The Science of Coffee Extraction
Like Duolingo, but for The Science of Coffee Extraction. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Chemistry of the Cup and Advanced Extraction Dynamics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Science of Coffee Extraction
- Organic acids and salts are highly soluble and extract first
- High TDS creates a heavy mouthfeel regardless of extraction quality
- Sugars and browning products require more contact time to dissolve
- Sourness and saltiness indicate a low Extraction Yield (under-extraction)
- Heavy plant fibers and tannins are the least soluble and extract last
- Increasing extraction (finer grind/hotter water) is necessary even if the strength is already high
- The chronological sequence of flavor compound extraction during a brew
- Distinguishing between brew strength (TDS) and extraction quality (Yield)
- The 'head' of the shot contains the bulk of the acids and oils
- The 'heart' provides the sweetness and balance
- The 'tail' is mostly water and bitter, astringent compounds
- Identifying the sensory characteristics of different segments of a salami shot
- Finer grinds increase total surface area for water contact
- Increased surface area speeds up the release of sugars to balance acidity
- High-density beans often require more aggressive surface area exposure to yield sweetness
- Predicting the effect of grind size on extraction speed and surface area
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Science of Coffee Extraction the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If a cup of coffee feels exceptionally thick and heavy on your tongue, what measurement is likely high?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
Where The Science of Coffee Extraction takes you
Move beyond the recipe and master the chemical variables that dictate flavor. This course explores how mineral ions, thermal stability, and solubility curves transform a standard brew into a world-class cup.
- 1
The Chemistry of the Cup
- Dialing in by Compound Solubility
- Water Chemistry and Mineral Binding
- 2
Advanced Extraction Dynamics
- Thermal Stability and Slurry Dynamics
- Pressure Profiling and Flow Rate
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Science of Coffee Extraction is taught in the The Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Science of Coffee Extraction today.
Download Tomo, search The Science of Coffee Extraction, and play your first lesson in under a minute.