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Coffee

Domain summary

Technical guides, extraction theory, standards, and equipment notes for brewing specialty coffee. Every brewing method (pour-over, immersion, espresso, cold brew) controls the same variables: grind size, brew ratio, water temperature, contact time, agitation or pressure, and water chemistry. Results are measured as strength (TDS) and extraction yield (EY). The long-standing SCA "Golden Cup" filter target is 18–22% EY at 1.15–1.35% TDS, brewed at about 55 g/L with water at 93 °C ± 3 °C. Since 2023 the SCA / UC Davis Coffee Brewing Control Chart maps sensory attributes and consumer liking instead of drawing a single "ideal" box.

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Topics

Topic What it covers Current standard (checked 2026-09-25) License
Brewing Methods & Extraction Extraction physics, SCA and INEI brewing standards, per-method parameters, water chemistry and recipes, burr selection, dial-in and troubleshooting, storage and maintenance SCA Golden Cup (18–22% EY, 1.15–1.35% TDS, 55 g/L, 93 °C ± 3 °C); new Coffee Brewing Control Chart (Guinard et al., J. Food Sci. 88:2168–2177, 2023); SCA brewing-water standard (150 mg/L TDS, GH 68, KH 40) Not applicable: a practice topic, not software

How the Domain Fits Together

The map shows how the brewing topic's pages divide the subject and where the method comparison sits.

flowchart LR
    subgraph COFFEE["Coffee domain"]
        BR["Brewing Methods and Extraction<br/>(topic)"]
        CMP["Pour-over vs Immersion vs Espresso<br/>(comparison)"]
    end
    BR --> EXP["Explanation:<br/>extraction physics, control chart,<br/>water chemistry, burrs"]
    BR --> REF["Reference:<br/>SCA and INEI targets,<br/>method parameters, formulas"]
    BR --> HOW["How-to Guides:<br/>dial-in, TDS and EY,<br/>recipes, maintenance"]
    REF -->|"per-method parameters"| CMP
    HOW -->|"diagnosis by method"| CMP
    EXP -->|"why espresso differs"| CMP

Key Standards at a Glance

Standard Values Source
SCA Golden Cup (filter) 18–22% EY, 1.15–1.35% TDS, 55 g/L ± 10% (about 1:18), 93 °C ± 3 °C Moccamaster / SCA
Coffee Brewing Control Chart (2023) Sensory and two consumer-liking clusters mapped over TDS × EY × brew ratio (drip coffee panel) Guinard et al. 2023
Italian espresso (INEI) 7 g ± 0.5, 88 °C ± 2 at the group, 9 bar ± 1, 25 s ± 2.5, 25 ml ± 2.5 in cup Istituto Espresso Italiano
Modern specialty espresso About 1:2, 25–35 s, about 9 bar; lower-pressure "turbo" shots also common Brewing — Key Facts
SCA brewing water 150 mg/L TDS, 68 mg/L calcium hardness, 40 mg/L alkalinity, pH 7.0, 0 mg/L chlorine SCA water standard

Full tables are in Brewing — Reference.

Comparisons

Comparison Scope
Pour-over vs Immersion vs Espresso Percolation vs steeping vs pressure: parameters, strength and extraction targets, cup character, forgiveness, equipment, water, and a decision flowchart

All comparison notes are listed in the comparisons index.

When to Use Which

The rules match the decision flowcharts in Pour-over vs Immersion vs Espresso and Brewing — When Does It Fit?.

Want in the cup Reach for Starting point
Clarity, origin character, vibrant acidity Pour-over (V60, Kalita Wave, Chemex) 1:15 – 1:17, 90–100 °C, 2:30–3:30
Body with little effort, repeatable results Immersion (French press, AeroPress, Clever Dripper) French press 1:15 – 1:17, 93–100 °C, 4 min steep
Hands-off filter coffee SCA-certified batch brewer 55 g/L, 92–96 °C, 4–8 min contact
Concentrated shots, milk drinks Espresso (pump machine plus espresso-capable grinder) 1:2, 25–35 s, about 9 bar
Concentrate without an espresso machine Moka pot or AeroPress concentrate Moka pot: fill the basket level, stop at the first gurgle
Iced coffee now Flash chill (brew hot onto ice) Same total ratio as hot, about 30–40% of the water as ice
Iced coffee, low perceived acidity Cold brew 1:4 – 1:8 concentrate, 12–24 h

Parameters are starting points from Brewing — Reference, not standards. Change one variable at a time, grind first (How-to Guides — The Rule of One Variable).

Where to Start

No other domain in this knowledge base covers coffee. The coffee domain is linked from the Knowledge Base home.

Sources

Open Questions

  • How well do the 2023 control-chart consumer clusters (a US student-heavy panel, drip coffee only) transfer to pour-over, immersion, and espresso drinkers elsewhere? See Explanation — The Brewing Control Chart.
  • Is there a published immersion-specific strength and extraction target, or does the brewed-coffee Golden Cup band apply unchanged? Not found in the topic sources (2026-09-25).
  • Which calcium-to-magnesium ratio best highlights floral notes? Hendon et al. (2014) model Mg²⁺ binding more strongly than Ca²⁺, but no controlled sensory study was found. See Explanation — The Role of Water Chemistry.