9 Popular Coffee Myths Debunked by Coffee Roasters

You’ve heard them from your colleagues and parents, or maybe you’ve drawn those conclusions yourself since they seemed logical, but… are they?

Today we’re debunking coffee myths so that you can show off your coffee knowledge the next time you brew a pot for someone.

1. Coffee is made with boiling water

As crazy as it might sound if you’re used to scorching your grounds with freshly boiled water, that’s not the right temperature. Unless you’re after an over-extracted, bitter joe, that is!

Truth: for the best results, it should be 195-205°F (90-96°C).

2. Dark roasts have more caffeine

We can see why you’d think that darker means stronger when it comes to coffee beans, but caffeine levels aren’t actually affected by the roasting process.

So, do dark roasts have more caffeine?

Truth: because light roasts are denser, they have more caffeine if you measure beans by scoops. Darker roasts have a smaller mass so, when measuring by weight, they’ll have more. 

3. Coffee dehydrates you

This coffee myth probably derives from the fact that… yes, caffeine is a diuretic. However, what was the other ingredient used in coffee? 

Oh, yes. Water! When you drink coffee, you’re still absorbing fluids.

Truth: coffee doesn’t dehydrate you more than any other liquid that makes you pee. 

4. There’s no caffeine in decaf

Removing all traces of caffeine from beans is virtually impossible.

However, if you’re now panicking because you drink decaf coffee to avoid messing up with your sleeping pattern, don’t worry: it contains such small amounts of caffeine that your body won’t feel its effects!

You would have to drink 5-10 cups of decaf coffee to reach the same caffeine levels of a traditional brew.

Truth: decaf is at least 97% caffeine-free.

5. Coffee stunts your growth

Sorry to break it to you, but your parents have only been telling you that because they didn’t want to share their precious coffee stash.

Truth: there is absolutely no scientific evidence that coffee affects your growth.

6. Mid-afternoon coffee results in insomnia

We know some people who can chug down coffee at midnight with no consequences and others who won’t sleep a wink if they drink a tiny cup at noon. 

However, in the second case, it’s probably subconsciously self-induced.

Truth: your body processes coffee within 4-7 hours, so a mid-afternoon coffee won’t affect your sleep. Go on and brew that cup of coffee!

7. Storing coffee in the fridge will make it last longer

If this is one of the coffee myths you believe in, go and get it out of the fridge right now and then come back for the rest of the article!

Coffee can actually last less in there because of the buildup of moisture caused by its temperature changes. Plus, it will absorb your food’s smell. Yuk.

Truth: coffee lasts longer when stored correctly in airtight containers at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. 

8. Coffee makes you gain weight

Actually, among the many health benefits of drinking coffee, there’s caffeine being a stimulant. Yep, often used in weight-loss products!

Truth: black coffee doesn’t make you gain weight. Now, if you add lots of milk, sugar, and enjoy it with cakes… that’s a different story.

9. Espresso has more caffeine than filter coffee

Don’t get us wrong: espresso is definitely stronger than filtered coffee because it’s more concentrated, but it’s still tiny!

Truth: you actually get less caffeine with an espresso, simply because you use fewer grounds to make it. 

There you go: 9 coffee myths debunked! Do you know any others? Share them with us by dropping them in the comments!