A mother coffee plant gifts its baby everything it needs to grow—a green seed packed with food. But when we roast coffee, we hijack that gift and turn it into something else: flavor.

But what is flavor, at a microscopic level? What actually happens inside the bean when heat meets those nutrients?

In this episode, we shrink down to witness the Maillard reaction up close—a wild chain of molecular collisions that transforms baby plant food into aromas we adore.

Grab your popcorn - you’re getting a front row seat at the wildest chemistry show in coffee.

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Ethiopian forest sounds curtesy of George Vlad. Hear more nature sounds here. Explore Probat's roasters

Go deeper into the science of roasting

Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre

Grab a copy of Anja Rahn's upcoming book on coffee science through her Instagram

Explore Barista Hustle's online roasting learning

Learn more from Morten Münchow and his coffee roasting courses

Read Morten’s paper in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen on Roasting Conditions and Coffee Flavour

Follow Sebastian Opitz on LinkedIn

Follow Filter Stories on Instagram for my infographics

Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat

When I started making cold brew this last year, I treated it like hot brew filter coffee. But no matter how I adjusted the grind or tweaked the brew time, I hardly got any differences in flavor…

Then it hit me: cold brew isn’t just a slower hot brew—it’s a completely different game with its own rules!

In this episode, I speak with leading coffee researchers who break down the microscopic dance between water and coffee that explains why cold brew plays by its own playbook.

And I bring you in on the brewing secret that can turn your brews from fruit juice to nutty creaminess.

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Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter Explore TODDY’s cold brewing kits

Go deeper into the science of cold brew

Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre

Read Jiaxin (Jessie) Liang’s equilibrium extraction SCA 25 article and her published article

Discover all of UC Davis' cold brew research through the Coffee Science Foundation

Learn how to do a cold brew cupping with Toddy

Follow Filter Stories on Instagram for my infographics

Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat

For years, I used cold brew as a last resort—the only brew method to tame dark, oily beans that were too bitter for hot water.

Then one day, I took a chance on a Guatemalan Gesha and brewed it cold. The result? A massive explosion of florals I’d never tasted before. That single cup sent opened my eyes into how extraordinary cold brew can be.

In this episode, I speak with world-leading coffee scientists who explain why brewing with cold water tastes so different from chilled hot coffee.

You’ll learn how certain flavors leap into your cup (and how others mysteriously vanish) when you lower the brew temperature.

You’ll also discover there are hidden “cold brew gems” in beans you thought you knew. So before you grab the kettle, consider this: sometimes all you need is cold water.

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Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter Explore TODDY’s cold brewing kits

Go deeper into the science of cold brew

Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre

Listen to my episode on Coffee Extraction for insights into how polarity affects flavor extraction

Read the UC Davis cold brew vs chilled hot brew study

Listen to my episode on 'How to think like a scientist'

Learn how to do a cold brew cupping with Toddy

Follow Filter Stories on Instagram for my acidity infographic

Go deeper into Paul Breslin's work at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre

Discover all of UC Davis' cold brew research through the Coffee Science Foundation

Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat