Coffee beans between sniffs: does it work?

Pretty sure it works. Coffee is so strong it wipes out whatever was there before, like a palate cleanser.

ok so in kitchens we say the same about plain bread between tastings and i've never seen anyone check it. curious what your all going to find

Coffee doesn't seem to do anything special. The Class on training your nose covers a small study where people sniffed coffee beans, lemon slices or plain air between fragrances, and coffee did no better than the other two. Basically fresh air is just as good.

joon.yuzu wrote:

coffee did no better than the other two

Huh. So why does it feel like it works?

Okay, nerd moment: what wears out is your sensitivity to the one smell you've been breathing. The Wikipedia article on olfactory fatigue uses food smells fading after you walk into a restaurant as its example, and says sensitivity comes back once you leave the area. So a step outside actually does the job. Rant over.

Maybe it's just such a nice smell you feel reset? I'd fall for it too

Coffee is a very loud bass. After it I hear nothing for a moment, and that is not the same as clean ears. I used the coffee jar since one year before I stopped.

Studio notes: I step out to the kiln yard between glaze tests for the same reason. Cold air with nothing in it works better then anything else I've tried. Anyone else?

I always assumed the coffee was there to make the shop smell nice.

the restaurant example is real. by family meal i can't smell the stock at all and you're saying that's just my nose clocking out

Same at the cellar door: people ask for a cracker between wines. I send them out to the verandah for a breath instead.

Went back on Saturday and tried it with two paper strips: out the door, round the block, back in. The second one came through much clearer. Thanks all.