Impact of crema on expected and actual espresso coffee experience

The formation and stabilization of crema on espresso coffee are areas that have been well studied during the last 2 decades. In contrast, the contribution of the sensory perception of crema in the coffee consumption experience has not received a lot of attention. Crema being a key visual differentiator between espresso coffees, it may influence the overall sensory and hedonic experiences through the process of assimilation or contrast of visually induced expectations. The objective of this research was therefore to investigate the role of the expectation generated by crema visual cues on actual sensory and hedonic espresso coffee consumption experience. The study was designed to measure the impact of absence, presence and amount of crema on expectation for espresso coffee in liking, quality, overall taste intensity, bitterness and smoothness. Four espresso coffees with different amounts of crema were rated on each characteristic by espresso coffee consumers in three evaluation conditions: visual condition (expectation induced by crema visual cues), in-mouth condition (espresso coffee tasting while participants were blindfolded), full condition (standard tasting). The aim of this procedure was to quantify the respective contribution of crema visual cues and in-mouth espresso coffee tasting to the overall espresso coffee experience. Results showed that espresso coffee without crema was expected to be moderately liked, low in quality and weakly smooth as compared to espresso coffee with crema. Such expectations negatively impacted hedonic and sensory in-mouth experience through assimilation effect. Change in crema amount also impacted consumers' expectation which in turn modulated hedonic and sensory experience for espresso coffee. For the first time, this study highlighted the key role of crema visual cues on espresso coffee consumption experience.     

High‐resolution 1H NMR investigation of coffee

Recent successful applications of NMR spectroscopy and imaging in food science prompted the authors to use these new techniques for the analysis of espresso coffee. The target of this work was to identify an experimental procedure to obtain maximum information from high‐resolution ¹H spectra. Only the espresso coffee was considered as the true food, since it includes all aromatic substances responsible for the coffee aroma and taste. A big effort was made in order to select an easy, quick and non‐degrading procedure to analyse the espresso cup content, preventing artificial or natural degradation effects with a particular care in the measurement of labile and volatile components. The procedure was tested on two arabica and one robusta samples; each sample was prepared with three roasting degrees to follow the chemical changes due to the roasting process. Moreover, one water extract was prepared also from ground green coffees. As a comparison, each coffee extract was prepared both with a standard ‘espresso coffee machine’ and with a ‘mocha’ as used in the domestic setting. Significant differences among the three samples were observed. Moreover, for all samples, as a function of the roasting degree, a clear trend in the chemical composition was observed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Espresso coffees, caffeine and chlorogenic acid intake: potential health implications

HPLC analysis of 20 commercial espresso coffees revealed 6-fold differences in caffeine levels, a 17-fold range of caffeoylquinic acid contents, and 4-fold differences in the caffeoylquinic acid?:?caffeine ratio. These variations reflect differences in batch-to-batch bean composition, possible blending of arabica with robusta beans, as well as roasting and grinding procedures, but the predominant factor is likely to be the amount of beans used in the coffee-making/barista processes. The most caffeine in a single espresso was 322 mg and a further three contained >200 mg, exceeding the 200 mg day(-1) upper limit recommended during pregnancy by the UK Food Standards Agency. This snap-shot of high-street expresso coffees suggests the published assumption that a cup of strong coffee contains 50 mg caffeine may be misleading. Consumers at risk of toxicity, including pregnant women, children and those with liver disease, may unknowingly ingest excessive caffeine from a single cup of espresso coffee. As many coffee houses prepare larger volume coffees, such as Latte and Cappuccino, by dilution of a single or double shot of expresso, further study on these products is warranted. New data are needed to provide informative labelling, with attention to bean variety, preparation, and barista methods.     

