Category: Coffee science

According to coffee scientists, all coffee beans naturally contain fats and oils, known as lipids, which can comprise up to 17% of a green bean's makeup. This means that, yes, there is oil in black coffee, although the amount depends on various factors like roast level and brewing method. Understanding this helps explain the sheen you might see on your cup and the nuanced flavors you taste.

While a typical eight-ounce mug of French press coffee contains approximately 107 mg of caffeine, a single one-ounce shot of espresso has around 47–64 mg. This critical distinction between total caffeine and concentration is central to answering whether French coffee is stronger than espresso.

The average adult in the U.S. consumes around 210-238 mg of caffeine daily, but few know its origin. The answer to where does coffee get its caffeine from is rooted in the very biology of the *Coffea* plant itself, which produces the compound as a natural insecticide and a chemical agent for survival. This fascinating process is a testament to millions of years of plant evolution, designed to give the coffee plant a vital edge in its environment.

Over 97% of caffeine is typically removed from coffee beans during the decaffeination process. Have you ever wondered how does caffeine get extracted from coffee to produce your favorite decaf brew? The answer lies in several complex industrial methods, each balancing taste, cost, and safety.

Did you know that a coffee's flavor extraction is directly influenced by its grind size? Understanding what grind of coffee makes the strongest coffee is not just about a single setting, but about mastering the relationship between particle size, brewing method, and contact time for a truly powerful brew.

Despite popular belief, a light roast and a dark roast of the same coffee bean contain nearly identical amounts of caffeine by the time they are roasted. The question of does roasting coffee destroy caffeine is less about chemical degradation and more about physics, specifically how the beans' density changes during the heating process.

An average cup of coffee contains over 1,000 different natural compounds, which contribute to its complex flavor, aroma, and physiological effects. A deeper understanding of what does coffee contain reveals more than just its well-known stimulant properties.

Many assume pour over coffee is more acidic due to its perceived bright flavors, but scientific analysis shows cold brew can be up to 70% less acidic than hot-brewed methods like pour-over. This reveals the crucial difference between perceived taste and actual pH, which is key to understanding if pour over coffee is more acidic.

With a pH level significantly lower than coffee's, adding a squeeze of lemon juice dramatically increases the mixture's acidity. So, how does lemon affect coffee's acidity and overall flavor profile, and what does this mean for your daily cup?

Did you know that over 1,000 volatile compounds have been identified in roasted coffee, contributing to its complex aroma? So, does all coffee have chemicals? The short answer is yes, from naturally occurring compounds to potential contaminants, every cup is a complex chemical mixture.