A Qualitative and Quantitative Flavor Profile Comparison between Premium vs. Low-Quality Coffee Brews

People appreciate coffee for its enjoyable sensory quality, including aroma, taste, and mouthfeel. This study aimed to compare the flavor profile between a premium and low-quality coffee brew.

Approximately 150 aroma volatiles were identified using SPME-GC- MS, and the premium quality coffee brew consisted of a higher

concentration of volatiles. Premium quality coffee also had a higher °Brix & Total Dissolved Solids (1.2% & 1.02%) than low quality (0.8% & 0.68%), whereas TA was observed to be higher for low-quality (0.28g/L) than premium (0.17g/L). In contrast, HPLC-UV resulted in a significantly higher nucleotide content (umami taste) such as IMP, GMP, AMP, and CMP in low-quality coffee except for 5'UMP. Mouthfeel related compounds such as total protein was higher in premium, while total lipids and total polyphenols were higher in the low- quality brew. This study contributes significantly to understanding coffee’s flavor (aroma, mouthfeel, acidity, flavors, or aftertaste). (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Xiaofen Du)