Physiochemical Characteristics of Hot and Cold Brew Coffee Chemistry: The Effects of Roast Level and Brewing Temperature on Compound Extraction

The impact of the roasting degree on ultra-high-pressure cold brew (UHP) coffee remains unclear, although it has been found that UHP technology accelerates the extraction of cold brew (CB) coffee. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of three different degrees of roasting (light, medium, and dark) on the physicochemical characteristics, volatile and non-volatile components, and sensory evaluation of UHP coffee. Orthogonal partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to assess the effects of different roasting degrees. The results showed that most physicochemical characteristics, including total dissolved solids (TDSs), extraction yield (EY), total titratable acidity (TTA), total sugars (TSs), and total phenolic content (TPC), of UHP coffee were similar to those of conventional CB coffee regardless of the degree of roasting. However, the majority of physicochemical characteristics, non-volatile components, including the antioxidant capacity (measured based on DPPH and ABTS) and melanoidin, caffeine, trigonelline, and CGA contents increased significantly with an increase in roasting degree. The sensory evaluation revealed that as the roasting degree rose, the nutty flavor, astringency, bitterness, body, and aftertaste intensities increased, while floral, fruity, and sourness attributes decreased. The HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis showed that most volatile components increased from light to dark roasting. Moreover, 15 representative differential compounds, including hazelnut pyrazine, linalool, butane-2,3-dione, and 3-methylbutanal, were identified by calculating the odor-active values (OAVs), indicating that these contributed significantly to the odor. The PCA showed that the distance between the three roasting degree samples in UHP coffee was smaller than that in CB coffee. Overall, the effect of roasting degrees on UHP coffee was less than that on CB coffee, which was consistent with the results of physicochemical characteristics, volatile components, and sensory evaluation.

In this study, the foamability and foam stability of nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee, as affected by coffee variety (Arabica and Robusta), degree of roast (light, medium, dark), brewing temperature (4, 20, 35 °C), brew ratio (1:5-1:15 w/w; coffee/water), ground particle size (712, 647 and 437 μm volume mean diameter) and beverage temperature (4, 20 and 35 °C), were investigated. Dynamic surface tension of cold brew, as determined from bubble tensiometry, decreased from 65-70 mN m-1 to about 60 mN m-1 as the bubble lifetime increased from 0.1 s to 1s. Infusing the cold brew coffee (70 mL) with nitrogen gas for 30 s at 50 mL min-1 generated 30-40 mL of foam head. At the same degree of roast, brews prepared from Arabica beans had more stable foam than those from Robusta. Foam stability increased with increasing degree of roast, increasing brewing temperature, decreasing particle size, and decreasing the beverage temperature. By contrast, brew ratio had relatively less effect on foaming properties. Nitrogen-containing constituents present in the 80% (v/v) ethanol-soluble fraction (55.9% of total dissolved solids) of the brew samples were important contributors to foaming, while the 80% (v/v) ethanol-insoluble fraction (42.3% of total dissolved solids) that contained polysaccharides was important in stabilizing the foam. The foamability and foam stability of cold brew coffee are significantly affected by coffee variety, degree of roast, brewing temperature, ground particle size, and beverage temperatures. The foam properties are dictated by the low-molecular-weight nitrogen-containing compounds and high-molecular-weight polysaccharides present in the cold brew coffee. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cold brew coffee is often described as sweeter or less acidic than hot brew coffee. Such comparisons, however, are potentially confounded by two key effects: different brew temperatures necessarily change the extraction dynamics and potentially alter the resulting brew strength, and different consumption temperatures are well known to affect perceived flavor and taste. Here, we performed a systematic study of how extraction temperature affects the sensory qualities of full immersion coffee. The investigation used a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial design, with coffee from three different origins representing different post-harvest methods (washed, honey-processed, and wet-hulled), each roasted to three different levels (light, medium, and dark), and each brewed at three different temperatures (4 °C, 22 °C, and 92 °C). All coffees were brewed to equilibrium, then diluted to precisely 2% total dissolved solids (TDS) and served at the same cold temperature (4 °C). We find that four attributes exhibited statistically significant variations with brew temperature for all origins and roast levels tested, with bitter taste, sour taste, and rubber flavor all higher in hot brewed coffees, and floral flavor higher in cold brewed coffee. However, there were strong interactions with origin and roast, with several additional attributes significantly impacted by temperature for specific origins and roast levels. These results provide insight on how brew temperature can be used to modulate the flavor profile of full immersion coffee.

