Scientists claim they’ve discovered the secret to making the perfect espresso

Are these researchers the giants of java?

Experts claim to have discovered the secret to making the perfect espresso in a study published in the journal Matter.

When coffee beans are ground, the friction generates electricity that causes the grounds to clump together and stick to the grinder, creating an “unpredictably unpleasant espresso” while also wasting coffee and making a mess.

But adding a splash of water before grinding the beans, known as the Ross Droplet Technique, reduces static electricity and helps to pack the grounds more densely and evenly — resulting in a more consistent and intense espresso, the researchers concluded.

To test which factors impacted the electricity generated, chemists partnered with volcanologists, who study electrical activity during eruptions — a process surprisingly similar to what happens when grinding coffee.

The research team from the University of Oregon and Portland State University measured the amount of static electricity produced when grinding different commercially and in-house roasted coffee beans with different characteristics, including country of origin, processing method (natural, washed or decaffeinated), roast color, moisture content and grinding coarseness.

The team found that the roast color, particle size and, most notably, water content all did impact the amount of electricity produced when making a shot of espresso.

“Moisture, whether it’s residual moisture inside the roasted coffee or external moisture added during grinding, is what dictates the amount of charge that is formed during grinding,” senior author Christopher Hendon, a computational materials chemist at the University of Oregon, explained in a statement.

“Water not only reduces static electricity and therefore reduces mess as you’re grinding, but it can also make a major impact on the intensity of the beverage and, potentially, the ability to access higher concentrations of favorable flavors.”

Grinding coffee at a coarser setting also produces less of a charge, while light roasts produce less electricity compared to darker roasts, which tend to be drier.

Experts noted that beyond the taste, these findings could have economic and sustainability implications allowing baristas to save 10% to 15% of the grounds.

While this study focused on espresso, these methods would also work for other similar brewing processes, like a stovetop coffee maker.

The health benefits of coffee are continuously debated by experts, but that hasn’t stopped caffeine fiends from their daily dose.

The coffee is worth $343.2 billion or 1.5% of the U.S. gross domestic product as a cup of joe has been deemed America’s favorite beverage.

The beloved product contains a number of nutrients along with naturally occurring chemicals. While a cup a day might keep the doctor away for some, it could cause health risks for others.