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? Astringency Explained
Whether coffee contains tannins, how they differ from chlorogenic acids, what actually creates astringency in coffee
- 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