Do coffee beans need to be ground into powder before they can be soaked in water?

Do coffee beans need to be ground into powder before they can be soaked in water?

Coffee is a must-have drink on the Starbucks menu every morning for many people. It can refresh the mind and bring energy to people for the whole day. However, for novices, there may be a question: Do coffee beans need to be ground into powder before brewing water? This question has caused some controversy among coffee lovers. This article will explore this issue from different angles.

Historical background

First of all, we need to understand the historical background of coffee. According to archaeologists, coffee beans were already grown and consumed in Ethiopia around the 15th century BC. At first, people did not grind coffee beans into powder to make drinks, but directly added the whole beans to boiling water for soaking.

Later, around the 9th century AD, it became popular in the Arab region to use a rolling mill to grind coffee beans into fine powder and brew fragrant coffee through a filter. This grinding method gradually spread to Europe and other regions and became the basis of modern coffee making.

Study Results

Although some people have historically used whole coffee beans to brew water, modern scientific research shows that grinding coffee beans into powder before brewing can better release their aroma and flavor. This is because there are many volatile compounds inside the beans, which are responsible for giving coffee its special aroma.

When we grind coffee beans, the surface area increases, making it easier for volatile compounds to come into contact with water and dissolve out. If we use whole beans directly for soaking, only the outer layer can fully come into contact with water, and the aroma inside cannot be fully released.

Personal taste preference

Aside from the science, there are also personal taste preferences to consider in practice: some people like their coffee black, which is strong and more acidic, while others prefer a lighter, less acidic latte.

If you like strong black coffee, then grinding the coffee beans into powder and brewing it will be more in line with your taste. Because the fine powder after grinding can fully release the bitterness and aroma of the coffee beans, making the coffee more intense.

If you like coffee with milk or other seasonings, such as latte, then soaking the whole beans directly may also meet your needs. Because after adding other ingredients, the original subtle differences are not easy to be detected.

Summarize

Although some people have used whole coffee beans to brew water in the past, and personal taste preferences are also diverse, from a scientific point of view, grinding coffee beans into powder before brewing can better release the aroma and taste. Therefore, most professionals and enthusiasts recommend using ground coffee powder to make drinks.

Of course, no matter which method you choose, the most important thing is to adjust the concentration and ingredients of the coffee according to your own taste. Only by finding the coffee that suits your taste can you truly enjoy the deliciousness and pleasure it brings.