Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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A grimy single-cup coffee maker sits on a speckled countertop, heavily stained with rust and old coffee residue. The machine looks neglected and unclean. A filthy, streaked paper cup rests on the drip tray, emphasizing the unhygienic condition. The setting evokes discomfort, like a poorly maintained hotel room.

773. Single Cup Hotel Coffee Makers

May 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using hotel single cup coffee makers.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • assuming that everything in a hotel room has at... | kung fu grippe
  • Keurigยฎ K-Miniยฎ Single Serve Coffee Maker | Keurig Canada
  • My brewer has internal temperature control. What are the brew temperature ranges? | Knowledge Article
May 19, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Cross-contamination

The image features a small, vibrant parrot perched on a person's finger, holding a tiny spoon in its beak and stirring a steaming cup of coffee. The background is warm and cozy, with soft lighting. The parrot appears curious and focused, adding a whimsical touch to the charming scene.

742. Stirring Your Coffee With "Pickle" the Barrista Bird Daily

March 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting a parrot stir you coffee with a spoon every day.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Pickle the barista birb loves to stir my coffee every morning : r/aww
  • Salmonella | Cornell Wildlife Health Lab
  • Psittacosis (Ornithosis) fact sheet
  • Human Salmonellosis Outbreak Linked to Salmonella Typhimurium Epidemic in Wild Songbirds, United States, 2020โ€“2021 - Volume 29, Number 11โ€”November 2023 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
  • Salmonella pet birds - Google Scholar
  • Full article: Zoonotic potential and prevalence of Salmonella serovars isolated from pets
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of Salmonella spp. in Fecal Samples of Pet Birds | Avian Diseases
  • Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella spp. in Pet Mammals, Reptiles, Fish Aquarium Water, and Birds in Trinidad - Seepersadsingh - 2003 - Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series B - Wiley Online Library
  • Salmonella Newport outbreak in Brazilian parrots: confiscated birds from the illegal pet trade as possible zoonotic sources - Saidenberg - 2021 - Environmental Microbiology Reports - Wiley Online Library
  • Zoonoses in pet birds: review and perspectives | Veterinary Research
March 07, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Birds, Salmonella, Coffee, Cross-contamination

DALLยทE - A detailed image of a person in an office, sneaking behind a coffee maker, with only a small part of them visible, such as an eye peeking out...

660. Coffee Made With Water From a Strangers Water Bottle

August 28, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking coffee made with water from a strangers water bottle.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • The Cleanliness of Reusable Water Bottles: How Contamination Levels are Affected by Bottle Usage and Cleaning Behaviors of Bottle Owners
  • Bacterial water quality in the personal water bottles of elementary students - PubMed
  • saliva - Risky or Not?
  • Detection of Norovirus in Saliva Samples from Acute Gastroenteritis Cases and Asymptomatic Subjects: Association with Age and Higher Shedding in Stool - PMC
  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?


August 28, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Bottled water, Water bottle, Saliva

DALLยทE - A cup of coffee placed on an airline tray table, with a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The coffee is steaming, but the steam forms into strange shapes.

659. Drinking Coffee or Tea on an Airplane

August 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking coffee or tea brewed on an airplane.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Why You Shouldn't Order Coffee or Tea on an Airplane
  • 2019 Airline Water Study by CUNY's Hunter Col | EurekAlert!
  • IJERPH | Free Full-Text | Bacteria that Travel: The Quality of Aircraft Water
  • IJERPH | Free Full-Text | Microbial Contamination in the Coffee Industry: An Occupational Menace besides a Food Safety Concern?
  • Factors That Impact Survival of Salmonella during Storage of Beans and Batch Production of Cold Brew Coffee
August 26, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Tea, Airplane, Water

DALLยทE - A coffee cup sitting on a bathroom counter next to a flushing toilet. The bathroom has white tiles and the toilet is modern with a chrome flush handle.

646. Taking Your Coffee Cup Into the Bathroom With You

July 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from taking your coffee cup into the bathroom with you while pooping.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?
  • 645. Eating at the Toe Beans Cat Cafe โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Barenaked Ladies โ€“ Never Is Enough Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
  • 395. Open Dippin' Dots in a Sporting Event Bathroom Stall โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Here's What Really Happens When You Flush a Toilet | Smithsonian
  • R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts (Official HD Music Video) - YouTube
July 26, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Bathroom, Poop, Toilets

DALLยทE - A raindrop falling off an awning into a cup of coffee in the style of MC Escher

572. Awning Drip Coffee

February 05, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a cup of coffee into which a drop of water from an awning has fallen.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • A global review of the microbiological quality and potential health risks associated with roof-harvested rainwater tanks | npj Clean Water
  • 562. Using Graywater or Rainwater in a Bidet โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Microbiological Quality of Roofโ€Harvested Rainwater and Health Risks: A Review - Ahmed - 2011 - Journal of Environmental Quality - Wiley Online Library
  • Big Yellow Taxi - Wikipedia
  • Raised on Robbery - Wikipedia
  • Trans Canada Highwaymen - Trans Canada Highwaymen
  • New Album: Some Guys - Jonathan Coulton


