Roaster Resources

Technical Services for Green & Roasted Coffee from Commercial to Specialty Quality

The true measure of any beverage program is the quality: how does is taste? Branding, promotion, and merchandising will capture the first sale, but only quality will keep your customers returning time after time.

Green Coffee Analysis (GCA)

Click on any image to zoom.

Purchase Decisions

Does the coffee meet your quality expectations or contract specifications for purchase approval?

Quality Control

Scheduled testing to ensure adherence to specifications.

Calibration

Verification of results from your cuppers and laboratory equipment.

Supply Chain Operations

Establish specifications, green coffee buyer training, farm-to-cup seminars, and green coffee quality controls.

Green Coffee Testing Package

Minimum Sample Size: 550 grams
Turnaround: 5 business days (after receiving sample)
Physical Analysis Standard Tests:

Visual color description
Moisture content
Water activity
Bean size distribution
Density
Defect count / grading (Arabica & Robusta)

Included Sensory Analysis: We prepare the coffee for cupping using SCA standards, and then our sensory panel performs a cupping analysis in our state-of-the-art sensory laboratory using our proprietary sensory scale, the SCA sensory scale, or a client specific sensory scale.

Fragrance of dry grounds
Aroma of hot liquid
Acidity / body / balance
Flavor / aftertaste
Identify taints, faults and staleness

Upon request, we also offer:

Spider chart diagrams
Colorimeter – L.a.b. color analysis
SCA/CQI green coffee sensory scale

Get Started

Roasted Coffee Analysis (RCA)

Quality Control

By the batch, throughout a production run, or a scheduled audit, ensuring adherence to specifications or comparative analysis testing.

Product Development

Creating new coffee products or optimizing existing products based on your business needs.

Calibration & Alignment

Verification of results from physical analysis and comparison of results between your sensory analysis and our sensory panel.

Manufacturing Operations

Establishing specifications, process control plant audits, and quality control staff training.

Roasted Coffee Testing Package

We test whole bean, ground, and flavored coffees.

Product Sample Size: 5 retail or foodservice packages (less packages may be required for bulk sizes).
Turnaround: 5 business days (after receiving sample)
Physical Analysis Standard Tests:

Physical Analysis:

Net weight
Headspace Analysis for Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
Can/Canister vacuum pressure
Moisture Content
Water activity
Agtron Roast Development
Ground Coffee Particle size
Whole Bean Breakage
Whole Bean Roast Defects
Beverage Brew Solids, Extraction, and pH

Sensory Analysis: We prepare the coffee beverage for tasting using standards commercial brewing equipment, and then our sensory panel performs a tasting evaluation in our state-of-the-art sensory laboratory using our proprietary sensory scale, or a client specific sensory scale.

Get Started

Click on any image to zoom.

Roasted & Green Coffee Analysts

Physical Characteristics

Coffee Enterprises tests the physical attributes of green and roasted coffee to determine quality levels, adherence to specifications, and the flavor potential of the beans.

Aroma & Taste

With licensed Q Graders and Certified Golden Cup Technicians on staff our professional sensory panel prepares the coffee samples correctly and rigorously evaluates all aspects of the aroma and taste development.

Brewing Techniques

Our coffee technologists have virtually every type of brewing mechanism at their fingertips, from pour-over, single cup, filter drip and espresso, to determine beverage quality and conduct product development projects.

Packaging

Coffee quality is preserved by package integrity and modified atmosphere; our package analysis will help ensure freshness of our clients products.

Consulting

In our laboratory or at your location, our technical team is ready to provide assistance and support your operation. View Business Consulting for additional information.

GSP - Good Sensory Practices

o We will provide instruction on creating the appropriate environment and protocols for developing and managing a successful sensory panel. We will complete alignment exercises between sensory panels and calibrations with flavor standards to help upgrade cuppers to sensory specialists.

Quality Audit

For internal review or to prepare for a client visit and RFP inspection, reviewing and updating your process controls and quality programs is critical to the success of your business.

Quality Control Lab Setup

Identifying the right equipment, setting up appropriate SOP’s, training your staff, and calibrating to validate your results.

