9 Coffee Myths Debunked

As with anything popular, coffee has come to have a range of myths and legends associated with it. While there are many popular rumours relating to coffee and the effects it can offer you, not all of them are grounded in truth.

We take a look at some of the most common myths about coffee and the reality behind these claims.

Coffee Can Sober You Up

We’ll start with this myth, as it can actually be quite a dangerous one to believe. We’ve all seen a film where a drunk character is told to have a brew to help them sober up – and maybe you’ve even tried this in your own life after a drink or two.

However, consuming coffee is not a way to sober you up. This is a myth, as people conflate the alertness that drinking coffee can provide with feeling ‘sober’. This is dangerous, as the alertness coffee offers could trick you into thinking you are safe to drive home, for example.

Instead, sticking to water is your best bet for when you’ve been drinking alcohol, and should make you feel a bit better in the morning!

Decaf is Caffeine Free

You’d be forgiven for thinking that decaffeinated coffee is free from caffeine, but you would be wrong! It isn’t actually possible to fully decaffeinate coffee beans, only reduce the amount present.

Therefore, a cup of decaf coffee will usually contain around 15% of the caffeine you’d get in a standard cup of coffee. As such, if you drink five or six cups of decaf coffee, you’d basically be having the same amount of caffeine as one regular brew.

An Afternoon Coffee Will Stop You Sleeping

A lot of coffee drinkers will quit their favourite brew at lunchtime, with the view that to take a sip in the afternoon will lead to a restless night. However, this should not be the case.

Caffeine is processed through the body quite quickly and should be gone from your system within 4-7 hours of you enjoying your brew. Therefore, unless you go to bed very early, a 3pm cup of coffee should be fine for you.

Coffee Causes Dehydration

There is actually a bit of truth to this myth – caffeine is a diuretic, so it can cause dehydration. But, coffee will be brewed using water, which as we know is great for hydrating us! Therefore, the water in our brew balances out any of the dehydrating properties of the caffeine.

So, drinking a cup of coffee should not cause dehydration.

Darker Roast Coffee is More Caffeinated

This is a popular misconception about coffee, with many believing that the darker the roast is, the more caffeine it will contain. However, this is not always the case, as the roasting process that makes the coffee beans gain their dark colour actually burns away a lot of the caffeine.

So, if you’re looking for a brew to get you very energised, then you may want to look for a lighter bean to use!

Espresso is Stronger Than a Cup of Coffee

While a shot of espresso may seem like a strong, hardcore way of taking your coffee for the uninitiated, if you’re looking for a caffeine boost, then a standard cup of coffee is actually a better bet.

Espresso shots are an undiluted form of coffee, so it is easy to see why some would think it to be stronger than a cup of coffee. Yet, you’d need to drink about four espresso shots to match the level of caffeine found within a regular mugful.

Coffee Stunts Growth

A myth that has been around for a long time is that drinking coffee can cause your growth to be stunted. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim, so perhaps this is just the type of ‘myth’ that comes from parents trying to dissuade their children from taking a sip!

Instant Coffee is Awful

Who are we kidding?! This ‘myth’ is definitely true in the eyes of all coffee aficionados! If you actually want to enjoy a good brew, then you’re definitely best off switching the instant for fresh beans and an eco-friendly coffee maker, like the AeroPress!

That being said, there are apparently some benefits to choosing instant over a fresh brew, as research has shown that instant coffee often contains more antioxidants than a freshly made cuppa.

You Can’t Reuse Paper Filters

This one is a bit niche to us, but a lot of people aren’t aware that our AeroPress coffee filters are actually able to be reused a number of times before being popped in the compost or recycling. Many people report being able to use their filter around ten times before needing to replace it!

Not only does this save you money, but it also helps to reduce the amount of waste produced, thus helping the environment a little bit. Simply give the filter a rinse after use and then pop it back into the AeroPress to dry ready for next time.

Did you know the truth of these myths already, or have we taught you something new today?! Leave a comment below to let us know, or share on social media to teach your fellow coffee lovers something new!