Coffee is a pot of science, quite literally. Extraction is what infuses water with the goodness of those magic beans, but it’s a bit more of a delicate process than is normally depicted.
I don’t tout myself with being psychic, but I have a very good imagination. Here’s what I picture most mornings look like: you make your sloth-like, half-asleep way into the kitchen and mindlessly dump whatever pre-ground stuff is within arms reach of the coffee machine. You hit a button (maybe two) and the magic-juice-bean-water comes out and you drink it, as is, not thinking too deeply about the taste. It’s a source of energy at this point.
This is a rut. We need to get out of it.
Extraction is how we’ll get there — it’s just a matter of using the science right.
This isn’t going to be a full-blown chemistry lesson. One, I highly doubt you’re that dude from Breaking Bad and can attain instruments to measure the extraction levels, which we typically want to range between 18% to 22% in a typical cup. Only about 30% of your coffee is water soluble anyway, so averaging about 20% extraction is a solid goal.
Again, due to the lack of instruments, we have to use your good, ol’ fashioned taste buds. Those things are pretty dang reliable, though, so don’t fret. It’s pretty easy to tell when you’ve under- or over-extracted your morning mud. If it’s under-extracted, the brew will taste sour and acidic. If it’s over-extracted, it will be distinctly bitter. Either way, you could probably easily describe it using the words “noxious” or “battery acid.”
If you’re not feeling like taking my word for it, take Renee Frechin’s. While I may joke about the Starbucksification of the world, you should also know that I’m a dirty, lying hypocrite who freely admits that the Chestnut Praline Latte is my absolutely favorite coffee drink. Renee Frechin’s a Starbuck’s chemist, and I’d say she has a tad bit more authority than a caffeine-addicted writer.
Did you watch it?
If you’re still skeptical, go ahead and replicate the experiment. It’s quite easy to do. See for yourself. It’s worth figuring out. Especially since, once you have the right circumstances, you’ll hit a coffee nirvana — your ideal perfect cup every morning.