5 Common Coffee Myths Debunked: Expert Tips from Frontside Coffee Roasters
At Frontside Coffee Roasters in North Conway, New Hampshire, we're committed to helping you brew better coffee at home. After years of specialty coffee roasting and barista experience, we've encountered these five common coffee misconceptions that might be preventing you from enjoying the perfect cup.
1. The Freezer Myth: Best Ways to Store Fresh Coffee Beans
The Myth: Storing coffee beans in the freezer keeps them fresh longer.
The Truth: While freezing whole bean coffee can preserve freshness in certain situations, daily freezer storage actually damages your specialty coffee beans. Coffee is highly porous and readily absorbs freezer moisture and surrounding food odors, compromising the delicate flavor compounds.
Better Approach: Store your fresh roasted coffee in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature, away from sunlight, heat, and strong odors. Our Costa Rica La Minita light roast, with its delicate citrus notes and brown sugar sweetness, perfectly demonstrates how proper storage preserves the nuanced flavors of premium single-origin coffee.
Pro Tip: For the freshest coffee experience, purchase smaller quantities more frequently rather than buying in bulk. Our online coffee subscription ensures you'll never run out of properly stored, fresh-roasted specialty coffee.
2. The Resting Period: Why Fresh-Roasted Coffee Needs Time
The Myth: Coffee tastes best immediately after roasting.
The Truth: While freshness matters in specialty coffee, beans need a proper resting period after roasting to develop optimal flavor. During the first 24-72 hours after roasting, coffee beans release carbon dioxide (CO₂) in a process called degassing, which can interfere with proper extraction.
Better Approach: Most specialty coffees reach their peak flavor between 7-14 days post-roast. At Frontside Coffee Roasters, all our coffees are carefully rested before shipping to ensure you experience the perfect balance of flavors and aromatics that each origin and roast profile has to offer.
Pro Tip: Check the roast date on your coffee packaging (always included on the bottom of our bags) and plan your brewing accordingly. Our specialty coffee shipping schedule ensures your beans arrive at the perfect moment in their flavor development cycle.
3. The Grinding Truth: Why Pre-Ground Coffee Compromises Quality
The Myth: Pre-ground coffee is convenient and just as flavorful as freshly ground beans.
The Truth: Ground coffee begins losing aromatic compounds immediately after grinding, with significant flavor loss occurring within 15-30 minutes. This rapid oxidation process fundamentally changes your coffee brewing results, regardless of packaging quality.
Better Approach: Invest in a quality grinder and grind your specialty coffee beans immediately before brewing. Our Ethiopia Durato Village Natural, with its vibrant raspberry, pineapple, and Meyer lemon notes, dramatically showcases the difference fresh grinding makes – the complex aromatics that define this exceptional coffee simply vanish when pre-ground.
Pro Tip: Different brewing methods require different grind sizes. Visit our North Conway café for a grinding demonstration or check our brewing guides for specific recommendations tailored to your preferred coffee brewing method.
4. The Roast-Strength Relationship: Debunking the Dark Roast Myth
The Myth: Dark roast coffee is "stronger" and contains more caffeine than lighter roasts.
The Truth: The roasting process actually reduces caffeine content slightly in darker roasts. The bold flavor of dark roasted coffee creates a perception of "strength" but doesn't correlate with higher caffeine content or extraction potential.
Better Approach: Choose your roast based on flavor preference rather than perceived strength. Our light roast Ethiopian Sidama showcases bright raspberry and citrus notes with slightly higher caffeine content, while our Dropline dark roast delivers rich cacao nib and raspberry torte flavors with a bolder mouthfeel but marginally less caffeine.
Pro Tip: For maximum caffeine content, try our medium roast Spro Blend, which balances optimal caffeine preservation with developed flavor notes, making it perfect for both espresso and filter brewing methods.
5. The "Espresso Bean" Myth: Understanding Coffee Brewing Methods
The Myth: Espresso requires special "espresso beans" that differ from regular coffee beans.
The Truth: There's no such thing as an "espresso bean" – espresso is simply a brewing method using pressure, not a specific type of coffee. Any quality coffee can be prepared as espresso, though certain roast profiles complement the high-pressure extraction process better.
Better Approach: Look for coffees developed with espresso brewing in mind. Our Spro Blend was specifically created after an inspiring espresso experience in Tokyo, with Brazilian, Ethiopian, and Colombian components carefully balanced to produce exceptional results in espresso machines. However, our single-origin Ethiopia Sidama also produces remarkable espresso with its chocolate notes and balanced acidity.
Pro Tip: Espresso typically requires a finer grind than other brewing methods. Adjust your grinder accordingly, and don't be afraid to experiment with different coffees in your espresso machine – you might discover fascinating flavor profiles beyond traditional espresso blends.
Understanding these common coffee misconceptions can transform your home brewing experience. At Frontside Coffee Roasters, we're passionate about helping coffee lovers discover exceptional specialty coffee through education and quality roasting.
Visit our North Conway café for brewing demonstrations or shop our full selection of specialty coffee online with convenient home delivery. Have questions about coffee brewing? Contact our team of coffee experts – we're here to help you brew better coffee at home.
