The Science of Coffee

4) Espresso Technology

A good espresso is a sublime experience: rich, sweet, and wonderfully caffeinated. But, who woke up one morning and thought to themselves, ‘I’m going to build a contraption that forces a tiny amount of super hot water with incredible pressure through a bed of very finely ground coffee’?Well, the fact is, the first “espresso” machine built 150 years ago was awful in almost every way. Worst of all, if you gave that coffee to anybody on the street, nobody would say it’s even an espresso!But, over the decades, problems begat solutions that begat more problems that culminated in espresso machines like Eversys that produce gorgeous espressos at just the push of a button. And it’s got me wondering: what is the perfect espresso machine? How far can we go?But, before clicking play, be warned: this story gets explosive and bloody!-------Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple PodcastsLeave a 5 star rating on Spotify Learn more about how Eversys espresso machines (this episode’s sponsor) produce high quality espressosListen to my A History of Coffee podcast series with Prof. Jonathan MorrisWant to listen to more documentary podcasts about coffee? Check out my other podcast, Filter StoriesPictures of the espresso machines featured in this episodeAngelo Moriondo (1884, “Big water boiler with gnarly bits”)La Pavoni Ideale (1905, "Fire hydrant")Gaggia Tipo Classica (1947, “Lever”)Faema E61 (1961, “Retro 60s toaster”)Eversys (2022, “push button”)Want to go deeper into espresso machine technology? Coffee Technician Guild’s Educational CoursesBarista Hustle’s The Espresso Machine courseRead Prof. Jonathan Morris’ book ‘Coffee: A Global History’Do your own coffee museum tour in Italy!MUMAC (Milan)Rancilio Officina 1926 (Milan)Accademia del Caffè Espresso (Florence)Connect with my very knowledgeable guestsJonathan Morris - InstagramHylan Joseph - LinkedInGiorgio Rancilio - LinkedInAnna Cento - LinkedInCarlos Gonzàlez - LinkedInSilvia Bartoloni - LinkedInJonathan Besse - LinkedInThe Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisationsBWT Water and MoreMarco Beverage SystemsTraboccaEversysOatlyFiorenzatoSubscribe to A History of Coffee podcast

3) Plant Genetics

How can you make better coffee at home? Well, an easy way is to buy higher quality beans. But, I’m concerned this is going to get harder and harder for you in the future. Climate change is making coffee taste worse while also pushing farmers into financial hardship. In this episode we explore how genetic development can produce a coffee tree that might save the day. Is there a wild coffee tree happily growing in the forests somewhere that could be our silver bullet? What about if we mix existing documented species together? But, the big problem is that genetic research is slow, and farmers can’t wait around. So, in the second half, we learn how coffee farmers in Kenya are trying to fix the problem right now. And I’m actually tentatively hopeful the beans you brew in the morning are not going to get worse. But, it all depends on you, me and the coffee industry making a couple of changes right now. —---Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple PodcastsLeave a 5 star rating on SpotifyLearn more about how Trabocca, this episode’s sponsor, works with coffee farmersSupport the work of World Coffee ResearchBecome a member of Kew GardensFind some of Alvans Mutero’s and Thiriku’s coffee to taste for yourselfLearn more about cloning coffee plants on my other podcast, Adventures in CoffeeWant to listen to more documentary podcasts about coffee? Check out Filter StoriesConnect with my very knowledgeable guests: Sarada Krishnan - LinkedIn and Research GateAaron Davis - Kew GardensHanna Neuschwander - LinkedInBernard Gichimu - LinkedInLearn more about the coffee varieties discussed on this episode: SL 28SL 34Ruiru 11Batian The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:BWT Water and MoreMarco Beverage SystemsTraboccaEversysOatlyFiorenzatoSubscribe to A History of Coffee podcast

