Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world - for good reason. It wakes us up, helps us stay on task, and provides an extra energy boost. According to a range of scientific studies, drinking coffee in moderation can also improve your health and prolong your life.

How can some people drink five cups of coffee a day without ascending to another plane while others just need a whiff of espresso to send their bodies into a buzz? Genetics play a huge role, according to a new report by Dr. JW Langer, which breaks caffeine imbibers into three sensitivity groups.

Have you ever found yourself chugging coffee to stay up late studying, but then when it's time for the exam, your mind is foggy with fatigue? Researchers from the US Army have developed an algorithm that can predict the energy peaks and valleys that come from drinking caffeine, and in turn, created a web-based tool that helps you predict how alert you can expect to be based on your own sleep schedule and coffee habits.

As a former barista and insufferable coffee snob, I long believed coffee pod machines were beneath me. My kitchen cupboards are like a museum dedicated to the pursuit of extracting caffeine from a bean, from cold drip to Moka Pots, Aeropress to Vario. No method was too time consuming or pretentious for me to try.

Coffee. Good? Bad? The verdict is constantly flip-flopping. Hey, as long as you consume it in moderation and you know, don't subsist entirely on the caffeine-infused beverage, you should be OK. But what if all you did was drink coffee for a day? No food. No water. Just coffee.

A recent headline in the Australian newspaper claimed “A short black a day can keep heart attack at bay”. Is this more good news for coffee lovers, or a case of be careful what you read?

Cold brew coffee has been the frigid ice queen of the caffeinated world for some time now, but I think it's finally safe to admit that it just isn't for everyone. Not only does it usually have more caffeine than other coffee (which is bad for those of us with anxious little hamster hearts), but it has a very distinct flavour that is not appealing to all people, because not everyone likes the same things.

Two new studies found that coffee drinkers live longer. They are good studies, large and well done -- but that doesn't mean coffee is an elixir of longevity.

Pour over coffee is an intriguing alternative to the drip method or French press. As its name implies, it involves pouring small amounts of water through coffee grounds using a carafe and special kind of kettle. This infographic breaks down everything you need to know about brewing coffee the old way.

Every day it seems there's a new health study out. Something that used to be bad for you is good for you, or vice versa. It turns out most of these newsy findings are not really a big deal: Sometimes they only apply to mice, or they're a blip that doesn't change the overall scientific understanding of the topic. So let's take a look at some of this week's stories, and see what's big news and what isn't.

Putting cubes of frozen coffee in your iced coffee -- instead of boring water -- isn't exactly a new coffee "hack", but there are ways to make them a little more interesting.

If you're one of the millions of Australians that downs coffee or other caffeinated beverages to get through the work day, here's some good news. A new scientific review on the safety of caffeine says drinking up to four cups of coffee, or about 400mg of caffeine, is pretty safe.

A scientific study has found a link between caffeine consumption and a reduced risk of systemic inflammation - a process that can lead to a spate of chronic diseases including cancer, dementia, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and even depression. In short, coffee drinkers tend to live longer than abstainers. (Turns out your overpriced espresso machine was actually worth the money.)

Having coffee before you get started with your priority work might seem like a nice way to ease into the day, but it could also be slowing you down and making you a little jittery in the process.

Nespresso is launching a new range of "barista style" coffee machines with brushed stainless steel exteriors designed by Breville. But its biggest claim to fame is a cool-touch steam wand with adjustable, automatic milk texturing for flat white, cappuccino and late coffees. We look at the features, pricing and availability in Australia.

There are a lot of easy ways you can improve your coffee game, but if you can only do one thing, the experts recommend you spring for a decent coffee grinder.

Sometimes, a regular cup of Joe doesn't cut the biscuit. That's the reasoning behind a new Australian coffee that purportedly contains 80 times more caffeine than a shot of espresso. (Naturally, it comes with a string of health warnings.)

If it feels like your morning coffee isn't giving you the jolt of energy it used to, your tolerance may be to blame. You can get your caffeine tolerance back to normal levels in about two weeks, but you'll need to wean yourself off of it.

You crave it in the morning, you wait in long lines for it and I'm drinking it while I write this: Coffee is everywhere. But that means misinformation about it is everywhere too. Coffee doesn't rob you of water, sober you up or keep your children short, so let's grind up these myths and brew a hot pot of truth.