82 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM introduction to some of the lab’s equipment. A water sensor measures the moisture content in “green” beans, coffee that hasn’t yet been roasted. An electronic nose tracks how coffee’s aroma changes as those beans age. And a total dissolved solids meter measures what percentage of a cup is coffee versus water, plotting values on a graph to see if the brew falls within standards set by boards like the National Coffee Association. The Coffee Lab’s curriculum doesn’t focus exclusively on the finished cup. Moving around the space in white lab coats, participants learn how coffee is grown and harvested. They examine leafy coffee plants from Hawaii, watch a video of crimson coffee “cherries” being shaken from branches and sniff green beans that arrived through the Port of Oakland (or via Matt and Vance’s suitcases after a trip to the Big Island). They learn the difference between coffees from Sumatra, Ethiopia and Colombia, and how respective growing conditions impact the final product. Matt and Vance also roast beans during class and demonstrate nifty brewing technology. Espresso machines with thermal blocks go from hot to cold in five seconds. The Ratio, an hourglassshaped contraption, artfully automates the pourover process. Then there’s the xBloom, a justreleased product from former Apple engineers that scans a QR code on a compostable pod to get {food coloring} ABOVE: Vance Bjorn and Matt Baker are the science wizards behind Menlo Park’s Coffee Lab.
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