2) Coffee Extraction

How you brew your coffee dramatically affects what you taste. And I do mean dramatic! Brewing up the same bag of coffee beans can taste like a slice of heaven, or a slap in the face. So, what exactly is happening at a microscopic level when water swirls through coffee grinds? Why does boiling water extract certain flavours, while letting the kettle cool for five minutes make it taste markedly different? In this episode, we dive deep into the academic research conducted at the UC Davis Coffee Center so you can choose your flavour adventure: Do you like your coffees when they’re a sour bomb? A floral caress on the lips? A smokey drag on a pipe? Or a treacle of sweet syrup? We also explore why it can be so difficult getting the same flavours from the same beans consistently. And finally, I equip you with tools so you can begin finding your perfect brew. —---Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple PodcastsLeave a 5 star rating on SpotifyExplore this episode’s sponsor Marco Beverage Systems SP 9 brewer and how it delivers consistent brews in the cafe (https://bit.ly/3Tgh18r)Listen to the Adventures in Coffee episode about making dramatically different brews using the Aeropress: https://bit.ly/3TghsQ7 Want more to listen to more documentary podcasts about coffee? Check out Filter Stories - https://bit.ly/3zb5vnOWant to go deeper into coffee extraction? Mackenzie Batali’s fractionation research - https://bit.ly/3CFnvH0UC Davis’ brewing control chart research - https://bit.ly/3CLoiGzTake courses on coffee brewing with the Specialty Coffee Association - https://bit.ly/3EQFoVVStudy at the UC Davis Coffee - https://bit.ly/3TwSgodRead ‘The Craft and Science of Coffee’ - https://bit.ly/3zb7bN8 Connect with my very knowledgeable guests: Samo Smrke - LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3EKrjtg) and Instagram (https://bit.ly/3IdrfRz)Bill Ristenpart - Academic profile (https://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/ristenpart/)Mackenzie Batali - LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3s7VRxr)Peter Giuliano - LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3yT66tv)Danny Pang - LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3Sd9mqq)David Walsh - LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3VEH7Uo)The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:BWT Water and MoreMarco Beverage SystemsTraboccaEversysOatlyFiorenzatoSubscribe to A History of Coffee podcast: https://bit.ly/2NArChO

1) Water For Brewing Coffee

Water really matters when you’re brewing coffee. Different waters can dramatically change how a single coffee will taste. But what is the right water for the best coffee? In this episode I will give you the answer, but I will first take you back billions of years to tell you the story of a single mineral and how it's responsible for making our coffees taste lame. Because here’s the thing: water science is chemistry, and chemistry is very complicated and easily forgettable. But with a great story, I’m hoping you’ll remember!In the second half, I show you why Christopher Hendon’s book Water for Coffee made a big splash in the coffee community, but also why some academic chemists are critical of the book, and how this all manifested in the creation of the Specialty Coffee Association’s Water Quality Handbook. And, to cap it all off, I offer you some environmentally conscious ways to get hold of good water for coffee, so your coffee brews can finally explode in flavour. —---Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple PodcastsLeave a 5 star rating on Spotify Discover this episode’s sponsor BWT’s water filtration products. I use their Penguin Magnesium Mineralised cartridges and cafes can use their BestAqua ROCRead Marcia Bjornerud’s amazing book, Reading The Rocks Want more to listen to more documentary podcasts about coffee? Check out Filter StoriesWant to go deeper into water chemistry? SCA’s Water Quality HandbookBWT White Paper on the effects of magnesium (German)How to add magnesium to your soft water out of the tap (scroll to bottom)Christopher Hendon’s Water for CoffeeCertificate of Advanced Studies at Zurich’s Coffee Excellence Center online courseRead ‘The Craft and Science of Coffee’Barista Hustle's Water courseJames Hoffman's water videoConnect with my very knowledgeable guests: Samo Smrke - LinkedIn and InstagramChahan Yeretzian - LinkedinFrank Neuhausen - LinkedInMarcia Bjornerud - Academic profileChristopher Hendon - LinkedIn and InstagramThe Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:BWT Water and More - https://bit.ly/3EEpuxNMarco Beverage Systems - https://bit.ly/3T2YDzYTrabocca - https://bit.ly/3Tjn8bVEversys - https://bit.ly/3CBkp6XOatly - https://bit.ly/3exvlKSFiorenzato - https://bit.ly/3T3nmUQSubscribe to my A History of Coffee podcast 

Introducing: The Science of Coffee

The Science of Coffee is a journey into coffee's hidden microscopic secrets to help you make even better coffee at home. Across six episodes, documentary maker and coffee professional James Harper takes you deep into the world of water for coffee, coffee extraction, plant genetics, espresso technology, latte foam and sonic seasoning. Press the Subscribe button so you don't miss future episodes!The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories. Follow James on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0OListen to Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/3zb5vnOThe Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: BWT Water and MoreMarco Beverage SystemsTraboccaEversysOatlyFiorenzatoListen to A History of Coffee here: https://bit.ly/2NArChO