The way we all experience coffee is influenced by myriad factors - our expectations, the flavour profile of the cup, our taste preferences, the costs/ effort of acquiring the coffee, and how it is stored, to name a few.
It’s only natural that the impression we form of coffee may be different.
Consequently, myths surrounding coffee begin to spread far and wide. People take these beliefs at face value, allowing their own experience of coffee to be affected.
Let’s take a look at some myths and understand what’s true.
Freezing Coffee Ruins It
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Freezing coffee in an airtight container reduces the pace at which it goes stale; that is to say, the coffee stays fresh longer in the freezer than in your pantry.
But of course, you will want to ensure that the coffee bag is sealed tightly and not kept open for too long each time you open it.
There are ways in which freezing coffee could ruin its quality. Firstly, if it’s not closed tightly, ice begins to form on the coffee. Each time you take the bag of coffee out of the freezer, the ice will melt and make the grounds watery.
Secondly, if it’s kept in the freezer for several months/ years, you’re probably looking at coffee that has become entirely weak in flavour and pointless to consume.
Bitter Coffee is Strong Coffee
The bitterness you can taste in coffee doesn’t only come from caffeine. There are a variety of factors that can lead to bitter coffees or coffees that have an overwhelmingly bitter taste.
Just because it tastes bitter doesn’t mean it is strong. You can have a bitter coffee with little to no caffeine too.
The next time you find a coffee to be quite bitter, some of the reasons it could be so are poor coffee extraction or poor grind quality.
Coffee is Bad For Health
Such a blanket statement is obviously a myth, mainly because it claims that coffee is generally bad for health.
Several studies have proven the health benefits of moderate, regular consumption of coffee, such as a lower likelihood of developing heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
Granted that people with certain conditions should be careful about drinking coffee, it is entirely far-fetched to state that coffee is bad for health.
Espresso Shots Die After 10-15 Seconds
Oddly enough, many people believe that espresso shots shouldn’t be left to sit and that the coffee must be served immediately. This is not true.
A well-brewed espresso shot remains of good quality even if it has been sitting for a minute or two after it has been prepared. If the espresso tastes odd to you, the problem lies elsewhere, and not in the timeframe between pulling a shot and serving it.
Black Coffee Tastes Bitter
Equating black coffee to being bitter is probably what holds a lot of people back from trying it or acquiring a taste for it.
Since black coffee is usually consumed without any sweeteners and has no milk, there’s nothing that takes your attention away from the true essence of the coffee. This is where you can experience the flavour profile of coffee as is. But that doesn’t mean it’s all only bitter.
Black coffee can have fruity, chocolatey, floral or even spicy tasting notes. So the next time you are at a coffee shop, consider the various roasts and origins they have available and try a black coffee.
Espresso Coffee is a Dark-Roast Coffee
Espresso is a method of brewing coffee, but people often associate espresso coffee with beans that have been roasted dark.
You would have heard of the term “espresso roast”. It essentially means beans or grinds that can be used with an espresso machine.
The reason this myth exists is probably because many people typically pick a medium to dark roast for an espresso coffee. However, there are coffee roasters, baristas, and consumers who experiment with lighter roasts too. In some cases, they might even prefer it over a dark roast for an espresso.
What other myths would you add to this list? Comment and let us know!