business meeting with someone (or with a group), you start with a cup of coffee or tea before doing any business. It is our way to break the ice.

[@thomgeerts4622]

I just discoverd your video's yesterday, and I really love them! I love your enthusiasm and wonder about our country! Great to learn about your experiences!

[@JulesStoop]

The Dutch actually didn’t have an espresso-based coffee culture until about 20-25 or so years ago. Before that, it was all drip/filter coffee brewed by the liter or two in fairly large machines that kept glass pots of drip coffee heated pretty much indefinitely. If you ordered one and you were lucky, you’d get one that was fairly fresh. But in less frequented places your coffee could be up to a few hours old. Some places even boasted signs outside proclaiming ‘de koffie staat bruin’ which means as much as: we always have a pot of hot coffee ready so you don’t have to wait for us to make you a fresh cup. There are probably still a few places like this to be found in the east and north of the country, far from the cities.

[@CharlottesLawNL]

Actually, when I worked at Starbucks in the Netherlands, when people asked for a cup of coffee, we are supposed to ask what kind of coffee they’d like. It will really depend on the kind of café you are at, how they’ll respond to your order of coffee. If you go outside of the city they’ll probably pour you a drip coffee or a lungo. Basically, in the Netherlands we have all kind of European style coffees. It was different, 20 years ago. Drip coffees were more normal. At home and in cafés as well. My father used to bring Douwe Egberts grind coffee to his US friends when he had to visit for work, because the coffee in the US was so horrible.

[@dekemp1986]

We do not get coffee before we go to work. we get coffe at work, paid by the company. No need for large sizes which cool down before you finished them.

[@Sanquinity]

I drink coffee at home, to help me wake up before work. Though I generally do also get 1~2 cups at work after that.

[@rondonkers4662]

Well in the ninetees of the last century I was quite a time in Columbia, South-Carolina, at the NCR plant there. There were coffee machines stating 'American' coffee and 'European' coffee. In the 'European' stated machines we put twice as much ground coffee in it, cause the transparent 'American' coffee, it's hot, a bit brown, but nowhere near coffee at all. And I haven't mentioned 'Italian' coffee. When flying back to the Netherlands, mostly by KLM, I was happy to get a real dutch coffee.

[@Sense008]

There is plenty of drip coffee in the netherlands, but it's more an at home thing less a cafe thing (though it certainly used to be a cafe thing like 30 years ago). When I need a lot of coffee to get through the day, and I don't want the machine coffee, I brew a pot at home and take it to work in a thermo.

[@remcohoman1011]

2:20 maybe with an office job... I work as printingpress operator in shifts, and coffee is the fuel, and the most important machine in any factory is a good coffee machine. Starbucks is as we in north Netherlands call Schuddelwotter dishwashing water. One typical Dutch coffee thingy is.. after dinner, and desert, a cup of coffee.

[@vickyvdt]

I knew about the sizes, but never realised the coffee itself was so different. I totally thought Americans just had great caffeine tolerance 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@the1Skyseer]

Yeah ok, this is where i'm gonna have to stop you. Loved your videos so far, and had laughs of recognition about alot of things you highlight in them. But in this case, i'm a big coffee fan and a Dutchie aswell. You might be right on cup size in the us being enormous versus our convenient Dutch cup sizes, but the coffee inside them here is much much more stronger. So there might be less volume, you will get the same amount of work out of it. Having said that, please keep making these awesome vids you do! kind regards from the northern parts of the Netherlands!

[@dutchyjhome]

Hey Ava, if you want "iced Coffee" in The Netherlands, ask for: Coffee Frappiato

[@DRierpk55]

in amsterdam on the markets are coffeecars that make all the kinds of coffee you named (check out the market in amsterdam slotervaart on the sierplein om wednesday and be pleasantly surprized)

[@tiaxanderson9725]

I wonder what happened at that museum though, because most people drink regular old coffee. You can just order, and at worst have to clarify; black. "Koffie, zwart" should do the trick in just getting yourself fresh normal coffee. Coffee is such a big thing in Dutch culture that for me, someone who doesn't like coffee, I'd have to ask if they have something else. Which usually isn't a big deal, but since they asked if I wanted coffee (well, no) not if I wanted to peruse their fridge or something :P In fact, Dutchies consume about twice the amount of coffee per capita than the USA.

