People love to talk about coffee. Whether you open a newspaper or read something online, people have always got something to say about this much-loved beverage. Here are six common coffee misconceptions debunked.
1. An afternoon coffee can cause insomnia
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant, so if you want to get some shut eye, it’s probably not a great idea having a drink straight before bedtime. However, if you need a post-lunch pick-me-up at work then by all means enjoy a cup of afternoon coffee, free from the worry that it might keep you awake at night. Even a cup of coffee at 3pm will have left your body entirely by bedtime.
2. Coffee and pregnancy don’t mix
A commonly-held notion is that pregnant women shouldn’t drink coffee as it may harm the unborn child. There’s no hard scientific evidence to back up this claim. However, to be on the safe side, it’s recommended to limit your caffeine intake to 200mgs during pregnancy, or one cup of coffee per day.
3. Coffee causes dehydration
The caffeine in coffee acts as a diuretic, i.e. something that increases your urine output. If coffee increases your need to urinate, it’s easy to see why there’s a contingency of people who believe that it can cause you to become dehydrated. However, this isn’t the case at all. A large component of a cup of coffee is water, so any dehydration effects are offset by the fluid in the drink itself.
4. Dark roasts have more caffeine than lighter ones
You get a strong, rich flavour from a dark roast, but intensity of flavour doesn’t equate to higher levels of caffeine. In fact, since dark roasts are roasted for longer than light roasts, they’re less dense and have less mass, so have lower levels of caffeine. Therefore, you can expect to find more caffeine in lighter roasts.
5. Coffee sobers you up
If you need to head back to work after a boozy lunch, don’t assume that a cup of coffee will sober you up. Yes - it will help to stimulate the nervous system, making you temporarily more alert and focused, but it won’t clear the alcohol from your system.
6. Coffee needs boiling water
It might seem logical that a perfect cup of coffee needs boiling hot water, but think again. Water that is above 200 degrees Fahrenheit can release the oils from the coffee or scorch it, resulting in a burnt taste. For the optimum cup of coffee, water should be just below boiling point, or allowed to rest for a minute or two after boiling. Alternatively, stick to coffee brewed from a coffee machine to get the temperature and taste levels spot on.
Now that you are more enlightened to the facts about coffee, why not enjoy coffee in the workplace with a wide choice of bean to cup coffee machines available from the Office Coffee Company?