Roasting is an important process in the formation of coffee flavor characteristics, which determines the quality of coffee and consumer acceptance. However, the influence of roasting degree on the flavor characteristics of cold brew coffee has not been fully described. In the present study, the flavor characteristics of cold brew coffee with different roasting degrees were compared in detail by using chromatographic and electronic sensory approaches, and the flavor changes induced by freeze-drying were investigated. Pyrazine and heterocyclic compounds were the main aroma compounds in coffee, and gradually dominated with the increase of roasting. Pyridine was consistently present in cold brew coffees of different roasting degrees and showed significant gradient of quantity accumulation. Aroma compounds such as pyrazine, linalool and furfuryl acetate were the main contributors to coffee roasting, floral and fruity flavor. Freeze-drying preserved the fruity and floral aromas of medium-roasted cold brew coffee, whereas reducing the bitterness, astringency and acidity properties that are off-putting to consumers. The higher consumer acceptance and enjoyment in medium roast cold brew coffee may be related to its stronger floral and fruity aroma. The aroma profile qualities of freeze-drying processed medium roasted cold brewed coffee were more dominant and more suitable for freeze-drying processing than medium dark roasting. Application of freeze-drying for cold brew coffee will promote the convenience of drinking. The present study provides valuable technical guidance in improving the flavor and quality of cold brew coffee, and also promotes its commercialization process. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Study on ultrasound-assisted extraction of cold brew coffee using physicochemical, flavor, and sensory evaluation

This study investigated the non-volatile and volatile compounds in samples of cold brew (CB) coffee, coffee from a coffee shop (CS), ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee, and brewed coffee from a coffee maker (CM). The volatile compounds were identified using headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the samples were treated with high-performance liquid chromatography for the quantification of caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline. The results indicate that RTD coffee had the lowest amounts of non-volatile compounds. A total of 36 volatile compounds were semi-quantified; the contents of most volatile compounds in CS and Folgers samples were higher than those in CB and CM samples. The contents of 25 volatile compounds in the CM sample were higher than those in the CB sample. The consumer and instrumental data show that the bitterness intensity was correlated with pyrazines, pyrroles, and guaiacols, whereas the coffeeID intensity was correlated with phenols. Semi-quantification and principal component analysis results show that the extraction method and temperature could influence the volatile compound profiles.

The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of brewing temperature and coffee particle size on the evolution of physicochemical, bioactive, and antioxidant properties of Mexican cold brew coffee (CBC). The brewing process was carried out at two extraction temperatures (10 ± 0.5°C and 25 ± 0.5°C) and two particle sizes: medium (MG, 0.70–1.70 mm) and fine (FG, 0.43–0.71 mm). CBC brewing showed a complex relationship between brewing temperature and coffee grind particle size. The increase in brewing temperature enhanced the extraction rate. However, the particle size conditioned the extraction equilibrium time and final CBC properties. MG accelerated the brewing extraction rates to reach equilibrium in CBC properties (~7 h for 25ºC and ~12 h for 10ºC), while FG induced slower extraction rates and prolonged extraction times (above 12 h for both temperatures). However, FG produced CBC with higher bioactive compound content, darker color, and slightly less acidity than MG.

Beverage color significantly affects perceived sensory quality and consumer preference. Although the color of coffee beans is well known to vary strongly with roast level, little work has examined how roast level and brewing conditions affect the color of the final beverage. Here, we report that the color of full immersion brewed coffee is significantly affected by both roast level and brewing temperature. Coffees from three different origins were each roasted to three different levels (light, medium, and dark) and then brewed at three different temperatures (4, 22, and 92°C). Each sample was brewed toward full extraction and then diluted to precisely 2% total dissolved solids so that differences in concentration would not confound color measurements. Absorbance spectra (UV‐vis) and color tristimulus values (L*a*b*) were then collected and analyzed. We find that roast level had the strongest impact on brew color, and that brew temperature had a significant impact on color for light and medium roasts, with less impact on dark roasts. Qualitatively, the cold brewed coffees tended to be redder, while the hot brewed coffees were blacker. The results suggest that there is an opportunity to manipulate and brand brewed coffee color through judicious choices of roast level and brewing temperature.Practical ApplicationColor serves as an indicator of coffee quality and potentially could affect perceived sensory characteristics. Our results suggest that appropriate control of roast level and brew temperature could yield desired colors for novel coffee products.

