Pan American Coffee Co.

Spencer Turer is Head of Quality Assurance at Pan American Coffee Co., where he focuses on maintaining coffee quality through sensory evaluation, process control and manufacturing collaboration. His work helps ensure consistency from sourcing through brewing.

Understanding Coffee Quality beyond the Cup

Coffee quality is more complicated than most imagine. Ensuring coffee meets expectations for how it looks, smells and tastes requires attention to detail and the use of testing technology. Familiarity, particularly for the two-thirds of American adults who drink coffee daily, averaging three cups each, can lead to a false sense of knowledge about how to consistently make a great cup of coffee.

The farm-to-cup process of this agricultural crop aligns more closely with culinary products than standard beverages. Coffee roasters manage quality beginning with sourcing. Knowing the flavors of each growing region from more than 50 origins and selecting coffee throughout the harvest cycle based on price, quality and availability to mitigate flavor changes throughout the year requires expert knowledge. Like grapes for wine, coffee reflects the influence of terroir, where altitude, weather and soil create a distinct taste of place.

Roasting develops flavor much like different cooking methods influence a finished meal. Final manufacturing decisions, including grind size for optimal brewing and packaging designed to maintain freshness, also affect coffee quality over time.

Science and technology are used to measure physical attributes, sensory characteristics and process controls, helping ensure uniformity and consistency while meeting consumer expectations.

Maintaining Quality through Preparation

Coffee is a work in progress when purchased by foodservice operators or consumers. Unlike many other beverages, it must undergo further preparation before becoming the drink people enjoy. Quality continues through brewing, beginning with five key elements.

Clean equipment is the first consideration because preparing coffee in dirty equipment is no different from cooking in dirty pots or serving food on dirty dishes. Coffee grounds become bitter, and coffee oils turn rancid when equipment is not cleaned properly. Coffee equipment should be cleaned to like-new condition every day.

Water is the next essential element of quality. It should be neutral, without any distinct aroma or taste and free of salt, excessive mineral and chlorine flavors. Filtration is recommended to maintain appropriate hardness, alkalinity and pH levels, while a brewing temperature of approximately 200°F supports efficient flavor extraction. Water volume is equally important for maintaining beverage consistency.

Protecting Freshness and Flavor

Coffee itself contributes two additional elements of quality: freshness and accurate measurement. Because coffee stales quickly, it should be purchased in small quantities and stored in a cool, dry place away from heat and sunlight. Grind size should match the brewing method, with very fine grinds for espresso and single-cup brewing, medium grinds for drip and pour-over brewing, and coarse grinds for French press and cold brew.

“EHS leadership is less about authority and more about influence. Learn to coach, listen, and communicate risk and expectations clearly at all levels.”

The specialty coffee industry recommends a starting coffee-to-water ratio of 55 grams of coffee per liter of water, with an extraction yield of 18–22 percent and beverage strength between 1.15 and 1.35 percent to achieve balanced flavor.

Time is the fifth element of coffee quality. As coffee is exposed to oxygen, desirable flavors of chocolate, citrus, nuts, floral notes, berries and spices gradually diminish, giving way to cereal-, paper- and straw-like characteristics. Brewed coffee also continues to change after preparation. Best practice is to hold brewed coffee for no longer than 30 minutes in an open glass carafe or about 90 minutes in an insulated thermal carafe before flavor quality begins to decline.

Advancing Quality through Shared Responsibility

Coffee manufacturers use technology to measure physical and sensory attributes to ensure consistency. These tools include certified scales, moisture meters, headspace analyzers that measure oxygen inside packages, sample roasters, colorimeters, spectrophotometers and particlesize screens.

The responsibility for quality begins with the roaster and then is shared with the barista, foodservice worker and consumer to prepare the beverage with skill and intention. Quality can be impacted at every step of the way. Knowing the five key elements of coffee quality and putting them into practice helps achieve a distinctive and delicious beverage.