The Chemistry of Your Cup of Coffee
September 15, 2021, via Zoom Every morning, millions of people around the world start their day with a cup of coffee. But most put little thought into the science behind what makes this daily ritual possible. What makes a consistently good cup of coffee, and how can we use that knowledge to maximize the flavor experience? Computational chemist Dr. Christopher Hendon shares his research on coffee and how chemistry plays a significant role in consistently brewing a quality cup of Joe. The presentation touches on several research areas, including the chemistry of water, the physics of grinding (including cryogenics), and his team’s latest endeavors of using mathematical modeling to improve espresso reproducibility. The speaker: Dr. Christopher H. Hendon is a computational chemist with interests in energy materials and coffee extraction. He obtained his BSc. Adv. HONS from Monash University in 2011 and PhD from the University of Bath in 2015. After a two year postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined the University of Oregon as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Chemistry where his research group focuses on the chemistry of metal-organic frameworks. Professor Hendon’s interest in coffee began during his PhD, and since then has published several peer-reviewed articles and a book, Water For Coffee. He enjoys washed African coffees, dry Rieslings, and east coast oysters.