Coffee contains several bioactive compounds, such as alkaloids and phenolic compounds, which contribute to its flavor and are influenced by the brewing method. The differences in coffee compounds based on brewing conditions have been studied in previous research, but no studies have yet utilized orbitrap mass spectrometry for this purpose. This study compared non-volatile and aromatic compounds in hot and cold brew coffee using high-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry, followed by multivariate statistical analysis including principal component analysis and volcano plotting. A total of 163 non-volatile compounds and 93 volatile compounds were identified and annotated, with 18 non-volatile and 13 aroma-active compounds indicating differences between the brewing methods. Notably, certain quinic acids, such as 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and coumarin derivatives were more abundant in hot brew coffee, indicating that non-volatile compounds are significantly affected by extraction temperature. However, the major non-volatile compounds, including chlorogenic acid and trigonelline, are not affected by brewing conditions. For volatile compounds, phenolic compounds and indole were sensitive to temperature, while pyrazine and furan compounds were more influenced by extraction time. Additionally, in our results, several previously unreported bioactive compounds were detected in coffee, suggesting a need for further research to understand their potential functions and benefits.

The cold brew coffee (CBC) trend is increasing globally; nevertheless, there is limited literature on this popular beverage. Many studies have focused on the health benefits of green coffee beans and coffee brewed by conventional hot water methods. Thus, whether cold brew conveys similar benefits is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influences of brewing conditions on physicochemical properties using response surface methodology in order to optimize the brewing parameters and compare the resulting CBC with the coffee from the French Press method. Central Composite Design was used to evaluate the effects and optimize the brewing parameters (i.e., water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio (C2WR), coffee mesh size, and extraction time) on total dissolved solids (TDS). Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and organic acids were compared between CBC and its French Press counterpart. Our results showed that water temperature, C2WR, and coffee mesh size significantly influenced the TDS of CBC. The optimized brewing conditions were water temperature (4 °C), C2WR (1:14), coffee mesh size (0.71 mm), and 24-h extraction time. At similar TDS, caffeine content, volatile compounds, and organic acids were higher in CBC, while other properties showed no significant difference. In conclusion, this study showed that at similar TDS, CBC has characteristics generally similar to hot brew coffee, except for the caffeine and sensory-related compound content. The model for the prediction of TDS from this study may benefit food services or industries for the optimization of brewing conditions to obtain different characteristics of CBC.

Although cold brew coffee is becoming increasingly popular among consumers, the long coffee extraction time is not conducive to the further development of the market. This study explored the feasibility of ultrahigh pressure (UHP) to shorten the time required for preparing cold brew coffee. The effects of pressure and holding time on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory evaluation of UHP-assisted cold brew coffee were also determined. The extraction yield; total dissolved solid, total phenol, and melanoid content; antioxidant capacity; and trigonelline and chlorogenic acid contents of UHP-assisted cold brew coffee increased as the pressure increased. The extraction yield and the total dissolved solid, total phenol, total sugar, and chlorogenic acid and trigonelline contents were higher when the holding time was longer. The HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis demonstrated that the furan, aldehyde, and pyrazine contents in coffee increased as the pressure and holding time increased. The pressure did not significantly impact the concentrations of volatile components of esters and ketones in coffee samples. However, the increase in holding time significantly increased the ester and ketone contents. The sensory evaluation results revealed that as pressure rose, the intensities of nutty, fruity, floral, caramel, and sourness flavors increased, whereas bitterness and sweetness decreased. Longer holding time increased nutty, caramel, sour, bitter, sweet, and aftertaste flavors. Principal component analysis (PCA) results indicated that holding time is a more crucial factor affecting the physiochemical indices and flavor characteristics of coffee. UHP can shorten the preparation time of cold brew coffee. Pressure and holding time significantly affected the physiochemical indices and volatile components of UHP-assisted cold brew coffee. UHP-assisted cold brew coffee had lower bitterness, higher sweetness, and a softer taste than conventional cold brew coffee.

