Coffee Science vs Coffee Myths | CHRIS H. HENDON!

Coffee people love science … but only when it agrees with them.

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher H. Hendon, computational chemist, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon, co-author of Water for Coffee, and one of the most recognisable voices in modern coffee science!

We talk about what makes good science, why the coffee industry is so vulnerable to pseudoscience, and how professionals can better separate useful evidence from confident noise.

Chris breaks down everything from freezing coffee beans and the Ross Droplet Technique to water chemistry, coffee extraction, cold brew, co-ferments, climate change, and why one experiment rarely proves what people think it proves.

This one is for the coffee nerds, the science-curious, and anyone who has ever heard a coffee claim online and thought: “Wait… is that actually true?”

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Explore everything Chris here:

Insta @chhendon

pages.uoregon.edu/chendon/?utm_source=ig&u…

nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71526-5?utm_sou…

CHAPTERS

00:00 Coffee Science vs Coffee Myths
03:29 Meet Chris Hendon
05:21 Why Coffee Gets Science Wrong
13:00 Freezing Coffee Beans Explained
14:39 Ross Droplet Technique Explained
17:39 Better Coffee Experiments
21:24 James Hoffmann’s Long Black Theory
29:00 How to Spot Bad Coffee Science
36:46 Can Science Fix Bad Coffee?
41:32 Why Water Chemistry Matters
44:46 Water for Coffee 2
49:33 Why Coffee Tastes Different Everywhere
55:13 The Future of Coffee Education
01:03:33 Coffee Processing and Climate Change
01:08:40 Is Cold Brew Actually Bad?
01:10:02 Rethinking Coffee Equipment
01:12:47 One Coffee Belief to Challenge

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree…

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems

Apax Lab: apaxlab.com

Condesa Co.Lab: condesacolab.com.au

Riverina Fresh: riverinafresh.com.au

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices