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Irish mathematicians working hard to make the perfect cup of coffee

The process of making a perfect cup of coffee is “hideously complicated”, say researchers

IT IS THE question that every caffeine addict has pondered.

Now, perfectly timed to coincide with the mid-afternoon slump, mathematicians at University of Limerick (UL) have announced that they are now a step closer to the perfect cup of coffee.

Rather than focusing on the mundane, the researchers aim to answer one of “life’s most pressing questions” through their work published today in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics.

They used advanced mathematical analysis of what they describe as a “hideously complicated” set of variables, to find the right blend.

According to the team led by Kevin Moroney at UL, coffee brewing is poorly understood and getting it to taste just right is as complex as making the perfect wine.

Their conclusion is that the size of the coffee grain is crucial for the perfect cup, but a long list of other factors must be considered.

LEE-William-coffee resize Lead author Kevin Moroney of University of Limerick, left, and Dr William Lee measuring coffee concentration using a refractometer

Dr William Lee explains: “What makes the best coffee is hideously complicated – from the shape of the filter, to the scale of a single grain to the flow rate of water and which machine or tool is used, there are an enormous amount of variables.

By using mathematical analysis, we can begin to tell the story of which elements and in what order lead to the best coffee. We are now one step closer to the perfect cup of coffee.

The research team hopes to use their methods to develop a complete theory of coffee brewing, and use it to inform the design of filter coffee machines in the same way that industry uses the theory of fluid and solid mechanics to design aeroplanes and racing cars.

According to the Irish Coffee Council, we consume almost 4,000 tonnes of coffee here each year, while statistics from Euromonitor International show that just under €100 million was spent on coffee by Irish consumers last year.

Read: I tried to improve my IQ by drinking a cup of coffee with Kerrygold butter in it

Read: Woman jailed for 20 years after killing her friend with a poisoned coffee

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26 Comments
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    Mute Grumpyoldtroll
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:12 PM

    The perfect cup of coffee is different things to different people. Some love a lovely silky espresso some love the buckets of milky pish from the big chains.

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    Mute Boo!-Fight the Board
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    Nov 15th 2016, 6:26 PM

    A single mokka espresso pot/kettle. Lavazza Rosso coffee. Then get a fluffer for the milk. Perfect.

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    Mute Charles Martel
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:08 PM

    Has anyone tried the ‘cat-poo’ coffee…??
    it’s supposed to be smoothest ever.
    I asked my cat to make some for me,
    and he said, – ” Me- How…?? “

    52
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    Mute Alan Smith
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    Nov 16th 2016, 12:33 AM

    I have, it’s called “Kopi Luwak” , Its Indonesian if I remember right, wasn’t a fan of it to be honest.

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    Mute Davor Niksic
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:55 PM

    So this is what our tax money is spent on?

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    Mute Paddy O'Brien
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:17 PM

    No, they spend my tax money on that. Your tax money is spent building houses for the elderly – so dont worry youre sound keep working hard.

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:33 PM

    The Irish coffee market is reckoned to be worth €300m annually. In the UK, it’s £2bn.. why wouldn’t there be investment in research ?

    29
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    Mute king Tut
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:20 PM

    F##k sake, it’s not rocket science. A big spoonful of nescafe and scalding hot water. Bleedin scientists..always trying to make 1+1 make 3.

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    Mute king Tut
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:22 PM

    The big question is whether to dunk yer biscuits.

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    Mute Titus Groan
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:29 PM

    Yeah… this is all scientists do.

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    Mute Ryan Hardy
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    Nov 15th 2016, 5:05 PM

    In coffee? You fiend!

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    Mute Ryan Hardy
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:27 PM

    Black, none of your fancy shite!

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    Mute Val Martin
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    Nov 15th 2016, 9:43 PM

    The young Irish women of today would burn water.

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    Mute Lily
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:55 PM

    My husband has gone through bags and bars of coffee beans trying to perfect his cup of coffee. The fresher the bean the better the taste but the machine has to be fine tuned as well. 759 quid for a sage coffee machine for the pressure to be blown after 3 months. Returned and was to be fixed but they put the wrong name on it and gave it to the wrong customer. *there were lots retuned due to pressure problems. Took ages for him to get a new machine off them.

    Invested in an nespresso while we waited.

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    Mute Goku
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:14 PM

    Twas far from €759 coffee machines I was reared!

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    Mute Paul Minogue
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    Nov 15th 2016, 4:30 PM

    Nespresso tastes just like instant coffee in a pod to me. I’d have expected someone who forks out €759 on a coffee machine to have more sophisticated taste, but each to their own.

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Nov 15th 2016, 5:47 PM

    Nespresso is an absolute con job. You’d be better off buying a old fashioned “pipe bomb” style espresso pot or a percolator for €15.

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    Mute Lily
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    Nov 15th 2016, 5:49 PM

    The nespresso is for me, I don’t like string coffee. Just pi55 water.

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    Mute Karl Bauer
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:42 PM

    Try Deathwish Coffee, ground coarse, made in an aeropress, no milk or sugar. Honestly the finest coffee I’ve ever had! Also works well fine ground in an Italian espresso maker.

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    Mute Frederick Burden
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:54 PM

    @Karl Bauer:
    Strong coffee. You have to be careful how much you consume. This is not ordinary coffee.

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    Mute Karl Bauer
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    Nov 15th 2016, 3:57 PM

    @Frederick Burden: In moderation, I should have said. I can say it is a truly fantastic coffee, smooth and bold!

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    Mute Jim Meen.
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    Nov 16th 2016, 12:11 AM

    I read somewhere its quite easy to have a fatal overdose with that stuff. Like all good things in life i suppose. Im a lavazza rossa man myself, could never get good crema from aeropress, i just use the machine.

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    Mute Chris Byrne
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    Nov 15th 2016, 6:23 PM

    What a time to be alive!

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    Mute F J D
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    Nov 15th 2016, 6:41 PM

    Costa have thé most insipid piss water known to mankind. Even worse, are their skinny lattęs etc. Gimme an espresso with a blast of full fat milk

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    Mute Cormac McCann
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    Nov 15th 2016, 7:53 PM

    Ardgillan Castle with 2 SPOT coffee……the best cup of coffee!

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    Mute Simon
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    Nov 15th 2016, 7:05 PM

    Americans obsessed with getting smarter and better than the next person that much rings true & for real anyway . But I dont believe adding butter is a good long-term strategy for mental health

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