[@Nighteye2]

We do have drip coffee, but it is considered to be of lower quality and mainly gets served in sports canteens and cheap restaurants. Also, adding flavours to perfectly good black coffee is sacrilege.

[@GulliNL]

Imagine the reverse culture shock Europeans get when they order a coffee in the US! :) It's like getting a hot milkshake with all the sweets and candy added to it. The way we drink coffee in the Netherlands is sometimes described as Italian coffee. They somehow managed to put their mark on coffee drinking in Europe and you will find that most European cafe's have adopted that style. It might seem like small quantities, but it's more refined. You get the same (or sometimes even more) caffeine from a smaller drink, and the flavor is way more accentuated. We Europeans like our coffees neat, without artificial additions. Last year I was in Canada for the first time, after having traveled to a couple of US regions. So I know US Starbucks (it's ok, not great, but ok) and I wanted to try Tim Horton's. I asked the girl behind the counter for a latte, as this was my safest bet. She asked if I wanted something in it? No I just wanted a regular latte. This startled her a bit, but ok, after asking again she put in my order in the register and wrote down my name. When I walked out with my latte I took a sip... it had vanilla in it. SERIOUSLY?? Is the concept of coffee flavored coffee so hard to grasp in Northern America? :D Most Dutch people have grown up with drip coffee/filter coffee, and since a couple of years machines have shown up that take out the hassle for you. Like the Senseo, where you put in a coffee pad with the right amount of coffee grounds enclosed in a filter-paper sachet. Not everyone likes it but nowadays (since the patent has expired I guess) more brands come in with their own style of beans and roasts so you have more to pick from. On the back of the Senseo, the Nespresso (cups) and Dolce Gusta (cups) machines were introduced by other companies. They were met with the same apprehensive criticism but they earned their place in the market I think. But now, since one month, Nespresso has introduced the Vertuo, especially designed for... LARGE COFFEES! If my memory serves me well, the largest cup you can get from it is 414ml. That's almost half a liter of coffee!! I reaaaally wonder how this machine will fare in mainland Europe, it has been available in the UK for a while (well, the UK is the US-lite if you ask me so no surprises there). I guess a lot of 'traditional' coffee drinking Europeans will scoff at this machine for being too American. Also, side-note. To-go coffee in a plastic or paper cup seems incredibly wasteful to me. Just saying.

[@sven5666]

In fact prople in the US are drinking half the amount of coffee dutch people do. Btw if there is a Greek Cafe they could have Frappé (Ice Coffee)

[@legomattie3295]

Dutch regular coffee is just called coffee. No such thing as americano. Besides that, coffee here is way way stronger and tastier than the sewer water what is called in the usa. Which explains the size difference.

[@lowlandtech]

American coffee is coffee flavored lemonade, just add sugar and water and there you go Americano 😋😛

[@lindaraterink6451]

don't forget the insane amount of skimmed milk.

[@SoopaFlyism]

Starbucks is pretty good though.

[@Kaytala]

I really love your outrage about the size of Dutch coffees. It is so funny, and also helpful to know!

[@wilfredderksen]

Indeed there is a big gap in coffee cultures. From both sides you will reason “Is that coffee??’ For my perception the American coffee is just coloured water with a faint scent of what tended to be coffee 😂. I think that’s why the sizes are different as well. Coffee is also here seen as energiser as well at work, just at the desk while working. But just “in-company” and not necessarily from a shop. Indeed besides that we also “do coffee” as a social event. The regular coffee besides all different types of .. I think that’s a change from the last decade, we used to order just “coffee” and then get one as you call “baby drink”, but then with flavour :-) :-) If you would want a different taste, only then state it implicitly like “can I have a cappuccino?”. Since now there’s so many choices in some shops and coffee seen as collection name, they may need you to specify, like Starbucks. But even I look a bit surprised when they frown as I just ask coffee, as for me that’s the regular and the other are “specialties”. Just two different worlds in this matter :-)

