Free Cuppa Joe for National Coffee Day

Today is National Coffee Day, a day to celebrate the one addiction most of us seem to share — that need for a daily dose (or three) of caffeine. 7-Eleven, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts are giving away free or discounted coffee today. As you hunt down your free cup o’ joe, here are five things every bean aficionado should know.

1. Is “I need a cup of coffee to start my day” your daily mantra? You’re not alone. Three out of five Americans think that about their first morning cup, according to a coffee consumption survey commissioned by 7-Eleven.

2. Your career could dictate whether you’re more likely to chug coffee during the day, according to a Dunkin’ Donuts/Career Builder survey. The top 10 professions likely to “need coffee to get through the workday the most” are:

1. Scientist/Lab Technician
2. Marketing/Public Relations Professional
3. Educator/Administrator
4. Editor/Writer
5. Healthcare Administrator
6. Physician
7. Food Preparer
8. Professor
9. Social Worker
10. Financial Professional

3. Thank a goat for your caffeine jolt. If you believe the Ethiopian legend of Kaldi, the goat herder, that is. As recounted by the National Coffee Association, humans first discovered the magic of coffee thanks to Kaldi’s goats: “It is said that he discovered coffee after noticing that his goats, upon eating berries from a certain tree, became so spirited that they did not want to sleep at night.” Anyone who has a cup after 6 p.m. at night can probably relate to the goats.

4. Pouring coffee in your mug and going about your day seems simple, but there are 10 steps to creating that moment, according to the National Coffee Association. They are planting, harvesting the cherries, processing the cherries, drying the beans, milling the beans, exporting the beans, tasting the coffee, roasting coffee, grinding coffee and, finally, brewing coffee. If you’re rusty on any of these steps, then the National Coffee Association explains it all.

5. Ladies, feeling down? can chase away depression blues, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Women who consumed two to three cups a day of caffeinated coffee were 15 percent less likely to develop depression compared to women who drank a cup or less daily. Researchers didn’t find the same link with decaffeinated coffee.

Don’t let National Coffee Day, September 29, go by without a free cup. We know 7-Eleven is offering free medium hot coffees from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Krispy Kreme will give away 12-ounce cups of its house blend coffee all day. Dunkin' Donuts issued coupons for 50-cent medium hot and iced coffees all day long.

(Jaime Sumersille contributed to this article.)