In my most recent blog post on coffee I reported that a finer grind may not always be better. Now another piece of the puzzle for producing java that jives falls into place: Spritz your beans with water.
Evidently this is not a new discovery—those who really know their coffee-making craft routinely moisturize their grind to reduce clumping. A new study reported here by New Scientist reveals the problem: static electricity. Following up on the link to the original publication, I see that the research team, led by a volcanologist (sensible considering the lightning generated by particle-laden eruptions), deployed this $3000 German-made, handcrafted machine to produce extremely uniform grinds. I will definitely buy one soon (after winning the lottery).
Another approach to better coffee takes a completely different route—create it from cells grown in bioreactors. Environmentalists like this because the demand for sun-grown beans leads to destruction of rain forests. Per this Phys.Org heads-up, a Finnish team just released a recipe to accelerate the creation of a new “coffee ecosystem.” This seems promising. But there is a problem: Though the current lab-grown concoctions contain twice as much caffeine as ever before, it remains much lower than those in farmed beans.
Another approach to avoid the problems keeping up traditional methods for making coffee is to go to a beanless brew, such as the imitation now being rolled out by Seattle-based Atomo Coffee. Based on this January 24th report by CBS Saturday Morning show, I would be willing to give it a try, especially given they load up their brew with caffeine at the upper end of the normal range of real coffee. Full steam ahead!
One last idea (my caffeine levels now running low) for improving the taste of coffee is being selective about the shape and material of your cup. For example, see what the Perfect Daily Grind says about pouring your brew into a wine glass or other specialty containers.
“A drinking vessel has a significant impact on perception of flavour and aroma because it changes the way the coffee smells and tastes, as well as how you drink coffee. What’s more, our senses, feelings, and emotions also impact how we experience coffee.”
Marek Krupa, co-founder and CFO of Kruve