[@essie23la]

that waiter you met is an exception, I'm dutch and I've never ever had that happen, if you just order a coffee you get a coffee, but fairly strong and in a regular small cup. Espresso is way smaller. Plus I've never in my life seen "americano" on the menu, I only know it exists because of youtube and series. Not that I go out for coffee all that often but most regular (eet)cafe's have 'koffie" on the menu, and some more coffee oriented places will use other words but you can still just ask for "koffie". Idk maybe the big cities are different, never lived in one, but my experience seems to have been very different form yours so far

[@ankhayratv]

During this video, I thought: I love your enthusiasm (no "o"?), you're fun to watch and listen to.

[@falcotol9299]

Een goede koffie moet je gewoon in Italie halen, evt langs de Sloveense kust. Interessant zijn overigens ook de koffiehuizen in Wenen en Boedapest, veelal in Jugendstil, trouwens. Enkel in deze traditionele panden te zijn geeft al extra cachet aan je consumptie. Vanzelfsprekend krijg je een glaasje water bij je koffie. Helaas is dit gebruik in Nederland grotendeels verloren gegaan.

[@Feeburgproducties]

I dont understand. I can go anywhere here in the Netherlands and ask for coffee and they understand I want coffee...

[@TheEvertw]

Funny, that awkward moment with the barista. Dutch servers are used to people being more direct than you were, and also like to keep a professional distance. Not like in the US where servers gush over patrons in hope of a better tip, Dutch (European) servers are professionals and like to be treated as such.

[@jpdj2715]

If you are thirsty, drink water. Don't dilute coffee to the point it is merely brown water. That's how you distinguish coffee civilization from coffee culture. [tongue in cheek]

[@komkwam]

@JP dj Yeah, if you are left with some coloured water instead of coffee you better drink tea. 😊

[@Sanquinity]

Flavoured coffee is a thing here in the Netherlands. But mostly at home or in really fancy/pretentious places. For at home you can get syrup bottles in all kinds of flavours in the supermarket. Add a teaspoon or two to your coffee and done. I personally like switching up my regular black with sugar with a hint of hazelnut or chocolate every now and then. That being said, nothing beats a cup of good, freshly ground, hot, plain black coffee with a bit of sugar in it for me. And if it's top quality, even the sugar might not be needed.

[@frankhooper7871]

Please increase the volume on your recording - I have my tablet volume up as high as it'll go and still find I have to repeat bits to catch what you said.

[@korab.2938]

4:09 "Panera bread and bakery" has a huge porcelain cups if you ask them to serve you your cappuccino. My local one in Astoria, NY has it.

[@zipporaabram1365]

You can order just a Coffee anywhere, I don’t recognize that problem...

[@truusjenskens8485]

coffee with vanillaflavour? Is that natural flavour or did they mix in some vanilla essence? We don't need that in holland, we need coffee that tastes like coffee...

[@andreacalisi4699]

Bigger is not always better... We'd rather get a second cup (while we sit in that supergezellige cafeetje) that is nice and hot, in a ceramic cup (with a little cookie or chocolate) than chug a lukewarm gallon of sludge from a cardboard bucket.

[@dianthav4912]

A babycino is usually just frothed milk. So cappuccino without coffee

[@Snaakie83]

Hi Eva (or Ava, which seems more plausible), As far as I understand the reason why the US has less "gezellige" coffeeshops to actually drink your coffee at...might be caused primarily by the difference in residential zoning. In the Netherlands it's pretty common that streets have a little coffeeshop around each corner of some city center street, whereas in the US commercial and residential zoning prohibits mixing of those two. That's also the reason why in America you practically HAVE to use your car for every thing you do...living in residential, shopping in commercial and working at industrial/commercial zones. Does that sound logical?

[@DutchAmericano]

This is so interesting! Definitely sounds plausible especially outside the city limits. Also, you're the first one to spell my name the way I spell it =P

[@TonKroon]

I order koffie at bars and cafes all the time. It's understood that it is black 'americano' with a sachet of suger and cup of koffiemelk on the side. Anything else, besides espresso, is for children. ;)

[@AwoudeX]

Most offices have quality coffee machines, we generally don't need to go out and get coffee. Some will have a pot from which you pour into cups, others will have one that dispenses a cup that automatically gets filled. One of the reasons for smaller cups in the Netherlands is time, if you have a half an hour, you don't have enough time to finish half a gallon or whatever the size was that you showed. On top of that, the taste of coffee degrades quite fast, so having it in smaller sizes makes sense for all the people that love excellence in taste when it comes to coffee. I drink coffee daily and love to just pour freshly boiled water on top of some ground beans and let it drip through a filter. It tastes a tiny bit more bitter and it has the maximum of caffeine. The experience then is that you can drink it as regular coffee, but you get the espresso buzz. One way of making coffee i loathe: senseo... It's so bad that alot of people don't even call it coffee... steer clear of that, since you're really a coffee person...!

[@70ed81]

Subscribed :)....Great Channel ( thumbs up! ).

[@HerrFinsternis]

It's funny because what you call an espresso we call coffee, and what we call an espresso an Italian calls coffee, and what they call an espresso is really just one sip of very strong coffee and I allways like this because there they have these 3 meter long contraptions with an assortment of tubes sticking out from all sides, and there is a lot of rumbling and hissing and then when all is said and done ... *tiny squirt* But it's the best coffee you'll ever drink, or at least it is to me I can't understand how you can down a litre of coffee in one sitting, and why don't you mind having cold coffee halfway through? On a sidenote, many Dutch drink coffee at their desk while working all day long.

[@palantir135]

Very strange because, here in the south of the Netherlands, every café will serve you a cup of coffee if you asked for ‘een kop koffie’. The same in Belgium and Germany. If you want another type you have to order that with the sorts name like Espresso , Latte, Capuchino. The best coffee you will find in Germany.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I was puzzled when I was in the USA I had that big coffee, but it was "slap", like they did too much water and too little coffee in it. But the coffee here at Mc Donalds is excellent. Howcome?

[@DutchAmericano]

Oh, that's interesting! I'm not sure what the McDonalds does differently here, but it doesn't surprise me that there might be different standards!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@John That is what we call in Dutch a "dooddoener". That is an answer that is Always right but so unnecessary that it is stupid. Litterally translated an answer that kills.

[@karelvandegraaf62]

Go to a local pub (bruin café) They won't have a italian coffemaker with hundreds of options they will only have Koffie (and you can get some coffeemilk and lumbs of sugar with it but more options no way!) Get the difference i once was with my grandma to a dutch Mc Donald's. needles to say that was the only time that happend coffee in a foam cup with a lid on it... (not even speaking of the fact that we pushed her to get a snack which she was not used to eat so she ended up ordering one of the 2 most populair dutch snacks.... and then having to explain that Mc Donald's does not sell Broodje Frikandel that visit to McD became a classic story in our Household... They got the Mc Kroket many years after this so they have started trying to fit in. Only thing you left out specialy in home situations that with your first coffee you will Always get a cookie (koekje) but you can make a special on that easy... stroopwafel, boterkoek, speculaas, spritskoek, bitterkoekje the list goes on.

[@markschattefor6997]

En de deksel gaat weer op de koektrommel, niet uit zuinigheid ( althans niet hier in het zuiden) meer vanwege het klimaat, koekjes worden zacht en klef als je dat niet doet.

