How Does Product Preparation Affect Sensory Properties? An Example with Coffee

Many products are sold that will be prepared by consumers in ways that suit their particular needs. For example, coffee may be prepared in a variety of different ways depending on the occasion and the purpose, even when sensory testing is conducted. This study identified how the sensory properties of a preparation method used in a controlled sensory study or a quality grading system compared to those used with consumer preparation methods for three different high quality coffees. Colombian coffees prepared using a consumer drip coffee maker, a home or food service automated espresso machine, a coffee grader “cupping” method and a filtered infusion method were tested by trained panelists. The cupping method produced a higher intensity for the “roasted” flavor attribute across all samples. This method also tended to produce higher scores for burnt and acrid than other brewing methods. Flavor and aroma attributes both varied with preparation methods, but not necessarily in the same ways. Surprisingly, the drip brewing method showed the most differences in the three coffee samples for aroma, flavor and aftertaste attributes, but other methods may be appropriate depending on the objectives. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Results suggest that differences in the intensity of flavor and mouthfeel attributes of coffee samples depend on the brewing method used to prepare them. Thus, using only one method when conducting sensory or quality testing can be a limiting component in the information gathered in a sensory study, in this case, coffee. The brewing method is a critical factor to consider in future coffee studies with the best method used depending on the objectives of each researcher and the ultimate goal of each study.