Want to make better and more stable coffee? Learn how to reduce the change in the temperature of the cooking water.

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Water plays a very important role in coffee, not only because it accounts for 94% to 98% of each cup of coffee, it is the most important ingredient, but more importantly, the temperature of the water (and the mineral composition of the water itself) is enough to affect the taste of coffee, whether sweet, bitter or sour.

Therefore, controlling the water temperature well is a skill that any barista or amateur should master, but unfortunately, some friends in the industry may be due to insufficient staff training or uneven equipment. There is no serious check on the water temperature.

1. How does the water temperature affect your coffee?

"the temperature of the water can directly affect the extraction rate of different substances in coffee."

In fact, many complex chemical reactions take place in the process of brewing coffee. The brewed water will constantly extract different acids from the coffee powder, such as chlorogenic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, as well as caffeine and oils. These different reactions take place at different times: caffeine and fruit acids, for example, are extracted first, followed by sweet substances, followed by bitter substances.

So what does all this have to do with the temperature of the water? To put it simply, the hotter the water is, the faster it will extract these substances. Since each substance has a different effect on the final flavor of coffee, baristas need to control the amount of extraction of each substance as carefully as possible.

"the higher the water temperature, the more difficult it is to control the extraction rate and amount, because some untasty substances may be quickly released into the water. The industry generally uses words such as' too hot 'and' burnt coffee'to describe the undesirable state of material extraction that is difficult to control because the water temperature is too high. "

What if you use cooler water? "the increasingly hot trend of cold extraction may feel that 'the water temperature is too low' is untenable." However, anyone who has tasted cold coffee knows that it is smoother and sweeter than ordinary hot coffee, but its acidity is weaker. Although cold extraction is usually used to prolong the brewing time to make up for such a low extraction temperature, some substances in coffee cannot be extracted as long as the temperature is not enough. "different flavor substances will be released at different rates at different temperatures."

What's more, if low-temperature extraction is used, but the brewing time is not relatively prolonged / or the grinding degree is not relatively fine-tuned to make up for it, the coffee will be uncomfortably sour and weak in taste. This is because the substances extracted are mainly sour, but lack of fat that can increase the taste, or balance the sweetness and bitterness of the taste.

This is why accurate cooking is so important. Being able to control the water temperature is very important for making good coffee or tea.

It is important to find a suitable brewing temperature, but it is also important to control the temperature stably and accurately. "if the temperature of the brewing water is unstable, it is similar to turning the oven on and off when baking the cake, then the result of each baking will certainly not be the same."

two。 Poor equipment can lead to unstable water temperature

The change in water temperature is a risk that will exist anyway. It is impossible to completely eliminate the causes of water temperature instability. However, we can try our best to control them.

Equipment is one of the keys. Boilers with poor thermal insulation capacity, and low-quality heating parts or machines are often the main culprits leading to unstable water temperature. "the unsatisfactory hot water supply often originates from the demand for hot water in a catering place, which lacks an accurate understanding and management, as well as the rate, quantity, temperature and so on that the machine enters the water."

"whether your shop is a cafe, a tea shop, or a restaurant, you should still use equipment that keeps the water temperature stable."

If we are talking about Italian concentration, a high-quality coffee machine can solve the problem of water temperature stability. But if it is other hand-made cooking mode, then the solution is not so simple.

A good Italian coffee machine can control the temperature very well, and the hot water will come into contact with the coffee powder as soon as it leaves the machine. The problem with some dripping methods is that you need to pour hot water into the pot first, which causes the water temperature to drop before extraction.

3. The training of baristas is also helpful to keep the water temperature stable.

But it's not just your equipment that needs your boss to worry about. A high-quality hot water supply system, such as Marco MIX certified by the Fine Coffee Association, does provide accurate hot water, but if you add hot water to a room temperature hand brewer or use a room temperature filter cup to brew coffee, the temperature of the water can drop sharply by 10 °C. He stressed the importance of preheating appliances, such as hand pots, filter cups, sharing pots, and cups, as long as they can be used.

For this reason, good and comprehensive barista training is essential-not only training in production steps, such as preheating hand pots and filter cups, but also ensuring that employees have basic knowledge of extraction.

The water injection method of ​​, a barista, may also affect the change of water temperature. "if baristas do not focus on keeping the coffee powder layer consistently moist, this may cause a variable to the temperature of the coffee liquid and thus destabilize the product."

As long as there is a small change in the temperature of the water for cooking, it can have a significant impact on the quality and consistency of the product. So please make sure that you are using high-quality equipment that can accurately control temperature and brew. If it is a trickle filter production method, such as hand flushing, good steps and habits should be established, such as preheating appliances. The last step is to train your employees well, whether it's internal training or formal certification courses.

After all, a good coffee bean is worth making it with your heart.