Knowledge Base
Coffee & Tea Guides
Brew better and explore more — buying guides, how-tos, and explainers for every coffee and tea ritual.
Explainer
Chamomile vs Peppermint Tea: Which to Choose?
Chamomile vs peppermint tea, compared: both are caffeine-free herbal tisanes, but chamomile is a soft, floral flower for winding down while peppermint is a cool, brisk leaf for after meals and refreshing daytime cups.
Explainer
Does Tea Dehydrate You? What Hydration Science Says
For almost everyone, tea does not dehydrate you. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but the water in a cup far outweighs it — so your black, green, oolong and herbal teas all count toward your daily fluids. Here is what the hydration research actually says, with a tea-by-tea table.
Explainer
Americano vs Black Coffee: What's the Difference?
Americano vs black coffee: both are black and milk-free, but an americano is espresso lengthened with hot water, while black coffee is gravity-brewed drip or filter. Here's how they differ in body, crema, taste and caffeine — and which to choose.
Explainer
What Is a Coffee Puck? The Espresso Disc, Explained
The coffee puck is the disc of grounds packed into your portafilter before a shot — and the spent cake you knock out after. Here's how to prep it, what a wet puck really means, and why it's an espresso-only thing.
Explainer
What Is Oxidation in Tea? The Process Behind Every Tea Type
Oxidation in tea is the browning reaction that decides whether the same leaf becomes green, white, oolong or black. Here is what oxidation actually is, how tea makers control it, and the full spectrum from barely-oxidised to fully-oxidised tea.
Explainer
Rooibos vs Black Tea: What's the Difference?
Rooibos and black tea both pour a warm red-brown cup, but they aren't even the same plant. Here's the real difference between rooibos and black tea — caffeine, taste, tannins and how to brew each.
Explainer
Hojicha vs Sencha: Two Japanese Green Teas Compared
Hojicha and sencha are both Japanese green teas from the same plant, but hojicha is roasted while sencha is steamed. Here's how they differ in taste, caffeine, colour and brewing.
Explainer
Oolong vs Green Tea: What's the Difference?
Oolong and green tea come from the same plant — the difference is oxidation. Here is how they compare on taste, caffeine, brewing and which to choose.
Explainer
Flat White vs Cappuccino: What's the Difference?
Both start with espresso and steamed milk, but a cappuccino is bigger and foamier while a flat white is smaller, stronger and silkier. Here is the full difference, with a side-by-side table.
Explainer
Gyokuro vs Sencha: Japan's Two Great Green Teas
Gyokuro is shade-grown for sweetness and deep umami; sencha grows in full sun for a fresh, grassy brightness. Here's how Japan's two great green teas differ in taste, brewing and caffeine — and how to choose between them.
Explainer
Does Green Tea Break a Fast? A Clear Answer
Plain green tea brewed with just water has almost no calories, so it generally won't break a fast — including intermittent fasting. Add sugar, honey, milk or turn it into a latte, though, and it does. Here's what actually counts, and why it depends on your goal.
Explainer
Earl Grey vs English Breakfast Tea: What's the Difference?
Both are classic black teas, but Earl Grey is scented with bergamot for a citrusy, floral cup while English Breakfast is a bold, malty blend built for milk. Here is how they compare in taste, caffeine and brewing, and which to choose when.
Explainer
Pu-erh vs Black Tea: What's the Difference?
Pu-erh and black tea both come from Camellia sinensis, but pu-erh is fermented and aged while black tea is oxidised. Here's how they differ in taste, caffeine, brewing and ageing.
Explainer
The Best Water Temperature for Tea (by Type)
Cooler water for delicate greens and whites, near-boiling for black, oolong, pu-erh and herbal — here is the best water temperature for tea by type, plus how to hit it without a thermometer.
Explainer
How Much Caffeine Is in Black Tea?
Black tea has a moderate amount of caffeine — roughly 40 to 70 mg per 8 oz cup on average, more than green, white or oolong tea but about half of coffee. Here is what changes the number, whether decaf counts, and how to brew a lighter cup.
Explainer
What Is the Coffee Bloom? Blooming Coffee Explained
The bubbly foam when hot water hits fresh grounds is the coffee bloom — CO2 escaping the beans and signalling freshness. Here's what it means and how to bloom coffee for a cleaner, more even brew.
Explainer
Does Tea Expire? Shelf Life and Storage
Tea does not really expire the way food does — it slowly goes stale. Here is how long tea lasts by type, when it is genuinely unsafe, and how to store it so your leaves stay fresh.
Explainer
How Many Times Can You Steep Tea?
You can steep most whole-leaf tea more than once — usually 2 to 3 times for everyday greens and blacks, and 5 to 8 or beyond for oolong and pu-erh brewed gongfu style. Here is how many infusions each tea type gives, and how to re-steep well.
Explainer
Green Tea on an Empty Stomach: Good or Bad?
Drinking green tea on an empty stomach is fine for many people, but its tannins and caffeine can cause nausea or mild acidity in sensitive drinkers. Here is why it happens, whether morning tea is bad, and how to sip it gently.
Explainer
Is Black Coffee Good for Cholesterol? What Your Brew Method Changes
Black coffee contains no cholesterol, but how you brew it matters: unfiltered coffee's cafestol and kahweol can modestly raise LDL, while a paper filter traps most of them. Here's the filtered-vs-unfiltered story.
Explainer
Sencha vs Matcha: Two Japanese Green Teas
Sencha and matcha are both Japanese green teas from one plant, but sencha is a whole leaf you steep and strain while matcha is a shade-grown powder you whisk and drink whole. Here is how they differ in growing, taste, caffeine and effort.
How-To
Cortadito: How to Make Cuba's Sweet Espresso and Milk
A cortadito is a small, sweet Cuban espresso 'cut' with an equal splash of warm milk, built on a whipped-sugar espuma. Here is what it is, how it differs from a cortado, and how to make one at home.
Explainer
Flat White vs Latte: What's the Difference?
Flat white vs latte: both are espresso and steamed milk, but the flat white is smaller and stronger with less milk, and the latte is bigger and milkier.
Explainer
Americano vs Lungo: What's the Difference?
An americano is espresso diluted with hot water added afterwards; a lungo is pulled long, forcing more water through the same grounds. Here's how the two longer black coffees compare in taste, strength and caffeine — and which to choose.