February 05, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Salmonella, Rainwater, Cross-contamination

DALLยทE Coffee in a clear glass filled with metal bolts

470. Recalled Cold Brew Coffee With a Bolt

June 12, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking cold brew coffee that was recalled because of a missing bolt.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Blame Canada - South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (3/9) Movie CLIP (1999) HD - YouTube
  • 2.7 Million Cans of Coffee Sold at Costco Recalled โ€” Best Life
  • โ€ŽCostco Recall notice
June 12, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Physical hazard, Metal
Dirty Coffee Carafe and Filter Basket in the style of Vermeer

Dirty Coffee Carafe and Filter Basket in the style of Vermeer

411. Brewing More Coffee Without Cleaning the Carafe and Filter Basket

January 25, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of brewing more coffee without cleaning the carafe and filter basket.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Risky or Not? episodes with Coffee tag
January 25, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Washing, Cleaning

370. Chuck's Cold Brew

October 21, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making cold brew in the style of Dr. Chuck Haas.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Charles Haas | Drexel Engineering
  • 38: Black Coffee at Room Temperature โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Factors That Impact Survival of Salmonella during Storage of Beans and Batch Production of Cold Brew Coffee


October 21, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Salmonella, Time temperature control for safety

OK, I know there's no pen, but it is American Independence Day. This is a shitty low resolution photo which kind of captures my patriotic spirit at the moment.

323. Stirring Your Coffee With a Hotel Pen

July 04, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of stirring your coffee with a hotel pen.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • AeroPress Coffee Maker Official Store
  • Urban Dictionary:Mann's Assumption
  • Association of Food and Drug Officials โ€“ Many perspectives, one voice, since 1896.
  • Home | Dutch Bros
  • House Paint | Interior & Exterior Paint Colors | Dutch Boy
July 04, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Mann's Assumption, Hotel, Cross-contamination, Coffee

310. Really Old Green Coffee Beans

June 03, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking coffee made from really old coffee beans.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Steve Lister on Twitter: "1930's green coffee beans roasted today? Is @jimseven going to end up in the hospital? @bugcounter @benjaminchapman #riskyornot https://t.co/DOAn7SqQLm" / Twitter
  • Drinking Harrods Coffee From the 1930s - YouTube
  • Joseph Lister - Wikipedia
  • 130. Drinking Civit Poop Coffee โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Mycotoxins in Coffee | Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL | Oxford Academic
  • Sci-Hub | Mycotoxins in Coffee
June 03, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Shelf-life, Mycotoxin, Mold
208.png

208. Not Washing Coffee Making Devices

October 08, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from not washing coffee making devices.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?
  • IAFP Foundation - International Association for Food Protection
  • AeroPress - Official Store, Replacement Parts And Recipes
  • Coffee and spent coffee extracts protect against cell mutagens and inhibit growth of food-borne pathogen microorganisms - ScienceDirect
October 08, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Washing, Rinsing
130.png

130. Drinking Civit Poop Coffee

April 09, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking coffee made from beans pooped our by a civit.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Gluconobacter dominates the gut microbiome of the Asian palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus that produces kopi luwak [PeerJ]
  • Is Kopi Luwak safe to drink? - Coffee Stack Exchange
  • Campus News: Kopi luwak coffee safe, U of G study finds
  • What is Kopi Luwak? (and Why You Shouldn't Drink it) - Coffee Affection
  • What is kopi luwak? A literature review on production, quality and problems
  • Beall's List โ€“ of Potential Predatory Journals and Publishers
April 09, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Civit, Kopi Luwak
coffee cup.jpg

60. Reusing Disposable Coffee Cups

October 28, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of reusing disposable coffee cups.
Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • 38: Black Coffee at Room Temperature โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Why can't I put your paper cups or soup cups in the microwave?
October 28, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Coffee cup, Reuse
black-coffee-cup-isometric-view-vector-25105173 dws.jpg

38: Black Coffee at Room Temperature

September 07, 2020 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of holding black coffee at room temperature all day.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Antibacterial activity of tea (Camellia sinensis) and coffee (Coffee arabica) with special reference to Salmonella typhimurium. - Abstract - Europe PMC
  • Antibacterial Activity of Coffee Extracts and Selected Coffee Chemical Compounds against Enterobacteria | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  • Food Safety Considerations for Coffee and Tea Brewers | Food Safety & Quality Blog
  • Death Wish coffee recall: Nitro Cold Brew can kill you
September 07, 2020 /Don Schaffner
Coffee, Room Temperature

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