[@Wielie0305]

Of bezoek de kantine van de plaatselijke voetbalclub :-)

[@thekirkorr5889]

Hi there! It is worth to mention that in fact: the espresso drinks has far less caffeine than the drip coffee. It is very important. Please remember that the safe dose of the caffeine is 400 mg daily. I can assume that you are getting much more. 100 ml of drip coffee has 80-100 mg of caffeine. Easy to calculate. Do you drink max 400 ml of coffee daily in US? I don"t think so. The average medium coffee is nearly half a liter so you already experience the overdose. The single espresso has 60-80 mg caffeine in a single shot. Make that twice and make the americano (average one cup volume in total). You can get 3 americanos daily. But based on the information provided: you can only get one one medium size coffee in US (still overdose) not to get sick after couple od years. And the symptoms are pretty popular in the US among people. Please take that into the consideration. All the best! ❤ (drink espresso made from only arabica beans without the robusta beans blended - rubusta has more caffeine than arabica- so you can get more 🎉).

[@QuantumCat76]

Going to a "coffeeshop" for a coffee to go, is like drinking coffee with extra steps. I make coffee at home and generally drink a cup at home and take a travel mug so I can have a drink while driving to work

[@casperk7310]

U should definitely ask for the nearest coffee shop in Amsterdam. I am sure nobody will look wierd at you.

[@Sanquinity]

@@casperk7310 My parents did that way back when, before it was widely known what coffeeshops are over here. Of course with, like, 2~3 year old me in tow. xD And yes, they indeed got VERY weird stares when they came in with a toddler and asked for coffee. Along with a "we do have coffee here, but ma'an...we sell weed here, it's not that kind of coffeeshop." My mom likes to tell that story every now and then. :P Also, we are all Dutch. It's just that, as I said, back then "coffeeshops" weren't that widely known yet.

[@RFGfotografie]

Great video :)

[@MYoung-mq2by]

I really enjoy watching your videos and listening to your experiences about life in the Netherlands. I have been living here for 30 years now, so even if it has been quite a while since first arriving here, I can relate to the differences. But, as for the coffee thing... my goodness! People obviously don't all have the same job so the coffee culture will not be exactly the same everywhere. Speaking for myself, I work in an office for 40 hours a week. I am perfectly capable of drinking strong and hot black filter coffee from the work coffee machine all day long and I often do. My boss drinks extra strong espresso from that machine, all day. The machine is there at our disposal, with a huge selection to choose from. The need for mega size cups of ditchwater is zero. Social coffee drinking is lovely, accompanied with gezelligheid and appeltaart met slagroom (or whatever). But for most people, I dare say, that is definitely not the main occassion or reason to drink it. There's a huge workforce out there that wouldn't dream of going without it. Also, one can definitely ask for just a coffee at a café, and you will probably get a filter coffee. Otherwise one really should be more specific. The guy that served you was being a smart ass. Let that go ;-)

[@Detigerg]

2017 we ordered black coffee at Duncan Donuts. It tastend the same as in The Netherlands.

[@Pyltje03]

The size of coffee, milkshakes etc in the usa vs Europe explains Maybe a bit the problems the usa got with overweight? I have been to the usa a few times and I cant get passed the giant portions you get sometimes. Looking on the size of most americans I always wondered.....Where do you stuff this?

[@feikodelavieter7515]

?? have you worked in an office environment in The Netherlands? like others said ; there is nearly always free coffee, and otherwise it is very cheap. many places have special trays to collect like 7 or 10 cups in one go for the whole team. the coffee culture in the states is cute and commercial, but not about good coffee. for good coffee visit Italy, Portugal and Greece. And in a lot of places you can get a koffie , just a normal one.

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

We have pretty good coffee at work, from Smit&Dorlas and it is for free, and you can drink as much as you like all day long. I must add that I live a good strong double or triple espresso, which is just about the only kind of coffee I drink, but I drink two or three per day. Too much coffee makes me feel unpleasantly wired. But we do put our work down for a half hour and simply enjoy the coffee together and talk.

[@mischake]

I've worked at an office where they have their own vending machine that sets the coffee exactly as you like. It was totally a productivity thing tho drink coffee

[@martianpudding9522]

Many people do drink drip coffee and have drip coffee machines, but it's considered very plain/ low quality. I think because Dutch people go out for coffee to enjoy it and not just for the caffeine intake, they would never go out to get drip coffee, just like how a café wouldn't usually serve plain cheese sandwiches even though they are very popular.

[@thephilosopherofculture4559]

The coffee you talk about as American coffee, about 10 minutes in and on, does have a name in Dutch, if you order "gewone koffie" ("ordinary coffee") , you will get American coffee, which is different from an espresso with extra water, by the way.

[@Viniter]

American sized lattes/cappuccinos seem like a complete meal to me. When Starbucks came to my country and I seen the size of Venti for the first time I was blown away (and I've heard in the US that's not the largest size).

[@TheEvertw]

One big difference in Dutch and USA coffee culture is that Dutch employers don't begrudge their employees their coffee breaks. Lots of good happens during those breaks that benefits the employers.

[@Taliesin6]

bring your own cup when you get coffee in the states! a lot of dutch ppl i know complain about the small coffees here too lol.

[@pavarossi3732]

Coffee in the US is not coffee. It is a kind of light brown, watery substance you can see through

[@hdekker8090]

Most dutch starting the day with a hit on the button of the coffeemachine! . Then we socialize with a cup of C and then start work. During work we get coffee when we want to reload our Caffine level. !

[@nienke7713]

A babyccino doesn't contain coffee, it's like a cappuccino without the coffee, so basically steamed milk(foam), and yeah it is intended for children (although if an adult wants it for whatever reason, then they should do it; to each their own) Drip coffee is very normal here in the NL, it's just that people have a coffee machine for it at home, and if you go to a café you'd go for something a little more special. You also need to consider that making a big pot of drip coffee can go cold if you don't keep it warm, or can taste burned if you keep it on a hot plate, so that's why it's not always interesting for cafés to have it. You can often order a black coffee, although it usually will come from an instant machine which produces not quite drip coffee but also not quite espresso based coffee. In the NL the average coffee consumption per capita is about double that of the US (5th place at 8.4kg per capita vs 25th place with 4.2kg per capita), lots of people drink their home brewed drip coffee in the morning, and where Americans might have breaks at the water cooler (at least that's what pop culture seems to suggest), we often have breaks at the coffee machine. We also like to meet up for coffee, whether as part of hanging out with friends, or on a date, and it can even happen just quickly if you can't meet for too long (I often go and get coffee with friends from uni to catch up during breaks/free periods), and relatively recently other methods of making coffee such as Senseo and Nespresso. People also have coffee often when they visit family or friends at their houses, and at Dutch birthday parties (the actual kind, not what Americans call a Dutch Party, which we call an American Party). Coffee is also sometimes enjoyed at the end of a dinner, especially if at a restaurant.

[@MrAzhrarn]

What cafe's are you visiting that you can't get a regular cup of coffee? I mean, it's not going to be a large coffee, but it's regular non-espresso coffee. Considerably stronger than what you'd get in the US, certainly, but it's normal black coffee. 😄It may not be percolator coffee, although you can probably find that too if you want. We like our coffee strong, that doesn't make it espresso, that's even stronger. If you're using Starbucks as a reference, then yes, they don't really sell normal coffee, only coffee drinks, but a normal café with an outdoor terrace should be able to serve you regular coffee.

[@QuantumCat76]

I drink coffee when I'm at home, I drink coffee at work. I sometimes use it to calm down. Especially when I have a deadline and have a small writer's block at the start: I helps me focus. I do prefer lots of smaller cups over one big mug. I prefer my coffee *hot*, with a bigger mug one risks the coffee being cooled down before reaching the end. We generally drink coffee at work, depending on the workplace it's at specific time or we go whenever we feel like, The coffee machines is the most important machine in the workplace. I preferably buy different whole beans of a single type & regions, as the flavours differ as a result type of bean and the region it was grown. And I have 5 different machines and devices to make coffee

[@komkwam]

Funny how coffee calms you down because caffeïne normally gives you a boost, it is not a sedative. 😁

[@QuantumCat76]

@@komkwam I think it's more the ritual of going to the coffee machine, grab/making, a cup of coffee, sitting down, smelling the coffee and enjoying drinking the coffee

[@Nicholas_V]

At a lot of places you can get iced coffee. The coffee company has multiple options. I love the frozen cappuchino there.

