Coffee is complex. Can science standardize it for the better?

Coffee is complex. Can science standardize it for the better?

From Short Wave by NPR

May 1, 2026 · 10 min · Episode 1474

About this episode

This episode explores the complexities of coffee flavor and the scientific efforts to standardize its assessment.

Ask any coffee aficionado, and they’ll tell you: A good cup is about more than the beans. The flavor is affected by lots of things – the roast and fermentation of the beans, the coarseness of the grind, the brewing temperature and even the chemicals in the water used to brew it. But there are very few quantitative ways to assess all the flavor variations. Current industry standards measure the concentration of coffee, but they often miss qualities like the acidity, brightness and fruitness. Scientists at the University of Oregon are trying to change that using a tool called a potentiostat that’s often used to measure the charge in batteries. Interested in more food and beverage science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org and we may turn it into an episode! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: NPR

Topics covered

  • coffee science
  • flavor assessment
  • brewing techniques
  • potentiostat
  • coffee industry standards

Keywords

  • coffee
  • flavor
  • science
  • brewing
  • potentiostat
  • acidity
  • brightness
  • fruitness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Oregon

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