Television viewers of a certain age may remember El Exigente, the Colombian coffee buyer with strict standards in commercials for Savarin coffee in the 1960s and '70s. Surrounded by local coffee growers, the white-suited Demanding One would take a sip of some of their fresh-brewed java. A smile of approval would be the cause for much rejoicing.
Thirty years later, El Exigente has some competition-from a machine.
Scientists at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, are reporting success in developing a system to judge the sensory qualities of a cup of espresso. Using a proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometer, which ionizes and analyzes the hot gases wafting above the coffee surface, the system can quickly predict what trained human tasters will say about it.
The aroma of coffee contains as many as 1,000 volatile compounds, although a particular aroma can be defined and reproduced fairly accurately with about 50 or fewer. The system devised by Christian Lindinger and colleagues and described in the journal Analytical Chemistry does not rely on precisely identifying compounds but looks at how the mass spectrometry data differ from brew to brew.
The researchers prepared 11 espressos and sampled the "head space" above the brew for two minutes. They also gave the coffees to a panel of 10 tasters, specialists who evaluate coffee on a scale of 1 to 10 for different descriptive aromas like "flowery," "winey" and "roasted." The human evaluation produces a sensory profile of a particular brew.
The researchers developed a model to correlate the and human data. Then they had the machine sample another batch of espressos and, using the model, predicted human tasters' sensory profiles. The predictions closely matched the actual profiles.
In an e-mail message, Dr. Lindinger said the work's goal of the work was to assist, not replace, human tasters. "We can use the approach as a pre-screening tool to eliminate those coffee samples which would anyhow fail a sensory evaluation because of insufficient quality," he wrote. The New York Times
A jury in November convicted a Nevada man for destroying some $250,000 worth of mesquite and Texas honey trees; he faces up to 35 years in prison.
Douglas Hoffman of Henderson had told a homeowners' committee that the greenery was blocking his view of the Las Vegas Strip, the Tribune Newspapers said. The more than 500 trees he cut or severed enough so they would die were near an upscale retirement community just south of Las Vegas where he and his wife lived.
The community was a new one when they moved in and their back deck had a view of the nearby peaks and the Strip. But when the trees grew too tall to maintain the view, The Hoffmans asked to put in shrubs instead. They were told no.
A couple years later 60 nearby trees were topped; the homeowners' association assumed it was "a fluke thing, maybe teenagers," a spokeswoman for the developer told the Tribune Newspapers. Over the next year more trees comes down. The developer hired a private security firm and the community association offered a $10,000 reward.
In November William Edwards was driving home after midnight and noticed a freshly cut tree and someone disappearing into the dark. A retired sheriff's deputy, he took and eight-iron golf club from his trunk and gave chase, the Tribune said.
He caught up with Hoffman, who was carrying a single-blade saw. Authorities said dozens of trees in the area had been slashed.
Hoffman's wife called her husband a caring person who had grown isolated in recent years because of numerous ailments, the story said. Hoffman was convicted of malicious destruction of trees. His attorney plans to ask for probation. American Forests
Experimentation-trying out various coffee beans and different brewing methods-introduces coffee lovers to the rich variety of gourmet coffees. There are a numbers of dos and don'ts associated with good coffee-making that are common to methods. Here are some recommendations.
Store fresh unused coffee in an air-tight container in a cool-dry place; whole bean coffee stays fresh longer than ground coffee. For prolonged freshness, ground coffee may be kept in a refrigerator for 7-10 days maximum. Freezing coffee is best if you must keep it for an extended time before using. It is best to allow the beans to thaw to room temperature before grinding. However, it is recommended that coffee be ground nearest to the time of brewing whether at the gourmet store or at home.
Be sure that the coffee is fresh at the start; refrigeration will not restore stale coffee. Coffee attracts and absorbs foreign odors, so be careful to protect your coffee from foreign flavors and odors that can affect the flavor.
Always use the correct grind for the particular brewing method you have chosen. Your local gourmet coffee vender may have suggestions about the perfect grind for you.
Often, if your coffee is bitter and overly strong, the grind is too fine or you have used to much coffee. If the brew lacks flavor or strength, it is likely the grind is too coarse, or you have used too little coffee. The grind of the coffee should be adjusted to the type of brewing equipment being used. Generally speaking, the faster the brewing method, the finer the grind.