Image of coffee pod

The below article is adapted from a Stable Micro Systems (SMS) blog. For the original article, or for more from SMS, please click here.

Coffee is a multibillion dollar industry, and revenue is expected to continue rising for the next five years. From instant granules to whole beans, here are some of the techniques used in creating that perfect brew.

Instant

While the flavor can never quite equal that of a more traditional coffee, instant coffee has distinct advantages, from ease of preparation to lower shipping costs. Instant granules or powder also have a much longer shelf life than whole or ground beans.

Customers want their instant coffee to dissolve quickly, to flow easily without clumping, and to remain loosely packed, rather than condense at the bottom of the container.

SMS’ Powder Flow Analyzer can be used to measure instant coffee’s caking and speed flow dependency properties. It offers accurate and objective testing of ingredients and blends, and helps manufacturers to avoid typical problems such as batch and source variation of ingredients, caking during storage, bridging in hoppers, and sticking during production.

Ground

Ground coffee beans offer a different challenge. If the particles are too small, the brew will be overextracted and bitter. If too large, the coffee will be weak and flavorless.

A recent study by Erciyes University focused on flow properties of ground coffees, paying attention to the roast (dark vs light) and the particle sizes. Using the Powder Flow Analyzer, they studied the flow behavior of their coffee, collecting data on cohesion, caking, and powder flow speed dependency.

Beans

Roasting conditions directly impact the bean’s final texture. As the beans are heated, they become brittle and crumbly. Some degree of brittleness is necessary, but a bean that is too brittle will not grind into a uniform powder, affecting the final brew’s strength and flavor. Conversely, if the bean is not roasted enough will retain too much water.

Testing the roasted beans allows for determining the proper temperature and time for roasting, allowing for an ideal final product.

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