A chemistry teacher's guide to the perfect cup of coffee

Sometimes you just want a caffeine hit to wake you up, but if you appreciate the finer points of a cup of coffee, it's worth going right down to the chemistry of the water, milk, sugar - and salt

As a chemistry teacher, I'm inevitably fascinated by chemistry in general, but especially by the chemistry we come across on a daily basis. Rather than only sharing this with my students, I started a website, Compound Interest, where I create illustrated explanations of chemical concepts for anyone who's interested to gain a better insight into the chemistry that pervades our lives.

So what can chemistry do for you? Well, for starters, it can help you make a better cup of coffee.