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 https://pages.uoregon.edu/chendon/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71526-5?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3 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: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236 Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments. Proudly sponsored by: Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/ Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices