MyMemeCards editorial team
Watch the ref
Nobody has added this meme's ref yet. Got the original video or post?
In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” is a common card of the Memes World series 76, number 22561 of the collection, and the 60th best-known meme of its 298 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” meme mean?
The Trojan Room coffee pot is shorthand for the humble, slightly silly roots of live video online: one camera, one coffee machine and a few computer scientists tired of wasted walks. The story shows that big inventions can grow out of a tiny everyday annoyance. People mention it when they talk about the early internet, when they want to joke about a huge technical fix for a trivial problem, or when they celebrate geek ingenuity. It has become a nostalgic landmark of 1990s web culture.
Where does the “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” meme come from?
In the early 1990s, researchers at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory shared a coffee pot in the hallway of the Trojan Room, and people sometimes climbed the stairs only to find it empty. Quentin Stafford-Fraser and Paul Jardetzky therefore set up a camera wired into the lab's network. In 1991 the system captured a greyscale picture of 128×128 pixels, refreshed about three times a minute. Stafford-Fraser wrote the client software, and Daniel Gordon and Martyn Johnson built the web page that put the feed online for everyone in November 1993. Visitors from around the world tuned in and the press took notice. On August 22, 2001 the server was switched off as the department moved. German outlet Spiegel Online bought the pot on eBay and launched a new feed in December 2001.
- 1991The Trojan Room camera starts capturing pictures of the coffee pot.
- November 1993The feed moves onto the web and becomes available to any internet user.
- August 22, 2001The server is shut down for good, the final image showing the unplugged pot.
- December 2001Spiegel Online, which bought the pot on eBay, launches a new feed.
How to use the “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” meme
- Bring it up as proof that the world's first webcam was pointed at coffee.
- Joke about an over-engineered solution to a tiny problem by calling it “the Cambridge coffee pot.”
- Cite it in a talk or thread about web pioneers and the early internet.
- Share the story to show that laziness is often the mother of invention.
Also searched as
- Trojan Room Coffee Pot
- XCoffee
- Cambridge coffee pot
- world's first webcam
- trojan room coffee pot
- trojan room coffee pot meme
- first webcam in the world
- cambridge coffee pot webcam
- trojan room coffee pot origin
- trojan room coffee pot history
- first webcam 1991 cambridge
The “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 22561 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Memes World series 76 |
| Fame | 62/100 · #60 of 298 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Trojan Room Coffee Pot comes out of the Memes World series 76 as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Trojan Room Coffee Pot”
More cards of the Memes World series 76
Frequently asked questions
What is the Trojan Room coffee pot?
It is the coffee maker filmed by a camera at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. The setup is considered the world's first webcam.
Who invented the first webcam?
Quentin Stafford-Fraser and Paul Jardetzky, members of the Cambridge lab, built the system. Daniel Gordon and Martyn Johnson later created the web page.
Why did they film a coffee pot?
So people could see from their desks whether any coffee remained before walking to the room. The camera spared researchers many pointless trips.
What happened to the coffee pot?
The server was switched off on August 22, 2001. Spiegel Online later bought the pot on eBay and brought it back into service.
How do I get the Trojan Room Coffee Pot meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Trojan Room Coffee Pot” is a common card of the Memes World series 76. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Trojan Room Coffee Pot card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Know Your Meme — Trojan Room Coffee Pot · checked on October 18, 2026.
Read next
Want Trojan Room Coffee Pot in your collection?
Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.