[@corienbakker6990]

That's funny... In order to get coffee in Italy like the Dutch coffee, I needed to order an 'americano', otherwise I'd get an espresso. While in the NL, I've never even heard of 'americano' being on any menu: I just order 'koffie' OR 'espresso'! Are you sure you weren't in a very touristic place, where they use 'americano' in stead of 'coffee'?

[@ElasticbrandNet]

I seek out "American style" coffee shops in Amsterdam, like Bagels & Beans, Starbucks, Coffee Company, because they do give you the large lattes and not the thumbnail size cups :-P Now in Italy, that really is nearly impossible, unless you go to Starbucks of course.

[@RamsesOu]

The times I went to the US, the coffee was flavorless and more resembled tea. We may have smaller cup sizes in the Netherlands, but the coffee is strong as hell. As for the flavored coffee: we generally use different kinds of beans for different flavors, instead of spiking it with sugary syrup.

[@petervanderbent9551]

Agree, it is much moor to do with the quality than the quantity. It’s more about the taste.

[@mimimotor]

US' coffee is warm water. No spoon can stand in it straight!

[@quatra1000]

Yes, in The Netherlands it's "een kopje koffie" (cup of coffee) en niet "een emmertje koffie" (small bucket of coffee). The other difference is that both Americans and Dutch use the same amount of cofee but different amounts of water, hence American coffee is diluted and transparent and Dutch, or European, coffee is not. On the other hand a café in the Netherlands is a drinking place where you can play billiards and with a sign like Heineken, Amstel or Grolsch over the entrance, not for coffee.

[@paulijsendoorn7397]

Hallo Eva, Two day's ago I bumped into your channel(and subscribed)listenend to most of them,all by now,and I liked it,because sometimes you look and sound like a 16/17 year old teenager on the biggest adventure of your life,wich maybe you are,nevertheless I had fun. Be carefull not to generalise,like with the houses,because there are are so many differences depending on when they were build and where and so on. The main reason I react is that I have a bit of a problem,because now there is so much that I would like to tell you about the dutch and our country that I don't where to start so I am not going to now. I do want to tell you is that what makes your channel more fun for me is that before I moved to Nieuwegein some 20 years ago and had become a Hoofdconducteur with the NS Iworked as a bartender in several cafe's in Utrecht and they are still there so you might now them and lived there most of my life and I really like the city. When I was 18 finished school and became a merchant sailor went all over the world including the States,have been to NY several times,Philly a lot,Boston,Houston,New Orleans,love the Mardi Grass,Frisco and a lot of other places around the world,but it was a long time ago 1973/74/75 and I think things were a bit more relaxed all around the world in those days compared to the present. Also your stories and the thing's you let slip about your girlfriend and the fact she doesn't want to be in your video's(which is I think so dutch"doe maar normaal,dan doe je al gek genoeg".) Made me kind fo curious about her. I am going to stop here,preventing you from getting bored,but if there is anything you would like to know about drop a message,I am not on instagram,have a facebook page which I don't really use but look at regular to what pictures my daughter has put up,but anyway keep those video's comming,and bye bye.

[@ErikVananrooij]

i visited the east coast of the usa [miami/orlando/new york/wachington] and could not find 1 decent koffie over there, or bier and/or whisky for that matter. even the cocacola was more icewater than coca cola , and the tab water was/is nothing more than a serious health risk. and this was before flint [lead] and east palistine [dioxines]

[@gertvanderstraaten6352]

Plz stop calling it Holland. Ik know a lot of Dutch people, even if they're not from North or South Holland do so too but that doesn't make it any less annoying. Like saying England when meaning the UK. Or Russia when you mean...erm...never mind that one. Coffeeshop is a different thing and then koffiehuis is basically a word for a Turkish coffee place. So cafe then :| but that also means bar. It's all very confusing even if you're Dutch. There's cold coffee in the suppermarket that's vanilla, mocha or caramel latte espresso-based.

