Advancing the physical-chemical and engineering understanding of coffee foams

Sponsor: Jacobs Douwe Egberts

University of Nottingham supervisors: Dr Tristan P. Dew and Dr Joanne Gould

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Almost 10 million tonnes of coffee are consumed each year world-wide, and according to the British Coffee Association, coffee contributed £17.7 billion to the UK economy in 2017.

One of the most important parts of the consumer experience of drinking coffee is the crema or coffee foam. We know that this velvety, aromatic foam varies between different types of coffee. However, the physio-chemical mechanisms underpinning foam formation are not yet fully explained.

In this project, we will use a mixture of analytical techniques from the fields of physical chemistry and metabolomics, to identify the key chemical differences between different coffee foams. This will allow us to select for better retention of natural coffee-derived foaming agents through the coffee production process, helping to deliver tasty, foamy coffee to consumers.