University of Oregon in Eugene to conduct espresso extraction research project
December 2 - 2022
Coffee Geography Magazine
University of Oregon in Eugene is chosen to conduct espresso extraction research project by SCA with the support of Simonelli Group. The project will be carried out in collaboration of University of Oregon, Oregon State University and University of Portsmouth in the U.K. Professor Christopher H. Hendon, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and Michael C Qian, Professor of Flavor at Oregon State University in Corvallis, and Elizabeth Tomasino, Associate Professor of Enology at Oregon State University in Corvallis are heading the research work along with students in the respective institutions.
Comprehensive guideline on espresso extraction and its parameters will be developed by the project and the first espresso brewing control chart will be created to be useful for further usage in the coffee industry. The launching of this four-year project all about espresso extraction with Simonelli Group was originally announced in October of 2019.
The research will include how varying espresso extraction parameters impact espresso’s chemical, sensory and hedomic elements. The head of the research Chris Hendon with his team will involve food science, chemistry and mathematical inputs to come up with the final result.
"The University of Oregon is a first-class public research university, and Prof. Hendon is a well-known, pioneering coffee scientist. For this project, they will lead an international research collaboration that is likely to produce exciting innovations in espresso science," said Peter Giuliano, Executive Director of the CSF.
Professor Christopher H. Hendon
The team will develop a suite of new tools that promise to transform the way espresso is measured, including creating an apparatus for rapidly assessing coffee chemistry and flavor.
The other tool, an espresso brewing control chart, might be a little more familiar to the coffee community. This chart will be like the classic brewing control chart. It will be easy to use; the primary difference will be applying modern sensory, chemical, and physical sciences.
“As Simonelli Group, we have been committed to coffee research activity with the Research and Innovation Coffee Hub and other research centers for over 10 years. We are really happy this important project has been assigned to the University of Oregon as a research partner," said Lauro Fioretti of the Simonelli Group. "We believe with this research we can improve espresso brewing knowledge and develop new tools that can be useful for all of the coffee community. We are available to give the university and researchers all the support needed to ensure this project can produce the best possible outputs.”