[@Snowwie88]

I am Dutch and I drink every day coffee. "Douwe Egberts Snelfiltermaling Aroma Rood". But aside from that I also have bags of "Kopico Blanca". But this coffee is not available in The Netherlands, I first got when I went to The Philippines in 2018. Kopico Blanca is solvent coffee with milk and sugar all in one in just the right proportion. Still, the Douwe Egberts I drink most of the time. It's not for, indeed as you said, staying awake, it's more like a habit I suppose. Getting out of bed, and turn on the coffee machine. :-)

[@KamilleBoerr]

Where is the fox?? Love that knitted fox you have in the background most of the time 🦊😋

[@mattgiant8836]

An Americano is a very watered down coffee, we think. We do drink filtercoffee a lot here, but at home and much stronger than the US. Personally I like filtercoffee but then the better brands, like Italian coffee. So much stronger but it's not espresso. So I rather buy more expensive coffeebrands (order them online) like Illy to drink at home, even though I can also go out and drink it there. As you said, going out for coffee is more of a social event and not a daily thing. I also know people who buy the coffee beans and grind them at home to get a very fresh filter coffee.

[@silviosantos6553]

Hello Eva. I love your vídeos. I do understand you quite well. I love coffee too. But I have to say Brazilian people prefer to sit and enjoy their coffee as well. We got very good coffee here but you won't find so many flavours as in the US. I've been to both The US and the Netherlands and I could really see the difference.

[@MrMezmerized]

You might want to try the Dutch Indies "Koffie Toebroek" (pronounced Toobrook). Just don't down it quickly because it still contains ground coffee beans. It's not filtered.

[@Roel_Scoot]

Ja! Koffie Toebroek! Tempo doeloe for me :) Take some grind coffee or grind your own roasted beans, put a heaped coffee spoon or two in a cup and add hot boiling water, wait until the coffee sinks to the bottom of the cup and enjoy. If you want sugar, you put it in with the coffee before the water. You don't want to stir it afterwards. You can not drink it all out because of the koffiedrab on the bottom and probably you get some grains in your mouth as well, but that is part of the experience.

[@martindejong3974]

toebroek means "jump up".

[@herby4911]

Coffee to go is more common around trainstations in the Netherlands. The sizes differ,.. but yes, they are a lot smaller. Also it depends on the situation how we drink coffee. In the morning I mostly don’t drink coffee because it’s cosy... I drink it to help my brain to wake up... sometimes during the whole day. 😅

[@stefangrobbink7760]

Americans may drink coffee during work, but the Dutch drink coffee during breaks, which kinda explains the different mindset regarding coffee.

[@pietvanderlaan3617]

Coffee in (most of) Europe is also much stronger. The coffee sold at Starbucks, for instance, is too watered down for many and therefore they prefer the smaller sizes that are strong. It needs to taste like coffee, not like water with a mild coffee flavour, like what they sell at many places in the US. Also, many like their coffee to be hot. If the cup is too big, the content cools down too fast and you end up drinking most of it cold. Finally, many Dutch people do not consider flavoured coffee and iced coffee real coffee. It's coffee for children who don't like coffee but want to be cool. Of course I am over generalising here a bit, but I know quite a few Dutch people who believe this. By the way, I like your videos. It's fun to hear an American's perspective on Dutch culture. I've lived in both countries so for me it's fun to compare your experiences to mine. Thanks.

[@Jila_Tana]

So you sit down at a cafe and ask for a Koffie and they stare at you, giving you an awkward moment ? I do the same thing, I sit down and order a Koffie and if they dare stare at me as if I asked something stupid, I send 'm packing. None of what you said was wrong. You want a Koffie, you get exactly that. If you rather want something special, you ask for those by name. (Cappucino, Latte, w/e) If I'd examine your kitchen, would I not find a Senseo machine ? I drink about 8-10 cups a day, but actually 4-5 double cups from the Senseo into a larger mug. The first cup I take is 30 seconds after waking up, coffee before washing and brushing. The last I take is 5 minutes before sleep. Before you ask, yes I sleep very well.