The short shot: a new study challenges espresso as we know it!

The espresso reinvented and optimized?

A recently published study suggests that coffee marketers looking to maximize good taste and consistency have, for the most part, been using much more coffee than necessary.

The research, led by an international team of 10 people who made hundreds of espresso shots and performed mathematical modeling, suggests that the key to consistently making good espresso is to use much less coffee in a coarser grind, with much less water. and in a preparation time faster than that indicated by the established methods.

The recommendations of this study, which recommends 15 grams of coffee with brewing times of 7 to 15 seconds per shot, go against almost all published standards related to the preparation and extraction of espressos, including classic Italian espresso methods and more modern approaches from groups like the Specialty Coffee Association.

While it is true that coffee professionals will quickly dismiss this research as a series of academic ramblings with little practical use, it should be noted that the lead author is Christopher Hendon, a chemist at the University of Oregon, whose previous scientific work on water composition and consistency of the particles in grinding, among others, has been extremely influential in the industry.

"The real impact of this study is that the most replicable thing you can do is use less coffee," Hendon commented in a presentation of the research, which was published online today as a preview of the print version in the scientific journal. "Journal" -.

If you use 15 grams of coffee instead of 20 and use a coarser grind, you get a shot in much less time, but with great flavor. Instead of taking 25 seconds, it can be done in 7 to 14 seconds and you end up extracting more positive flavors from the beans, so that the strength of the cup is not significantly reduced. Bitter or unpleasant flavors have no chance of reaching the cup.

"Before those hundreds of shots were prepared at the Tailored Coffee Roasters headquarters in Eugene, Oregon, the researchers turned to electrochemical theory and compared the movement of caffeine and other molecules through a compact espresso bed to that of lithium ions as they move through the electrodes of a battery."Our model allows us to make the analogy from a tiny particle, smaller than the size of a hair, and solve a series of equations that tell us how much mass can be obtained from these small particles," wrote study co-author Jaime M. Foster of the University of Porthsmouth, England.

The research presents great transformative potential in the daily calibration of espresso in coffee shops. Hendon wrote that baristas generally start by controlling the grind and then modify the water volume and fluid parameters. "That usually involves reducing the volume of the shot to obtain a desirable flavor," reads the study presentation. However, if the volume is very low, an operator must have a coarser grind and repeat the volume reduction process to achieve a larger drink of lower concentration, but with a pleasant and reproducible taste.Based on the research team`s conclusions, preparing an espresso under ideal parameters for its repeatability and flavor would result in the use of 25% less coffee.

Researchers estimate that 124 million espresso shots are made daily in the United States and that savings would rise to $ 3.1 million per day in the coffee retail industry.Of course, a 25% reduction in espresso consumption, in the US alone, would dramatically transform global markets, and that change would reach individual coffee producers."For a coffee shop owner, it`s an opportunity to save a lot of money without sacrificing quality," Hendon writes. For the roaster, it is an opportunity that can be reflected in their approach to roasting and in the way people prepare their coffee.

For the producer, this should encourage them to continue producing high-quality coffee that can provide them with the most money, with the understanding that more people will have access to it. "

Publication Date: 2020-02-02

Source: https://www.roastmagazine.com.mx: Nick Brown