Coffee science
Layered explanations of what's actually happening chemically and physically during brewing, roasting and steaming — with the practical takeaway kept front and centre.
- Water chemistry and brewing
Why water is not 'just water' for brewing, and how hardness and mineral content affect extraction.
- Extraction science: solubility, diffusion and total dissolved solids
A deeper look at what 'extraction' physically means, beyond the practical sour/bitter heuristic.
- Milk science: proteins, fat and foam
Why milk foams and steams the way it does, at a level beneath the practical steaming technique.
- Why coffee goes stale
The staling mechanisms behind flat-tasting old coffee: degassing, oxidation and aroma loss.
- What happens when coffee roasts
Drying, browning, first crack and development — the chemistry behind roast character, at the depth that changes what a roaster does.