The Science of Specialty Coffee
Like Duolingo, but for The Science of Specialty Coffee. 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.
24 levels across 3 sections, about 48 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Precision Extraction and Physics, Sensory Analysis and Evaluation, and The Biology and Chemistry of the Bean.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Science of Specialty Coffee
- Increased contact time requires a coarser grind to reduce total surface area and prevent over-extraction
- Fines (micro-particles) extract almost instantly and contribute to 'dry' mouthfeel if excessive
- Surface area to volume ratio determines the rate at which water can penetrate the cellulose structure of the bean
- Boulders (oversized particles) have unextracted cores that dilute the cup with acidic, salty notes
- Total extraction is a product of the surface area exposed and the duration of the solvent-solute interaction
- A bimodal distribution creates a muddy flavor profile by mixing over- and under-extracted compounds
- Adjusting grind for contact time
- Particle size impact
- Fruit acids and salts dissolve at the lowest temperatures
- Blonding occurring early in one specific area of the bottomless portafilter
- How to adjust grind size to compensate for a change in brewing method contact time
- Sugars and browning products require moderate heat to fully solubilize
- A 'pinhole' or crater visible in the spent coffee puck after brewing
- The impact of particle size distribution on the final flavor profile
- Heavy plant fibers and bitter alkaloids require the highest thermal energy to break down
- A sharp, salty-sour taste occurring simultaneously with a bitter finish in the same shot
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 Specialty Coffee 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.
What is the likely culprit if your coffee leaves a distinct 'dry' or astringent sensation on your tongue?
Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.
Where The Science of Specialty Coffee takes you
Move beyond the basics of brewing to master the chemical and physical variables that define world-class coffee. Explore water chemistry, advanced extraction physics, and the complex biology of the coffee bean.
- 1
Precision Extraction and Physics
- The Physics of Extraction
- Water Chemistry and Solvent Power
- Advanced Dialing-In Strategies
- 2
Sensory Analysis and Evaluation
- Professional Cupping and Sensory Mapping
- Identifying and Diagnosing Defects
- 3
The Biology and Chemistry of the Bean
- Fermentation and Post-Harvest Processing
- Terroir and Varietal Genetics
- The Chemistry of the Roast
3 sections · 8 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Science of Specialty Coffee is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. 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 Specialty Coffee today.
Download Tomo, search The Science of Specialty Coffee, and play your first lesson in under a minute.