Can frozen beans improve our espresso?

An unorthodox way to more aromatic coffee, from a group of English scientists.

Many of us remember coffee lovers of yesteryear storing their coffee in the refrigerator, believing that this way they ensured its freshness. This method of storage should however be avoided for a number of reasons, as it can ultimately negatively affect its quality, instead of guaranteeing its freshness.

However, a scientific study comes, in a way, to vindicate those who kept their coffee in the fridge, even by accident! According to some scientists, frozen coffee beans can produce tastier coffee.

Can frozen beans improve our espresso?

A team of chemists from the University of Bath in England looked for various methods to maximize aroma and flavor during extraction, testing, among other things, freezing the coffee beans before grinding. The results were spectacular, but not what was expected.

By freezing the coffee beans at really low temperatures (touching, in laboratory conditions, -196 degrees Celsius) the scientists found that their extractions were more aromatic and the espresso overall "came out" better. The secret lies in the uniform grinding, which allows the aromas to develop more. Christopher Hendon, one of the team's scientists, notes, “What we want is a ground coffee in which the smallest particle is as close as possible to the largest. In this way, we can enhance the aroma of our coffee significantly."

Of course, the team is not talking about storing the coffee in the refrigerator, but about freezing the beans that we intend to grind in the freezer, and even for a short period of time, that is, before grinding. Even if our home freezer is impossible to reach such temperatures, scientists argue that a few hours in the freezer before grinding will significantly improve the espresso we will extract.

The scientists also give environmental implications to the results of the study, arguing that with "frozen" beans we can reduce either the extraction time (and therefore the energy required) or the dose of coffee required, without any difference in the result. As part of the research, they collaborated experimentally with various roasteries and coffee shops in England, concluding that freezing the coffee beans before grinding is a more environmentally friendly way to enjoy our coffee, and indeed suitable for catering businesses, since it produces more balanced results.

Does it make sense to try this method at home?

This particular method is inexpensive, easy and simple and we certainly do not lose anything to try it. We can divide our grains into portions of 7.5 – 15 grams and freeze them for a few hours, in order to test if there is an effect. In the worst case, we will simply drink a coffee that will not be different from the ones we usually drink.

The problem is mainly that home freezers certainly don't reach the temperatures of the experiment, but also the fact that our freezers are probably full of food, which can transfer odors to the coffee - so we need to be sure to wrap them up good.

Also, most home machines don't leave the user with so much control over the extraction factors that micro-differences that might have a different effect are easily apparent. Of course, with a more manual machine and careful handling nothing rules out a truly more aromatic espresso – experimentation and notes are the only way to find out.



Some people prefer it hot, they say, and that certainly applies to coffee. Maybe after all, we should start preferring him… frozen!