Researchers from the University of California, Davis, have designed an updated coffee brewing chart that they say better meets the needs of coffee professionals.
Since 1957, baristas, roasters, and other coffee enthusiasts have relied on the Coffee Brewing Control Chart (BCC), which outlines sensory qualities of drip coffee based on the ratio of grounds to water, to craft the ideal cup of coffee.
Though the chart is a staple in the coffee community, the researchers say the tool is limited, leaving professionals and enthusiasts with only a handful of attributes to work with, such as bitter and weak. It has remain unchanged since its publication.
“Despite its popularity, recent experimental studies have revealed that sensory attributes and consumer preferences actually follow much more complicated trends than those indicated by the classic BCC,” say the study authors.
Published in the Journal of Food Science, the new Sensory and Consumer Brewing Control Chart includes more ways to describe sensory traits of coffee such as bitter, acid/sour, citrus, roasted, viscous/thick, astringent, sweet, burnt/ash, black tea, dark greens, berry, and dried fruit.
It also identifies two key segments of consumers and the coffee qualities they prefer – creating a better resource for roasters and manufacturers looking to break into the coffee market.