Influence of coffee/water ratio on the final quality of espresso coffee

Espresso coffee is a polyphasic beverage in which the physico‐chemical and sensory characteristics obviously depend on both the selection of ground roasted coffee and the technical conditions of the percolation process. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the coffee/water ratio on the physico‐chemical and sensory quality of espresso coffee. Furthermore, the influence of botanical varieties (Arabica and Robusta) and the type of roast (conventional and torrefacto) on the selection of coffee/water ratio was studied. The relationship between pH and the perception of acidity intensity is discussed in relation to the influence of the coffee/water ratio, type of coffee and roast. The optimisation of other technical parameters in previous studies seemed to minimise the influence of an increase in the coffee/water ratio on the extraction of soluble and solid compounds. In fact, only some sensory attributes, such as bitterness, astringency and burnt, acrid and earthy/musty flavours were proposed as relevant to the selection of 6.5 g 40 mL^?1 or 7.5 g 40 mL^?1 in conventional roasted coffees (Arabica 100% and Robusta blend), and 6.5 g 40 mL^?1 in torrefacto roasted coffees. On the other hand, the addition of sugar during the roasting process in torrefacto roast coffees seemed to contribute to a higher generation of acids, melanoidins and other compounds by the Maillard reaction or caramelisation, which led us to select the lowest coffee/water ratio. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Relating consumer preferences to sensory attributes of instant coffee

The sensory profiles of 11 instant coffees including pure coffees (PC), coffee blends (CB) and a chicory instant drink (CID), commercially available in South Africa, were described and quantified. These were then related to consumer preferences (n=199) for the instant coffees using preference mapping. Based on consumer preferences, four consumer groups were identified, “pure coffee lovers” (23%), “coffee blend drinkers” (30%), “general coffee drinkers” (37%) and “not serious coffee drinkers” (10%). The “pure coffee lovers” prefer the more astringent, bitter, roasted, nutty and full-bodied flavour of the pure coffee samples. The less intense coffee flavour character, but higher sweetness and root flavour, typical of chicory blended instant coffee, were attributes that were preferred by the “coffee blend lovers”. The “general coffee drinkers” seem to consume coffee out of habit and are less concerned about the specific sensory properties of the coffee.     

Furanic compounds and furfural in different coffee products by headspace liquid-phase micro-extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry: survey and effect of brewing procedures

In this study, the levels of furan, 2-methylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran, vinyl furan, 2-methoxymethyl-furan and furfural in different coffee products were evaluated. Simultaneous determination of these six furanic compounds was performed by a head space liquid-phase micro-extraction (HS-LPME) method. A total of 67 coffee powder samples were analysed. The effects of boiling and espresso-making procedures on the levels of furanic compounds were investigated. The results showed that different types of coffee samples contained different concentrations of furanic compounds, due to the various processing conditions such as temperature, degree of roasting and fineness of grind. Among the different coffee samples, the highest level of furan (6320 µg kg^?1) was detected in ground coffee, while coffee-mix samples showed the lowest furan concentration (10 µg kg^?1). Levels in brewed coffees indicated that, except for furfural, brewing by an espresso machine caused significant loss of furanic compounds.     

Acrylamide in espresso coffee: Influence of species,roast degree and brew length

Espresso coffees were analysed for acrylamide contents by matrix solid-phase dispersion and GC–MS. The influence of coffee species, roast degree, and brew length were ascertained. Mean acrylamide contents of medium roasted espressos (30 mL) were 1.16 ± 0.25 and 2.31 ± 0.43 μg for pure arabica and robusta samples, respectively. Espressos prepared from commercial blends contained an average acrylamide level of 1.26 ± 0.28 μg. A 25% decrease was observed when comparing espressos prepared with medium and dark roasted coffee. The extraction efficacy of acrylamide for standard espressos of 30 mL was near 80%, being only affected by brew volume, with long espressos (70 mL) containing practically all acrylamide of the coffee cake (99%), almost double that of short ones (20 mL). When compared with other common coffee beverages, espresso acrylamide concentration (μg/L) was higher. However, due to the small volume per cup, it may contribute less to acrylamide ingestion.     

Survey of furan in foods and coffees from five European Union countries

Canned and jarred baby foods (74), canned and jarred adult foods (63) and 70 coffees sold in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands were analysed for their furan content using a validated automated headspace GC–MS procedure. Seven balsamic vinegars from Italy and Spain were also analysed. All 74 baby food samples contained detectable furan, with an average level of 37 ng/g. A total of 54 of 63 canned and jarred foods contained detectable furan with an average level of 24 ng/g. Levels of furan in coffee as consumed were very variable and reflected different preparation methods and coffee strengths. Over 50% of Italian samples contained more than 200 ng/g, whereas over 20% of Belgian coffees contained less than 21 ng/g furan. Some brews made from fine grained coffee contained much more furan than did brews made from normal or coarse grained coffee. Although furan was low in most instant coffees, two Italian products “instant espresso” and “instant mocha” contained about 150 ng/g furan. Balsamic vinegars from Spain contained 159–662 ng/g of furan; however, other samples from Spain and Italy contained only 6–25 ng/g.     

Influence of torrefacto roast on antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity of coffee

The addition of sugar at the end of the torrefacto roasting process may influence the antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties of coffee because sugar is one of the main precursors the Maillard reaction. The aim of the work was to study and to compare the antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties of some commercial roasted coffees which are selected to represent conventional roasted arabica coffee and arabica/robusta blends, and torrefacto roasted blends. Higher antioxidant activity was observed in Colombian coffees than in conventional roasted coffee blends. On the other hand, when the percentage of torrefacto coffee was increased, an increase of the antioxidant activity and a slight tendency to decrease the pro-oxidant activity were observed. Moreover, principal component analysis allowed separation of: (a) brands by PC1 (46.9%), characterised by colour parameters defined by roasting degree and (b) torrefacto roasted blends by PC2 (33.7%), characterised by antioxidant/pro-oxidant activity.     

Water content of roasted coffee: impact on grinding behaviour,extraction, and aroma retention

Normal and long time roasting trials were carried out on industrial scale. Different amounts of water were applied during quenching, resulting in water contents in the range of 2.3–8.8 g/100 g wb. Coffees were ground immediately after cooling, and after equilibration times of 6 and 24 h. Particle size distribution of ground coffees, percolation time, and extraction properties were investigated on an espresso coffee machine. Coffees ground after 24 h resting time were subjected to storage trials to determine aroma stability as influenced by water content. Coffees with high moisture content exhibited coarser particles upon grinding, and equilibration time prior to grinding was needed for coffees with high water content to improve grinding results. Coffees with low water content did not exhibit this time dependency prior to grinding. Coffees with low water content were extracted more effectively than high moisture coffees, and percolation was slower. During open and closed storage, evolution of hexanal and sulfides was highly sensitive to water content. However, differences in evolution of other aroma compounds were found during closed storage only, where moisture content had a negative impact on aroma stability of the coffees subjected to investigation.     

Espresso coffee (EC) by POD: Study of thermal profile during extraction process and influence of water temperature on chemical–physical and sensorial properties

In this work the thermal profiles of five coffee pods (pure Arabica, pure Robusta, and Arabica Robusta blends: A20R80, A80R20, and A40R60) at 90, 100 and 110 °C are reported. Moreover the chemical–physical and sensorial properties of espresso coffee (EC) obtained from five different coffee pods were investigated. The analysis of the thermal profiles highlighted that the extraction process can be considered as an isothermal process because, after a starting phase, the recorded temperatures stayed around a mean temperature (T_m). In addition the T_m recorded for each extraction temperature was significantly lower than those set up by the controller. The chemical–physical parameters of EC samples increased proportionally with extraction temperature highlighting that the effectiveness of extraction process scales up with percolation temperature. The solid and caffeine contents of the EC samples extracted at 110 °C are related to an over extraction process. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify relationships and differences among EC samples. Pure Arabica and A80R20 EC samples at 100 and 110 °C have shown sensorial attributes typical for a fine espresso coffee.     