Process Controls

What to test, when to test, how to test, and incorporating GMP’s are all critical parts of a working process control program.

Green Coffee Supply Chain

Presentation of the control points from farm to cup for both physical and financial risk, or a tune-up of your existing program.

New Coffee Buyer Training

Buying green coffee is a complicated process of developing a strategy, managing physical and financial risks, contract writing and execution, quality control, and product development functions.

Call Us

8am-5pm (Eastern)
Monday-Friday

USA:
1 (800) 375-3398

Direct:
+1 (802) 864-5760

Email Us

Spencer Turer
Vice President
spencer@ce.coffee

Additional Services

Please contact Coffee Enterprises to confirm the details of your project before sending products for analysis.

Sensory Only Evaluations

For projects that do not require physical analysis we offer options for cupping (CUP) and tasting (TST) only. Cupping (CUP) and tasting (TST) projects can be requested for green coffee, roasted coffee, soluble products, liquid products, and tea.

Physical Only Evaluations (PHYS)

For projects that do not require sensory analysis we offer options single test or multiple test physical evaluations. Physical Only Evaluation (PHYS) projects can be requested for green coffee, roasted coffee, soluble products, liquid products, and tea.

Sample-to-Standard / Degree of Difference (DoD)

Two different samples, a control and a variable, are evaluated side by side. Similarities and differences of various attributes are rated using both a numeric scale and sensory comments.

Soluble Beverage Analysis (SBA)

Physical and sensory analysis of soluble (powdered) coffee, tea, cocoa and other products in foodservice, retail, and single-cup formats.

Brewing Equipment Analysis (BEA)

Comprehensive testing of automatic drip brew, single-cup, and other hot beverage preparation equipment. Testing includes equipment performance analysis, physical beverage attributes and observations regarding ease of use and cleaning. Uniformity of Extraction and other customizes brewing testing projects are able to be developed, please inquire.

Coffee Product Review (CPR)

A complete 360° review of a coffee product including Green Coffee Analysis (GCA) of the components, Roasted Coffee Analyses (RCA) for the work-in-progress and for the packaged coffee ready for sale. The testing package includes a thorough review of the process control requirements and comparison of recorded data to the product specification to help identify the source of quality concerns and determine opportunities for improvement.

Liquid Product Analysis (LPA)

Analytical testing of coffee and tea products in various formats; concentrate, extract, ready-to-drink beverages, and flavor ingredient evaluations. Testing includes both physical analysis and sensory evaluations.

Triangle Test Protocol for Sensory Analysis (ISO 4120)
Used to quantify sensory differences between a pair of similar products. Samples are placed in groups of three, consisting of two cups of one sample and one cup of the other. The purpose is to determine the frequency and accuracy of the sensory panel’s ability to identify the outlier from each grouping. The numeric results are then compared to statistical tables to determine their level of significance.

Descriptive Analysis
Descriptive Analysis is an advanced sensory science tool used to identify and map product attributes based on levels of intensity of sensory attributes. To begin, our tasting panel evaluates 3 different samples of the same product to individually identify the most prevalent attributes. Next, the panel determines a common language for sensory attributes. The sensory panel reevaluates the product to judge the intensity and quality of the pre-determined attributes. The conclusion is an accurate and detailed product description.

Food Safety and Chemical Analysis Testing (FS-CHEM)

Testing is completed at an accredited, partner chemical / food science laboratory under the supervision of Coffee Enterprises. Please view our Food Safety & Chemical Analysis page for more information and please confirm your testing requirements, threshold detection limits, and the required product quantity prior to sending any samples.

Get Started

Testing Options

We test for you - Coffee Enterprises staff testing

Coffee Enterprises team of coffee technologists and laboratory technicians complete the product testing and provide a details analysis report.

We test with you - cooperative testing

You join us in the laboratory working side-by-side with our technical staff to complete the product testing together and then we provide a detailed analysis report.

You test with our support - technical assistance testing

You have full access to our laboratories and testing equipment with assistance from our technical staff.