Distinguishing between the wide range of compounds present within a sample of coffee can be challenging. Thirteen key odorants have been quantified and correlated to flavor profiles for certain types of coffee by applying multivariate statistical methods. These flavorsome compounds in coffee exist in the form of aprotic charge neutral species, as well as a collection of acids and their conjugate salts. Headspace-solid phase microextraction technique (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to characterize these thirteen aroma compounds of coffee brews prepared by pour over methods. Brews prepared with a V60 filter were compared to a Chemex filter. Time was also a variable in the experiment. The coffee samples were tested at different intervals after the brew and roast dates to determine if a correlation to shelf life and the taste could be found. Of particular importance was assessment of perceived quality as the number of days off roast increased. It was observed that certain chemicals had a significant correlation with “freshness”.

Characterization of key odorants in coffee by headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

251st National Meeting (2016)

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