Coffee brewing is a complex process from roasted coffee bean to beverage, playing an important role in coffee flavor quality. In this study, the effects of hot and cold brewing on the flavor profile of coffee were comprehensively investigated on the basis of chromatographic and sensory approaches. By applying gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and odor activity value calculation, most pyrazines showed higher contribution to the aroma profile of cold brew coffee over hot brew coffee. Using liquid chromatography, 18 differential non-volatiles were identified, most of which possessed lower levels in cold brew coffee than hot brew coffee. The sensory evaluation found higher fruitiness and lower bitterness and astringent notes in cold brew coffee than hot brew coffee, which was attributed by linalool, furfural acetate, and quercetin-3-O-(6″-O-p-coumaroyl) galactoside. This work suggested coffee brewing significantly affected its flavor profile and sensory properties.

Cold brew coffee has gained significant popularity in the global market. This study examined the differences in chemical properties and flavor of cold brew coffee during storage, which was subjected to low-temperature pasteurization using induced electric field (IEF) at temperatures of 52 °C and 58 °C for 92 s, corresponding to 18.52 V/cm and 25.92 V/cm. Then, a high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization was performed at 93 °C for 2 min as the control. Microbial analysis demonstrated that IEF treatment at 58 °C achieved a bactericidal effect. Both the IEF and HTST groups exhibited consistent trends in total sugar and total phenol content, showing approximately 28 μg GAE/mL after 28 days for IEF-2 group, compared to 25 μg/mL for HTST. Flavor analysis indicated that IEF group preserved the aroma characteristics during storage period. Further, IEF treatment effectively retained the key aroma compounds in cold brew coffee through GC–MS analysis, particularly pyrazine compounds with a relative content increased by 0.96 % in IEF-2 group after 28 days. Moreover, the bioactive compounds initially increased and subsequently decreased over the storage.

Volatile compounds of coffee brewed under various roasting conditions and by different brewing methods were analyzed. Green coffee beans (Coffea arabica) were roasted at 235 °C for 13 min, 240 °C for 15 min, and 245 °C for 17 min. Roasted coffee beans were ground into particles of three different sizes (710, 500, and 355 μm) and brewed by an espresso coffee machine and the cold brew method. Three types of water (filtered, tap, and bottled) were used for coffee extraction. SPME-GC-MS results indicated that increasing the roasting temperature and time increased the levels of 2,2′-methylene-bis-furan, guaiacol, and 4-ethylguaiacol (p < 0.05) and decreased the levels of furfural (p < 0.05). Grind size was inversely proportional to the measured signal of volatiles by GC-MS (p < 0.05). The measured GC/MS intensities of 2-methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol were significantly higher in coffee brewed with filtered water (p < 0.05) than tap and bottled water. 2-Methylpyrazine, 1-methylpyrrole, and 2-acetylfuran were the most abundant components in the cold brew. Overall, roasting conditions and extraction methods were determined to be significant factors for volatile compounds in coffee. This is the first study showing the analysis of volatile compounds in coffee according to various types of water and extraction methods, such as espresso and cold brew coffee.

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to identify the best conditions for ultrasonic‐assisted extraction (UAE) of DPPH and phenolic compounds from cold brew coffee using Box‐Behnken Design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). It explored the effects of solid‐liquid ratio (5%–15%), extraction time (40–50 min), and ultrasonic power (70%–80%) on these compounds, finding that all factors significantly influenced the outcomes. Statistical analysis showed the data fit a quadratic polynomial model well, with R2 values of 0.9981 for phenolic compounds and 0.9799 for DPPH radicals. Using 3D surface and contour plots from these models, the optimal extraction conditions for these compounds from cold brew coffee were determined. The highest yields of total phenolic compounds and DPPH radical were obtained when samples were extracted at a 10% solid–liquid ratio, 45 min extraction time, and 75% ultrasonic power. Under these optimal conditions, total phenolic compounds and DPPH radical were 64.10 ± 0.31 gGAE/mL and 61.90 ± 0.14%, respectively, with a maximum caffeine content of 213.13 ± 0.23 mg/L. Gamma irradiation at kGy also reduced cold brew coffee's microbial content. This research may be a new alternative for producing cold brew coffee that will save time and help extend the shelf life.