A neuro‐fuzzy computational approach for multicriteria optimisation of the quality of espresso coffee by pod based on the extraction time,temperature and blend

We demonstrate how soft computing methods can be exploited to solve multicriteria quality optimisation problems in food science and technology. In particular, we link neuro‐fuzzy modelling techniques with simulated annealing to optimise/design the quality of espresso coffee by pod. The design variables are the extraction time (ranging from 10 to 30 s), temperature (80–110 °C) and blends (100% Arabica, 100% Robusta and Arabica Robusta: A20R80, A80R20 and A40R60); they are not the only variables that affect the sensory profile of a cup of espresso coffee, but have a strong impact on the sensory quality of the beverage. Based on the framework, we show that the particular problem is a nonlinear one. Hence, an espresso coffee characterised by a specific sensory profile can be extracted using different sets of parameter values. For example, the same sensory profile can be obtained using either pure Robusta extracted at 22 s and 94 °C or 90% Arabica and 10% Robusta extracted at 25 s and 99 °C. Yet, the global optimum with respect to the distance to the optimum sensorial values is obtained using 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta extracted at 15 s around 93 °C.     

Difructose anhydrides as quality markers of honey and coffee

Difructose anhydrides (DFAs) are pseudodisaccharides produced by condensation of two fructose molecules by means of caramelization reaction which takes place during heating of sugars or sugar-rich foodstuffs. The aim of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of DFAs as chemical markers of honey authenticity and sugar-roasted torrefacto coffee. DFAs were analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry after conversion to their trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives. α-d-fructofuranoside-1,2′:2,1′-α-d-fructofuranoside (DFA7) and α-d-fructofuranoside-1,2′:2,1′-β-d-fructopyranoside (DFA9) can be used as quality markers of honey and coffee. DFA7 and DFA9 were detected in honey added with 5% fructose and sucrose caramels and 15% of glucose caramels. Torrefacto coffees showed DFAs values ranged from 0.195 to 0.570 g/100 g whereas only traces were found in natural roasted coffees. Quantities from 0.073 to 0.189 g/100 g were measured in blends of natural and torrefacto roasted coffees. A relationship between DFAs content in torrefacto coffees and roasting conditions was observed. In conclusion, this study indicated that DFAs are useful chemical indicators to control honey authenticity and torrefacto coffee roasting.     

Intra- and interspecific mineral composition variability of commercial instant coffees and coffee substitutes: Contribution to mineral intake

The present paper reports the amount and estimated daily mineral intake of nine elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, P, Fe, Mn, Cr and Ni) in commercial instant coffees and coffee substitutes (n = 49). Elements were quantified by high-resolution continuum source flame (HR-CS-FAAS) and graphite furnace (HR-CS-GFAAS) atomic absorption spectrometry, while phosphorous was evaluated by a standard vanadomolybdophosphoric acid colorimetric method.Instant coffees and coffee substitutes are rich in K, Mg and P (>100 mg/100 g dw), contain Na, Ca and Fe in moderate amounts (>1 mg/100 g), and trace levels of Cr and Ni. Among the samples analysed, plain instant coffees are richer in minerals (p < 0.001), except for Na and Cr. Blends of coffee substitutes (barley, malt, chicory and rye) with coffee (20–66%) present intermediate amounts, while lower quantities are found in substitutes without coffee, particularly in barley.From a nutritional point of view the results indicate that the mean ingestion of two instant beverages per day (total of 4 g instant powder), either with or without coffee, cannot be regarded as important sources of minerals to the human diet, although providing a supplementation of some minerals, particularly Mg and Mn in instant coffees. Additionally, and for authentication purposes, the correlations observed between some elements and the coffee percentage in the blends, with particular significance for Mg amounts, provides a potential tool for the estimation of coffee in substitute blends.     

Chemical characterisation of non-defective and defective green arabica and robusta coffees by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)

The coffee roasted in Brazil is considered to be of low quality, due to the presence of defective coffee beans that depreciate the beverage quality. These beans, although being separated from the non-defective ones prior to roasting, are still commercialized in the coffee trading market. Thus, it was the aim of this work to verify the feasibility of employing ESI-MS to identify chemical characteristics that will allow the discrimination of Arabica and Robusta species and also of defective and non-defective coffees. Aqueous extracts of green (raw) defective and non-defective coffee beans were analyzed by direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and this technique provided characteristic fingerprinting mass spectra that not only allowed for discrimination of species but also between defective and non-defective coffee beans. ESI-MS profiles in the positive mode (ESI(+)-MS) provided separation between defective and non-defective coffees within a given species, whereas ESI-MS profiles in the negative mode (ESI(−)-MS) provided separation between Arabica and Robusta coffees.     

