Topic
Brewing Science
The science behind a good cup: extraction, coffee-to-water ratios, grind size, water temperature, and why coffee tastes bitter or sour.
Articles
19 published
Articles in Brewing Science
- 01
How Long Does Coffee Last? Freshness and Shelf Life
The science of coffee freshness — how long roasted whole beans, ground coffee, brewed coffee, and green beans last, the CO₂ degassing curve
- 02
Why Is Coffee Bitter? The Chemistry of Coffee Bitterness
What actually makes coffee taste bitter — caffeine's real contribution, chlorogenic acid degradation products, Maillard compounds, roast level effects
- 03
Salt in Coffee: Does It Actually Reduce Bitterness?
Why adding a small amount of salt to coffee reduces bitterness: the sodium ion mechanism, how much to use, when it helps most
- 04
Low Acid Coffee: Best Varieties for Sensitive Stomachs
Which coffees are low in acid and why: how roast, origin, altitude, processing, and brew method all affect acidity
- 05
Does Coffee Have Tannins? Yes, But Far Less Than Tea
Coffee does contain tannins, in much smaller amounts than tea. The dry, puckering feeling usually blamed on them is mostly chlorogenic acids.
- 06
Coffee pH Explained: What Acidity Means in the Cup
What coffee's pH actually measures, how it varies by brew method and roast level, why pH and perceived sourness are different things
- 07
Coffee Cupping: How SCA Sensory Evaluation Works
What coffee cupping is, how the SCA cupping protocol works step by step, what the coffee flavour wheel represents
- 08
Coffee Acidity: pH, Sourness, and What Affects It
What acidity means in coffee: the organic acids that create brightness and complexity, how roast and brewing method shift the pH
- 09
Espresso Machine Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Type
How to choose an espresso machine: the categories (manual/semi-auto/automatic/super-automatic/capsule), what actually matters for extraction quality
- 10
What Are Chlorogenic Acids? Coffee's Key Polyphenol
Chlorogenic acids: coffee's dominant polyphenol class, what they do in the body, how roasting degrades them, and what the research shows about health effects.
- 11
Water for Coffee: TDS, Minerals, and Why It Matters
Why water quality is the biggest brewing variable most people ignore: TDS, calcium and magnesium, buffering with bicarbonate
- 12
Under-Extracted vs Over-Extracted Coffee
How to tell the difference between under-extracted and over-extracted coffee — the flavour signals, what causes each
- 13
Coffee-to-Water Ratio Explained
The coffee-to-water ratio, plain: what the standard 1:15–1:18 range means, why brew strength and extraction are separate variables
- 14
Coffee Strength vs Caffeine: They're Not the Same
Coffee strength and caffeine are not the same thing. What 'strength' actually measures, why an espresso can have less caffeine than a mug of drip
- 15
Coffee Grind Size Guide: Which Grind for Which Method
Grind size, plain: what particle size does to extraction, why every brew method has its own range, and how to dial in without a fancy grinder.
- 16
Coffee Extraction Explained: TDS, Solubles, and Yield
Coffee extraction, plain: what actually dissolves out of the coffee, why some compounds come out fast and others slow
- 17
What Is Coffee Bloom? CO₂, Degassing, and Why It Matters
What the coffee bloom actually is, why it matters for pour-over and drip brewing, and how the amount of bloom tells you how fresh your beans really are.
- 18
Burr vs Blade Grinder: Which Makes Better Coffee?
Why grinder type matters more than most coffee equipment: burr grinders produce uniform particles, blade grinders don't
- 19
Best Water Temperature for Coffee
The right water temperature for coffee — the SCA range, method-specific targets, why temperature matters less than home brewers assume