Author: Pedro Freeman

Watching a Diamond Brew crystal pod dissolve in a cup of hot water has an almost frictionless quality. It’s finished in a matter of seconds. No waiting, no grounds to deal with, no machine noise. The allure is clear, particularly on a hectic morning when the only options are a mediocre office pot or a line at a coffee shop. However, the simplicity of the procedure may cause one to forget something fundamental: each of those tiny aluminum capsules contains about 160 milligrams of caffeine, which is about equal to a double shot of espresso, in a format that is…

For the majority of its existence, instant coffee has been tolerated rather than appreciated. It is accepted by office workers as a necessary compromise. A cup that tastes somewhat disappointing is accepted by travelers. The term “something you drink when the real thing isn’t available” has always been associated with stigma. A Chicago-based startup called Diamond Brew is attempting to completely alter that framing, and the strategy it is using is noteworthy. DetailInformationProduct TypeBrewless instant coffee crystals in single-serve aluminum podsCompanyDiamond Brew, Chicago-based startupFounderDouglas YuCoffee OriginColombia, Guatemala, SumatraBean Type100% ArabicaRoast ProfileDark, rich — notes of dark chocolate, caramel, and hazelnutCaffeine…

When you first hear the idea, it seems almost too convenient. Spread leftover coffee grounds around your garden beds, place them close to places where cats like to dig, and observe how the local strays become disinterested. If you already make coffee every morning, it doesn’t cost anything, and it smells good while you do it. It makes sense why the tip has been shared for years in backyard Facebook groups and gardening forums. The problem is that it’s not totally incorrect. The majority of cats actually dislike the smell of coffee. Their sense of smell is much more acute…

The ritual is obvious if you walk past any trailhead at six in the morning. Stretching a calf against a bumper, runners wait for the caffeine to arrive while standing by their cars with tiny paper cups. Many will tell you the same thing when you ask why: it stores your glycogen for later. That assertion is widespread. It is repeated by running brands, and the reasoning seems clear. Caffeine encourages the body to burn fat, leaving more carbohydrates available for the last few miles. It’s a compelling tale. Additionally, it is not entirely supported by the better evidence. A…

Imagine the typical scene. The kitchen smells of dark roast and burned sugar, the espresso machine hisses, and a blood pressure cuff sits on the counter because a patient’s doctor recommended taking readings at home. The figure is higher than it was the day before. Almost always, the first thing that comes to mind is: Was it the coffee? It’s a reasonable question with a more intriguing response than a straightforward “yes” or “no.” Luke Laffin, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, claims that caffeine narrows blood vessels and causes the heart to work a little harder. After the first…

Imagine a city day during the week. The platform is packed at 7:40 a.m., and half of the carriage is carrying a flat white in a paper cup. A rule that sounds almost impolite enters the scene: don’t touch caffeine for ninety minutes after waking up. This article is a thought experiment that examines how Andrew Huberman’s morning routine would compare to a London office schedule, as no trial was conducted for it. First, what he suggests. Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, recommends holding caffeine for 90 to 120 minutes after waking up, getting outside for light within the first…

Walk through certain neighborhoods in early spring and the azaleas seem to be competing with each other. Pink, white, and magenta blooms crowd the front yards, and some gardeners will tell you their secret is sitting in a small jar beside the coffee machine. Fill it with used grounds, dump it around the shrubs, repeat. So, do azaleas like coffee grounds? The honest answer is somewhere between yes and not quite. TopicDetailsShort answerAzaleas can tolerate coffee grounds in small amounts, but the benefit is smaller than commonly claimedPreferred soil pH for azaleas6.5 or lower, roughly 4.5 to 6.0 is idealpH…

Something changes when you add a little vanilla creamer to a tall glass and run a cheap handheld frother through it for twenty seconds. The liquid ascends the glass. It becomes dense and pale, resembling the foam on a cappuccino at a café. So what happens if creamer is frothed? Generally speaking, the foam is richer and thicker than what milk typically produces. TopicDetailsShort answerFrothing creamer turns it into a thick, velvety foam that roughly doubles in volumeWhat happens physicallyAir is whipped in, creating tiny bubbles held in place by fat, protein, and stabilizersBest creamers to frothLiquid dairy creamers and…

Someone is looking at a half-empty bottle of hazelnut creamer in a kitchen somewhere right now, wondering if it can be made fluffier. It’s a legitimate query. In a nutshell, you can whip coffee creamer. Simply put, don’t anticipate what you would get from a heavy cream carton. It all boils down to fat. Air is trapped and held in place by the fat globules found in heavy whipping cream, which contains between 36 and 40 percent milk fat. The majority of store-bought creamers fall well short of that. Many lack the structure that makes whipped cream stand out because…

There is a coworker in your office who has an espresso at nine o’clock at nite and sleeps soundly. Somewhere else, at noon, a person with one flat white sits and looks up at the ceiling until two in the morning. For many years, tolerance, willpower, or good fortune were the accepted explanations. The answer is more precise in genetics, and it begins in the liver. DetailInformationCentral geneCYP1A2, the liver enzyme gene that handles about 95% of ingested caffeineFast metabolizer genotypeA/A (two copies of the “A” variant)Slow metabolizer variantCarriers of the “C” variantClearance speedFast metabolizers can clear half a dose…