How To Make The Best Coffee, According To Science

If you drink coffee, you might wonder if you're doing the most to make your absolute best cup of coffee. And fortunately for you, science has the answers, from getting the perfect grind to finding out the best beans for you. So pull up a chair and pour yourself a cup of joe!

Hosted by: Rose Bear Don't Walk (she/her)
----------
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Adam Brainard, Alex Hackman, Ash, Bryan Cloer, charles george, Chris Mackey, Chris Peters, Christoph Schwanke, Christopher R Boucher, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Harrison Mills, Jaap Westera, Jason A Saslow, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jeremy Mattern, Kevin Bealer, Matt Curls, Michelle Dove, Piya Shedden, Rizwan Kassim, Sam Lutfi
----------
Sources:

Image Sources:

[armadillito]

James Hoffman's fanbase has been summoned!

[blueandgreenslacks]

I don’t drink coffee to wake up.
I WAKE UP TO DRINK COFFEE 😊❤

[bluesmcgroove]

I've been making french press with freshly ground beans for a while now and I definitely enjoy it more than the pre-ground drip coffee I've been drinking for about 20 years

[involuntarysparkle]

As a coffee scientist, this video makes me so happy. I am constantly correcting people on the roast vs caffeine issue. Also I promise it's not always a dream job 😅

[pooshiesty]

I like this host. She has good pacing and a calm voice

[MazeMakerLife]

"some say iced coffee is an abomination"

Me: *laughs in Australian*

[outlawbillionairez]

The coffee I buy at the store is apparently made from the "Instant" coffee bean.

[justinklenk]

This is the density of information we need in a short video on this long-studied, ubiquitous subject - and which we are rarely presented with. Props.

Covered the chemical, genetic/horticultural, physical, energetic/temperamental, structural, kinetic, and neurochemical aspects of what all's involved. 👍👍👍

[monztermovies]

I didn’t drink coffee for 45 years of my life, now I am a coffee nerd exploring every aspect of brewing the best cup.

[southsouthsouthside]

Drippers like V60, Origami, Mielitta are not fully immersion methods, there's a bit of immersion depending the mass of water poured but if it involves multiple pours they are essentially fully percolation methods. Immersion methods are like a French press, AeroPreess, Clever Dripper and Hario Switch (last ones are mixed)

[AnoNYmous-bzef]

"Reproducibility is what you want when it comes to your morning cup."
Me: Oh yeah? *rolls AeroPress dice*

[caskaptein]

As a barista trainer and chemistry student, I approve this message. Nice to see some clean science on coffee! 😊

[nuvamusic]

@12:35 “the perfect cup of coffee is THE ONE YOU LIKE THE BEST”. 👍 👍 Thanks for both the very well compiled sci info and the irrefutable conclusion.

[jessicastevens]

"extra hot" in most places doesn't change the temperature at which the coffee is brewed, rather that temperature of the milk added to the coffee after it is made. The temperature option usually isn't available on coffee-only drinks.

[delta]

Excelent video! As a Master barista in Brazil, I'd say this video covers pretty much every minor misconception people have about coffee, even if it doesn't really go into much detail. Personally, the only issue I have is that robusta (and Canephora, the "mother" species of robusta) is much more complex than what's presented. I know it's a nerd thing but I'd be very happy to see it covered in more detail in a future video

[eric]

I have been making the cold brew CONCENTRATE for years for the shear convenience. Time does the work of extracting those good good stimulating and flavor chemicals overnight, and a washable filter cuts the bitterness. Concentrate stores in fridge. Great hot or iced.

[LarkyLuna]

The moka pot, that was showed in the percolator section, works more building up pressure against the grounds to push the brew through
The water that passed doesn't recirculate into the grounds, so it's similar to an espresso in that

Your standard percolator heats up the water and funnels it on top of the beans where it falls back into the same reservoir via gravity, so you can keep extracting as much as you want at the cost of reheating your coffee many times through the process

things are complicated

[NimbusEntry]

So many people are missing out on cold brew thinking it's difficult, that you need special equipment or that it makes really bitter coffee. In reality, it's as easy as putting water and coarsly ground beans in a jar and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Then strain it through a coffee filter and voila, you have cold brew thats delicious, sweet, and still packs that caffiene punch. I make it a gallon at a time and it lasts me a week.

Also, just like pasta water, SALT YOUR COFFEE!

[FrozEnbyWolf]

Given the difficulties coffee and cacao growers have been experiencing in recent years, which are already starting to lead to shortages of coffee and chocolate, I would be interested if you could do a video on other sources of caffeine we could cultivate. One such possibility I've heard of is cleavers, or _Galium aparine, _ a common weed that grows as an annual all across North America. It's part of the Rubiaceae family, so it's related to coffee, and its seeds do contain caffeine, but at much smaller amounts than coffee seeds.

[jack.soncalo]

this is one of my favorite sci show episodes now. great topic, great breakdown, super interesting the whole way through.