I know some people who say "I don't like coffee, but I love how it smells." Well, I am the exact opposite. For the longest time, I've kept this to myself because it makes me feel like a total weirdo, but I'm ready to spill the beans.

I think coffee brewing smells like tuna fish.

It doesn't matter where I am either. If we are home on the weekend and my husband Michael starts a pot, that 'delightful' scent wafts through the air. On weekday mornings when I am at work, I know exactly when our receptionist AKA Queen Candace has started the coffee maker in the break room. Because, I can smell a hint of tuna all the way in the studio.

Now, the thing is, I love coffee. I drink it most days. Before it's brewed, it smells like slow-roasted goodness. When it's poured into a cup, 'Ahhh delicious' is what goes through my head as I sprinkle in my sugar. While it's brewing though, GAG ME WITH A SPOON. UGH!

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Coffee Shops Are Heaven

Another interesting observation is that when I go to coffee shops, I don't necessarily smell it. I don't know if it's how they prepare it or the other smells going on, but thankfully my nose is spared. Otherwise, it doesn't matter the brand or flavor or type of roast, the fishiness is there.

Other People Smell Fish When Coffee is Brewing

I decided to do a quick Google search to see if anyone else had noticed this or if my nostrils were cursed. Sure enough, it is totally a thing! There are Reddit threads, Google groups, and Quora forums all about this very issue. Other people asking whether they are crazy or if coffee brewing really smells like tuna fish for some reason.

Why Does Coffee Stink?

It turns out that there are many reasons coffee may smell like fish. Shareacoffee.com really breaks it down and explains each one if you are interested in learning more. From the evenness of the grind, the type of water, the temperature of the brew, etc. it really is a mix of science, nature, and even user error in some cases. Here is a general explanation:

Let’s talk about why your coffee might smell a bit fishy sometimes. It’s all about how coffee beans are roasted and the smells they make during this process.

 

When coffee beans are roasted, they change from green to brown and start to smell really good because of a reaction called the Maillard reaction. This reaction makes the beans brown and creates lots of different smells. But sometimes, not all these smells are nice.

 

Some smells can be a bit off because of the way certain bits in the bean break down. For example, some parts of the bean have sulfur (like what you smell in rotten eggs) and can make the coffee smell fishy.

 

Also, when a part of the coffee called trigonelline breaks down, it can make a fishy smell too. This happens because it turns into something called pyridines, which are known for that fishy scent.

I'm feeling like M-Kat the Science Gal up in here! At least now I know I'm not crazy! Ok, maybe I am a little bit, but not about this coffee 'mystery' that is now officially solved. Have you ever noticed this? Chime in on our APP chat and let me know I'm not alone.

 

Goosebumps and other bodily reactions, explained

 

 

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