What is extraction?

You can’t get far into the world of coffee without hearing mention of this mysterious phenomenon known as extraction. It’s the secret behind that perfectly balanced cup of coffee or espresso, the “piéce de résistance” that showcases sweetness, body, acidity and the balance between them all. But what is extraction and why does it matter? To put it simply extraction is how we remove the “good stuff” from our coffee.

There are several different factors that contribute to extraction:
1. The water to coffee ratio
2. Temperature
3. Water quality
4. Filtration
5. Grind size
6. Pressure

All these combine to affect coffee and it’s ability to produce certain characteristics. Each factor relies on the others, causing taste profiles to morph and change. There is no perfect recipe for extraction, every coffee behaves differently and changing one factor automatically affects the others. Here at Deeper Roots we are about to engage in a series of extraction experiments, focusing on what really matters and how these factors directly affect each other and the extraction profile. Navigating your way through every factor to achieve that “optimum balance” can be difficult. The goal of our experimentation at Deeper Roots is to provide a series of road maps that allow you to reactive optimum extraction and enjoy every cup of coffee you consume! The first factor up for the challenge...PRESSURE! Be on the look out for our findings as we get to play with our new La Marzocco Strada EP!