The Science of Coffee
Why do you need to know about the science of coffee?
In order to provide your customer with the best brewed cup you need to know that there is more to it than hot water and coffee grounds.
To achieve excellence you need to have the proper measurement, fresh coffee, correct grind and pristine water.
- Fresh coffee.To make a true "fresh cup" you need to have fresh coffee. Stale coffee beans do not have the oils that are necessary for the extraction process during brewing cycle.
Most of the flavor and aroma comes from the oils. Also stale coffee is less dense which can give a very inconsistent grind therefore will result in improper extraction.
Just like fresh food there are outside factors than can accelerate the staling process. These outside factors are oxygen, light, heat and moisture. - Proper measurement.This is the most important step in making a great cup of coffee.
Why? If the measurement is too low the coffee will be under extracted, which will produce a weak cup.
Too much coffee will over extract and the coffee will taste bitter.
We recommend using two tablespoons for every six ounces of water. - The Correct Grind.There are many different ways to brew coffee.
So, to achieve the proper extraction will require the proper grind. The period of time in which water and coffee make direct contact will determine the flavor.
If the grounds are too coarse, water will pass through the coffee bed faster due to larger particulate resulting in under extraction.
If the coffee grounds are too fine, water will pass through the coffee bed slower due to the smaller particulate resulting in over extraction. - Fresh H20.H20 has many minerals (including chlorine) that can cause bad taste and odors.
Therefore water can make a big impact on the taste of the coffee (coffee is made of 98% H20) and the operation of the brewing equipment.
It is best to use filtered H20 when brewing coffee this will reduce that amount of minerals in the H20 and improve the taste of the coffee.