Coffee 101

MYTH: Espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee and darker roasted coffee has more caffeine than lighter roasted coffee.   BUSTED: Caffeine content is directly related to the amount of coffee used to make the beverage.Want a 60 second video version? Watch here! We’ve all probably heard a ton of theories about people trying to maximize (or minimize) the amount of caffeine in their coffee drink of choice. We may or may not have heard the following things spoken about caffeine: “Give me a cup of your high-octane coffee.” “I want the biggest size of your boldest roast; I barely...

Myth: All coffee that’s processed using organic methods will be certified ‘USDA Organic’ and is better quality than non-certified coffee.   Busted: Many coffee farms use naturally ‘organic’ methods to grow coffee and cannot afford the costly and time consuming process of becoming a certified organic farm. USDA certification has nothing to do with the inherent quality of the crop or price paid for the coffee.   Want a quick video version? Find one here! ‘Is your coffee organic?’ can be an unintentionally loaded question. Maybe we’re hoping that organic coffee means that we aren’t ingesting ‘bad’ chemicals or that...

MYTH: You should brew coffee immediately after roasting for it to taste the best.  BUSTED: To get the best expression of the coffee, wait at least a few days after roast date before brewing.   Want a quick video version? Right this way. While you definitely want some things sizzlin’ hot and fresh out of the oven, brewing coffee with beans fresh out of the roaster is, typically, not ideal.* When coffee is roasting, many chemical reactions are happening inside that little green bean. Gasses like carbon dioxide develop and, after roasting, the bean begins to ‘de-gas’ — or release...

Myth: Espresso beans are different from ‘regular’ coffee beans.   Busted: ‘Espresso’ is a method of brewing coffee, not a type of coffee bean.  Want a 60 second video version? Watch here! When you think of ‘espresso beans’, perhaps it conjures up an image of deep, dark and oily coffee beans in the hopper of an espresso grinder next to a worn-in and well-loved espresso machine in a dimly lit Italian cafe patiently awaiting their destiny as a tiny concentrated beverage that you’ll happily pay €1 for and sip alfresco on a cobblestone sidewalk as you gaze out upon the...