Antioxidant activity and protective effects of green and dark coffee components against human low density lipoprotein oxidation

The in vitro antioxidant activity and the protective effect against human low density lipoprotein oxidation of coffees prepared using different degrees of roasting was evaluated. Coffees with the highest amount of brown pigments (dark coffee) showed the highest peroxyl radical scavenging activity. These coffees also protected human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) against oxidation, although green coffee extracts showed more protection. In a different experiment, coffee extracts were incubated with human plasma prior to isolation of LDL particles. This showed, for the first time, that incubation of plasma with dark, but not green coffee extracts protected the LDL against oxidation by copper or by the thermolabile azo compound AAPH. Antioxidants in the dark coffee extracts must therefore have become associated with the LDL particles. Brown compounds, especially those derived from the Maillard reaction, are the compounds most likely to be responsible for this activity.     

How Does Roasting Process Influence the Retention of Coffee Aroma Compounds by Lyophilized Coffee Extract?

ABSTRACT:  The aims of this study were (1) to study the effect of lyophilized coffee extract on the retention of aroma compounds and (2) to study if aroma compounds selected are differently affected by the lyophilized coffee extracts obtained from conventional and Torrefacto coffee brews prepared by filter coffeemaker and by espresso coffee machine. Variable amounts of lyophilized coffee extracts, relative to coffee powder, containing different percentages of high molecular weight compounds, mainly melanoidins (value given in parentheses), were obtained: 20.9% (14.8) and 24.9% (23.3), respectively, for conventional and Torrefacto coffee brew prepared by filter coffeemaker and 18.1% (18.8) and 20.7% (57.5), respectively, for conventional and Torrefacto coffee brew prepared by espresso coffee machine. The retention of aroma compounds increased by increasing the lyophilized coffee extract concentration and was found to be dependent on the aroma compounds. The retention of aroma compounds was found to be slightly different depending on the brewing procedure employed, showing lyophilized coffee extracts obtained with espresso coffee machine had higher retention values that those extracted by filter coffeemaker. Retention capacity of lyophilized coffee extracts obtained from the conventional and the Torrefacto roasted coffee did not show differences except in the case of ethyl nonanoate.     

Screening and distinction of coffee brews based on headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography/principal component analysis

The volatile profiles of espresso and plunger (cafetière) coffees prepared from (1) an 80:20 (w/w) blend of natural roasted Robusta and Arabica (Robusta Natural blend), (2) a 40:40:20 (w/w/w) blend of Robusta Natural blend, Robusta torrefacto roast (850 g kg^?1 Robusta, 150 g kg^?1 sugar) and (3) natural roasted pure Arabica were established by headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) after selection of the fibre coating (polyacrylate or polydimethylsiloxane) and the temperature and time of extraction. For the analysis of furans and indoles the polyacrylate coating proved to be more suitable; however, for the overall characterisation of the volatile composition of espresso and plunger coffees the polydimethylsiloxane coating was chosen. SPME/gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) analyses allowed the identification of 37 compounds: four aldehydes, two ketones, 11 furans, 10 pyrazines, two pyridines, three phenolic compounds, two indoles, one lactone, one ester and one benzothiazine. The volatile composition was related more to the botanical variety (Arabica or Robusta) than to the method of preparation of the brew (espresso or plunger). Furthermore, use of the variability provided solely by the GC peak areas and respective retention times, combined with principal component analysis (PCA), yielded the information necessary for discrimination. The combined technique of headspace SPME/GC/PCA, as an alternative to conventional techniques based on GC/MS, is proposed as a lower‐cost, fast and reliable technique for the screening and distinction of coffee brews. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry